Canvas LMS vs Totara Learn comparison

Instructure and Totara Learning are both solutions in the Learning Management Systems (LMS) category. Instructure is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.3, while Totara Learning is ranked #15 with an average rating of 7.5. Instructure holds a 5.2% mindshare in LMS, compared to Totara Learning’s 2.1% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Instructure users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Totara Learning users who would recommend it.

Canvas LMS

Read 10 Canvas LMS reviews

670 Views
460 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Totara Learn

Read 2 Totara Learn reviews

167 Views
133 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Canvas LMS

Totara Learn

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 19, 2024

Canvas LMS and Totara Learn compete in the Learning Management System market. Canvas LMS has a straightforward interface favored for its pricing, while Totara Learn stands out with its customizable features, better suited for organizations seeking extensive adaptability.

Features: Canvas LMS offers collaboration tools, mobile accessibility, and integration with third-party apps. Totara Learn provides personalized learning paths, advanced configuration options, and multi-tenancy support.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Canvas LMS benefits from a cloud-based approach for quicker deployment and strong customer service. Totara Learn's deployment requires more steps but allows control over the system with comprehensive support including community resources.

Pricing and ROI: Canvas LMS presents competitive pricing with predictable costs, appealing to budget-conscious institutions. Totara Learn has a higher initial cost but offers substantial ROI for organizations using its comprehensive features.

To learn more, read our detailed Canvas LMS vs. Totara Learn Report (Updated: January 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Canvas LMS vs. Totara Learn

January 2025

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Canvas LMS

Ranking in Learning Management Systems (LMS)

5th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Totara Learn

Ranking in Learning Management Systems (LMS)

15th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2025, in the Learning Management Systems (LMS) category, the mindshare of Canvas LMS is 5.2%, down from 5.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Totara Learn is 2.1%, up from 1.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Learning Management Systems (LMS)

Featured Reviews

James Phelps

Adjunct Professor at Nova Southeastern University

Intuitive, easy to learn, and easy to adapt to various teaching methodologies

It is scalable. There must be 20,000 people using it on that campus. We run a medical college, a public health department, and the hard sciences department. We also have a lot of things that are spread out across the state of Florida through Canvas. So, it is pretty scalable. In terms of our plans to increase its usage, I don't know what the university is going to do, but right now, the university is saturated with Canvas. Even if you're doing classes in a regular standard classroom, all of your exams, all of your quizzes, all of your practicals, and all of your teaching are recorded and loaded into the Canvas system for future review by accreditors. So, it is pretty well saturated on that particular campus.

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MarcFonoll

Customer Success Manager at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees

The tool's deployment is not complex but need to work on multi-tenant trainings

The challenge was understanding the entire solution, particularly its capabilities for managing training within a distributed organization. As part of a group of companies, some with training hubs and others working differently, the need for different tenants arose. This helps organize the training offerings centrally, addressing the challenge of a multi-tenant solution, which wasn't fully grasped initially.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"It's easy to follow. It flows well, and it's easy to use."

"We have been using Canvas LMS, and overall, it has served our needs well for managing courses and general settings."

"I used a lot of other systems in my IT career and Canvas LMS truly has everything that I would look for in an enterprise system."

"The product's flexibility is exceptional."

"The assessment tools in Canvas significantly contribute to educational outcomes by allowing instructors to create and manage assessments effectively."

"They have a more extensive support base in terms of infrastructure."

"The integration with Zoom is a notable feature. It allows for seamless access to live class sessions directly from Canvas after authentication, enabling quick entry into Zoom calls. You can also schedule Zoom calls or private recordings directly within Canvas, making it convenient, especially for situations like self-recording exams. Additionally, Canvas excels in collaboration and discussion capabilities. Users can engage in discussions on various topics, and there's the option to create custom groups for more focused interactions. These groups provide a level of privacy and isolation from the broader class, which is a significant advantage."

"The solution is easy to access."

More Canvas LMS pros

"The multi-tenancy features of Totara Learn are the most useful for training efficiency."

"The tool's deployment is not complex."

Cons

"It would be nice to be able to do more real-time comprehensive reporting with Canvas LMS."

"The product could be integrated with a talent management system."

"In our working, we are encountering many challenges with Canvas LMS. One of the major area is their business model which is having a very different pricing structure. The structure is made in such a way that the license fee is needed to be paid for the complete year even if the student has been enrolled for a programme of short duration. This structure is not conducive with our needs and hence, in the past few years, been increasing our costs manifold. Along with this, Canva LMS also lacks many functionalities such as notifications and adaptive learning. There is a specific issue with the licensing model that affects us in continuous education. The inability to reuse a license for the same course in different terms hinders our cost efficiency. For instance, if a program runs from January to April, we are required to pay for the license twice within the same academic year. This contrasts with other platforms like Hyper, where reusing a license is possible, allowing us to use the same license multiple times in different terms. Along with the use, we are exploring the integration of artificial intelligence into our processes, and Canvas LMS falls short in this regard. While some platforms allow connections with external AI services, Canvas does not currently offer built-in artificial intelligence capabilities, a feature we find valuable for enhancing the learning experience."

