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CYPHER Learning vs Totara Learn comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 19, 2024

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

CYPHER Learning
Ranking in Learning Management Systems (LMS)
1st
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.5
Number of Reviews
55
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Totara Learn
Ranking in Learning Management Systems (LMS)
17th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.5
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2026, in the Learning Management Systems (LMS) category, the mindshare of CYPHER Learning is 1.3%, down from 2.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Totara Learn is 1.0%, down from 1.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Learning Management Systems (LMS) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
CYPHER Learning1.3%
Totara Learn1.0%
Other97.7%
Learning Management Systems (LMS)
 

Featured Reviews

reviewer2620521 - PeerSpot reviewer
Manager of Learning & Development at a healthcare company with 51-200 employees
A game-changer solution that meets our needs and has top-notch customer service
The AI feature needs some fine-tuning or tweaking. They use Microsoft Copilot. I have had courses on and used the AI feature. I find myself having to correct a lot of mistakes that it has made. It is about 75% to 80 % correct when I put things through the AI feature. I have to go for a fine toothcomb. A lot of things are repeated. A lot of videos or pictures are repeated through several pages, and it takes me time to go through them. The AI feature of Articulate 360 is better because I am able to create courses quickly, and their AI feature is almost 100% accurate every single time. The AI feature would be my main criticism. I do not use its AI feature anymore because I find myself having to correct a lot of the things that it puts out. One thing that I wish was different was that it showed the full title in the catalog when I create something outside, such as in Articulate 360, and bring it in. When you go into the catalog title, it does not show you the whole title. If it is a long title, it will just have three dots. I wish it would just show the entire title, even if it goes into the next line so that people can see the whole title. Currently, they have to click on it to see the whole title. It does not give you enough characters to see the title. People look at the catalog and all these great courses. It says something like, "Dental University, How to ..." You do not know what the rest is unless you click on it. It should allow more characters for the actual title in the catalog so that we do not have to click on the title because most people do not. Most people just peruse through it. If it catches their eyes, they click on it, but if they do not know what the title is, they are not going to click on it to find out. Additionally, their course creation capabilities are static compared to alternative solutions like Articulate 360. You can only create very static learning courses. That may be fine for some industries where they want you to read and acknowledge that you took it. You can link to videos on YouTube, Vimeo, etc. However, when the video ends, there are advertisements. There is an application for that for sure. In fact, I was able to use that for this leadership video series that I put on TED Talk through YouTube, but they are still getting clicks and advertisements. The leadership training that we create through Articulate 360 is much nicer looking. We can put the text files, different flashcards, lists, etc. It is a better experience for the learner. This is why for course creation, I do not use much within CYPHER Learning. There is a night and day difference in the courses created in CYPHER Learning versus Articulate 360. CYPHER Learning is not even close. There is a better learning experience for the user in Articulate 360 than it is in CYPHER Learning. A user looking at the courses only in CYPHER Learning would not know any difference, but if you show them Articulate 360, they will find it great. You can put high-resolution pictures and videos. It is just a better experience for the learner.
SK
Developer, Tech Lead at iT corner
Plug-and-play LMS and allows for separate instances for different organizations or departments
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 improve the UI part as well and make it easier to use for the admin side. AI capabilities are in beta phase. I think they have implemented some AI features in the model, but right now, I'm not aware of what AI features have been implemented. So, Totara also needs to implement some AI things in the model, like suggesting courses according to users' needs or interests.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"By far, when I did the price comparison for what you get, CYPHER Learning was the best out there and I strongly believe it still is."
"We have absolutely seen ROI, and what we pay each year for CYPHER Learning is a drop in the bucket because just the ability to set up self-paced classes has generated a nice income right there alone."
"Compared to other platforms, it is very user-friendly and intuitive, and both teachers and students can easily find what they need and use the functions without extensive training."
"I believe that CYPHER Learning provides important tools to develop student engagement in class."
"The lessons we offer in each course can be both in written format and in audio or video format. This dramatically helps participants to choose their best way of learning."
"Having the SCORM packaging and the ability to move that SCORM packaging in is my number one feature."
"Gamification is another feature that I've recently really gotten into and I have found that my students really enjoy getting points and badges. That reinforcement is critical... my students get that instant gratification. They get specific scores when they do specific tasks within CYPHER Learning and it lets them know. It's a really big motivator for my students."
"It brings students together in one place with teaching materials. Also, it has a social capability to it by way of forums and groups. That is definitely important for our programs. There has been a lot of engagement in our programs."
"The multi-tenancy features of Totara Learn are the most useful for training efficiency."
"The tool's deployment is not complex."
 

