Selecting a learning management system (LMS) with ecommerce capabilities can mean the difference between a thriving digital business and a bloated, overly complex operation.
Businesses looking to launch or scale their online digital product business require an ecommerce LMS. But, not all LMSs are “ecommerce LMS platforms.” So how do you decide which one is right for you?
In this article, we’ll begin with what to look for in an LMS with ecommerce and which platforms to exclude from your search. Then, we’ll dive into critical features to look for and finally explore 9 of the best ecommerce LMS platforms on the market.
Skip ahead:
- Why businesses need an LMS with ecommerce capabilities
- 8 Key features to look for in an LMS with ecommerce
- The 9 best ecommerce LMS platforms
- Sell more with Tcommerce today
Why businesses need an LMS with ecommerce capabilities
Businesses need a LMS with ecommerce to efficiently monetize their learning content. LMS platforms with ecommerce capabilities empower businesses to sell online courses, upsell and cross-sell, offer subscription models and payment plans, and manage payments, all without leaving the platform.
Popular LMS platforms like Moodle, Canvas LMS, Blackboard, and PowerSchool (Schoology) are great examples of LMS platforms without ecommerce tools. These systems are designed for use in scenarios where the business paying to use the platform isn’t charging its students, like in primary and secondary education.
If you build your business on an LMS without ecommerce capabilities, you’ll have to add multiple software tools and platforms to your tech stack to get the same functionality. This significantly complicates your day-to-day tasks and monthly costs.
8 Key features to look for in an LMS with ecommerce
Chances are, you’ve already ruled out platforms that don’t offer core features or fit your budget. Now, let’s dive into which LMS ecommerce tools you need to drive revenue and why.
- Flexible payment options: Offering diverse payment methods like Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Buy Now/Pay Later (BNPL) improves conversion rates by allowing customers to use their preferred methods.
- Subscription and payment plan management: Managing subscriptions and payment plans allows you to diversify revenue streams and give your audience flexibility in how they pay, making checkout less stressful.
- Integrated payment processor: Offering a native payment process reduces friction at checkout by keeping leads on your platform from start to finish.
- Refund management: Features like one-click refunds streamline the refund process, saving you time on the backend.
- Purchase reminders for abandoned carts: Sending automated reminders about abandoned carts can help to recover lost sales.
- Advanced reporting and analytics: Access to data and analytics allows you to track sales, analyze consumer behavior, and make data-driven decisions.
- Multi-currency and global payments: Accepting multiple currencies enables you to scale your business globally.
- Automated tax assistance: Some platforms offer native tax assistance, allowing you to track and calculate tax information, saving you time while helping to ensure your compliance with tax law.
The 9 best ecommerce LMS platforms
| Platform | Pricing | G2 Score |
| 4.5/5 | |
| 4.7/5 | |
| Not disclosed | 4.6/5 | |
| Not disclosed | 4.3/5 | |
| 4.6/5 | |
| Not disclosed | 4.6/5 | |
| Not disclosed | 4.6/5 | |
| 4.2/5 | |
| Not disclosed | 4.6/5 |
Renowned for its ease of use and scalability, Thinkific empowers businesses and content creators to monetize their digital learning products. The platform is a powerful LMS with all eight key features we recommend you look for.
Top Thinkific “Tcommerce” features include robust selling tools (like order bumps, Google and Apple Pay, and buy-now-pay-later), automated tax calculation, and an integrated payment processor.
Thinkific’s G2 score: 4.5/5
Thinkific pricing: Thinkific offers 4 pricing plans, with a 2-week free trial to start.
- Basic ($49/month)
- Start ($99/month)
- Grow ($199/month)
- Thinkific Plus
“Before moving to Thinkific, we had a bespoke platform that we had to pay developers to maintain regularly. It was such a headache, and we had to constantly keep an eye out for bugs. We no longer have any issues. Using Thinkific has been a huge weight off us financially and administratively.”
LearnWorlds is a robust cloud-based LMS designed for educators and businesses, offering features like white-label customization, an AI assistant, marketing integrations, and built-in ecommerce capabilities like product bundling and subscription-based payments. Despite its steep learning curve, LearnWorlds provides powerful tools for course creation.
LearnWorlds’ G2 score: 4.7/5
LearnWorlds pricing: LearnWorlds offers four pricing plans and a 30-day free trial. Notably, the entry-level pricing plan comes with a $5 fee per course sale; the others do not.
- Starter ($29/month)
- Pro Trainer ($99/month)
- Learning Center ($299/month)
- High Volume & Corporate
“This platform is so powerful and yet still manageable for someone just learning how to create websites and courses. The help area is so robust and thorough without being overwhelming – I hardly ever need help from a real person, but when I do, I get a response lightning fast!” –Sara S.
Designed for small to mid-market businesses, Absorb LMS is a great platform with native ecommerce features. These features include bulk sales, smart pricing, and over 70 reported payment gateways.
Absorb LMS’ G2 score: 4.6/5
Absorb LMS pricing: Unfortunately, Absorb’s pricing info isn’t public, but PCMag reports that licensing fees begin around $800 with an added $16 fee per user.
