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13 Best Employee Training Software & Tools for 2024: Free & Paid

12 Best Employee Training Software to Enhance Workforce Competencies

Choosing the best employee training software is vital for streamlined learning and development. These tools, essential in any modern workplace, ensure personalized, effective training for groups large and small.

This post highlights 13 top tools, selected based on extensive L&D experience, to help you avoid issues like high turnover and compliance problems.

Before we explore the details of these platforms, let’s first discuss what an employee training software is.

What is Employee Training Software?

“Robust training software empowers organizations to upskill and stay competitive.”

Employee training software is an online application designed to streamline employee training within an organization. It typically offers features such as course creation, content management, group management, tracking progress, and evaluating performance. An LMS is an example. This software enables companies to deliver consistent and effective training, automate administrative tasks, and ensure employees have access to valuable learning resources at any time and from anywhere. To know more about these platforms,

Watch: What is a Cloud-Based Learning Management System?

Let’s now explore each of the tools in detail.

A Quick Comparison Table

Best Employee Training Software Best For Pricing
ProProfs Training Maker Employee Skills & Compliance Training Forever free for up to 10 learners. Paid plan starts at $1.97/learner/month for large teams.
Edstellar Global Onsite/Virtual Training

Custom pricing

iSpring Learn eLearning Authoring Starts at $2.29/user/month
Trakstar Learn Enterprises, Healthcare & Governments Starts from $249/month
LearnUpon Small to Large Businesses, Associations & Franchises Starts at $599 per month
Docebo AI-Based & Scalable Learning Starts at $25,000 per year
Litmos Engaging Courses & Programs Starts at $6 per user/month for 150-500 users
Absorb LMS Small to Large Businesses, Associations & Non-Profits $14,500/year
Seismic Learning (formerly Lessonly) Corporate Training & Coaching Custom pricing
360Learning Collaborative Learning $8/registered user per month
Whatfix In-App Training Starts at $199
Trainual Onboarding & Training $250/month
Ethena Compliance Training Starts at $20/learner

List of 13 Best Employee Training Software & Tools

I came up with this list of online employee training platforms based on my first-hand experience, recommendations by peers, reviews on top software comparison sites, and client testimonials.

1. ProProfs Training Maker – Best for Compliance Training

ProProfs Training Maker is one of the employee training software that I’ve been using the longest. It is a user-centric and highly effective cloud learning management system (LMS) for skills and compliance training.

Let me elaborate.

It provides a large catalog of professionally designed, customizable, and ready-to-use courses on employee skills and compliance. These resources contain relatable scenarios, handouts, worksheets, flashcards, and end-of-chapter assessments.

The LMS makes it easy to organize, manage, deploy, track, and analyze these online courses.

If you want, you can even create training courses from scratch or by importing the materials you already have. You can add multimedia, company policies, and interactive elements such as quizzes, assessments, and surveys.

The platform also provides features for collaborative learning, where learners can interact with their peers and trainers through a Q&A forum, discussion board, and virtual classroom.

Additionally, the platform is mobile-friendly, allowing learners to access training materials anytime, anywhere, and from any device, thereby providing flexibility and convenience.

What you’ll like:

  • It is incredibly easy to understand and use
  • You can get started in record time with its out-of-the-box content solutions
  • Easily molded into any use case, industry, or audience type
  • It’s a highly secure platform with password-protected courses, user roles & permissions, GDPR compliance, and complete data ownership.
  • Automatic grading and granular reports provide insights into progress in real time.

What you may not like:

  • The free version supports only 10 learners and does not include premium courses.
  • An option for dark mode would be a welcome addition to enhance the user experience.

Pricing:

Forever free for up to 10 learners. 15-day money-back guarantee. Paid plan starts at $1.97/active learner/month for large teams. Unlimited courses, unlimited admins & instructors, and unlimited storage.


Case Study: How KDD reduced its training costs and made things easier by adopting a cloud LMS

2. Edstellar – Best for Global Onsite/Virtual Training

edstellar

Edstellar is a one-stop solution for instructor-led corporate training requirements. It blends training administration and delivery seamlessly by providing high-impact, cost-effective training solutions. It is committed to delivering effective, experiential, interactive, and customized training experiences globally through unparalleled virtual and in-person sessions.

