Moodle vs Brainier

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Our analysts compared Moodle vs Brainier based on data from our 400+ point analysis of LMS Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Product Basics

Moodle is a customizable, open-source training solution used by corporate organizations, K-12 schools and higher educational institutions. From interactive lessons for K-12 to complex courses at large campuses, it lets you create tailored learning experiences to suit your students’ unique needs.

You can track student progress using analytics and reports, and integrate with third-party video conferencing tools like BigBlueButton. Out-of-the-box capabilities include course creation, calendars, dashboards, text editing, SCORM compatibility, reporting, learning paths and group management.

Moodle is an excellent choice for small businesses with technical expertise or access to IT resources. Its open-source nature allows for significant customization, making it a cost-effective solution for those who can manage their hosting and support.

User reviews praise its flexibility, user-friendly interface, interactive features and cost-friendliness. However, its sharp learning curve and lack of certain capabilities, like video conferencing, could be improved.

Moodle’s starter plan with up to 50 users costs $130 per year, while more advanced plans range from $400 to $1,730 per year.t

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Brainier helps organizations of all sizes create and manage employee training programs. It’s cloud-based, mobile-compatible, and designed to support collaboration and building a broader community around development efforts.

The solution offers personalized learning experiences through features such as certification and compliance management, content authoring and social learning capabilities. It also provides insights into learner progress and program effectiveness through data reports and a mobile app that lets users access learning materials anytime and anywhere.

Brainier Cultivate, its talent management platform, offers built-in tools, including assessments, certification planning and goal tracking. Administrators can create self, 180, and 360 assessments, set dynamic certification plans, and track goals for individuals or teams. The platform also allows learners to receive personalized learning recommendations and track progress with gamified leaderboards.

The LMS is praised for its content creation, reporting tools and user-friendliness. Its intuitive interface and drag-and-drop functionality make course building easy, even for those with limited technical expertise. You can contact the vendor for a personalized quote.

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$130 Annually
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$3,000 Monthly
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Product Assistance