"It would be good to be able to do teleconferencing within the LMS."

"The solution could be upgraded and improved."

"The high-tech interactivity with other software, like ArcGIS or RSA Archer, can be better. It is not as easily compatible with them. You can put apps in it that the students can then access, but the routing of apps through the Canvas system slows down functionality on the other types of products."

"Integrating more AI capabilities for the product could enhance its functionality, particularly in automating repetitive tasks and personalizing learning experiences."

"The learning curve is not steep, but it is intermediate."

More Canvas LMS cons

"Totara Learn needs to improve the look and feel, and make it easier to use, more user-friendly."

"The challenge was understanding the entire solution, particularly its capabilities for managing training within a distributed organization. As part of a group of companies, some with training hubs and others working differently, the need for different tenants arose. This helps organize the training offerings centrally, addressing the challenge of a multi-tenant solution, which wasn't fully grasped initially."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Canvas LMS is low-priced compared to other vendors."

"The pricing of Canvas is satisfactory for my university. We have negotiated a good price, especially considering that we are a large university with twenty-six campuses across the country. Canvas offers a favorable pricing model for academic institutions, and the cost is reasonable. However, in continuous education, the challenge lies not in the price itself but in the business model. The requirement to pay for the entire year when our students may only use the license for a shorter duration creates challenges. The inability to adjust the licensing based on actual usage is a significant drawback for us, making the effective cost higher compared to other platforms like Hyper Learning"

"Canvas LMS is an affordable solution."

"The platform can be expensive for smaller organizations with fewer students."

"It's not expensive. It's user-based."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

23%

University

12%

Government

Non Profit

No data available

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Canvas LMS?

We have been using Canvas LMS, and overall, it has served our needs well for managing courses and general settings.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Canvas LMS?

Integrating more AI capabilities for the product could enhance its functionality, particularly in automating repetitive tasks and personalizing learning experiences.

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Canvas LMS?

I rate Canva LMS a nine out of ten.

See all answers

What do you like most about Totara Learn?

The tool's deployment is not complex.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Totara Learn?

The look and feel is not good. Totara Learn needs to improve its look and feel and make it easier to use and more user-friendly. The interface is okay, but sometimes it's messy. Totara needs to imp...

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What advice do you have for others considering Totara Learn?

For people who need a highly scalable, multi-tenant LMS on a low budget, this is a good option. It's a very good option in the market, low-priced, and a very good LMS. Overall, I would rate it an e...

See all answers

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Canvas LMS

January 2025

Download Canvas LMS product report

Buyer's Guide

Learning Management Systems (LMS)

December 2024

Download Totara Learn product report

Learn More

Instructure

Totara Learning

Overview

Canvas LMS is a comprehensive learning management system that enhances the educational experience. It offers a user-friendly interface that allows educators to create and manage courses, assignments, and assessments. Canvas enables seamless communication and collaboration between students and teachers. It supports various multimedia formats, making it easy to incorporate engaging content into lessons. Canvas also provides a mobile app, ensuring accessibility on the go. Its built-in analytics and reporting allow educators to track student progress and identify areas for improvement. Canvas LMS can integrate with other educational tools and platforms, enhancing its functionality. Canvas LMS is a powerful and versatile platform that empowers educators to deliver effective and engaging online learning experiences.

Totara Learn is a flexible learning management system designed to meet diverse educational needs. Its adaptability supports personalized learning environments and facilitates efficient training across sectors.

Totara Learn provides a comprehensive platform that enables organizations to deliver effective learning experiences while adapting to changing requirements. Known for its customizable nature, it allows modifications to better align with specific institutional processes. It supports integrations that enhance the learning ecosystem, making it efficient for businesses looking to improve employee training and development.

What are the key features of Totara Learn?

Customization: Allows tailored functionalities to suit educational goals.
Integrations: Supports seamless connectivity with external systems and tools.
Reporting: Offers detailed analytics for tracking learner progress and outcomes.
Mobile-Friendly: Ensures accessible learning on smartphones and tablets.
Certification Management: Streamlines the process of compliance tracking.

What should be considered in reviews for Totara Learn's ROI?

Cost-Effectiveness: Evaluate if the investment aligns with training results.
Scalability: Consider the ease of expanding learning initiatives as needed.
Adaptability: Assess how well it can cater to specific learning paths.
User Experience: Look for feedback on engagement and satisfaction.

Industries like healthcare, retail, and finance implement Totara Learn to address specific training challenges. Its flexibility aids in meeting compliance standards, onboarding processes, and continuous professional development unique to each sector, ensuring tailored learning experiences that support strategic goals.

Sample Customers

Pragmatic Group, MRWED Training and Assessment, RedHill Education

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

Canvas LMS vs. Totara Learn

January 2025

Free Report: Canvas LMS vs. Totara Learn

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