Teachable and Thinkific, two of the most popular learning management systems, are cloud-based. So are a good number of the best-known learning management systems. This implies that you get a service that you subscribe for, and do not have to install any LMS software on your web hosting server. Your LMS is available as a service that is already hosted by the software provider so that you can focus on your content.
In this article, we will focus on the pros and cons of using a cloud-based LMS.
Pros
Easy to Get Started
Cloud-based LMS systems are like “plug and play” in the LMS world. You literally just have to subscribe and you are live. As simple as ABC!
Scratch that. Depending on the LMS, it may not be as simple as ABC. You do have to design your interface taking advantage of the often easy-to-use tools provided, create your courses, set up payments, etc. But it is definitely helpful to know that your setup process is much simpler and quicker than it would have been with a self-hosted LMS.
No Worries About Video Hosting
Video hosting is indeed one of the biggest worries in the e-learning world as decent high definition videos can eat up massive amounts of space and consume high bandwidths very quickly. This explains why uploading videos to your regular web hosting server may prove impractical and most people opt for dedicated video hosting services like Vimeo. Those are worries you need not have with most cloud-based LMS providers. They sort out the course hosting- and the videos too!
No Worries About Updating Software
When you install software, you have to think about optimizing for speed, mitigating threats, blocking loopholes… and yes, updates! You have to keep updating your software.
Open source users, most especially users of WordPress, are no doubt, very familiar with this pain. Those who ignore it are probably just as familiar with the side effects of taking such liberties, especially if they have kept the bad habit long enough.
Fortunately, with cloud-based LMS, you do not have to worry about updates. Your provider is responsible for making sure you have a great, reliable service. That includes making updates and making sure you hardly ever need to notice.
Cons
Costs
The costs add up real quick.
Let’s take Thinkific for example. The monthly “Pro” plan costs about $99. I picked “Pro” because it is the plan with the features most course creators would want. Teachable’s similar “Pro” plan costs $119 per month.
In both cases, you can have discounts if you choose yearly plans. Even then, those costs are still very high compared to open source options such as WordPress-powered learning management systems- at least if you do not need to hire developers to create your setup.
Limited Customization
Another problem with many cloud-based LMS software is that they offer limited customization options. You may find it very difficult, or may not be able to create the kind of “look and feel” that you want for your website.
On this note, I should add that the ease of customization differs from LMS to LMS. Thinkific, for example, offers a reasonable amount of customization particularly if you have some knowledge of design. And no, it’s not comparable with what you can do with an open-source platform like WordPress.
Limited Options
Depending on your circumstances, you may never need to understand what I mean by this. Let me however explain it this way: I loved using one of the cloud-based learning management systems, Thinkific. I however had to ditch it because it was made to accept payments through either PayPal or Stripe which were options that were not available in my country. While there were workarounds for this (such as Zapier), they would have significantly increased my costs and I would still not get full value.
An open source system like WordPress served me better in this regard. There were all sorts of plugins and options to achieve whatever I needed.
In conclusion, a cloud-based learning management system might be a great option for you particularly if you are unwilling or unable to spend a lot of time setting up and do not wish to be involved in tasks like updating software or worrying about video hosting. It frees you up to focus on creating and selling your courses.
I highly recommend Thinkific. If you are interested in signing up for it, please do so with this link. You’ll get a free trial, I will get a commission and your costs won’t be higher!
