A corporate trainer at a fast-growing startup struggles to foster collaboration among remote employees during onboarding. They’ve tried a few solutions, but the broader team wants a platform that encourages teamwork, peer feedback, and instant idea-sharing.
Sound familiar?
While 360Learning is a popular choice among trainers and teams, there are many other collaborative options and platforms available. In this guide, we’ll uncover a few standout LMS alternatives, each designed to foster collaboration and improve the ability for teams and individuals to work together on shared learning priorities.
What is collaborative learning?
Collaborative learning is an educational approach that involves learners working together to achieve a common learning objective.
This approach encourages active (rather than passive) learning, critical thinking, and problem-solving. It also helps learners develop essential “soft” skills like communication, teamwork, and leadership. Collaborative learning platforms provide a structured environment for learners to interact with peers and instructors to achieve learning objectives.
In a collaborative environment, learners share knowledge, experiences, and perspectives, and learn from each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Through this perspective, learners develop a deeper understanding of subjects and build a sense of community and camaraderie.
Collaborative learning platforms provide a range of features and tools that support this joint effort, including discussion forums, live chats, video conferencing, and gamification elements.
What is a collaborative LMS platform?
Collaborative learning platforms foster communal learning, where learners interact with each other and with instructors to achieve corporate learning objectives.
This type of learning puts students in places where they can engage in ways that go far beyond text in a course module. In other words, this isn’t about passive lectures and slide decks. An LMS that prioritizes collaboration gives learners the ability to access important material while connecting in more meaningful ways with instructors, peers, and the organization as a whole.
How to select a collaborative LMS
When selecting a collaborative learning platform, it’s essential to consider the following factors:
- Built-in forums and peer-to-peer feedback - facilitate idea sharing and input
- Real-time messaging - Access instant communication between participants
- Real-time analytics - Get live progress tracking to offer support and troubleshooting
- Scalable tools for teams - Enable growth through social learning
- Mobile accessibility - Collaborate on learning goals anytime, anywhere
Imagine an enterprise tech company onboarding hundreds of engineers across global offices. That company needs to choose the right collaborative learning platform in order to host interactive coding workshops, share project-specific resources, and track skill development. By turning to a collaborative LMS, leaders can ensure that every team member is ready to tackle complex challenges.
How does an LMS Improve collaboration?
An LMS fosters collaboration by centralizing communication and resources in one platform.
- Features like discussion boards, live chat, and group projects enable real-time interaction and idea sharing among learners and instructors.
- Collaborative tools such as shared documents and team assignments promote teamwork, even in remote or hybrid settings.
- Tracking tools allow instructors to monitor group progress and give timely feedback, ensuring everyone stays on the same page.
By providing a structured environment for focused work, an LMS helps build stronger connections and encourages active participation. Whether it’s for corporate training, onboarding, or continuing education, these features make learning more interactive and engaging.
Evaluating features and functionality
When evaluating LMS alternatives, it’s essential to consider the features and functionality that meet your organization’s specific needs. Some considerations include:
- Course management: Can you easily manage course creation, editing, and content deletion? Effective course management ensures that training programs are well-organized and easy to navigate or maintain.
- Personalized learning paths: Consider a platform that allows you to create customized learning paths for different learners or groups. Personalized learning paths help address individual learning needs and skill gaps.
- Collaborative learning: Evaluate platforms that offer real-time collaboration features, such as discussion forums, live chats, and video conferencing. These tools facilitate knowledge sharing and peer-to-peer learning.
- Mobile accessibility: Accessibility on various devices is a huge perk for remote and hybrid teams, allowing learners to access training material at any point.
- Integration: Consider platforms that integrate with existing tools and systems. Easy integration enhances the learning experience and streamlines administrative tasks.
Consider budgetary constraints and scalability
When selecting 360Learning alternatives, evaluate platforms based on flexible pricing plans and the ability to grow as your team does. Consider:
- Cost: Calculate the total cost of ownership, including any additional fees, support costs, and implementation expenses. Understanding the full financial commitment helps in making an informed decision.
- Scalability: Can a platform scale with your organization’s growth? You might need to accommodate more users, courses, and content. A scalable LMS can grow with your organization, avoiding the need for frequent platform changes.
- ROI: Evaluate the return on investment (ROI) of the platform based on productivity, improved learner engagement, and reduced training costs. A high ROI indicates that the platform effectively meets your training needs and contributes to organizational success.
