Definitive Comparison Of Custom LMS V/S SaaS LMS
Planned to make the transition from Traditional Classroom Teaching to Virtual Classroom Teaching? Are you confused about whether to go with custom LMS or SaaS LMS? We understand finding the right LMS software solution for your online teaching is a big task. With different pros & cons, add-ons, and core features of both custom LMS and SaaS LMS make, it isn’t easy to choose the ideal LMS software development for your business.
To ease your problem, we have covered the pros & cons of both custom Learning Management Software and SaaS Learning Management Software in this article so that you make a considered and well-informed choice. Check the pros and cons of both Custom and SaaS LMS and make a smarter choice.
Trends of E-Learning And Learning Management System Software
Out of all the solutions available in the market, Learning Management System software is highly demanded after covid 19. According to the research made by the experts, 98% of education institutions moved online, and most leading companies went remote. All these organizations created a huge demand for LMS software in the market. The LMS market that boomed during the covid-19 pandemic will continue to boom in future years because of the organization’s growing needs. The global LMS market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 24% yearly. Thanks, LMS helped corporate companies finish e-learning courses faster than the traditional learning platform. Read below to know the trends in E-learning and LMS software.
Adaptive Learning
Adaptive learning in your Learning Management Software allows you to create adaptive content per learners learning abilities and needs. Adaptive learning in LMS is a strategy to use computer algorithms and Artificial Intelligence to increase learners’ engagement and deliver personalized resources to meet each learner’s specific needs.
Big Data Analytics
BIG Data Analytics is a powerful LMS tool to serve the learner’s evolving needs. With the Big Data Analytic tool in Learning Management Software, you can easily gather and interpret learner performance on a specific course, and you can use this data to deliver more effective and personalized training programs.
Immersive Technologies
Immersive technologies use groundbreaking technologies like virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality in LMS to help learners learn more effectively by arranging a virtual learning atmosphere that motivates them to learn.
Artificial Intelligence
With AL Powered Learning Management System Software, learning can become more personalized with fewer resources. With Artificial Intelligence in LMS, you can categorize students according to their abilities using periodic performance evaluations. This eventually allows you to create advanced and highly intuitive training programs according to learner capabilities.
Game-Based Learning
Game-Based Learning Management System software allow you to create content with different gamifying tools like quizzes, point system, badges, leaderboards, trophies, etc., that eventually increase learners’ engagement and motivation. With Gamifying tools in Learning Management System Development like Leaderboards, you can showcase the best performing and effective learners to all the learners who play that game.
What Is Custom LMS?
A custom LMS is software developed with customized course-building tools to meet the business’s personalized learning or training needs. The Custom Learning Management System Development allows the organization to have more control over their e-learning process. This implies that you have more control over the type of content, programs, administrators, students, tutors, certification, recording, and much more. Also, customized LMS software development is often mobile, which can easily be accessed on your employee’s personal or work device. With custom LMS software, you can create as many essential features as you need. Each feature you choose to include in your LMS is developed considering your business goals. As each feature added to your Learning Management Software is business-specific, it is believed your custom LMS will surely produce the desired result.
Related : Custom LMS development cost
What Is SaaS LMS?
A SaaS LMS or Software-as-a-Service Learning Management is software hosted on the cloud by a vendor or service provider. With SaaS LMS, you can save your organization resources as you don’t need to install your server. You can use the SaaS LMS platform from your internet browser simply by paying a subscription amount. The SaaS LMS software providers’ pricing depends on the actual use of the product or service. Hence it can be said that it is a scalable investment.
Learning Management Software like SaaS does not require installing any special hardware or software to access and use. You can access its features by login into a web portal. SaaS LMS software is widely used as it is easy to implement, secure, and has low maintenance costs.
Pros And Cons of SaaS Learning Management System Software
Let’s know the different pros and cons of using SaaS LMS software:
Pros of SaaS LMS
Cost-Effectiveness
Gaining more and more profit with the minimum operational cost is the most common objective of the organization. With SaaS LMS, you can speedily observe more return on your investment with minimum cost. SaaS Learning Management System Development is the most cost-effective option for your business to streamline its learning process as cost in terms of infrastructure, security, maintenance, bug fixes, additional exclusive feature, etc., is significantly low compared to other LMS software.
Easy To Set Up
SaaS LMS software is quite easy to deploy as it is already hosted on the cloud, so you don’t need to install anything or set up infrastructure. Implementing Saas LMS software takes a few minutes to access the software; you need to log in and fill in your requirements.
Less Time -Consuming
SaaS LMS is a time-consuming option as no installation is required, and updates are also made automatically. Hence, less TimeTime is required to maintain and set up the software.
Cons of SaaS LMS
Limit Customization
SaaS Learning Management System Development cannot be fully customized in comparison to other Self-hosted LMS. Because the system is already built for you and your e-learning proves to require additional features, you will need to pay your vendor to introduce custom functionality into the system specifically for your personal needs.
