Canvas by Instructure is an extremely popular learning management system (LMS). As a top LMS choice for schools, colleges, and universities, thousands of instructors and learners use Canvas to implement education and training programs. With personalized curriculum, Canvas is a user-friendly choice for remote or hybrid classes.
Even with its widespread popularity, Canvas isn’t always the perfect fit for every institution because it can fall short in offering the deep customization or specialized tools needed for unique programs or industry-specific training. And while Canvas is capable of handling corporate learning, the platform is built primarily for schools and universities.
To get the best results possible out of your LMS, it’s crucial to choose a solution that’s tailored to your specific needs.
In this article, you’ll find a detailed breakdown of the top Canvas LMS alternatives. We walk through features, price, and customer reviews to help you hone in on the best option for your learners. Plus, find tips for a successful implementation so you can set up your learning experience without missing a beat.
What is a learning management system (LMS)?
A learning management system (LMS) is a powerful software application that facilitates the creation, management, and delivery of online courses and training programs. It serves as a centralized platform where instructors can develop and organize course materials, track student progress, and evaluate performance.
For learners, an LMS provides easy access to course content, assignment submission, and interaction with instructors and peers. The primary goal of an LMS is to enhance the online learning experience, making education more accessible and efficient.
Whether you’re an educational institution or a corporate organization, an LMS can streamline your course management and improve learning outcomes.
Why consider Canvas alternatives?
While Canvas is widely used in education, it may have its drawbacks. Some educational institutions and businesses might find that Canvas lacks certain advanced features or customization options that are crucial for their specific needs, such as robust integration with industry-specific software or advanced analytics for tracking student engagement in niche training programs.
Additionally, budget constraints or scalability requirements might prompt the search for a more suitable LMS. Exploring Canvas alternatives allows institutions to find a platform that aligns better with their unique requirements, ensuring a tailored and effective online learning experience.
By considering different options, you can select an LMS that offers the right balance of functionality, affordability, and scalability.
Comparison of top Canvas learning management system alternatives
1. CYPHER Learning
CYPHER Learning is a highly versatile platform and LMS offering robust course creation options and gamification. Modern businesses and educational institutions need engaging, competency-based platforms to prepare today’s learners for the leadership and innovation of tomorrow. That’s where CYPHER shines.
AI-enabled course creation also allows users to generate personalized and skills-based learning experiences in only minutes. As the only LMS with Gen AI-enabled skills development, CYPHER makes the course creation process faster than ever. It also enables a more scalable approach to learning solutions that educational institutions rely on.
Additionally, CYPHER boasts AI Crosscheck, which thoroughly reviews and flags inconsistencies. This innovative feature is best-in-class for providing confidence in the quality of the learning materials you release and use with learners.
Benefits
- AI innovation: Use AI 360 to efficiently design courses for specific use cases or corporate strategies in just minutes. CYPHER eliminates the tedious work by automatically mapping course content to skills, assessments, and gamification, and with tools like AI Crosscheck, content generated by AI is verified to boost accuracy and reduce mistakes.
- Advanced gamification: Make learning fun by using a dynamic points-based system to turn courses into a social experience. This increases learner engagement and motivation, ultimately driving better learning outcomes through collaboration and teamwork.
- User-friendly administrative features: Enjoy modern course management tools for easy oversight, user role management, and detailed reporting.
What customers are saying
“CYPHER Learning has been very helpful in delivering our instructions to our students. The features are very intuitive and interactive that make possible ease of implementation and integration of its use in our existing teaching-learning practices.” — Shirlene Medori A., Director for Graduate Studies and Research
Best suited for
Organizations that want to leverage first to market AI tools to create a highly engaging learning experience, at scale and more quickly than traditional methods.
CYPHER for higher ed—at a glance
- Create and adapt new education courses to make sure they stay relevant.
- Accomplish your content goals without draining time or resources.
- Measure and track students’ educational progress, strengths, weaknesses.
- Get access to insights that go beyond grades and GPAs.
- Seamlessly integrate courses from development to delivery.
- Juggle dozens of exciting and innovative resources to stay competitive.
- Develop learning programs with engaging and individualized course experiences.
- Build programs that students actually want to participate in.
2. Moodle
Moodle serves learners of any age, providing a customizable, scalable LMS solution that allows you to design your ideal learning experience. Engage K-12 students with the flexible, secure Moodle LMS. Or drive more efficient employee onboarding with Moodle Workplace for enterprises. Whatever your needs, Moodle’s customization abilities help you deliver a highly functional LMS that meets your learners where they are.
