Online Course Platforms Comparison

There are several types of online course platforms to compare. Three of which are the following:

1. Learning destination sites.

• One website that offers online courses from many different course creators.
• These handle eCommerce and student registration for you, so you don’t have to do much legwork regarding finding interested learners and setting up an online payment transaction method (Whittemore, n.d.).

2. Traditional, Cloud-Based Learning Management Systems

• A website providing functionality for you to create, host, and sell courses to students (Whittemore, n.d.).
• On here, store certificates, learning outcome data, and dynamic courses simply.

3. Open Source Learning Management Systems

• This is an online course platform with open source code that offers more customization options and plugins than traditional learning management systems (Whittemore, n.d.).
• These require IT employees to help maintain.

In this article, we will look conduct an online course platforms comparison. We will be comparing two of the top online course platforms in each category. Hopefully this online course platforms comparison will help you in your quest for the right online course platform for you!. Tips to manage the project with help of ALM Tools Guru99.

Let’s get started!

Online Course Platforms Comparison: Learning Destination Sites

Udemy vs. Coursera

Udemy

Udemy is an online course platform marketplace that offers different course creators the tools to create and sell their courses on its site.

Udemy Pros:

• Unlike Coursera, Udemy is more mobile friendly. (Broderick-Forester).
• With Udemy, you do not have to be a professor at a prestigious university. You can create courses regardless of your background of expertise.
• Courses are ranked based on customer reviews, so if you have a strong course–it will rise to popularity quickly based on merit from loyal student learners (Yagil, 2018).
• With Udemy, you can create all levels of courses: beginner, intermediate, and advanced courses (n.a., 2018).

Udemy Cons:

• Unlike Coursera, Udemy does not offer live classes (n.a., 2018).
• With Udemy, you have access to a lower user pool. There are 14 million plus users at Udemy while Coursera has 24 million plus users.

Coursera

Coursera is a learning destination site that allows you to create and sell high-quality online classes that are similar to those found at top universities.

Coursera Pros:

• Unlike Udemy, Coursera offers live courses (n.a., 2018).
• Coursera allows you to offer certification courses to paid users only. This allows you the ability to create a high quality certification course that will allow you passive income from an audience of 24 million plus learners (n.a., 2018).

Coursera Cons:

• You can only create advanced and intermediate level courses with Coursera (n.a., 2018).
• You have to be a professor at a top university in order to create courses on Coursera (n.a., 2018).

Online Course Platforms Comparison: Traditional, Cloud-Based Learning Management Systems

CertCentral vs. Talent LMS

CertCentral

CertCentral is an online course platform for scalable online trainings and certificate programs.

CertCentral Pros:

• CertCentral is a cinch to learn, even for non-digital natives. Quickly create online courses and have learners access those trainings on mobile, tablet, or desktop.
• CertCentral is affordable. With plans starting as low as $29 per month–it is easy to get started with your continuing education business.
• CertCentral is an online course platform that seamlessly integrates with the online payment processor Stripe. Charge students for courses during the registration process, and when you receive payments, immediately allow entry for learners to begin programs.
• Unlike Talent LMS, CertCentral provides phone support.

CertCentral Cons:

• Video conferencing features are not available on standard plans.
• Gamification is not available on standard plans as well.

Talent LMS

Talent LMS is a cloud-powered learning management system. This online learning platform offers support for SCORM & Tin Can (xAPI).

Talent LMS Pros:

• Talent LMS supports gamification features (Capterra, n.d.). This means that badges can be earned when advancing in a course–similar to when advancing in levels of a game.
• Talent LMS offers video conferencing features. This is ideal for course creators looking for an online learning platform that can allow one-on-one tutoring sessions.
• Unlike CertCentral, Talent LMS offers a custom domain on standard plans.

Talent LMS Cons:

• Talent LMS does not support webinars (Capterra, n.d.). Unfortunately, live teaching to a large group is impossible on Talent LMS’s platform.
• This learning management system can only host YouTube videos.
• Talent LMS does not provide phone support. This means that when a customer encounters a problem–they must contact online support and will receive an answer to their inquiry depending on the ticket number received at the time of inquiry sending.

Online Course Platforms Comparison: Open Source Learning Management Systems

Moodle vs. Dokeos

Moodle

Moodle is an open source online learning management system that is scalable, customizable and secure. Utilized often for K-12 schools and universities.

Moodle Pros:

• Moodle is absolutely free of cost. However, you must hire IT professionals to maintain the software. So in a sense, Moodle is not actually completely free if you must hire these individuals in order to use the platform.
• Moodle support is wonderful, with help always being just a few clicks away.
• Moodle allows webinar functionality.

Moodle Cons:

• Moodle is not easy to learn for non-digital natives.
• Moodle does not allow eCommerce for courses or exams created using this platform.

Dokeos

Dokeos is an open source learning management system for compliance trainings.

Dokeos Pros:

• Dokeos allows the sharing of videos, documents, presentations, assessments, and more in an extremely secure environment fit to meet regulatory requirements of even the strictest healthcare organizations.
• Dokeos supports chats and forums for live online learning.
• Dokeos supports eCommerce.

Dokeos Cons:

• Unlike Moodle, there is not a 24/7 live rep to answer questions (Capterra, n.d.).
• Dokeos has less value for its cost than Moodle.