We use it for course management, reading exercises, sharing information, and face-to-face learning with our students.
Assosiate Professor at University of Viterbo "La Tuscia"
Widely used learning platform with limited control options that can be customized to meet the unique needs of different educational institutions
Pros and Cons
- "The ability to insert a variety of tools, create and organize course content, and share large volumes of materials, written, audio, or visual, is very valuable."
- "It would be good to have a feature that would ensure that students are the ones performing the given assessment."
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
Some of my colleagues use Moodle in a passive way, just to post learning material. Some others use it more actively, to have an almost live interaction with students.
What is most valuable?
The ability to insert a variety of tools, create and organize course content, and share large volumes of materials, written, audio, or visual, is very valuable. You can integrate videos, and add music, or what might be needed for a certain class. I believe it's perfect for language acquisition because it enables one to develop all the skills.
What needs improvement?
If you use it for any form of assessment, you need to integrate some kind of control which is hard to implement with this platform. It would be good to have a feature that would ensure that students are the ones performing the given assessment.
Buyer's Guide
Moodle
January 2025
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For how long have I used the solution?
Here at the university where I work, we have been using Moodle for over sixteen years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is very stable. There were occasional crashes during lockdown when everybody used it during exam season, but it was solved quite easily and quickly.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Moodle is a free online learning platform, but it also offers a paid version.
What other advice do I have?
I would suggest attending some sort of course related to the solution before working with it. There are online guides available that are useful and can provide bits of advice on how to integrate other activities and maximize the use of the platform. I would rate it seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Private Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Service designer at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees
Good usability and great interface but allocating privacy settings is hard
Pros and Cons
- "It doesn't take long to learn how to use it and to set up basic courses and things like that."
- "Setting up groups and allocating privacy settings to different groups is quite complicated."
What is our primary use case?
The system is primarily used to host online learning products and to track completion as well as reporting.
What is most valuable?
Its basic usability is very good. Usability and accessibility are very, very good in Moodle and it's got all the basic features required to host a learning solution.
The interface is good.
It doesn't take long to learn how to use it and to set up basic courses and things like that.
What needs improvement?
Setting up groups and allocating privacy settings to different groups is quite complicated. Sometimes we need the help of administrators and sometimes backend supporters to set those things up. If that could be made more accessible, that'll be very useful.
For how long have I used the solution?
I used it for two years until as recently as January this year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is completely stable. It's a rock-solid solution. There aren't issues with bugs or glitches and it doesn't crash or freeze.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The simpler versions can scale. The cloud versions may be scalable. However, with on-prem versions and with the more custom settings you have, the more difficult it is to scale it.
We had over 20,000 end-users. It was used for a countrywide organization, for pharmacists. There were a fair bit of people. Internally, we had about 20 of us touching it on a regular basis.
An increase in usage is dependent on how many more members we would have in the organization. Every member had to use Moodle. If they had to complete their required certifications as pharmacists, for example, the solution was deployed on Moodle, so pretty much everyone used it. A large number of people would use it daily.
How are customer service and support?
We needed to reach out to support previously. Technical support is good if you can find someone, however, getting someone on an ad hoc basis is difficult. When we have an LMS person who is actually conversant with the Moodle backend and the tech behind it, then it's okay, otherwise, it's a challenge.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I don't know what they had before Moodle, however, my understanding was that it was legacy-based. It might have been some SharePoint LMS kind of a thing. I don't know if they had a specific LMS as a lot of the training and others were developed and deployed in face-to-face settings. When the world started changing towards a more digital learning platform, that's when the company got Moodle.
How was the initial setup?
I don't remember how they implemented Moodle. That was before my time. I only started using it as a learning designer.
The initial setup was at least a three-month process from what I understand.
It does require maintenance and we had a backend administrator who looked after that. Initially, when the external provider set Moodle up, they were there for a while until this administrator got his comfort level up. After that, he was on his own.
What was our ROI?
We did see an ROI while using this product.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The enterprise pricing range is very good. I'd recommended Moodle at one point as it's open-source. The base features are available regardless. It's not like you pay for anything. It's the enterprise solution and tech support that you really pay for. Therefore, it's reasonably priced for what you get with it.
