Best Free Learning Management Systems (LMS) Software in 2025

Gone are the days when education and training are delivered solely in person. Digital tools have stepped in to fill the educational gap, allowing employees and students to learn continuously and even at their own pace. This is largely thanks to free learning management systems (LMS) software. These are software that allow educational institutions, commercial entities, and non-government organizations to deliver training and education via the Internet. In some cases, you may encounter solutions that have content-creation modules. That is not typical of free LMS, though. Rather, they are more focused on the delivery of learning materials. It is also common for costless LMS solutions nowadays to include collaborative tools. With these, coaches, trainers, or teachers can work with each other seamlessly in the correction or expansion of courses. That is only one of the foremost considerations to keep in mind when deciding which free learning management system your organization will sign up with.

Being diligent in your research on various free learning management systems (LMS) software will bear fruit once you have implemented one in your organization. Even though they are free, you might still want to sign up for a free trial. This would allow you to explore the solution in an in-depth manner. Plus, you will experience its full capabilities without shelling out a cent. By doing so, you can determine whether it is the right fit for your organization with the help of people who are meant to use it on a regular basis. You could also see for yourself whether it would be worth it to sign up for a paid plan at a later time.

If you are still on the fence about implementing an LMS, understand what is learning management software. You also do not have to do the heavy research to start because we have made a shortlist for you. These platforms have the highest results in our SmartScore and Customer Satisfaction Rating: TalentLMS, Schoology, Moodle, ProProfs Training Maker, and Connecteam. You can also know more through the detailed reviews we have authored.

Onboarding and training new hires, as well as enhancing workers’ skills and knowledge, are important to any organization. It used to be a massive and expensive affair to send employees to workshops and training programs. But technology has made it easier and significantly less expensive to do that. As such, there are plenty of organizations that can benefit from using an LMS free of charge.

• Small businesses. Free learning management systems (LMS) software would be a boon to a small enterprise. They can meet the flexibility requirement by enabling employees to access the training and continuous learning materials anytime. SaaS solutions are a great choice for small businesses because aside from their affordability, they are also less tricky to implement and maintain.
• Medium businesses. An LMS can greatly benefit a medium or growing business. This is because the programs included can help them save time. Instead of creating content from scratch, they can edit existing courses as needed. A costless solution is a resort for mid-sized enterprises if the budget is still tight.

Utilizing a free LMS platform would not make sense for enterprises and multinational companies. That is unless they are using it as a test before they sign up for an appropriate paid tier. After all, a no-cost LMS would only have basic features and can only support a few users at a time. Enterprises will also be missing functionalities that would allow for the seamless delivery of knowledge to learners around the country or the world. Additionally, priority technical support is often available only to paying users or organizations. With a paid LMS, large businesses could also access advanced reports and capabilities.

These are the best examples of free LMS platforms in the market, according to experts and users alike:

• TalentLMS. This is a cloud-hosted solution that has both free and paid versions. Its free plan lets you create or upload up to 10 courses for your employees’ onboarding and continuous learning. You can also access unlimited email support should you require assistance on any issue. But it supports only up to 5 users.
• Schoology. This software is suitable for school systems that want to implement hybrid learning. Schools will have access to learning management and assessment tools. On top of that, teachers and students are not the only ones connected on the platform. Parents and the community are, too.
• Moodle. This is one of the pioneering learning management platforms. It is open-source, which means schools, colleges, universities, and organizations can adopt it to their specific requirements. The latest update to the platform gives users an improved grade book module and further custom reports enhancements.
• ProProfs Training Maker. This business-focused free LMS system provides organizations with an intuitive course-creation tool. The solution also assists in ensuring compliance and skill equipment.
• Connecteam. This application may be better known for its employee management features but it does have learning tools. For one, it has solutions for routine training and onboarding. Plus, you can provide regulatory courses through this platform.

