While Google Classroom works well enough, it’s not the best learning management system (LMS) for everyone. Luckily, there are a variety of LMS alternatives to Google Classroom – from completely free systems that integrate with other free and premium tools to premium systems with more features, you’ll likely find the perfect alternative right here.
Good to know: check these alternatives to Google Analtyics to better safeguard your privacy.
Content
- 1. Microsoft Teams
- 2. Moodle LMS
- 3. Otus
- 4. Schoology
- 5. Tovuti LMS
- 6. Showbie
- 7. TalentLMS
- 8. WordPress
- 9. Canvas LMS
- 10. Nearpod
- Google Classroom vs Alternatives
1. Microsoft Teams
Price: Free (for eligible schools) with premium options
Microsoft Teams isn’t just for business executives to collaborate. In fact, it’s a commonly overlooked LMS. For schools and businesses that already use Microsoft for most of their working groups, Teams is the ideal LMS.
Image source:
Microsoft
For schools, it’s an amazing deal to get Office 365 Education for free, which includes Teams. Plus, most educators and students are already familiar with using Microsoft Office. This is also the best option if you’re transitioning from Google Classroom as the tools are similar.
What’s more, there are educational tools built in, such as Reading Progress for improved literacy. OneNote Class Notebook is also perfect for giving every person their digital notebook.
Pros
- Integrates well with other Microsoft tools
- Secure communication
- Access to built-in tutorials
Cons
- Free plans might not be enough for businesses
- Pricing starts at $4 per user with annual plan
Tip: check how to create a new team in Microsoft Teams.
2. Moodle LMS
Price: Free with premium options
Moodle LMS makes it easy to customize every aspect for your specific needs. It’s this feature alone that really sets Moodle apart from the rest.
Image source:
Moodle
Whether you just need something for a dozen people or a large university, you can set all the details and create your own educational portal. Every course available via the platform contains all educational resources in one easy-to-access place.
Another benefit is if you choose to host your own Moodle LMS server/installation, you can add plug-ins and integrations to increase functionality. Whether you choose the premium cloud-hosted or free self-hosted version, there are mobile apps and online access available.
Pros
- Easy to customize
- Works well with MOOCs (massive open online courses)
Cons
- Pricing for premium versions starts at $120/year for up to 50 users (can get expensive when using for an entire school).
- Is quite complicated to set up
3. Otus
Price: Paid plans per request
Otus is a clean-cut LMS designed to make teachers’ lives easier. One major standout feature is the ability to analyze data from lessons, tests, homework, and third-party assessments to better plan the right educational strategy for students.
There are also common assessment tools available to help teachers judge a student’s progress. When analyzing growth, Otus provides the best implementations.
The only major downside is that it’s mainly for K-12 and doesn’t offer much in the way of collaboration or real-time interaction.
Pros
- Features standards-based grading
- Third-party resource providers such as Khan Academy or OpenEd are integrated
Cons
- No mobile apps
Tip: if you’re a Chrome user, you might also want to check the best extensions for students.
4. Schoology
Price: Free (for eligible schools) with premium options
Schoology is mainly a learning management system for K-12 learning, but it can be implemented for enterprise use. Schools, including universities, get access to the platform for free.
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Schoology
Thanks to integration with Google, it’s an easier transition as you can sync your files and course materials.
What really sets Schoology apart is the over 300 apps designed to help improve classroom and virtual learning. There are also academic community tools for teachers to communicate with each other, in addition to students, to share resources.
Pros
- Tools to track student performance across a variety of assessment types
- Allows you to build your own course apps or use one of Schoology’s hundreds of apps
Cons
- The amount of content and resources can feel overwhelming at first
- Can become expensive, enterprise pricing starts at $10/student per year
5. Tovuti LMS
Price: premium options
Tovuti can be customized for almost any type of course aimed at businesses, schools, and anyone selling access to their courses.
You have full control over course design and can create unlimited courses. You can set up special training events and even collect fees. The gamification element is ideal for making learning experiences more fun.
Tovuti’s biggest highlight is the ability to create individual courses specially tailored for specific clients. However, the pricing also reflects that. The lowest plan for up to 50 users is priced at $700/month, and the highest plan (without a custom quote) is a whopping $30,000/month for up to 100,000 users.