Cons

"If I had one complaint, it would be the reporting. It is so robust and detailed that it is hard to obtain some of the specific things that we want."
"We can see who has accessed the portal, but it is not very intuitive. There is an issue with MATRIX user reporting. It is not that useful a lot of the time because we see conflicting dates in the activity and login. I have tried to work with their engineers, and asked, "Well, what's the real deal here," and there is no clarity around it."
"We actually want to look at other systems or develop our own system because the cost point of MATRIX is so high. It doesn't feel like we get any value for it."
"I would like to see greater integration with some programs that are not natively integrated. Google is a standard. Everything integrates with it. Integration with Google is a key task."
"One of the things that I would like to see improvement on is detecting duplicate users by identifying them by their names and not only by their email addresses. Many people change their email addresses but we don't know that they have. This can result in unnecessary duplication of user accounts."
"There is further work to be done on the translation accuracy of international languages."
"Perhaps there could be advances in artificial intelligence with more precise and immediate automated reports so that teachers have reports at hand. That would make things easier and would speed up processes."
"We don't receive any notifications about updates to the solution's adaptive learning; we find out when it is already there in the solution."
"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

"It is cheap for us. We started with CYPHER Learning, and then when our contract was finished, we needed to undergo a bidding process. We had to look at other LMSs as well and compare it with them. Its price convinced us to stay with CYPHER Learning. The cost is low, but the quality is excellent. The lower price compared to other LMSs makes it perfect for us."
"If you go for an open source solution, you're going to find out that the costs in the long run end up being a lot more, and the process is frustrating."
"I am happy with it. It is very well priced."
"Understanding your active users, compared to total users, in terms of the plan you choose, is something to be aware of."
"Overall, the pricing of CYPHER Learning is okay. There are cheaper solutions that offer way fewer features and there are more expensive and more capable solutions, but they might be overkill for many companies that are not big enough. It's about balance. CYPHER Learning is in the middle; not very expensive, not very cheap."
"CYPHER Learning's price is slightly higher than other solutions."
"Because our cost went down by 50%, I would say that the pricing is competitive."
"I did not negotiate the pricing, but from what I gathered, it was a significant purchase for us at West Music. We recognize its value and potential for growth, making it worthwhile."
"It's not expensive. It's user-based."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
15%
Outsourcing Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Manufacturing Company
15%
Construction Company
11%
Healthcare Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business31
Midsize Enterprise10
Large Enterprise6
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for NEO LMS?
My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing was easier, as we received our quote on time, and the pricing was not much of a hindrance, with setup costs based on our investment.
What needs improvement with NEO LMS?
One challenge I have experienced with CYPHER Learning is the availability of the internet, which is necessary for accessing the platform and content, especially during online training or video prog...
What advice do you have for others considering NEO LMS?
CYPHER Learning's governance and security are secure, as I have used it without any adverse effects or issues regarding data handling. The output of CYPHER Learning is clear, and since it is an AI-...
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Also Known As

MATRIX LMS, NEO LMS
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Millions of users across business, academia, and entrepreneurs - worldwide.
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about CYPHER Learning vs. Totara Learn and other solutions. Updated: November 2026.
920,769 professionals have used our research since 2012.