Free LMS software can be categorized by its deployment types. There are three ways in which they can be implemented in an organization:

• On-Premise Free Learning Management Systems (LMS) Software. Organizations can choose to deploy an LMS software on-premises. This means that they host the solution on their own servers. Traditionally, this is an expensive route, which is not advisable for small organizations or teaching institutions. But for a large entity, this would be a satisfactory route. This is because this will allow them to customize the solution and control access to the software.
• SaaS Free Learning Management Systems (LMS) Software. This is a typical software deployment type nowadays. Software-as-a-service or SaaS solutions are flexible and accessible from anywhere. These are hosted on the vendor’s server and they take care of the upgrades and maintenance. You do not need to worry about the scalability of your free online LMS because it would be accessible even if you do not have the experience. It is not prohibitive when it comes to cost compared to on-premise solutions. However, it is generally on a subscription basis.
• Cloud-Hosted Learning Management Systems (LMS) Software. Free LMS systems are most likely cloud-hosted. The vendor would host the application on the Internet and enable users to access them from their site. All communication and training are centralized in this way. There are no implementation and maintenance costs, thus making these types of software cost-effective.

Most LMS have one defining feature that makes them unique from others. However, there are still certain functionalities that many, if not all, of the best free LMS share. In many cases, businesses can use these features with an LMS software free of charge.

• Self-registration. This feature will allow new learners to register on the platform by themselves. After which, they can begin browsing through courses and start learning on their own time as they use the LMS platform free of charge.
• Centralized storage for course materials. A free LMS provides you with a single place for storing your course materials. This ensures accessibility and will allow course designers or teachers to edit the materials when necessary.
• Knowledgebase. Most LMS would have a knowledge base or a self-service portal within easy reach of users. With this feature, they can resolve issues or navigate the interface on their own.
• Categories for course materials. A learning management system free allows you to arrange your courses by authors, subjects, topics, or curriculum. This can help learners find the materials they need faster.
• Groups or teams. Organizations using learning management systems free of charge can easily create groups or teams among learners. Thus, it will be easier for teachers or coaches to deliver or customize orientations or workshops.
• Customized course delivery. Though this is usually found in paid tiers of learning management solutions, there may also be a few free platforms that have this. By customizing course delivery, you can give learners the courses that are appropriate for their learning curve.
• Course funnel. This will intentionally guide your learners through courses to persuade them to take them.
• Quizzes and tests. You can assess learners through customized quizzes and tests.
• Export and import. Your LMS would have these capabilities so you can import documents and media. In case you need to utilize course materials in other business systems, you can make use of the export functionality.

As well, there are other features that make a free open source LMS more robust:

• Custom branding. Dress up your interface with your organization’s colors.
• Calendar. Create events, invite learners, and track attendance.
• Analytics. Get a real-time view of employees’ training and generate reports on demand.
• Mobile adaptability. In some cases, learning management platform free would have native apps for Android and iOS. If they do not have mobile apps, then they are adaptable to small screens for a smoother mobile learning experience.
• Video library. Create video courses with videos available in your library.
• API. Connect your LMS with other solutions in your organization’s tech stack.

Free learning management systems are invaluable tools for small educational institutions and organizations. This is because they offer the following benefits:

Streamlined relationship between teachers and learners

A free LMS allows teachers and students to communicate better. They can do this under course discussions where they can direct or facilitate the exchanges between learners. Additionally, they can provide direction to students via one-on-one communication channels.

Quickly create courses through templates

LMS tools allow users to create their own course templates. These are reusable and customizable. Hence, they can serve as the backbone for other similar courses that you may provide in the future. With this feature, you can save time on creation and implementation. Plus, software providers, even those offering free LMS system solutions, hand out built-in templates. So, you don’t necessarily start from scratch right off the bat.

Easily accessible information

Courses and other data are stored in a centralized database in a free online learning management system. As such, one search could generate numerous results. In this way, learners and coaches alike can find the information they need easily.

Organizations can personalize courses

No student learns in the same way. This makes it difficult for teachers to make sure their students understand lessons in a traditional classroom setting. An LMS changes that because it has personalization capabilities. This means that it can deliver materials that are suitable for a learner. You can ensure that they are not overwhelmed and can actually learn something.

Straightforward evaluations and feedback

Free learning management systems software solutions provide users with built-in evaluation and feedback tools. With these, course creators and facilitators will be able to grade activities and communicate with learners on the platform. Moreover, free LMS platforms—the best of them—allow you to customize rubrics and desired outcomes that clearer to learners at the onset.