Edstellar boasts a vast pool of over 5000 verified, certified, and qualified trainers around the globe. The training solutions are tailored to align with the business goals and contribute to higher knowledge retention rates. Edstellar takes a client-centric approach and offers flexible training solutions.The provider is known for ease of scaling training programs with a comprehensive training management platform. This helps users meet diverse skill needs and centralize training administration. The solution also tailors training programs specifically to the requirements of organizations and develops course modules to meet those requirements.

Edstellar caters training to organizations of different sizes and needs. Its corporate training packages include starter, growth, enterprise, and custom. These packages offer various benefits, such as accessibility to the wide array of training courses, complimentary access to their training management system, and various customized add-ons and additional services.

What you’ll like:

  •  Instructor-led virtual and onsite corporate training solution for all organizational learning needs
  • Corporate training packages that fit organizations’ annual training needs
  •  The cloud-based TMS allows for planning, organizing, scheduling, and managing enterprise-wide training
  • End-to-end training administration and delivery services which includes training consultation, training administration support, training delivery and post-training support.
  •  Offers a holistic approach to training that includes TNA, training delivery, post-training support, and evaluation
  •  5,000+ experienced and qualified trainers around the globe
  • Their AI-driven recommendation engine, Stellar-AI, enables organizations to identify every employee’s relevant training courses to ensure the training efforts are effective and fruitful

What you may not like:

  • The vendor does not offer e-learning or recorded sessions at this time
  • There are no discounts on individual training courses

Pricing:

Custom pricing

3. iSpring Learn – Best for eLearning Authoring

iSpring Learn

I tried iSpring Learn primarily to analyze how its authoring capabilities fared against other comparable tools.

Here’s what I found.

This employee training system is characterized by a simple content creation process, thanks to its authoring toolkit. You can quickly develop eLearning courses and quizzes with ease.

It allowed me to customize content so that it resonated with my business and branding requirements.

I also found that turning PowerPoint presentations into interactive and engaging online courses was also easy.

Video lectures, interactions, assessments, content library, adaptive player, and online collaboration are other features that users who are looking for a comprehensive eLearning authoring solution will find helpful.

So, in my opinion, iSpring Learn is a top choice for eLearning authoring, particularly when it comes to creating engaging content.

What you’ll like:

  • It takes a logical approach to creating and organizing online training content.
  • You can upload videos, SCORM files, PDFs, and presentations and create quizzes all in one spot.
  • A simple tab system with intuitive labels for easy site navigation.
  • Frequent updates – the product is continuously developed for enhanced functionalities.
  • Excellent customer service – always available and proactive.

What you may not like:

  • The reporting lacks flexibility and customization; needs more filtering options.
  • Manual recording of attendance in live training sessions makes it difficult, especially where there are a large number of participants.

Pricing:

Starts at $2.29/user/month. iSpring Suite authoring toolkit, analytics, and training & content management.

4. Trakstar Learn – Best for Enterprises, Healthcare & Governments

Trakstar Learn

The idea of including Trakstar Learn in this list came from an industry peer who knows the tool intimately. I did additional research and found that it is best for a variety of use cases.

Trakstar Learn is a comprehensive learning management system well-suited for enterprises, healthcare organizations, and government agencies.

It provides enterprise-level features that enable organizations to train and develop their workforce efficiently. It enables centralized access to customized employee training materials, including videos, documents, and interactive content.

Similarly, Trakstar Learn is designed to address the unique challenges of the healthcare industry. An efficient way to disseminate critical training materials to healthcare professionals ensures compliance with industry regulations and standards. The LMS supports the delivery of mandatory training modules such as HIPAA compliance, patient privacy, and clinical best practices as well as certifications.

In the realm of government, the LMS can help meet the specific needs of government agencies by providing a secure and compliant learning environment. It enables public organizations to deliver mandatory training programs on topics such as ethics, cybersecurity, and code of conduct. The LMS ensures that government employees stay up-to-date with the latest regulations and policies.