Troubleshooting May Take Time
With SaaS software, the responsibility to monitor and maintain the software and its service lie in the hands of service providers. Hence, you need to contact a service provider to fix any bugs, which may take a lot of your TimeTime. This also implies that the problem will be resolved according to your schedule and your service provider’s timeframe.
Not Easily Scalable For a Large Number of Users
Although scalability is the most important element of Cloud-Based Learning Management System Development, SaaS LMS platforms lack scalability. This implies that many users cannot easily operate SaaS platforms. To permit many users to access the platform, you need to ask for authorization from the service provider, which eventually implies that you need to meet certain criteria.
Accessibility With Devices
Accessibility is another important feature that is lacking in the SaaS LMS Platform. With the SaaS LMS platform, you can access your content only if your device has an internet connection. You are not allowed to access the content on devices without an internet connection.
Are you are still in dilemma whether to go with Custom LMS or SaaS LMS. Reach us, our experts will help you out.
Pros And Cons of Custom Learning Management System Software
Let’s know the different pros and cons of using Custom LMS software:
Pros of Custom LMS
Complete Customization of Functionality
Custom LMS allows you to customize your E-learning solutions. You can add additional customized features while designing training courses per your training needs. Also, you can adjust your dashboard’s colours, fonts, and layouts. You can add interactive videos, audio, images, and games to keep your learners engaged.
Better Functionality And Independent Vendors
Custom LMS is more functional than other Learning Management System software as it allows you to add rich features to your training courses and programs per your needs. With custom LMS, you can enjoy better customer service as you retain the liberty to choose an independent vendor to manage and maintain your e-learning platform.
Branding
With custom LMS, you can create more brand-centric and personalized corporate or employee training programs as it allows you to add your company logo, colours, fonts, images, slogans, and other branding elements in your training courses.
Scalability
A scalable custom LMS allows you to add more and more users to your e-learning platform, more training programs or courses, and more content without affecting loading times or facing any serious bugs.
Better Security
A custom LMS specifically designed according to your organization’s needs generally helps you be better protected from unauthorized access and other malicious actions than SaaS LMS. With custom LMS, you can immediately address the security issues, constantly scanning for any problems as they appear, providing better security.
Better Quality Assurance
As custom LMS is designed according to your specific needs, it has better quality assurance than SaaS LMS. Your quality analyst team can timely perform functionality tests to enhance your LMS’s reliability, availability, and usability, ensuring you can meet your learner’s predefined needs.
Flexibility With Third-Party Integrations
A custom LMS has more flexibility for third-party integration than SaaS LMS. A custom LMS with flexible integration allows you to share your valuable data across all the departments easily. Also, you can gain insight into learners’ behaviour effectiveness of your training course and help save hours on administrative tasks.
Independent Vendors
A custom LMS assures the independence of vendors. This implies that your needs will be immediately addressed, and you can create professionally customized content per your organization’s needs.
Control Over Infrastructure
With custom LMS, your organization can control hardware and software infrastructure completely. Hence, you can upscale or downscale the infrastructure according to your organization’s needs.
Cons of Custom LMS
Time Consuming
Developing Custom LMS is time-consuming compared to SaaS LMS, as everything from collecting the requirements to developing it is required from scratch.
A Development Team Is Needed
Developing custom LMS according to your organization’s organization-specific needs requires a dedicated group of developers. Hence, developing custom LMS may get expensive for you as you need to pay salaries and allowances to developers.
More Investment Required
Developing custom LMS requires more investment in comparison to the SaaS LMS, which is already built. To develop custom LMS, you need to be ready for additional expenses like the cost required to hire experienced developers, paying salaries and allowances to developers, infrastructure costs, etc. Also, it would be best if you spent considerable TimeTime developing the custom LMS.
Not Fast Implementation
The TimeTime required to implement custom LMS is also high, even after it is developed, compared to the SaaS LMS. It is because you must spend TimeTime purchasing infrastructure, performing the test, customizing the solution, and installing it in a device. Hence, implementing the custom LMS even after developing it is also not an easy task.
Wrapping Up
Now you must have finally realized that buying a Learning Management System Software for your business is not an easy task. When buying the best LMS software for your business, several factors should be considered. Everything is important to consider, from the cost of Learning management system software to the must-have features it offers to make an effective LMS purchase decision. However, implementing a customized LMS software and additional customized features may help you serve your organization’s needs the most.
A custom LMS should be your preferred option if you want to meet your organization’s specific needs or need a feature-rich LMS. On the other hand, you can get your hands on SaaS LMS if you need a ready-made product, and with no or limited customization,
Planning to buy an LMS? Check out the pros and cons of custom LMS and SaaS LMS and make an informed choice for yourself.