Benefits
- Custom development: Choose the best themes, integrations, and reports for your needs.
- Highly customizable: Since Moodle is an open source platform, it’s extremely flexible and adaptable.
- Safe and secure: Moodle’s open source license ensures the platform is secure, private, and driven by user needs.
What customers are saying
“I have searched for many LMS and finally, I selected Moodle because it’s open source and very customizable for our requirements.” — Chamath N., Chief Technology Officer
Best suited for
Instructors and learning and development professionals looking for ownership and high customization abilities.
What is an “open source” LMS?
Moodle is an open source platform. This means Moodle’s software design is publicly available — anyone can modify and share it. People can use Moodle LMS for any purpose, modifying it, changing it, and even redistributing it to help others. And this supports open source learning: an education model that encourages educators and learners to pursue learning experiences for themselves. Open source learning recognizes that there is no “one size fits all” approach to learning. It promotes exploration, creativity, and connection.
3. TalentLMS
TalentLMS is known for offering a full-service training hub. Pull from the library of ready-made courses or build a custom course from the ground up, including tests, quizzes, and other interactive learning features. Guide each learner through an individualized pathway. And help them connect face-to-face even if they aren’t in the same time zone. Finally, automate tasks and analyze training to increase efficiency.
Benefits
- Full training hub: Build courses, track learner progress, set up live classroom sessions, and more.
- Smooth interface: TalentLMS is simple to use even for non-techies.
- Easy integrations: It’s easy to fit TalentLMS into your workplace and the suite of tools you already use.
What customers are saying
“TalentLMS is a versatile, easy to set up and use LMS. The new user interface makes it easy to navigate and manage users/courses. With features like gamification and simple, but comprehensive assessments/learning activities, it helps us to keep track of our employees’ learning progress, but also that of our external learners.” — Adam B., Missionary Team Leader
Best suited for
People or leaders in smaller organizations in search of a single, centralized hub to hold all training materials.
4. Brightspace (D2L)
Brightspace from D2L offers everything you need to provide personalized learning at scale. No matter what stage of learning you facilitate, Brightspace has the tools necessary to help you build out engaging digital courses complete with forums and assessments. Then deliver those learning experiences anytime on any device.
Benefits
- AI-powered efficiency: Streamline workflows to drive better productivity.
- Extra support: Brightspace helps with onboarding and launch as well as providing customer support and optimization services.
- Bulk migration tools: Move hundreds or thousands of courses from your current LMS into Brightspace in a single, automated batch.
What customers are saying
“I love the options D2L Brightspace provides so that we have the ability to design the courses with the right ‘feel’ and vibe. Students tell me time and time again how they LOVE D2L courses — especially compared to the other platforms they have been exposed to.” — Jody C., teacher
Best suited for
Organizations looking for extra personal customer support or a more consultative experience.
5. Blackboard Learn (Anthology)
A cloud-based learning management system, Blackboard by Anthology is a great choice for higher ed institutions looking for something modern and innovative. Blackboard Learn supports collaborative learning through tools like virtual classrooms and forums, which foster communication and interaction among learners. This LMS has four major “impact areas:” instructor efficiency, inclusive and personalized learning, actionable insights, and support and guidance.
Benefits
- Content designer: Use generative AI to create assessments, courses, and native video.
- Accessibility: It’s easy for students to use Blackboard thanks to the rich mobile experience, the accessibility checker, and the optimized test-taking experiences.
- Learner tracking: Keep up with learner journeys via course evaluations, holistic student reports, and data showing institutional intelligence.
What customers are saying
“Blackboard Learn is currently being used as the learning management software to host courses that a student enrolls for a certain semester. I have used the mobile version as well. It is the perfect answer for students pursuing distance learning education along with their respective jobs.” — Meena B., Information Technology Project Manager, Binghamton University
Best suited for
Colleges and universities that are ready and equipped to facilitate online learning and virtual classrooms.
6. Schoology Learning (PowerSchool)
Schoology Learning by PowerSchool is a versatile learning management system designed specifically to accommodate K-12 schools and learning objectives. Schoology combines teacher-friendly classroom management tools with innovative communication features to foster a more connected learning environment for everyone. With personalized learning hubs and built-in student empowerment, it’s an excellent choice for educators with a goal of engagement.