Pros
- Allows you to create full virtual classrooms, including holding live classes
- Can generate courses with AI
Cons
- One of the more expensive LMSs
- Initial setup can be time-consuming
Tip: have to write a cover letter? Check these fantastic Google Docs templates to expedite the process.
6. Showbie
Price: Free with premium options
Showbie is one of the more interactive LMS alternatives to Google Classroom. Students can practice handwriting directly in the app and teachers can write out notes, grades, or comments on assignments.
Communication is also front and center with some standout community tools, such as adding a co-teacher, keeping parents updated, and individual student groups.
You can also create portfolios to show off students’ work, especially to parents. The free version gives you all the basics you need to get started, but Showbie Pro ($19.99/month) and Showbie Complete (by quote only) give you access to highly useful premium features.
Pros
- Offers voice comments in addition to just grades or text-based comments on assignments
- Create and share documents from Google Drive, Dropbox, or iPad apps
- Users can write or draw using their fingers or a stylus on the web and iPad apps
Cons
- Many of the best features, such as document organization, are behind a paywall
- No Android app
7. TalentLMS
Price: Free with premium options
TalentLMS is a LMS designed specifically for business training. Once it’s set up with your business branding, you can quickly create completely new courses using a simple drag-and-drop interface.
From employee onboarding to compliance training, if employees need to learn something this platform makes it easier. Quizzes, video calls, and customizable organization create a pleasant and engaging user experience.
Plus, you can get started for free for up to five users and 10 courses. Afterwards, pricing then ranges from $69/month to $429/month depending on the number of users. While TalentLMS is not specifically designed for schools or universities, there’s the option to create courses to “Teach students,” so teachers can also take advantage of this tool.
Pros
- Allow you to create courses in minutes.
- Integrates well with common business apps, such as Salesforce, Zoom, and Zapier
Cons
- Getting used to numerous features takes time
Tip: learn how to add Shopify to WordPress.
8. WordPress
Price: Free with premium options
Instead of just having one option, WordPress gives you a variety of ways to turn the blogging/website creation platform into a full-scale LMS that works well as a Google Classroom alternative.
Image source:
Masteriyo
They’re usually easy to implement if you’re already used to WordPress, coming mostly in the form of plugins. Some of the best include:
- LearnPress – free & premium add-ons that allow you to create courses, upload curriculums, and host quizzes.
- LMS by Masteriyo – free with premium options, offers simple course creation, host tests, and shows student progress.
- Tutor LMS – free with premium options, creates interactive lessons, hosts quizzes/tests, and generates status reports.
- LifterLMS – free with premium options, includes numerous add-ons that work seamlessly together, Zapier integrations, generate tests, upload assignments, and create courses.
- LearnDash – an exclusively premium option, lets you create interactive courses, implement quizzes, and drag-and-drop content creation.
- WP Courseware – another exclusively premium option, includes drag-and-drop course creation, creating quizzes, keeping track of progress with grade books, and more.
Pros
- Allow you to create a custom website along with your LMS
- Many plugins are free to try and experiment with
Cons
- Many plugins require the self-hosted WordPress.org, which means you’ll need to pay for hosting or have your own server
- To use plugins with WordPress.com (which is free), you’ll need a premium plan
9. Canvas LMS
Price: Free with premium options
Canvas LMS is a truly robust and customizable platform that keeps everything students and teachers need all in one place. With support for a wide range of commonly used document types, educators can grade and annotate directly.
Canvas is an interactive platform thanks to video calls and notes, audio notes, and messaging. Students are also able to work together within the platform, which makes it ideal for remote learning.
Of course, it’s not just for schools. Businesses can also utilize Canvas LMS to make training faster and more efficient. It can even be used as a team collaboration tool.
Pros
- Offer customized learning for individual students
- Blueprints make creating and sharing content easier
Cons
- Assignments can be erased if a due date isn’t set correctly
10. Nearpod
Price: Free with premium options
Nearpod is a dynamic LMS solution that fosters engagement and learning through interaction, gamification, and matching.