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Product Insights

  • Simplifies Data Exchange: Moodle uses open industry standards to support integration and content usage from third-party sources. It allows authentication via protocols like LDAP, direct database lookup, Shibboleth, IMAP and FirstClass. It also supports content import using SCORM, AICC and IMS Content Packaging standards.
  • Offers Key LMS Features: For those seeking an all-in-one LMS solution, Moodle is an excellent choice. Our analysis indicates that it delivers 82% of essential LMS functionalities straight out of the box, with only 5% of key features missing. Supported features include collaboration, mobile capabilities, reporting and dashboard, user management and gamification, and compliance.
  • Award-Winner: In the 2024 SelectHub Awards, our research analysts awarded Moodle best-in-class honors for assessments, collaboration, compliance, learning delivery, mobile capabilities, user management, gamification, and integrations and extensibility. it also achieved an 'excellent' rating as a user favorite.
  • Easily Accessible: Moodle offers features like text-to-speech tools and accessibility checkers to support learners with disabilities.
  • Provides Greater Customization: You can customize to fit a varied range of learning needs, no matter how specific or unique. Modify the source code or add functionality from a library of over 1,600 plugins.
  • User-Friendly: In our testing, we found that Moodle's interface is modern, intuitive and user-friendly, making navigation effortless. For organizations with learners unfamiliar with LMS platforms and limited training budgets, Moodle offers an accessible solution. The layout is designed to display all key features prominently, and all team members can effortlessly locate and access courses, resources and tools without the need for additional support.
  • Top-Performer: With an analyst rating of 85, Moodle stands out as our top LMS product, comparable to top-tier systems like D2L Brightspace and LearnUpon. It offers a comprehensive set of features, including collaboration, compliance, reporting and dashboard, and user management and gamification, all of which are fully supported.
  • Supports Collaborative Learning: Moodle supports social constructionist pedagogy, a teaching method that focuses on collaboration and active learning. It encourages students to interact with the course material and each other to create a more engaging and participative learning environment. Students can work together on projects, share ideas and engage in discussions and more.
  • Facilitates Community-Building: Attend online conferences broadcast worldwide to gain and share knowledge amongst Moodle users. MoodleMoot Global is an annual event where Moodle enthusiasts from around the world gather to share ideas, collaborate and learn from one another. This event is perfect for both newcomers and experienced Moodle users, and offers a chance to connect with like-minded individuals and contribute to the future of education and lifelong learning.
  • Provides Insights into Key Training Activities: Our testing revealed that Moodle offers extensive reporting features, allowing you to generate custom reports on nearly every aspect of your training. It offers insights into comments, backups, configuration changes, event lists, antivirus failures, logs, live logs, performance overviews, question instances, security checks, system status and theme usage.
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  • Offers Needs-Specific Resources: Access thousands of courses from top industry content providers to meet your learning goals. Whether you need training in business skills, compliance or safety, Brainier simplifies the process by partnering with extensive content libraries. These libraries feature hundreds of high-quality, up-to-date courses covering leadership development, managerial skills, mindset training and various soft skills topics, so you don't have to start from scratch.
  • Market Leader: Brainier ranks among our top 10 LMS solutions. It holds its own among industry leaders such as LearnUpon and Docebo, and offers a range of features, including eCommerce, reporting and dashboards, and content and course management, available right out of the box.
  • Comes With Excellent Course Management Capabilities: If you’re seeking an LMS with outstanding content and course management, and mobile capabilities, Brainier is our top choice. In our analysis, it scored exceptionally well for its features that assist users in creating and managing courses, learning offline, tracking courses on the mobile and learning materials. It offers a comprehensive suite of tools out of the box, including course cataloging, authoring, learning paths and progress tracking.
  • Offers AI-Powered Recommendations: The Daily Snapshot highlights featured learning objects, and transforms the LMS into your daily hub for relevant training, events and information. It considers due dates for assigned training, completion status, upcoming events and assignment progress. You can provide personalized suggestions to groups or individual learners, helping them prioritize their time in the system based on various factors.
  • Improves Coaching Delivery: Video coaching helps learners develop practical and soft skills on a large scale. It uses three main methods: spaced skill practice, personalized feedback and real-world application of knowledge. By recording and sharing videos, you can get an accurate picture of your learners' understanding and abilities.
  • Easily Integrates with Third-Party Software: For companies looking for HR tools, succession software, talent management, CRMs or other workforce technology, Brainier has many partners to broaden its capabilities. This includes Bullseye Engagement, Ceridian, Edcomm, ExponentHR, HR Performance Solutions, iCIMS, J.J. Keller, Media Partners, Prositions, Salesforce, Skillsoft, TalentGuard, Ultimate Software, U.S. Learning and Vado.
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  • Course Development: Create courses from scratch or upload existing ones to the system. The course builder tool allows you to:
    • Add name, category, start and end date, ID number, summary, number of sections, cover image, participants, tags, groups and other specific details.
    • Insert resources like checklists, files, forums, quizzes, wikis and more into sections. You can also set up virtual classroom sessions via BigBlueButton.
    • Add questions, files, competencies, course completion conditions, add-on apps and badges.
    • Generate reports to analyze competencies, log actions, live logs, training activities and course participation rates.
    • Import, back up, restore, copy and reset courses to reuse them.
    • Enable learners to request new courses and download course content.
  • Assignments: Use the assignment activity module to communicate tasks, collect tests and quizzes, and provide grades.
    • Allow students to submit any type of digital content, such as documents, spreadsheets, images or audio and video clips, or type text directly into the text editor.
    • Use assignments to remind students of offline tasks without having to make digital submissions.
    • Let students submit work individually or as a group. When reviewing, leave feedback comments and upload files like marked-up submissions, commented documents or audio feedback.
    • Grade assignments using numerical scales, custom scales or advanced methods like rubrics. Record final grades in the gradebook.
  • Forums: Use forums to encourage students to socialize, make course announcements, discuss learning content, host face-to-face sessions online and more.
  • Checklists: Allow teachers to create checklists and help students track tasks and to-do lists.
  • HTML5 Packages: Upload and add HTML5 Packages (H5P) to the platform. H5P allows you to integrate interactive content like presentations, videos, quizzes, games and more into course materials. Automatically grade questions attempted in H5P activities and record them in the gradebook.