Comparing 360Learning alternatives
Collaborative learning platforms are designed to facilitate collaborative learning, where learners can interact with each other and with instructors to achieve learning objectives. These platforms provide features such as discussion forums, live chats, and video conferencing to enable real-time communication and collaboration.
1. CYPHER Learning
CYPHER Learning is a future-forward, learner-centric LMS that provides powerful solutions for use cases in business, education, and more. Their all-in-one, AI-powered platform replaces separate tools for internal training, external training, and skills development—putting more speed and flexibility into the learning process.
Benefits of the training platform
- Generative AI for course creation in minutes: Use AI-powered tools to quickly build training modules, cutting development time without sacrificing quality. All course content is mapped to skills, assessments, and gamification - doing 80% of the tedious, manual work for you. Plus, AI tools like Crosscheck help to accuracy of GenAI content by verifying content, reducing mistakes and boosting credibility.
- Gamification and social learning in action: Turn learning into an engaging experience with leaderboards, point systems, and challenges. These features motivate participants while fostering teamwork and friendly competition. CYPHER gamification capabilities integrate periodic leveling, a unique feature that other LMS competitors lack.
- AI-driven skills development: Automate skills mapping and adapt training to fill critical knowledge gaps. Update your own skills or choose from a comprehensive library of 5,000 pre-loaded competencies and job roles. This helps to ensure employees have the latest expertise to excel in their roles.
- Streamlined admin tools: Simplify course management with intuitive controls that save time and reduce complexity. This lets admins focus on improving learning outcomes instead of handling logistics.
- Custom learning journeys: Create unique pathways for learners, delivering content tailored to their specific needs. Personalized recommendations and flexible pacing make the learning experience both effective and enjoyable.
- Effortless compliance management: Stay on top of regulations with tools that automate tracking and reminders for compliance training. These features ensure all requirements are met, with accurate documentation to back it up.
What customers are saying
Customers praise CYPHER Learning for its user-friendly interface and comprehensive feature set. Many appreciate the ease with which they can create engaging learning paths tailored to diverse audiences. CYPHER has received prestigious awards, recognition and endorsements from Forbes Advisor, Fast Company, Gartner Group, Brandon Hall Group, U.S. News & World Report, PeerSpot, G2, eLearning Industry, and more.
Best suited for
Ideal for any organization seeking a modern, flexible, scalable learning platform with a focus on first to market AI innovation, engagement, and personalization.
2. EducateMe
EducateMe is a collaborative learning platform designed to cater to diverse learning needs. The platform is teamwork-based and data-driven, with a simplified user interface that’s easy to learn and use.
Benefits of the training platform
- Real-time collaboration features with live sessions and active progress reports
- Flexible course creation set that includes webinars, pre-recorded videos, quizzes, and interactive lessons
- Cost-effective pricing tiers with no hidden surcharges
What customers are saying
Customers enjoy the “fit for purpose” approach that makes it easy to adapt to different training needs as they come up.
Best suited for
This option is ideal for organizations that want to prioritize collaboration in the learning process but may not have a need for an enterprise-level LMS.
3. Litmos
Litmos offers a cloud-based LMS that combines in-demand course content with accessibility. It supports a wide range of competencies, including technical skills, compliance, and onboarding. Litmos also supports workflow integrations for large teams and corporations, integrating seamlessly into HRIS, CRM, and other platforms.
Benefits of the training platform
- Quick deployment for an easy setup (requires minimal IT support)
- User-friendly experience boosts engagement for learners and instructors
- Analytical insights into learner progress and program effectiveness
- Intuitive content authoring tool for built-in course materials
What customers are saying
Users enjoy the comprehensive analytics and automated content authoring tools, which allow for less stressful corporate training programs.
Best suited for
Litmost is a perfect match for corporate trainers looking for a mobile-friendly LMS with strong analytics capabilities. It’s also practical for sales enablement, CX, and partner training.
4. Docebo
Docebo is a learning management system that leverages AI features to personalize content and make smarter learning recommendations. Docebo is geared toward large enterprises and includes various third-party tools to give organizations higher productivity in training initiatives.
Benefits of the training platform
- Personalized content and automated learning tasks
- AI capabilities create personalized learning for individual skills and learning histories
- Extended Enterprise enables learning for partners, customers, and employees
- Collaboration through community leaderboards, gamification, and skills paths
What customers are saying
Customers highlight Docebo's advanced AI capabilities and its extensive customization options, making it a favorite for organizations looking to scale their training programs.
