A Credible Alternative to TalentLMS – iSpring Learn
Whether you’re on a mission to find a replacement for TalentLMS or shopping for your first learning management system, this article will prove helpful. Today, we’re comparing TalentLMS and iSpring Learn side by side to award one of them the “best cloud-based learning platform” trophy. After reading this post, you’ll understand the main differences between the LMSs and will be able to pick the one that’s best for you.
TalentLMS Review
TalentLMS began around 2010 as a learning management system for small companies, aimed at solving the difficulties of implementing online learning in such organizations. The company behind this LMS, Epignosis, actually has two online learning platforms – eFront and TalentLMS, with the former system being tailored to enterprise clients and their needs.
Despite its simplistic interface and its focus on small and medium-sized businesses, TalentLMS is packed with features. Gamification, eCommerce, a built-in QuizMaker, Zoom, and GoToMeeting support, plus a lot more – it almost seems like there’s too much functionality. Plus, the platform works with Zapier, a web service that offers over 1000 ready-made connections to software like Slack and Trello, whereas any custom integration can be achieved with TalentLMS’ elaborate API.
But, with all its technicality, is TalentLMS really as good as it sounds? Here are the pros and cons:
Pros
- Multi-tenancy support, where separate branches of the same company can have independent learning portals with distinct designs
- An ability to create quizzes in your browser
- Customizable reports and report scheduling
- A flexible automation engine allows you to trigger actions like “Send email” on various events like “Course Completion,” thereby facilitating the work of the LMS admin with such small automations
- Course catalog with ready-made content on soft skills
- eCommerce: Stripe and PayPal integrations
- Zapier integration allows for 1000+ connections to 3rd party web apps via webhooks
- WCAG 2 and Section 508 compliant
Cons
- Only 5 question types available for graded quizzes and 2 types for surveys with the built-in QuizMaker
- Certain useful features like the Automation Engine or Custom Reports are only available starting from 250 active users/month
- No 24/7 support
- No phone support available, live chat support provided only with the 500 active users/month plan
When to choose TalentLMS?
TalentLMS will be a good fit when you:
- Need to maintain several learning portals with distinct design through a single admin interface (multi-tenancy)
- Look for a platform with eCommerce so your business can also sell learning content
- Want to use a built-in course library to cover common topics like workplace safety
- Search for an LMS that can be easily integrated with a 3rd party service (using Zapier)
Why Might iSpring Learn Be a Good Replacement?
iSpring Learn was originally released in 2010 and has since evolved into one of the top-performing learning management systems in today’s rapidly changing eLearning landscape.
Its vast experience, accumulated over the years that the company has been developing software for eLearning, has allowed iSpring to outpace the majority of its competitors in an overcrowded industry. Along with the LMS, the company also develops and maintains its own authoring tool that, according to rave reviews, is on par with the well-known Articulate Storyline and Adobe Captivate. The authoring tool is provided with iSpring Learn, free of charge, so you can start building your own course library ASAP. Another thing that stands out with iSpring is the unprecedented attention to the quality of customer experience – from user-centered design to qualified technical support available 24/7.
Unlike TalentLMS, which offers some of its functionality, like the Automation Engine or custom reports, but with higher priced subscription plans, iSpring Learn doesn’t have features that you have to pay for in order to unlock. Thus, you can always be sure that you will not run out of training budget because of additional features.
Let’s look at the main positives and negatives of iSpring Learn:
Pros
- Easy to pick up. The appealing design and well-thought-out interface will be a great find for companies that have never used an LMS before.
- Has a built-in course authoring tool that can be used to create simple responsive courses with images, videos, knowledge check questions, and quotes.
- Comes bundled with one of the best authoring tools on the eLearning market, iSpring Suite, that allows you to create interactive courses with quizzes, screencasts, and dialog simulations.
- Easily integrates with Zoom – you can connect your account in seconds and start creating ILT events using the built-in calendar of events.
- The beautiful learner app for iOS/Android will allow your employees to download assigned courses and study even when they’re not connected to the Internet
- Experienced 24/7 support via phone/chat/email
Cons
- Doesn’t support eCommerce
- No report customization or scheduling
- No xAPI or cmi5 support
- No Multi-tenancy support
- No integration with Zapier
When is it better to favor iSpring Learn over TalentLMS?
Go for iSpring Learn instead of TalentLMS when you:
- Want to get a fast, good-looking LMS that works great on both desktop and mobile
- Would like to be able to create your own learning courses quickly in your browser or extend your course development abilities even further with the integrated iSpring Suite authoring tool
- Are not planning to sell learning content
Feature Comparison
Now we’ll make a head-to-head comparison with a feature list:
| Features | TalentLMS | iSpring Learn |
| Interface design | Simple, compact, and slightly outdated | Clean, easy to navigate, and modern-looking |
| Support | Monday-Friday: email and live chat (for an additional price) | 24/7: email, phone, and live chat |
| Unlimited storage | ✓ | ✓ |
| Maximum upload size for video | 600 MB | 2 GB |
| Library of ready-made courses | Available for an additional price | — |
| eLearning standards support | SCORM 1.2, xAPI, and cmi5 | SCORM 1.2/2004 |
| Calendar of events (ILT) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Customized completion certificates | ✓ | ✓ |
| Recurrent training | ✓ | ✓ |
| Learner discussions (social learning) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Learner portal localizations | 37 | 13 |
| Mobile app for iOS/Android | ✓ | ✓ |
| Report customization | ✓ | — |
| Built-in authoring tool | quiz/survey editor | course editor |
| eCommerce | ✓ | — |
| Single Sign-On | ADFS, LDAP, Okta, and OneLogin | SAML, JWT, and OpenID |
| Webinar integrations | GoToMeeting, Zoom, and BigBlueButton | Zoom |
| Authoring integrations | — | iSpring Suite |
| REST/SOAP API | Free plan | ✓ |
| Other integrations | Zapier, BambooHR | — |
| Free trial | ✓ | ✓ |
| Free plan | 5 users, 10 courses | — |
| Pricing | 100 users – $2,868/year 500 users – $5,748/year | 100 users – $4,392/year 500 users – $16,920/year |
To Sum Up
TalentLMS and iSpring Learn are in the same small-to-medium business LMS niche. They both have everything a company might need to start their own online training experience for workers and do it well.
With more possibilities for integration with other Web services, TalentLMS offers more flexibility in terms of implementing their platform in an existing corporate infrastructure but pales in comparison to iSpring Learn’s course authoring capabilities and customer service. If you’re looking to get a learning platform with great authoring tools and consistent, agile support that is always ready to help you get back on track with your project, iSpring Learn will be a better choice.
Another difference between the two is that TalentLMS provides support for eCommerce, while iSpring puts all of its efforts into being most suitable for corporate training, with no other applications in mind. So, if your primary task is to sell content online, try TalentLMS.