What you’ll like:

  • It lets you take a set-it-and-forget-it approach to recurring online training.
  • User field customization to add subgroups and classify learners based on your needs.
  • The LMS amazingly structures all elements of a training program, from modules to courses and user management.
  • The support staff solves every problem that users face.
  • The ability to import training packs in several formats and create custom quizzes.

What you may not like:

  • The automatic reminders don’t always work as planned while reminding learners of training deadlines.
  • The frontend needs a facelift as it presently lacks some substance.

Pricing:

$249/month (there’s no setup fee). A free trial is also available.

5. LearnUpon – Best for Small to Large Businesses, Associations & Franchises

LearnUpon

LearnUpon is one of those few employee training software that I often come across in product listings. On further inquiries, I realized that it is a powerful tool.

It is a cloud-based LMS designed to meet the needs of small to large businesses, associations, and franchises.

Ease of use and scalability make it a great choice for small businesses with limited IT resources and fast-growing learning needs.

For large businesses, comprehensive features for meeting complex training needs make it the go-to tool.

Similarly, member engagement through high-quality training resources, revenue generation by charging for access to programs or by selling to non-members, and the ability to build brand awareness make it perfect for associations.

Lastly, LearnUpon can help franchise businesses ensure that all franchisees receive the same training consistently and ensure compliance.

What you’ll like:

  • The intuitive nature of the LMS facilitates efficient course management and reduces the learning curve.
  • Robust training resources, including documentation and webinars, help users make the most of its features.
  • Support for gamification features such as levels, badges, and leaderboards.
  • More than 20 out-of-the-box languages enable users to remove language barriers in training.
  • The team is responsive to customers’ suggestions and they are constantly improving the platform.

What you may not like:

  • Basic content authoring capabilities, which may not meet the needs of organizations with advanced content creation requirements.
  • While LearnUpon’s pricing is affordable for large enterprises, it can be expensive for small players.

Pricing:

$599/month for 50 to 150 users. 1 portal, custom branding, 24/7 support and more.

6. Docebo – Best for AI-Based & Scalable Learning

Docebo

As one of the top employee training software, Docebo was an item in my wishlist. Fortunately, I got a chance to receive a personalized demo.

Here’s my impression of the tool.

Docebo is best for artificial intelligence (AI)-based and scalable learning due to its advanced capabilities.

Firstly, Docebo uses AI to enhance the learning experience. It employs AI algorithms to analyze user behavior, preferences, and performance data to deliver personalized recommendations and content. This enables learners to access relevant and targeted content, resulting in a more efficient and engaging learning process.

Additionally, Docebo is scalable. It allows organizations to easily create, manage, and deliver large amounts of training content to a large number of learners.

The platform can handle high volumes of traffic and support a large number of users concurrently. This makes it suitable for organizations of any size, from small businesses to large enterprises.

What you’ll like:

  • It is a modern LMS that is easy to use and navigate.
  • The ability to tailor the platform to meet branding, learning content, and reporting requirements.
  • Multiple learning formats, gamification, social learning tools, and analytics.
  • The LMS can support businesses of all sizes, from small to large enterprises.
  • Modular features, which can be activated and deactivated based on users’ needs.

What you may not like:

  • Given the high pricing, the employee training software can be out of reach for some users.
  • Users may experience complexity with integrations, requiring technical expertise and additional resources.

Pricing:

$25,000/year.

7. Litmos – Best for Engaging Courses & Programs

Litmos

Litmos has established a name for itself in the world of learning management systems. It is one of the most popular LMS providers, with over 30 million users worldwide.

Litmos is known for its ease of use, scalability, and comprehensive features. It is also used by a wide range of organizations, including Fortune 500 companies, educational institutions, and government agencies.

During my free trial with the LMS, I found that Litmos can be an amazing choice for creating engaging online courses and programs.

An intuitive UI, rich multimedia elements, personalization, and robust analytics and reporting tools make it worth considering.

Litmos doesn’t operate in isolation; it offers seamless integration with other software, making it a versatile tool. Additionally, its engagement tracking features keep you informed about user interactions, helping you optimize your courses and content to boost conversions.