It comes with a large library of lessons that teachers can load up instantly. Of course, it also lets educator creators craft lessons from scratch by drag-and-dropping elements. You can even upload PowerPoint lessons in Nearpod, which can easily be modified in the Nearpod dashboard.
By integrating polls, open-ended questions, videos, and games, the platform creates an interactive learning environment.
Pros
- Lets you easily create interactive and engaging lessons
- Includes a student pacing feature that allows learners to move through an assigned NearPod presentation at their own pace
Cons
- Offers a free version that can only store around 100MB of presentations and 40 students can join per lesson (the paid version starts at $159 per year)
Google Classroom vs Alternatives
Here’s how Google Classroom compares to the alternatives covered above.
| App | Highlights | Integrations | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Classroom | Communication and collaboration tools; Web-based and mobile apps; Secure; Easy grading; | Integrates well with other Google services | Schools; Course creators; Trainers | Free / paid plans start at $3 per student with annual plan |
| Microsoft Teams | Closest alternative to Google Classroom; Cross-platform communication platform, Collaboration tools; Easy file sharing; Web-based and mobile apps; Generous space for storing files | Seamless integration with other Microsoft products, as well as other apps | Schools and high-education institutions; Businesses relying on cloud systems for training | Free (for students & educators) / paid plans start at $4 per user with annual plan |
| Moodle LMS | Open-source LMS solution; Facilitates interaction between students and teachers; Course editor; Content-rich pages; Quizzes; Forums; Plugins | Integrates with popular tools like Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Zoom, and more. | Schools and higher education institutions; corporate training departments; NGOs | Free (if you host the software yourself) / paid plans start at $120 per year (up to 50 users) |
| Otus | Comprehensive data platform; Easy tracking of student progress; Formative and summative assessments; Varied communication tools | Integrates with Google including Google Drive, as well as Microsoft OneDrive. | Schools (public, private, charter) | Paid plans per request |
| Schoology | Course management; Diverse communication tools; Assessment creation; Gradebook; Content library; Mobile accessibility | Integrates with various Google and Microsoft apps, as well as Canva for Education, Dropbox and more. | Schools, universities, professional development companies | Free (for eligible schools) / paid plans start at $10 per student per year |
| Tovuti LMS | Organize and manage course materials; Course creation; Quizzes; Exams; Surveys; Track learner progress; Gamification | Integrates with Zapier and SalesForce | Schools, higher education institutions, corporations & enterprises, non-profits | Paid plans start at $700 per month (up to 50 users) |
| Showbie | Assignment creation & management; Rich feedback tools; Focus on visual learning; Portfolio creation; Mobile (iPhone) and Chromebook app | Integrates with Google apps, Dropbox | Schools | Free / Paid plans start at $199 per year |
| TalentLMS | Easy and flexible course creation; Extensive customization options to match branding; Gamification; Track learning progress; Mobile app support | Integrates with Google apps, Microsoft, apps Zoom, Zapier and more | Corporations and enterprises, businesses, non-profits, government agencies | Free / Paid plans start at $69/month |
| WordPress | A myriad of options to choose from; Different plugins add a wide range of functionalities | Vary depending on plugin | Schools, higher education institutions, businesses, freelancers | Varies depending on plugin |
| Canvas LMS | Flexible course design; Gradebook; Varied communication tools; Robust assessment tools; Data analytics | Integrates with G Suite, Zoom, Adobe, Microsoft Teams and more | Schools, universities, and other learning providers | Free / Paid plans per request |
| Nearpod | Easy lesson creation; Pre-build content library; Real-time student engagement; Student pacing, Student progress tracking; Mobile app avaialble | Integrates with Microsoft apps, Google apps | Schools | Free / Paid plans start at $159 per year |
Related: time for a break? Check the best games to play on your Chromebook at school.
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Image credit: Freepik All screenshots by Alexandra Arici
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Alexandra Arici –
Staff Writer
Alexandra is passionate about mobile tech and can be often found fiddling with a smartphone from some obscure company. She kick-started her career in tech journalism in 2013, after working a few years as a middle-school teacher. Constantly driven by curiosity, Alexandra likes to know how things work and to share that knowledge with everyone.
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