The only additional were setting up deployment, offering initial tech support, and customizing it. Out-of-the-box it is regular pricing, however, if you want it customized, then you will be paying something additional for that. Also, integrating it with the CRM, which is Salesforce, had an integration cost component.
What other advice do I have?
I was just a customer.
I'd advise potential new users to play around with the free version first.
Test it prior and get the blueprint right. Whenever the deployment happens, what people do, is they go for what looks like the easiest possible way to deploy it for a bandaid solution. That's what most frequently happens. They don't consider scalability, for example. They don't consider potential future states and so they build a blueprint. They don't consider potential future integrations with CRMs and other software. So plan. Plan it properly. Have your blueprint ready, follow a scenario. A lot of forward scenario planning is good.
Otherwise, it's a lot of cost overhead if you want to change the blueprint since you have data. Imagine if we had to change the organization's blueprint now with 20,000 people's ongoing certification data, and their compliance requirements with the government and other medical bodies. Therefore, depending on what the organization is, there's a lot to lose if you don't blueprint it properly. Get the functional specs right.
I'd rate the solution at a seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Buyer's Guide
Moodle
January 2025
Learn what your peers think about Moodle. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2025.
831,265 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Global L&D Lead at Tieto Sweden AB
User-friendliness lacking but, simple to manage, and beneficial assignment creation
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable features of Moodle are the ability to create assignments, divide them into teams, and the course delivery. In Cornerstone, I need to reach out to the team, and it is not as simple, a little more involved. Additionally, the solutions is easy to manage."
- "Moodle could improve by being more user-friendly. Sometimes it worked and other times it didn't. If you get stuck, then you don't have a point of contact. Additionally, a VPN is required to make sure the connection is secured."
What is our primary use case?
I have used Moodle as a learning management system to complete my mandatory courses, such as POSH.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features of Moodle are the ability to create assignments, divide them into teams, and the course delivery. In Cornerstone, I need to reach out to the team, and it is not as simple, a little more involved. Additionally, the solutions is easy to manage.
What needs improvement?
Moodle could improve by being more user-friendly. Sometimes it worked and other times it didn't. If you get stuck, then you don't have a point of contact. Additionally, a VPN is required to make sure the connection is secured.
Moodle always has connectivity issues, such as the server being down or at times it hangs. Whenever you are using it, you should have the right connection and you should have permission to use it if any additional permission is required.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used Moodle within the last 12 months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability of Moodle is good.
How are customer service and support?
Our IT department is available to answer our problems. I have not contacted Moodle support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used other human resource software, such as Ascender and Alt Learning.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Moodle is a free solution.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We evaluated other options and decided to use Moodle because it is free.
What other advice do I have?
Moodle was not user-friendly, we wanted to use Cornerstone.
Moodle has policies in place which was a benefit. It's good to use, but you can't rely on it at times when you want to fetch reports and the server is down or you are not able to get connected. If they could resolve this it would be great.
I rate Moodle a five out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Developer, Tech Lead at iT corner
Very cost-effective and intuitive
Pros and Cons
- "Cost-effective and intuitive."
- "The solution architecture could be improved."
What is our primary use case?
Moodle is an end-to-end solution that provides offline support. We mostly use it because it gives permission for content creation and self-enrollment into courses and access to content. In the educational environment, teachers can provide assessments and grading. We are customers of Moodle and I'm a tech lead. We provide the LMS solution to many organizations; educational, medical, etc. I'm a consultant and customize the solution for our customers.
How has it helped my organization?
This is open-source software, so it's very accessible to anyone even if you don't have a lot of knowledge. You can create codes, assign features, assign the student and give access to all the systems.
What is most valuable?
This is a very cost-effective solution that is intuitive. It doesn't require much training and is easily accessible.
What needs improvement?
As a developer, I think the UI could be improved. I also think Moodle lacks sufficiently good architecture to handle a lot of users simultaneously. I'd like to see the provision of multi-tenancy as an integral part of the solution because it's costly for users to add that.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using this solution for seven years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is generally stable but there can be some stability issues depending on your server setup. The key is to set it up correctly and then you won't have any problems.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
This is a scalable solution, anywhere from 10 to 5,000 users.
