LMS vs eLearning platforms - what is the difference?

Are you one of the 45% of people who have attended an online training course for work?

Or are you among the 57 million people predicted to use eLearning platforms by 2027?

Or, are you perhaps looking to make training digital in your organization?

As companies increasingly adopt digital training, understanding the tools available becomes crucial. 

This article demystifies the differences between a Learning Management System (LMS) and eLearning platforms, helping you choose the right tool for your organizational needs. 

Let’s first explore what eLearning platforms entail and how they can serve your immediate training needs.

What is an eLearning Platform?

An eLearning platform is a digital framework designed to facilitate online education.

These platforms range from general services like YouTube and LinkedIn Learning to easy-to-use authoring tools. 

E-learning tools are primarily used to:

• Facilitate educators and trainers in developing content and curriculums.
• Enable uploading videos, PDFs, and other educational materials.
• Offer courses directly to the public or specific audiences.
• Store information and progress on cloud-based systems.

Typical eLearning platforms provide a user-friendly environment for individual learners to engage in self-paced study, which is ideal for straightforward educational needs.

Now, let's compare this with Learning Management Systems (LMS), which offer a more structured approach for organizational training needs.

What is a Learning Management System (LMS)?

An LMS provides a more structured and comprehensive approach to managing, delivering, and tracking educational content. 

It is particularly beneficial for organizations that need to handle complex training schemes and require robust reporting and compliance tools. 

Key features include:

• Centralized content management: Store and disseminate learning materials from a single platform.
• Progress tracking: Monitor and report on the learning progress and completion rates.
• Certification: Automatically issue certificates to learners upon course completion.
• Security and privacy: Ensure data protection and secure access to information.

Having outlined the foundational elements of an LMS, let's delve into a detailed comparison of these two systems to illustrate their capabilities and differences.

Detailed feature comparison: LMS vs eLearning platform

Here is a detailed comparison chart reflecting the capabilities of each system:

This comparison demonstrates that while eLearning platforms are suitable for simple course distribution, LMSs provide a far more comprehensive suite of tools for managing complex training environments. 

With this understanding, it becomes evident why a more robust system like an LMS might be essential for your business, especially when specific training needs arise, such as compliance tracking and blended training.

Why choose an LMS for your business?

The decision to adopt an LMS should be influenced by your company’s specific training needs. 

If your training demands include compliance tracking, automation, or extensive reporting, an LMS is indispensable. It not only simplifies administrative tasks but also enhances the training experience through interactive and personalized learning pathways. 

Now, let's explore XtraMile, which elevates the traditional LMS by blending the simplicity of eLearning platforms with the comprehensive features of a full-scale LMS.

What is XtraMile?

XtraMile is a new category of learning management system called a learning automation platform.

Unlike traditional learning management systems, XtraMile is engineered specifically for the unique demands of mandatory training, which is crucial for compliance, safety, and operational standards in today’s fast-evolving business landscape.

Mandatory training ensures that organizations meet legal requirements, maintain safety standards, and uphold best practices across various domains, including onboarding, sustainability, GDPR compliance, and cybersecurity, just to name a few.

Why traditional training tools fall short

Many HR and IT departments continue to rely on manual training methods such as PDFs and PowerPoint presentations for their mandatory training programs.

While these tools may seem sufficient, they are not scalable or engaging enough to meet the demands of modern training needs. For example, traditional formats often fail to engage employees effectively, leading to poor retention of important information. 

Many HR and IT professionals tell us that managing completion and compliance through spreadsheets is time-consuming and error-prone, especially if they have 100+ employees. These methods lack the agility to provide real-time insights or comprehensive overviews of employee progress and compliance status. 

As companies grow, the number of employees needing training increases, and manually updating training materials and tracking completion becomes unmanageable. This is where XtraMile’s learning automation platform becomes essential.

Comprehensive learning automation for mandatory training

Where most LMS’s automate parts of the training process, XtraMile’s platform changes how training is administered by automating the entire lifecycle of training management.

XtraMile automatically syncs user data from your HR and IT systems, ensuring that all employees are consistently updated with the necessary training without manual entry.

To achieve high completion rates, XtraMile uses automated communications to engage employees. This includes reminders and email communication, which are triggered based on specific user actions or inaction. This proactive approach ensures that training completion is not only encouraged but systematically pursued.

Adding to its robust features, XtraMile offers Live Training and Games to further increase engagement and retention of information. These interactive elements allow for a varied learning experience, where different methods can be mixed and matched to suit diverse learning preferences and needs.

Finally, XtraMile provides detailed reports on completion rates, engagement metrics, and compliance status. This data is invaluable for HR and IT departments who need to verify that training is not only completed, but that it’s effective and remembered.

Why XtraMile is essential for your business

For businesses facing stringent compliance requirements or those seeking to improve efficiency in training processes, XtraMile is not just a tool but a strategic asset. 

It minimizes the administrative burden, enhances learning outcomes, and ensures regulatory compliance through its automation capabilities.

Ready to see how XtraMile can help your business? 

Book a free demo today to discover how our learning automation platform can help you make your mandatory training more engaging, compliant, and effective.