Increase engagement with gamification

The best learning management system free versions usually have some gamification features. However, do note that as they are free, these features may not be that advanced compared to their paid counterparts. If you have them, you can make learners be better aware of their development using gamification tools. You can give them a more tangible sense of progress by letting them work through tiered statuses, gaining badges, and working towards other incentives. When done well and, better yet, matched with real-life rewards, these techniques are known to help keep attention, raise interest, and prolong engagement.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic erupted, LMS software providers have been busy beefing up their offerings because of the intensity of competition. Among many added features, capabilities, and best practices, we find that the following elearning trends will become more standard in the coming years.

Virtual Learning

In 2020, the leading technology used by learning and development (L&D) departments is a virtual learning delivery system with a 70% share. This is followed by traditional LMS (66%), and elearning creation software (56%). One of the, if not the main, reasons for this is that most people learn better with visual aids. They don’t just anchor and reinforce abstract ideas but also offer more engaging stimuli. As such, we expect more software providers to offer additional virtual learning features moving forward.

Microlearning Environments

With today’s digital clutter, there is some merit to advocating the delivery of learning materials in bite-sized format and in short bursts. Combined with aligning materials to a learner’s personal interest, this technique—called microlearning—is said to make a positive educational impact. A study showed that custom and personalized learning experiences can improve focus and long-term retention by 80%. No wonder 94% of L&D professionals prefer microlearning over other techniques. In the coming years, expect this preference for microlearning to stay. Also, if you can, give the approach a try. Maybe, you’ll replicate the amazing reported results.

Planned Learning Journeys

Strategic planning is an important aspect of organizational leadership. This, of course, is a widely-known fact. However, save its popular deployment in marketing and finance, many companies still need to exercise strategic thinking in other business and corporate aspects such as HR, especially in training and development. Today, savvy HR teams are remedying this situation. By implementing planned learning journeys for new hires and leaders alike, HR teams could better align employee development with the company’s overall business strategy, thus helping cohesion and coordination in the long run. This approach has great potential. So far, 91% of HR professionals in one study found that journey-based continuous learning can be very effective. Expect more adoption of this approach in the years to come.

Keep in mind that getting a free software solution is a whole lot different from getting a paid one. First off, you’ll likely end up with a basic version of a good product. So, there couldn’t be that much good in it. Secondly, your software provider may not feel obliged to provide support and updates as it gets nothing in return. These are the main issues that you would likely face. Also, other issues of using free platforms usually revolve around these points. Here are more specific situations that you need to be aware of.

Not enough storage

Usually, free LMS system tools have low storage caps, especially those that are free versions of premium plans. So, typically, LMS platforms free users will not be able to create an unlimited number of courses and store much data on their free accounts.

Not enough functionality

While there are good free products out there, free LMS for teachers and educational institutions usually don’t have enough features to implement a wide-range standardized learning experience management operation. Most free platforms really target corporate learning where education can be less rigorous and less formal. Also, there will be fewer compliance issues from governing bodies. So, if you are looking for a free LMS platform for your school, you might as well consider paid plans first. Maybe, they will suffice for single courses.

Hard to use

Most digital software products today are quite easy to use. But, this is not strictly true when it comes to the LMS software category. As development and implementation were a bit rushed because of COVID-19, many platforms can be quite clunky and unwieldy. So, give platforms a good try first before committing to creating complex courses therein. You don’t want to be stuck with software for the medium term that will just give you headaches.

SCORM. This enables users to create content within the LMS itself and in a format that’s accessible and shareable within the platform.

Tin Can/xAPI. This allows multiple learning systems to coordinate with each other and allows their particular learning contents to be in sync. With this, users can have all types of learning experiences recorded in their Learning Record Store (LRS).

LMS LTI. Introduced by the IMS Global Learning Consortium, the Learning Tool Interoperability (LTI) allows users of different web-based elearning apps to share content and learning objects with each other on courses or the Central Learning Repository.

AICC. This is the original first elearning standard. It was created to ensure that learning content adheres to the CMI-5 specifications. This is used to facilitate coordination and communication between the LMS software and elearning content using the HAC protocols.