What you’ll like:

  • Creating and managing online content is not necessarily bogged down by technical complexities.
  • Interactive features, such as videos, quizzes, exercises, multimedia integration, and assessments.
  • The LMS helps learners continuously identify their strengths and weaknesses and hone their skills through 360-degree feedback from managers, peers, and customers.
  • Custom branding to create more consistent and engaging learning experiences.
  • The software makes it easy to automate user creation and assignments.

What you may not like:

  • Sometimes there is a time lag between a customer’s initial contact and the response they receive from the support team.
  • New product features are not released as frequently as expected.

Pricing:

Starts at $6 per user/month for 150-500 users.

8. Absorb LMS  – Best for Small to Large Businesses, Associations & Non-Profits

Absorb LMS

I included Absorb LMS  in this list of employee training tools not just because it is a recognized platform but because it is truly designed to inspire learning and fuel business productivity.

It is a versatile LMS with broad applicability across small to large businesses, associations, and non-profits. Its adaptability makes it a powerful tool for diverse use cases.

The employee training system enables users to start small and grow the learning initiatives as their business expands. This makes it a great choice for both small and large enterprises.

Associations benefit from the tool’s ability to manage multiple user groups, such as volunteers, members, and stakeholders.

Likewise, non-profits can use Absorb LMS to engage donors, volunteers, and beneficiaries. The efficient tracking and reporting help you showcase the impact of your programs, fostering transparency and trust among stakeholders.

In summary, Absorb LMS offers a robust and adaptable platform suitable for various organizations, from small businesses to associations and non-profits, enabling efficient, tailored, and impactful learning experiences.

What you’ll like:

  • Users often praise the LMS for the ease of use in interacting with and utilizing the platform.
  • The platform is fully customizable with branding and unique learning experiences.
  • Users can access courses and materials from mobile devices for anytime, anywhere learning.
  • Extensive product and training resources, including a robust knowledge base, on-demand webinars, and in-depth product documentation.
  • A robust reporting and analytics tool provides valuable insights into course effectiveness and learner performance.

What you may not like:

  • The pricing is on the higher side, which may discourage those with budgetary constraints from adopting it.
  • While Absorb LMS offers technical support, some users have reported mixed experiences with the responsiveness and quality of customer service.

Pricing:

$14,500/year for up to 500 users. Flexible pricing aligned with your needs and goals.

9. Seismic Learning (formerly Lessonly) – Best for Corporate Training & Coaching

Seismic Learning

Even when it was Lessonly, I had experimented with Seismic Learning. Now, as its website says, it is just a “New name. Same great product.”

This employee training software helps organizations empower their workforce through learning, coaching, and skills development.

With Seismic Learning, you can create and deliver engaging training content, provide personalized coaching, help teams learn, practice, and perform better at work, deliver live training and coaching sessions to remote teams, and empower teams to learn at their own pace.

Seismic Learning is especially well-suited for teams that interact with clients, such as sales and customer service.

It stands today as a leader because it offers a holistic approach to learning and development. It’s the key to unlocking the full potential of your team and achieving your business goals.

What you’ll like:

  • You can get familiar with the layout and functionalities of the LMS fast.
  • Its training and coaching software speeds up the time to productivity and performance.
  • Streamlines sales learning and coaching besides providing opportunities to practice essential skills.
  • It can grow with your organization’s needs, making it an ideal long-term solution.
  • Easy-to-use content creation tools to develop and update training materials, quizzes, and assessments.

What you may not like:

  • No filter for the lesson history, which could have enabled users to revisit some of the old lessons.
  • When it comes to the size and colors of the texts used in the platform, there are limited options.

Pricing:

The vendor hasn’t provided any pricing information.

10. 360Learning – Best for Collaborative Learning

360Learning

What really drew me to 360Learning is its emphasis on collaborative learning during team training online. This USP distinguishes it from the crowd.

The tool provides a collaborative learning environment where learners can learn collaboratively by sharing their experiences and best practices. This is essential for training teams, as they can support each other in learning and applying new skills.

Apart from this, it provides all essential features like most of the tools on this list. They include interactive and engaging content and personalized learning.

