LMS · alternatives
Alternatives to D2L Brightspace
22 lms tools sit alongside D2L Brightspace in this directory. Below is what separates each from D2L Brightspace on the figures we hold, price, model, tier count and rating, and a direct comparison for every one.
- Alternatives listed
- 22
- With a free tier
- 7
- Cheaper to start
- -
- D2L Brightspace starts at
- On request
Why people look past D2L Brightspace
Only what the record supports. Each point below is a figure on the D2L Brightspace entry measured against the tools listed beside it.
There is no free tier
The record for D2L Brightspace carries no free tier, so evaluating it means paying first. 7 of the 22 alternatives below can be used without paying.
What each alternative does differently
Ordered by the aggregated rating on each catalogue entry. Differences are drawn from price, pricing model, tier count and rating, the fields the category listing carries. For a feature-level difference, follow the head-to-head link on each card: those pages read both full records.
Open-source LMS for engaging learning experiences
- Publishes an entry price of $5/student-year, where D2L Brightspace does not.
LMS that connects learning with the bigger picture
- Can be used without paying; D2L Brightspace cannot.
- Sold on a subscription model rather than quote.
Develop skills with expert-led courses
- Sold on a subscription model rather than quote.
Open-source LMS designed by educators for educators
- Can be used without paying; D2L Brightspace cannot.
- Publishes an entry price of $200/year, where D2L Brightspace does not.
Asynchronous training video with AI avatars, quizzes and a searchable knowledge library
- Can be used without paying; D2L Brightspace cannot.
- Publishes an entry price of $24/month, where D2L Brightspace does not.
- Sold on a Per creator per month model rather than quote.
Open source French-language learning platform, now developed as Claroline Connect
- Can be used without paying; D2L Brightspace cannot.
- Publishes an entry price of Free, where D2L Brightspace does not.
- Sold on a Open source, no licence fee model rather than quote.
Every D2L Brightspace alternative at a glance
A dash means the catalogue entry carries no figure, not that the answer is nothing.
| Tool | Entry price | Model | Tiers | Head to head |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D2L Brightspace (this page) | On request | Quote | - | |
| CanvasOpen-source LMS for engaging learning experiences | $5/student-year | - | - | vs D2L Brightspace |
| SchoologyLMS that connects learning with the bigger picture | Free | Subscription | 2 | vs D2L Brightspace |
| LinkedIn LearningDevelop skills with expert-led courses | On request | Subscription | 3 | vs D2L Brightspace |
| MoodleOpen-source LMS designed by educators for educators | Free, then $200/year | - | 2 | vs D2L Brightspace |
| Weet | Free, then $24/month | Per creator per month | 2 | vs D2L Brightspace |
| Claroline | Free | Open source, no licence fee | 2 | vs D2L Brightspace |
| Chamilo | Free | Open source, no licence fee | 2 | vs D2L Brightspace |
| Sakai | Free | Open source, no licence fee | 2 | vs D2L Brightspace |
| Nearpod | Free, then $159/year | - | 3 | vs D2L Brightspace |
| Degreed | On request | Quote | 2 | vs D2L Brightspace |
| Skilljar | On request | Quote | 1 | vs D2L Brightspace |
| Sana | On request | Quote | 1 | vs D2L Brightspace |
| Echo360 | On request | Quote | 4 | vs D2L Brightspace |
| Schoox | On request | Quote | 1 | vs D2L Brightspace |
| Thought Industries | On request | Quote | 1 | vs D2L Brightspace |
| Tovuti LMS | On request | Quote | 1 | vs D2L Brightspace |
| Whatfix | On request | Quote | 1 | vs D2L Brightspace |
| Totara | On request | Quote | 1 | vs D2L Brightspace |
| LearnDash | $199/year | Per site per year | 3 | vs D2L Brightspace |
| CYPHER Learning | On request | Quote | 1 | vs D2L Brightspace |
| LearnUpon | On request | Quote | 1 | vs D2L Brightspace |
| Docebo | On request | Subscription | 3 | vs D2L Brightspace |
Ratings are aggregated from third-party sources and imported with each catalogue entry; Softwr hosts no reviews of these products. How each figure is used is set out on the D2L Brightspace badges page.
Cheaper ways to solve the same problem
What you would be giving up
D2L Brightspace is most often brought in for learning management system for educational institutions, online course management and delivery, student engagement and retention tracking, course content creation and distribution, learner achievement and certification management. Anything replacing it has to cover the ones you actually depend on, and a cheaper tool that misses one of them is not cheaper.
Two things this page cannot settle. It compares on price, model, tier count and rating, because those are the fields the category listing carries, feature-level differences need both full records, which is what the head-to-head pages load. And the ratings are third-party aggregates imported with each entry rather than reviews written here, so a 0.2 difference between two tools is noise rather than a finding.
If D2L Brightspace is broadly right and the question is cost, the D2L Brightspace pricing breakdown covers every tier and what each one adds. If you want the whole field rather than a shortlist, the LMS category lists everything the directory holds, and best lms tools ranks them.
D2L Brightspace runs on not recorded. Platform coverage is not carried on the category listing for the alternatives, so it is one more thing to check on each head-to-head page rather than here.
Questions about D2L Brightspace alternatives
- What are the main alternatives to D2L Brightspace?
- 22 other lms tools are listed in this directory, led by Canvas, Schoology, LinkedIn Learning, Moodle. They are ordered by the aggregated rating on each catalogue entry, not by any Softwr ranking.
- What is the best free alternative to D2L Brightspace?
- 7 of the alternatives listed here can be used without paying: Schoology, Moodle, Weet, Claroline, Chamilo.
- Why do people look for an alternative to D2L Brightspace?
- On the figures on record, one thing stands out: there is no free tier. Each is set out with the numbers behind it above.
- What would I give up by switching from D2L Brightspace?
- D2L Brightspace is most often brought in for learning management system for educational institutions, online course management and delivery, student engagement and retention tracking, course content creation and distribution, learner achievement and certification management. Anything you replace it with has to cover the ones you actually rely on, the side-by-side comparisons linked from each alternative below put the two feature records against each other.
- Is there an open-source alternative to D2L Brightspace?
- None of the lms tools listed here are recorded as open source. That is what the licence field on each entry says, and the field is not always filled in, so it is worth checking directly for any tool you are serious about.
- How were these D2L Brightspace alternatives chosen?
- They are the tools filed in the same category, LMS, ordered by the aggregated rating on each entry. There is no editorial shortlist, and nothing on this page is paid: no sponsored placement runs on alternatives pages and the order cannot be bought. Softwr has not used these products.
- Where can I compare D2L Brightspace against one of these directly?
- Every alternative below has a side-by-side page against D2L Brightspace covering price, platforms, features and what each one is used for. Those pages read the full record for both products rather than the summary shown here.
- Does this list cover every lms tool?
- No. It covers what this directory holds in the LMS category, 22 tools beside D2L Brightspace. The category page lists the rest of the catalogue as it grows.