Benefits
- Unique integrations: Seamlessly integrates with a wide range of edtech tools and PowerSchool SIS for a streamlined educational experience.
- Engaging communication tools: Features like discussion boards, interactive assessments, and real-time feedback encourage active student participation.
- Parent involvement: Offers parent portals to keep families informed about their child's progress and classroom activities.
What customers are saying
“One of the things I enjoy about Schoology is how user-friendly it is. As a new teacher, I have been able to create assignments and tests, share them with other teachers, and grade them with ease. I am also a massive fan of the OneNote extension.” — Rosie V., Teacher
Best suited for
K-12 schools and districts that prioritize collaboration, student engagement, and parental involvement.
Canvas alternatives for corporate learning and onboarding
Looking for a fresh take on corporate learning? Whether you're teaching new hires the ropes, keeping your team sharp with compliance training, or rolling out skill-building courses, the right Canvas alternative can make a huge impact—and some platforms are tailor-made for those workplace challenges.
Platforms like iSpring Learn, Totara Learning, and Accord LMS (Noggin Guru) offer specialized features designed for corporate environments, such as customizable learning paths, compliance management, and social learning tools.
These features help organizations create engaging and effective training modules, streamline the onboarding process, and maintain compliance with ease. By choosing the right LMS, companies can enhance employee engagement, improve training efficiency, and reduce overall costs.
Other notable Canvas alternatives
In addition to the top Canvas alternatives mentioned earlier, several other options are worth exploring:
- Google Classroom: A free, web-based LMS tailored for K-12 education, offering a simple and intuitive interface for teachers and students.
- Open edX: An open-source system that provides a robust set of features for creating and delivering online courses, suitable for educational institutions and corporate training.
- Tovuti LMS: A comprehensive Learning Management System that offers a wide range of tools for creating, delivering, and tracking online learning experiences, making it suitable for various educational and corporate settings.
By considering these additional options, you can find an LMS that best fits your specific needs and enhances your online learning initiatives.
How to choose a Canvas LMS alternative
There are plenty of great options on the market for learning management systems. It can be overwhelming to narrow them down. Use these tips to help as you consider which LMS is right for you:
Identify your organization’s strategic needs
Considering your current resources, learners, and goals, what’s top-of-list in an LMS? Are you looking for rich customization abilities, or deep analytics? Or perhaps a simple user interface is most important to you right now? Define your top needs and then look for an LMS that can meet them.
Consider scalability for future growth
Your organization is in one place right now. But you aren’t going to stay there forever. Pick an LMS with a forward-thinking focus, looking for a platform that can grow with you as you add more students or increase the complexity of your courses.
Ensure mobile compatibility and integration options
Whether they’re college kids or corporate learners, today’s students are on-the-go. Choose an LMS that gives them the ability to access their education from wherever they want. And by looking at the platform’s available integrations before you buy, you’ll also ensure added efficiency and less headaches for you.
Quick tips for successful implementation
Map your learning objectives and course creation
Before diving into a new solution, take some time to clearly define your organization’s training goals. Maybe you hope to improve engagement; streamline your processes; or scale content delivery. Whatever the case, make sure you align these objectives with the key features of your chosen LMS to boost ROI and ensure a perfect fit.
Leverage integrations, customization, and advanced features
Create seamless workflows by connecting your new LMS with existing tools — your CRM, HR systems, or content libraries. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel if you can simply sync a new solution with familiar tools.
It’s also helpful to take advantage of customization options to align the platform with your organization’s branding and user preferences. Again, this saves time, while also reinforcing your branding for learners and other users.
Focus on boosting engagement
Features like gamification, quizzes, and discussion forums can keep learners motivated and engaged — so take full advantage of these! Gamification has been linked to a 50% improvement in student productivity. And 80% of U.S. workers say gamified learning experiences are more effective for them.
You’ll also want to regularly refresh any courses you’ve created to keep the content relevant. Consider setting a reminder on your calendar to do this quarterly (depending on the course topic).
Monitor with in-depth analytics
Finally, as learners start using your new LMS, remember to use the platform’s reporting tools to track their progress and performance. Regularly assess the data to identify areas for improvement. Then adapt your strategy as needed.
Discover best Canvas LMS alternatives
If you’re looking for a Canvas alternative, there are plenty of platforms out there that can help you create a strong learning experience in a school or corporate environment. To gather more information, explore demos or free trials before making a final decision.
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