Moodle vs Totara Learn comparison

Moodle and Totara Learning are both solutions in the Learning Management Systems (LMS) category. Moodle is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.5, while Totara Learning is ranked #9 with an average rating of 8.0. Moodle holds a 3.2% mindshare in LMS, compared to Totara Learning’s 1.1% mindshare. Additionally, 93% of Moodle users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Totara Learning users who would recommend it.

Moodle

Read 30 Moodle reviews

3,727 Views
3,578 Comparison Views

93% willing to recommend

Totara Learn

Read 2 Totara Learn reviews

924 Views
915 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Moodle

Totara Learn

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 19, 2024

Moodle and Totara Learn are competing in the e-learning space, both providing robust learning management solutions. Totara Learn seems to have the upper hand due to its advanced feature set tailored for corporate environments.

Features: Moodle provides an open-source platform with modularity, offering features like a vast array of plugins, flexible learning paths, and a strong community support base. Totara Learn enhances these capabilities with personalized learning paths, robust reporting capabilities, and performance management tools, catering specifically to corporate needs. The distinction is in Totara's rich enterprise solutions compared to Moodle's community-driven options.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Moodle is known for its accessibility and flexibility, supported by community resources, making it ideal for institutions with technical skill sets. Totara Learn, in contrast, provides a structured deployment process with premium support services, offering a guided approach for corporate clients, ensuring seamless transition and continued assistance.

Pricing and ROI: Moodle, being open-source, offers low initial setup costs, which is economically advantageous for budget-sensitive institutions, often resulting in higher long-term ROI. Totara Learn demands a higher upfront investment due to licensing fees, yet the investment is justified through its advanced feature set and tailored support, appealing to organizations emphasizing comprehensive capabilities over initial expenses. The primary difference is Moodle's cost-effectiveness versus Totara's greater ROI through extensive offerings.

To learn more, read our detailed Moodle vs. Totara Learn Report (Updated: August 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Moodle vs. Totara Learn

August 2026

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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

Moodle

Ranking in Learning Management Systems (LMS)

2nd

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Totara Learn

Ranking in Learning Management Systems (LMS)

9th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the Learning Management Systems (LMS) category, the mindshare of Moodle is 3.2%, down from 9.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Totara Learn is 1.1%, down from 2.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Learning Management Systems (LMS) Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Moodle	3.2%
Totara Learn	1.1%
Other	95.7%

Learning Management Systems (LMS)

Featured Reviews

Chris Sackiw

Meteorologist - Training and Development. Météorologue - Formation Et Perfectionnement at Environment Canada

A highly flexible and customizable learning management system with a wide range of features, providing educators with the tools to create engaging and interactive online courses

Moodle has proven to be highly effective for training and professional development within our organization. It has replaced the traditional practice of sending individuals on courses across the country, offering coast-to-coast accessibility. We've also begun utilizing badges for internal certification, streamlining the process of recognizing achievement. As its usage has expanded, we started with native Moodle on our section and have since extended it to other groups. The integration of third-party plugins or tools has influenced our utilization of Moodle. While we haven't implemented as many filters as we potentially could have, one individual has managed administration duties and the integration of these tools. This individual has also been involved in other areas, dedicating significant time to programming within Moodle for a specific program for one group. This process has spanned several years, demonstrating the commitment required to bring these enhancements to fruition.

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SantoshKumar17

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.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The solution is stable."

"The number of permissions that are available and different ways to report and get the information out are the most valuable features. We have been able to get precise bits of information out, and we have also been able to delegate a lot."

"What I liked most about Moodle was that I could create nice online quizzes. It takes very little time to do. You don't have to even read the paper, it automatically evaluates the quizzes. It gives the student grades and provides a lot of useful statistics. For example, it indicates which question was the hardest, easiest, and where students made the most mistakes. Everything is available to you. You couldn't do this in regular paper test hard copies. This was my first use case."

"What I like the best about Moodle is that it is open source software and is fairly robust."

"The solution is completely stable; it's a rock-solid solution, with no issues with bugs or glitches and it doesn't crash or freeze."

"It doesn't take long to learn how to use it and to set up basic courses and things like that."