The employee training software is easy to use, and anyone can navigate and find the information they need effortlessly.

By harnessing this tool, businesses can boost employee engagement, productivity, and overall success in a cooperative, supportive learning environment.

What you’ll like:

  • Building a collaborative learning culture where learners are teachers and teachers are learners is easy.
  • On average, 360Learning courses have a 91% completion rate.
  • Consistently ranks in top positions in top review sites like Capterra and G2.
  • Using the LMS, you can tackle every new learning need as it arises.
  • Features for optimizing courses, allowing trainers to make improvements based on real-time tracking and A/B split testing.

What you may not like:

  • Users would require external tools if they want to create more advanced content.
  • The reporting is not that customizable like in terms of viewing a user’s data on the dashboard.

Pricing:

$8/registered user/month. Up to 100 users a month and access to best-in-class resources and support.

11. Whatfix – Best for In-App Training

Whatfix

Whatfix is not your regular employee training software, but it is used as a training platform in a slightly different way.

It is a digital adoption platform (DAP) that helps businesses improve user adoption and engagement of their software applications. It does this by providing in-app training and guidance to users at the moment of need.

Since first-time users won’t be able to learn about and use software applications effectively and to their full potential without such tools, I thought it deserves a place on my list.

Whatfix allows you to craft tutorials, interactive walkthroughs, and tooltips within your applications. This empowers your users to learn and navigate your software seamlessly.

The platform is characterized by a user-friendly interface and provides contextual guidance and training to users without leaving the application they are working in. It supports multiple formats such as text, image, audio, and video, making it easier for users to consume information in whatever format suits them best.

What you’ll like:

  • Whatfix can help reduce client support queries and instill more confidence in them in adopting your apps.
  • The support staff responds to any questions or issues within 24 hours.
  • The dashboard is user-friendly and the content creation is straightforward.
  • It is easy to deploy customized contextual in-app guidance.
  • The platform can recognize our users’ actions and provide them with help in real time.

What you may not like:

  • It is difficult to create flows and tags.
  • Users want to have more control over content configuration piece by piece rather than globally.

Pricing:

Starts at $199. A free trial is available. Email, phone, chat, and knowledge base support.

12. Trainual – Best for Onboarding & Training

Trainual

Trainual is a relatively new employee training software system, but it does a great job of onboarding, training, and documenting processes and standard operating procedures (SOPs). It expedites each task much better than many other tools.

This strength compelled me to include it in my tool collection.

Trainual is easy to use, comprehensive, engaging, and accessible. It aims to help users streamline their training and onboarding, increase efficiency and consistency, and improve team performance and retention.

The online staff training software can be used to create a comprehensive onboarding program that introduces new employees to the company culture, policies, and procedures. This can help new employees to get up to speed quickly and feel welcome and supported.

Besides, it is designed for delivering role-specific training, compliance training, and ongoing training.

What you’ll like:

  • Intuitive and straightforward training content creation.
  • Onboarding and tracking new users are equally efficient.
  • Responsive customer support  – proactive and prompt in addressing questions, concerns, and technical issues.
  • The ability to create Loom videos and embed them into training content.
  • Both trainers and trainees can seamlessly access and engage with the training material.

What you may not like:

  • Customizing the look and feel of the content should be made more flexible.
  • Some users feel that the cost is higher compared to other similar training software options.

Pricing:

Starts at $250/month for 1-50 employees. No credit card is needed.

13. Ethena – Best for Compliance Training

Ethena

When it is a matter of compliance training, Ethena, like ProProfs Training Maker, can be one of the top choices. Only a handful of tools provide specialized training support as they do. So, I thought it must show up in this post.

Ethena is a compliance training platform with powerful tools and engaging content. The platform is marked by easy-to-use admin tools that give users full control over their accounts and compliance workflows.

Ethena offers a research-backed content and smart delivery system to ensure users get the most out of their training.

Additionally, this employee training system provides seamless integrations, allowing automatic assignment of compliance training based on demographic data so everyone gets the content they need, wherever they are.

Ethena delivers bite-sized training to keep topics top of mind and also provides custom illustrations, audio, video, comics, and checks-on-learning, making the course content modern and dynamic.