How are customer service and support?
Moodle has its own forum if you have any issues with their software
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is very straightforward and not overly technical. You install your software, get a username and password and you can then use the software. For cloud deployment, I would suggest help from a developer to access the server on the cloud-hosting company. I can deploy the product in an hour but I've had a lot of experience with Moodle.
What other advice do I have?
If you're looking for a quick implementation of your LMS, Moodle is a great solution. It's open-source and has a limit of 1,000 users.
I rate this solution eight out of 10.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Integrator
Manager at MINTED LLC
Open source LMS that facilitates online learning programs but only caters to limited learning styles
Pros and Cons
- "They have made it really easy for you to see the flow on the forums. The information is well organized and the UI is fairly easy to navigate."
- "Everything is very text heavy. There are no videos or moving images. For a visual learner, there's not a lot of visual content so Moodle is not suitable for all types of learners."
What is our primary use case?
This solution has been used by a learning institution as their learning platform to manage their class roster. It was used for the online training experience for the online educational program. They used it to manage all of their courseware, forums, interactive activities and instructor student conversations and feedback.
What is most valuable?
They have made it really easy for you to see the flow on the forums. The information is well organized and the UI is fairly easy to navigate.
What I like the best about Moodle is that it is open source software and is fairly robust. You can always improve the learner experience by improving how the information is disseminated.
What needs improvement?
Everything is very text heavy. There are no videos or moving images. For a visual learner, there's not a lot of visual content so Moodle is not suitable for all types of learners. For audio learners, it seems very one dimensional in how it can be used. These limitations could be a result of how we decided to use the solution.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used this solution for two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
This is a scalable solution but only caters for a limited number of learning styles.
What other advice do I have?
From an administrative perspective, I would make sure that there are resources on the back end that would speak to more than one kind of learner. I would rate Moodle a six out of seven.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
CEO and co-founder at EDW International
Flexible learning platform that can be easily expanded and scaled
Pros and Cons
- "The fact that it's modular means you can easily expand with thousands of plugins that you can freely download from Moodle headquarters, and adding or removing functionality is easy."
- "Moodle's weakest point is the user interface."
What is our primary use case?
Moodle is used to supply learning management systems to companies, both big and small organizations. Normally, people load learning materials that are compulsory for their business environment and use Moodle to do all the activation.
What is most valuable?
Moodle allows a lot of flexibility - you can load and create the environment exactly as you like. The fact that it's modular means you can easily expand with thousands of plugins that you can freely download from Moodle headquarters, and adding or removing functionality is easy.
What needs improvement?
Moodle's weakest point is the user interface (although this is being addressed in upcoming releases). The reporting in the corporate version could also be improved. In addition, if you like to customize the platform with many plugins, you may need to spend a lot of time double-checking your plugins and code when upgrading to a new version.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using Moodle for eight years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
If your implementation strategy is good, then Moodle will run smoothly. It updates on a six-month cycle and doesn't need much maintenance outside of that.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I haven't encountered any issues with scalability. Moodle is used by some of the world's leading educators (including the Open University and Sapienza University), which have thousands of connected users with no problems.
How are customer service and support?
For most users, Moodle offers support through its community instead of a technical support team. Its community is the best I have found, better than other major shared software like WordPress. The big advantage is that the support is provided by competent people and not just by an organization. Normally, you just have to wait a couple of hours for help.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is reasonably straightforward, but you require a bit of tech skill. You have to know what a database is, how to set up a PHP version, and so on. There is plenty of information available online to help with this, and with it, you should be able to build a Moodle version in a few hours.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
In the case of Moodle Workplace, you can pay for direct support.
What other advice do I have?