"The initial setup is straightforward."

"One of my biggest pet peeves is that many LMSs do not offer a course or site-level backup that is an industry-standard file. So, if you decide you don't like Moodle or some other LMS, you should be able to back up all your data and take it and go somewhere else. Moodle does offer that. There are several others that do that as well, but there are some LMSs that don't, which isn't a very good business practice because they hold their clients hostage. That's one of the things I really like about Moodle."

More Moodle pros

"The tool's deployment is not complex."

"The multi-tenancy features of Totara Learn are the most useful for training efficiency."

Cons

"An improvement would be to have it support physically challenged students, who we think should be able to participate in some of our courses."

"The ability to input modified, individual, independent grades in a grade center component is not just hard. It almost always requires you to get tech involved. When you're dealing with a learning system where you have people in an open enrollment with all different levels of learning modes or methodologies, and as well as a worldwide student body, you end up with situations where you have to absolutely exempt somebody from a grade or an assignment and enter a new, different kind of assignment because of their skillset or lack thereof. You can't do that in Moodle. It is virtually impossible to do that in Moodle without having a tech do it for you, and when you have to have that level of tech support, it becomes problematic. They need to fix the grade book center. It is the part where you do evaluations. They need to fix it so that the individual professors can make changes directly without having to get a hold of tech support to do it for them."

"Its interface design could be more user-friendly."

"Moodle was not user-friendly, we wanted to use Cornerstone."

"For a first time user, especially someone who is non-technical, Moodle is difficult for them to understand and they often need assistance."

"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."

"It would be good to have a feature that would ensure that students are the ones performing the given assessment."

"Where Moodle could definitely improve is the user interface. If Moodle could find a way to make the user interface for the instructional designers and the learners more intuitive, it probably would be a huge improvement."

More Moodle cons

"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."

"Totara Learn needs to improve the look and feel, and make it easier to use, more user-friendly."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The licensing cost is quite high and it operates on an annual basis."

"In terms of cost, it is available at no charge."

"Moodle is a free solution."

"This particular organization is a relatively small academic institution. It is a single campus, not very big, with 4,500 to 5,000 total students. It is not a big faculty. There are no hard sciences other than undergraduate-level hard sciences. So, Moodle is functional, and it is relatively simple because it is open-source software. It has sub advantages, and it is inexpensive. Small schools with small enrollment numbers just can't afford the more expensive ones."

"Moodle is free. It should probably stay free. There isn't really any support for Moodle unless you pay an astronomical amount, which is weird."

"Moodle is an open-source solution that is free of cost."

"It is open source, and it has a lot of free documentation. It can be by far the least expensive option, but it depends on how one decides to use it. It can be free if you download it and host it on-prem, and you don't count your time as being worth anything. So, it can be almost free, or it can be very expensive just depending on if you get a package with a provider and if it is a huge solution."

"Moodle is a free open-sourced solution. This is one of the best aspects of Moodle."

More Moodle pricing and cost advice

"It's not expensive. It's user-based."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Comms Service Provider

16%

University

13%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Educational Organization

Construction Company

14%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Healthcare Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	11
Midsize Enterprise	7
Large Enterprise	11

No data available

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Moodle?

Moodle could be better, though it has not frustrated me.

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What is your primary use case for Moodle?

My main use case for Moodle is that my college classes are hosted on the platform, which is the learning management system of our college. Videos, notes, and presentations are provided on the platf...

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What advice do you have for others considering Moodle?

I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.

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What needs improvement with Totara Learn?

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Totara Learn?

For people who need a highly scalable, multi-tenant LMS on a low budget, this is a good option. It's a very good option in the market, low-priced, and a very good LMS. Overall, I would rate it an e...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Totara Learn?

It's not expensive. It's user-based. If you want to plug in, you can use that plan. It's not expensive. I think it's around $100 or something if you want to use it. You can buy the system and imple...