“Our experience with Absorb LMS ] has been nothing short of exceptional, thanks to its seamless user interface and robust customization features. From day one, the platform impressed us with its modern look and intuitive design, making it effortless to navigate and use.” –Amy S.
Docebo is an AI-powered LMS designed for large businesses. It’s primarily used to educate a company’s workforce and clients, but the optional ecommerce tools expand that use case and allow you to take online education beyond the walls of your office.
Docebo’s G2 score: 4.3/5
Docebo pricing: Docebo’s pricing isn’t available on its site. However, Capterra and eLearning report that plans start at $25,000/year. The platform offers three plans total, and it’s worth noting that ecommerce features are only available with Elevate and Enterprise-level plans.
- Engage
- Elevate
- Enterprise
“Docebo’s platform is a versatile and comprehensive hub for our employees and clients. Our organization uses the platform as a centralized repository for learning materials, resources, and expert knowledge. It is a one-stop solution that helps us streamline the learning experience for our bankers. It provides easy access for learners all in one place.”
– Kara C.
TalentLMS is a robust learning management system with AI-powered course creation, an intuitive interface, and a customizable learner platform. Ecommerce capabilities include selling individual courses or subscriptions and offering coupons or discounts.
Talent LMS’ G2 score: 4.6/5
Talent LMS pricing: The platform offers four paid plans or the choice to start for free with a limit of up to five users.
- Core ($119/month)
- Grow ($179/month)
- Pro ($239/month)
- Enterprise
“Price is definitely a major plus for Talent LMS, it is significantly cheaper than other LMS offerings. Talent LMS is relatively easy to administer once you get the hang of how things are organized in Talent LMS. “
Trusted by brands like Ebay and Goodwill, SkyPrep is a powerful LMS platform. The platform packs the power of AI, allows you to segment audiences, supports white labeling, and integrates with industry-leading tools.
SkyPrep’s G2 score: 4.6/5
SkyPrep pricing: SkyPrep offers three plans, but pricing is not available online without contacting them first.
- Lite
- Premium
- Enterprise Learning Suite
However, Vendr reports that plans range from $7,500 to $23,000 annually.
“Their course authoring tools provide extensive features that make creating modular courses with assessments easy. Their API made implementing their platform into our website a breeze.”
Tovuti ecommerce LMS is known for its highly-engaging and mobile friendly platform. In addition, it offers highly customizable experience for students and AI-powered content creation for creators. On the ecommerce side, cloud-based Tovuti LMS allows you to sell courses and customize rates, discounts, and promos for specific audiences.
Tovuti LMS’ G2 score: 4.6/5
Tovuti LMS pricing: Tovuti LMS’ pricing isn’t available without scheduling a Zoom call with their team. Capterra suggests pricing starts at around $800/month for up to 50 users. It’s also worth noting that FinancesOnline claims Tovuti offers two pricing plans. The premium plan is the only option with ecommerce capabilities.
“It is the perfect option to create courses to strengthen the knowledge of the company’s employees, with an affordable price for both small and large companies, the interface can be customized to suit the users, and it is easy to use.”
Integrates with WooCommerce and membership plugins like MemberPress to manage course sales and subscriptions
LearnDash’s G2 score: 4.2/5
LearnDash pricing: LearnDash’s pricing model is complex, but flexible. The platform offers a WordPress plug starting at $199/year for one website.
LearnDash cloud is available in three plans: Starter ($29/month), Growth ($49/month), or Pro ($99/month).
And finally, you can “turbocharge” your courses with à la carte options including group management, data reports, gradebooks, group registrations, ratings and reviews, and more.
“Overall, LearnDash has made managing a large catalog of content (50 + courses) very easy. I can quickly add courses, and the quality looks great. The features I get with video lessons feel like custom development and something I paid A LOT of money for, but they are included for free.”
Skilljar is designed for customer education, but it can be used for selling digital products when using the platform’s ecommerce features. Such features include bulk purchasing and gifting. However the LMS doesn’t offer a native payment gateway, which means refunds can’t be handled on the Skilljar platform either.
Skilljar’s G2 score: 4.6/5
Skilljar pricing: Skilljar’s pricing isn’t posted on its site. You’ll need to request a meeting for a custom quote. Our research uncovered figures as low as $2,000 and as high as $70,000, so the range may be quite large.
“I love that how user friendly Skilljar is. It’s easy to dive right in and start creating content for your users. I truly appreciated my Customer Implementation Manager, Hannah A, being a true partner while I was navigating setup and implementation.” –Morgan Anne H.
Sell more with Tcommerce today
Thinkific is an easy-to-use, no-code solution for course creators and enterprise-level businesses. Join the digital product movement and start selling online courses and other digital products today.
Leverage Tcommerce—Thinkific’s ecommerce solution—and take advantage of robust selling tools, automated tax calculations, and Thinkific’s native payment processor. Tcommerce users have seen 98% larger transaction sizes after utilizing order bumps.