For those wanting to start using Moodle, I would advise clearly defining your objectives and how you want the content to be displayed. I would also recommend trying the free version you can connect to on MoodleNet to see directly how it functions before installing. In addition, since Moodle is a large and complex software, I would say it's best to start slowly and learn as you need in order to avoid being overwhelmed. I would give Moodle a rating of nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Private Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Senior Project Manager at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
Open-source platform, flexible plugins, and enhances educational management
Pros and Cons
- "The valuable features of Moodle include its open-source nature, which makes it free to use, and the supportive community that assists with any issues."
- "The customization of the interface could be improved."
What is our primary use case?
We use Moodle to manage our students' information, the classes, and the course catalog, which are mainly related to education. It serves as a learning management system for teaching in class.
How has it helped my organization?
Moodle is free and open source, which reduces a significant portion of the Total Cost of Ownership. It is supported by the community, making it easy to find solutions to any issues. The plugins are also very flexible, allowing for additional features.
What is most valuable?
The valuable features of Moodle include its open-source nature, which makes it free to use, and the supportive community that assists with any issues. Additionally, the plugins are very flexible, and you can develop your own to add features. The anti-plagiarism plugin is one that we use most frequently.
What needs improvement?
The customization of the interface could be improved. Although we can load and change themes, it still always looks like Moodle. We have not found a way to significantly alter its appearance.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Moodle for roughly a year now. I also used it around 15 years ago.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Moodle is fairly stable with no significant issues.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Moodle meets our scalability needs to a satisfactory extent. We have not faced any issues with scalability.
How are customer service and support?
We don't get technical support directly from Moodle, so I can't provide a rating for their customer service.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have not personally used any other solutions similar to Moodle for the same use case.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Moodle is straightforward for someone with decent knowledge in Linux.
What about the implementation team?
Assuming the infrastructure is ready, one person can handle the installation. However, it still requires maintenance from time to time. That said, it is minimal and nothing to worry too much about.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Moodle is a free tool and open source, so there are no direct costs for using it.
What other advice do I have?
I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Last updated: Oct 15, 2024
Flag as inappropriateSenior Systems & Moodle Administrator at a university with 5,001-10,000 employees
Scalable, open source LMS used for corporate training in 65 schools for 7000 users
Pros and Cons
- "The best thing about Moodle is that it is open source and has many useful plugins. It is a great solution for an organization that needs modifications and customization."
- "We have needed to complete many customizations for Moodle to use it in all of our relevant organizations. We have found many issues with the competencies as we cannot assign many sub competencies to competencies."
What is our primary use case?
We use it for corporate training online. We have 65 schools around the world and we use Moodle to educate our teachers on soft skills and and other competencies. We have 7,000 users. We ran a poll on how users feel about using Moodle and the feedback was magnificent.
What is most valuable?
The best thing about Moodle is that it is open source and has many useful plugins. It is a great solution for an organization that needs modifications and customization. You can also create your own plugins as a developer and modify some of the existing plugins.
The fact that an administrator can mark an activity complete by going to the administration site is useful. Previously, we were obliged to complete the activity in the database.
What needs improvement?
We have needed to complete many customizations for Moodle to use it in all of our relevant organizations. We have found many issues with the competencies as we cannot assign sub competencies to competencies. Once linked to one another, you cannot unlink them. Once the competency is acquired and needs to be added to another course, it will not be updated automatically. I have to update it manually for those students. This has been a challenge for us.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have used Moodle for seven years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We experienced some issues using the older versions of Moodle but this has been resolved and it is very stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
This is a scalable solution.
How are customer service and support?
I've been able to solve many issues using the forum and the intervention of many other contributors but have not contacted the support team directly.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is easy from a developer perspective. The deployment is easy as there are many instructions for Moodle on how to install and deploy it. From an end users perspective, there are many other platforms that are maybe easier to use.
What other advice do I have?
If a company is looking for a simple solution to host courses and enrol students, I would recommend another platform. I would recommend Moodle for an organization that is growing and looking for competencies and customized courses. We have over 50 different plugins installed with Moodle and this level of customization has not been possible with other solutions we have considered.
I would advise those using Moodle to take advantage of all the plugins but to not modify the core code. It is much easier to upgrade to newer versions without making these changes. In a future release, it would be useful to have a tracking report for a score file to see each user and what answers they have selected.
I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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