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Comparisons

Google Classroom vs Moodle

Compared 7% of the time

Canvas LMS vs Moodle

Compared 5% of the time

Cornerstone Learn vs Moodle

Compared 5% of the time

iSpring LMS vs Moodle

Compared 5% of the time

Docebo Learning Platform vs Moodle

Compared 4% of the time

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Articulate 360 vs Totara Learn

Compared 20% of the time

Canvas LMS vs Totara Learn

Compared 18% of the time

TalentLMS vs Totara Learn

Compared 16% of the time

SAP SuccessFactors Learning vs Totara Learn

Compared 13% of the time

Open LMS vs Totara Learn

Compared 12% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Moodle

July 2026

Download Moodle product report

Buyer's Guide

Learning Management Systems (LMS)

July 2026

Download Totara Learn product report

Overview

Moodle provides open-source flexibility, plugin support, and integration capabilities for educational and organizational use, enhancing efficiency through features like course management and automatic grading.

Moodle is an adaptable platform for education and training purposes, offering extensive plugins, LTI tool compatibility, and integration options. Its course management, random exam question generation, and collaborative features make it popular among educational institutions. Modular design and activity modules strengthen user interaction, while accessibility measures support a diverse user base. Security and usability are key focuses, but improvements are needed in interface design and navigation. Scalability, customization, and documentation require attention for optimal performance and user satisfaction. Flexible integration with services like Google Suite and enhancements in reporting can further streamline its effectiveness.

What are Moodle's Key Features?

Open-source Flexibility: Easily customizable to meet user needs.
Extensive Plugin Support: Offers numerous plugins for expanded functionality.
LTI Tool Compatibility: Integrates seamlessly with external learning tools.
Automatic Grading: Streamlines assessment evaluation.
Accessibility Features: Ensures wide-ranging user inclusion.

What Benefits and ROI Should Users Look For?

Efficiency: Reduces time with automated processes.
Security: Protects data and maintains integrity.
Community: Global collaboration and support available.
Integration Capabilities: Connects with current systems and tools.
Flexibility: Adapts to educational and corporate training scenarios.

In education, Moodle is commonly used for exam scheduling, course hosting, and assignment management. Corporations leverage it for training and certification needs, while educators use it for planning, quizzes, and interaction facilitation. Its ERP integration and plagiarism detection capabilities are utilized widely. Companies find its plugin and cloud support critical for customized training implementations.

Moodle

Totara Learn is a flexible learning management system designed to meet diverse educational needs. Its adaptability supports personalized learning environments and facilitates efficient training across sectors.

Totara Learn provides a comprehensive platform that enables organizations to deliver effective learning experiences while adapting to changing requirements. Known for its customizable nature, it allows modifications to better align with specific institutional processes. It supports integrations that enhance the learning ecosystem, making it efficient for businesses looking to improve employee training and development.

What are the key features of Totara Learn?

Customization: Allows tailored functionalities to suit educational goals.
Integrations: Supports seamless connectivity with external systems and tools.
Reporting: Offers detailed analytics for tracking learner progress and outcomes.
Mobile-Friendly: Ensures accessible learning on smartphones and tablets.
Certification Management: Streamlines the process of compliance tracking.

What should be considered in reviews for Totara Learn's ROI?

Cost-Effectiveness: Evaluate if the investment aligns with training results.
Scalability: Consider the ease of expanding learning initiatives as needed.
Adaptability: Assess how well it can cater to specific learning paths.
User Experience: Look for feedback on engagement and satisfaction.

Industries like healthcare, retail, and finance implement Totara Learn to address specific training challenges. Its flexibility aids in meeting compliance standards, onboarding processes, and continuous professional development unique to each sector, ensuring tailored learning experiences that support strategic goals.

Totara Learning

Sample Customers

Acacia University, Alliant International University, American University of Health Sciences, Anaheim University Online, Aspen University, Cal State University San Bernardino, California State University Los Angeles, Chattanooga Fire Training, City of Humble Fire Department, George Washington University, Georgia Institute of Emergency Medical Services, Michigan Online Classroom, Virginia Beach Sheriffs Office, Washington Post

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

Moodle vs. Totara Learn

August 2026

Free Report: Moodle vs. Totara Learn

Find out what your peers are saying about Moodle vs. Totara Learn and other solutions. Updated: August 2026.

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