Best suited for
Docebo is ideal for large enterprise corporations seeking a modern, AI-driven LMS that supports diverse learning audiences. Resources should be in place for broad implementation and adoption across an organization.
5. Tovuti LMS
Tovuti is an all-in-one LMS solution that integrates with webinar tools and e-commerce, making it a versatile choice for businesses that are ready for a more modern way to train. Tovuti provides interactive content and course authoring software to cater to different audiences in industries like education, nonprofit, healthcare, and more.
Benefits of the training platform
- 40+ interactive content options, including quizzes and interactive lessons
- Seamless integration to virtual meeting platforms and workflow tools like Zapier
- End-to-end data encryption, SSO, high availability, redundant data storage and disaster recovery to protect online training content
What customers are saying
Users appreciate Tovuti’s ease of use and its ability to integrate various learning and business functions into one cohesive platform.
Best suited for
Tovuti is a good choice for businesses wanting a comprehensive LMS with unique use cases, including e-commerce and manufacturing training.
6. Absorb LMS
Absorb LMS offers a powerful and intuitive platform designed to simplify the learning process while providing in-depth analytics.
Benefits of the training platform
- User-friendly interface for straightforward navigation and accessibility.
- Gamification, including Absorb Engage, to promote interactivity and collaboration
- Scalable solutions with advanced security measures to keep data safe
- Custom branding and personalized learning portals tailored to individual users' needs
- In-depth insights into learner progress
What customers are saying
Many clients enjoy Absorb LMS for its simplicity and powerful reporting tools. Administrators get strong oversight, and have the ability to track and improve learning outcomes.
Best suited for
Absorb is an excellent choice for organizations that are looking to bridge the gaps in current knowledge or skills levels. The platform prioritizes speed and efficiency, particularly with compliance and onboarding.
8. TalentLMS
TalentLMS is a popular choice for its balance of features, ease of use, and affordability. It’s a favorite LMS choice among small to medium-sized businesses that want to access top features but still crave an intuitive and easy-to-use option.
Benefits of the training platform
- Scalable and suitable companies looking to grow their learning programs.
- BasicAI content generation that captivates learners and improves engagement.
- Mobile-Friendly: Access courses anytime, anywhere.
What customers are saying
Users love TalentLMS for its affordability and the flexibility it offers, making it a great option for small companies with varying training needs.
Best suited for
This LMS is a great choice for small to medium-sized businesses seeking a cost-effective and flexible solution. It offers a good success rate and reliable resources.
9. Seismic Learning (Lessonly)
Seismic Learning, formerly known as Lessonly, is a sales training platform designed to equip customer-facing teams with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed. Its intuitive design and actionable insights make it a go-to choice for businesses aiming to enhance team performance.
Benefits of the training platform
- Customizable training modules offered lessons that align with specific business goals, team needs, and sales coaching opportunities.
- Engagement-focused tools like quizzes and practice scenarios keep learners actively involved.
- Data-driven analytics help track progress and measure the impact of training efforts.
- Easily connects to existing tools like Zoom to improve communication and collaboration.
What customers are saying
Users appreciate the platform’s engaging format to keep team members motivated and productive, with the tools and skills needed to grow.
Best suited for
Seismic Learning is ideal for sales, customer success, and service teams in mid-sized to enterprise-level organizations. It’s valuable for businesses that prioritize coaching and active feedback for skills development.
How to use personalized learning paths for collaboration
To get the most out of your collaborative LMS, focus on engaging learners with social and peer-driven methods. For example, the training team for a tech company could create a shared coding challenge where employees collaborate in real-time. Have participants provide feedback on each other’s solutions, and celebrate progress through a team leaderboard or with earned badges.
Identifying and addressing skill gaps through targeted training is also crucial for enhancing employee competencies.
Encourage knowledge-sharing and the creation of user-generated content to foster a sense of community. Additionally, regularly measure engagement and collect feedback to refine your learning programs and improve outcomes.
Know your LMS options
Exploring 360Learning alternatives? Don’t be afraid to know your options and to prioritize the features and requirements that matter most to your long-term learning goals.
Remember, the right LMS can transform how learning happens in your environment —empowering educators, trainers, and learners alike.
Learn what CYPHER can do for you. Book a demo today!