What you’ll like:

  • Quality content to train on compliance matters in detail.
  • The platform delivers legally mandated training effectively for employees.
  • Easy-to-use admin dashboard for seamless training administration.
  • Numerous audiovisual aids enhance learner engagement.
  • The software is known for its stability and reliability, and it has a proven track record of consistent service.

What you may not like:

  • Sometimes learners receive repeated alerts about non-required training.
  • The compliance training reset period should preferably follow statutory requirements for each individual.

Pricing:

$20/learner/year. Depending on the plan, you get access to one course or the entire catalog. Set it and forget it. Ethena takes care of compliance for you.

Which Is the Best Employee Training Software?

“Effective training software transforms workforce development from a cost to an investment.”

Well, it is a question that will fetch a subjective answer based on what you’re looking for in such a tool. But to make it simpler for you, I’ve further narrowed down the list to the following three options. Take a look:

Option A: ProProfs Training Maker

The ease of creating online training courses on compliance, skills, and other areas like HR, leadership & management, and sales, makes it one of the finalists. Its fast-growing library of expert-designed, fully editable, and ready-to-use courses is one of the biggest reasons to adopt this employee training software. Add to this the support for social and mobile learning, anytime, anywhere. Best, it is easy to understand and use.

Option B: Litmos

This software is worth considering for its engaging online courses and programs. An intuitive UI, rich multimedia elements, personalization, and robust analytics and reporting are some of its highlights. Litmos also integrates seamlessly with other software for enhanced versatility. Additionally, the engagement tracking features keep instructors informed about user interactions, helping them optimize their courses and content.

Option C: Whatfix

As a  digital adoption platform, Whatfix can help you improve user adoption of your software applications. It is the best tool for providing in-app training and guidance to users at the moment of need. They include tutorials, walkthroughs, and smart tips within your applications. Such contextual guidance and training enable users to learn about and use your apps effectively without leaving the apps.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can businesses benefit from using employee training software?

First, it enables efficient and scalable training, ensuring that all employees receive consistent and up-to-date information. Secondly, it reduces administrative burdens by automating tasks such as course enrollment, progress tracking, and reporting. Moreover, it enables the evaluation of training effectiveness and identifies areas for improvement. Customization to fit a company’s branding and specific training needs and support for mobile learning or training on the go are other benefits.

Is employee training software suitable for businesses of all sizes?

While most employee training software can be customized to fit businesses of all sizes, some solutions may be better suited for smaller or larger companies based on their specific needs and resources. For small businesses, a more affordable and user-friendly solution with basic features may be ideal, while larger companies may require a system that is more complex and scalable. Either way, several options are available on the market and you can find a platform that meets your requirements and budget.

Can the software integrate with other HR and business tools?

Yes, employee training software can often integrate with these tools. These integrations allow for seamless data exchange and automation between different software systems, improving efficiency and workflows. By integrating with other tools, employee training software can enhance the overall HR and training processes within an organization. See this integrations page.

How does the software ensure data security and privacy?

These online employee training software systems ensure the privacy and security of users’ data through various measures. They include role-based access control, encryption protocols, compliance standards, user authentication, data backups, and monitoring and auditing. By addressing these aspects, employee training software not only delivers effective learning but also instills confidence in users that their data is in safe hands.

How do I choose the right employee training software?

To start with, identify your organization’s training needs and goals. Determine if the software aligns with these objectives and offers the features necessary for effective training. Next, assess the user-friendliness and ease of implementation of the software, considering the technical capabilities and comfort level of your employees. Additionally, evaluate the scalability, cost, and customer support provided by the software vendor. Lastly, gather feedback from other organizations or read reviews to gauge the reputation and reliability of the software.

Watch: How to Choose the Best SaaS LMS Software

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About the author

Michael Laithangbam is the senior writer & editor at ProProfs with 12 years of experience in enterprise software and eLearning. Michael's expertise encompasses online training, web-based learning, quizzes & assessments, LMS, and more. Michael’s work has been published in G2, Software Advice, Capterra, and eLearning Industry. You can connect with him via LinkedIn.