  • Calendar: Log important events like assignment deadlines, upcoming meetings, and course start and end dates and more on the company calendar.
  • BigBlueButton Integration: Integrate with BigBlueButton and conduct live online classes, virtual office hours or group collaborations. Use features like audio, video, chat, slides, screen sharing, a multi-user whiteboard, breakout rooms, polling and emojis in real time. Record sessions for playback later.
  • Feedback: Design surveys with multiple-choice, yes/no or text-input questions to gather participant input. Keep responses anonymous if needed, and decide whether to share results with participants or restrict them to teachers only.
  • Notifications: Track updates and alert users when a new event occurs. Enable triggers for new course additions, upcoming deadlines, published grades, schedule changes and more.
  • Course Tracking: Monitor course progress and the number of activities completed by each learner. View their completed assignments, course start and end times, achievements and other details for each course.
  • Quizzes: Create assessments with various question types, such as multiple-choice, matching, short-answer and numerical questions, and include them in course exams, topic tests, practice sessions and more.
    • Configure options for multiple attempts, randomize question order from the question bank and set time limits.
    • Automatically grade each attempt, excluding essay questions and record results in the gradebook.
    • Customize when to display hints and feedback and correct answers to students.
  • Multi-Device Support: Access the site from any device via the free mobile app for Windows, iOS and Android. It's compatible with mobile layouts and can be used in any browser for a consistent experience.
  • Plugin Management: Manage all plugins from one interface for quick access. Provides plugins for different types of educational needs (e.g., universities). Connect with MS Office 365 and Google Apps.
  • Personalized Dashboards: Organize and access training information like checklists, badges, latest announcements, timelines and course overviews on a customizable dashboard.
  • User Management: Add new users, set user preferences, define user profile fields, upload user pictures and more.
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  • Content Creation: Use Chameleon Cloud to transform your PowerPoint presentations and video library into tailored learning content.
    • Customize your training materials to fit your organization’s specific needs.
    • Incorporate full-motion video, study materials, discussion questions and multiple-choice tests into your content.
    • Ensure compatibility with AICC, SCORM 1.2 or SCORM 2004 formats.
  • Embedded AI: Use AI-powered tools to enhance and contextualize the learning experience.
    • AI Coach & Auto Analysis: Use AI Coach for real-time feedback on speech content and delivery during video coaching. This tool provides quantitative and qualitative feedback, including keyword analysis and delivery metrics.
    • Content Creation: Automate quiz, survey and object description creation with generative AI.
    • Auto-Tagging Learning Objects: The system scans content to suggest relevant tags, and efficiently categorizes learning objects by topics, subjects and competencies.
    • Learning Content Recommendations: AI analyzes tags and actions to recommend relevant content, helping learners bridge knowledge gaps and follow a guided learning path.
  • Ecommerce: Turn your learning content into a revenue stream by selling courses internally and externally.
    • Set custom pricing rules easily using your organizational chart.
    • Offer flexible payment options, such as credit cards, PO numbers and promo codes.
    • Process payments securely through PayPal without storing credit card information.
  • Gamification: Engage learners with built-in gamification features that inspire friendly competition and reward top performers.
    • Create leaderboards to identify top performers using a points system and customizable goals.
    • Unlock badges and ranks through activities like completing courses and sharing content, with easy admin customization.
    • Recommend relevant courses based on job titles, locations and completed courses.
  • Assessments: Use built-in assessment tools for comprehensive evaluations, including self-assessments and 180 and 360-degree reviews.
    • Use a variety of question types, such as linear scales, radio buttons, drop-down menus, essays and text boxes.
    • Configure different sections and points within assessments to map competencies.
    • Recommend relevant learning content based on assessment results to address skill gaps.
  • Content Library: Use the built-in content library featuring essential topics and expand it further with top content providers for extensive off-the-shelf learning options. Course topics include:
    • HR Compliance: Ensure compliance with state and industry regulations.
    • Finance: Enhance financial literacy with Banker’s Academy.
    • Leadership Development: Develop mentoring, management and leadership skills.
    • Productivity: Improve day-to-day efficiencies and overall strategies.
    • Customer Support: Deliver exceptional customer support with materials designed for meaningful and personal interactions.
  • Analytical Reporting: View real-time learner progress with powerful analytics tools, including native reporting dashboards, data visualization and custom reports.
    • Configure the system to deliver up-to-the-minute learning data via email or FTP, tracking overdue training, event registrations and approaching expiration dates.
    • Provide role-specific access to relevant learning data for administrators, instructors, managers and custom roles.
    • Empower leaders at all levels to view critical learning information tailored to their needs and organizational structure.
    • Use the Smart Report to get an in-depth view of individual or group progress, as well as a summary of all learning activities in the LMS to date.
    • Use the Custom Report Builder to create reports that meet specific business needs. With over 1,000 standard report options and customizations, it generates insightful data on users, groups, and learning objects.
    • Configure these reports to auto-generate and deliver on a regular schedule.
  • Social Learning: Enable learners to like, comment and share content within the system.
    • Allow learners to engage in discussions, share knowledge and build communities of practice via forums.
    • Use the learner directory to connect learners to peers and mentors
    • Use real-time chat, group chat and native video chat with screen share to enhance collaboration and interaction.
  • Compliance Management: Simplify access to compliance training with single sign-on (SSO) or an efficient access page. Employees can quickly navigate to their required courses via a customized dashboard, reducing confusion and enhancing the user experience.
    • Training At-Scale: Set up recurring assignments for annual compliance, re-certifications and safety courses. Custom expiration dates and automated reminders help prevent overdue training and reduce administrative tasks.
    • Learner Analytics: The Analytics Dashboard gives you real-time oversight of learning progress. Segment groups and access detailed data on specific learners or teams. Built-in reporting tools monitor compliance training status from a macro or micro perspective.
    • Common Compliance Content: Access extensive off-the-shelf compliance course libraries relevant to 99% of industries. These courses cover essential topics like harassment prevention and workplace safety, meeting state mandates and reducing the need for additional sourcing.
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Product Ranking

#4

among all
LMS Software

#65

among all
LMS Software

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Analyst Rating Summary

85
79
21
29
93
77
100
83
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Collaboration
Compliance
Mobile Capabilities
Platform Capabilities
Reporting and Dashboard
Content and Course Management
Mobile Capabilities
Reporting and Dashboard
eCommerce
Platform Capabilities

Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

Moodle
Brainier
+ Add Product + Add Product
AI-based Capabilities Assessments Collaboration Compliance Content And Course Management ECommerce Learning Delivery Mobile Capabilities Platform Capabilities Reporting And Dashboard User Management And Gamification 21 93 100 100 92 50 80 100 100 100 100 29 77 83 50 100 100 92 100 93 100 91 0 25 50 75 100
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86%
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83%
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85%
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93%
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91%
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9%

Analyst Ratings for Technical Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

93%
0%
7%
64%
0%
36%

User Sentiment Summary

Great User Sentiment 4011 reviews
Excellent User Sentiment 167 reviews
86%
of users recommend this product

Moodle has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 86% when considering 4011 user reviews from 5 recognized software review sites.

91%
of users recommend this product

Brainier has a 'excellent' User Satisfaction Rating of 91% when considering 167 user reviews from 3 recognized software review sites.

4.8 (12)
n/a
4.1 (398)
4.6 (130)
n/a
4.5 (35)
4.3 (3249)
n/a
4.5 (112)
3.4 (2)
4.1 (240)
n/a

Awards

SelectHub research analysts have evaluated Moodle and concluded it deserves the award for the Best Overall LMS Software available today and earns best-in-class honors for Assessments, Compliance, Mobile Capabilities, Platform Capabilities and Integrations and Extensibility.

Analysts' Pick Award
Assessments Award
Compliance Award
Mobile Capabilities Award
Platform Capabilities Award
Integrations and Extensibility Award

SelectHub research analysts have evaluated Brainier and concluded it earns best-in-class honors for Content and Course Management and Mobile Capabilities. Brainier stands above the rest by achieving an ‘Excellent’ rating as a User Favorite.

User Favorite Award
Content and Course Management Award
Mobile Capabilities Award

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Customizability: According to 80% of users who reviewed this, Moodle lets users add custom HTML and CSS, integrate with third-party applications, and select modules related to rubrics and outcomes.
Ease of Use: 90% of users praise its intuitive interface which is easy to navigate, especially for students. Its simple and intuitive features make it suitable for beginners.
Advanced Feature Set: 75% of reviewers highlighted Moodle’s wide range of features, such as course creation, third-party integrations, notifications and feedback, and grading rubrics.
Mobile Compatibility: According to 60% of users who discussed this aspect, Moodle's mobile app is very user-friendly and offers all necessary tools to support on-the-go learning. It lets users access course content, connect with team members, download learning materials and more.
Affordability: 80% of reviewers who discussed costs appreciated that Moodle is free to download and use and offers flexible pricing models for various needs.
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Ease of Use: Users find the platform easy to navigate, with a straightforward and intuitive interface. The student portal is highly praised for its simplicity and ease of use.
Responsive Support: Users appreciate the friendly and helpful support staff, who are available via multiple channels (email, chat, phone).
Integrations and Custom Security: Many users like that it integrates with other HR software products, including payroll, benefits and performance management solutions, and allows them to set custom securities to manage user accessibility and security levels.
Comprehensive Content Library: Users praise Brainier’s content library, which includes a wide range of learning materials covering common business issues like skills development and leadership training.
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Steep Learning Curve: Regarding this, 45% of users said Moodle has a steep learning curve for administrators. They feel its interface can be confusing to explore since it has a lot of features, and users need to know what they’re looking for to use the platform effectively.
Lack of Video Conferencing: 45% of users who discussed this con point out Moodle's lack of built-in video conferencing capabilities, which are increasingly important for online learning.
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High Costs: The pricing structure may be a deterrent for smaller organizations with limited budgets.
Busy Interface: Some users find the design to be too cluttered, which can make it less intuitive to use.
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Moodle is an open-source LMS that's really popular among educational institutions like K12 schools and colleges. Its workplace version is designed to address various corporate training needs such as onboarding, compliance training and skill development.Moodle is packed with features – you can create courses, collaborate with learners, grade assignments and more. Plus, it works quickly on mobile devices so that learning can happen anywhere. We love how flexible it is, and it can be customized to your heart's content with HTML, CSS and third-party integrations.Its user-friendly interface is another highlight, and it is known for its intuitive navigation and ease of use, particularly for students. This makes Moodle a suitable choice even for those new to LMS platforms. A strong focus on social constructionist pedagogy emphasizes collaboration and active learning. And with Moodle’s large and active global community, you can get active support and contribute to its ongoing development.While its interface is great for instructors and students, we found that it may be complex for admins, and an extensive feature set can require time and effort to master. The lack of built-in video conferencing capabilities is another drawback, though the solution does integrate with virtual classroom tools like BigBlueButton.Being open-source, Moodle eliminates licensing fees, making it an attractive option for budget-conscious institutions. The availability of free plugins and themes further adds to its cost-effectiveness.Moodle is a fantastic choice if you're looking for a powerful and adaptable LMS, especially for education. Its multi-tenancy architecture supports various business structures and types, making it adaptable to different corporate environments. Its open-source nature, emphasis on collaborative learning, and scalability make it a viable option in the LMS market.

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Brainier is an award-winning LMS with a 93% customer satisfaction rating, a user-focused design and a comprehensive feature set. It offers exceptional tools to personalize learning. Administrators can create custom learning paths and dashboards, and set up tailored content pages that cater to specific job roles and departments. The LMS integrates smoothly with popular apps like Salesforce, UKG Pro and Ceridian Dayforce, and lets you manage complex team structures through custom group setups and multi-tenancy. Brainier also emphasizes AI-driven functionalities, such as AI-powered video coaching and content recommendations. It uses AI to provide real-time feedback and personalized content suggestions, ensuring that learners focus on the most relevant materials. The solution’s video coaching capabilities support skill development through self-paced practice and personalized feedback. Its course library offers an extensive range of content, covering everything from compliance training to leadership development. Reporting tools, including a smart report builder, offer detailed insights into learner progress, helping organizations track skill mastery and make data-driven decisions. Accessibility features and automated learning objectives further enhance the platform’s appeal by ensuring that training is inclusive and efficient. User reviews highlight Brainier’s ease of use, scalability and excellent customer support. Many users appreciate its flexibility and integration capabilities, though some find the interface a bit cluttered. While Brainier’s pricing is competitive, it may not be the best fit for smaller businesses or those with limited budgets, as its features could come at a higher price point. Brainier is ideal for mid-sized to large enterprises, especially in industries like healthcare, manufacturing and financial services, offering customizable learning, compliance tracking and integration with HR systems like ADP and UKG. With personalized learning paths, detailed analytics and scalability, Brainier supports both growing businesses and established enterprises, ensuring effective employee engagement and training outcomes. However, companies primarily needing basic course delivery or those with highly specific training requirements may find Brainier’s extensive capabilities overwhelming and might require customizations.

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Screenshots

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