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Arc Publishing vs Totara

Arc Publishing logo

Arc Publishing

News

The enterprise publishing platform for news organizations

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Totara logo

Totara

LMS

Open source learning, performance and collaboration platform derived from Moodle and sold through partners

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Arc Publishing now sold as Arc XP, and arcpublishing.com redirects there; Totara you cannot buy from the vendor. Every purchase runs through a partner who sets its own hosting, services and support pricing, so identical platforms are quoted at materially different totals and buyers must run a partner comparison as well as a product comparison.
  • They diverge on capability: Arc Publishing covers Modular CMS, Totara covers Organisational hierarchies.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Arc Publishing and Totara actually diverge.

Attributes where Arc Publishing and Totara differ
AttributeArc PublishingTotara
PlatformsWeb, MobileWeb, iOS, Android, Linux
CategoryNewsLMS
Founded2016Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Arc Publishing

  • Modular CMS
  • Content creation
  • Publishing workflow
  • Paywall management
  • Subscription billing
  • Analytics dashboard
  • API framework
  • Commerce integration

Only in Totara

  • Organisational hierarchies
  • Compliance and certification
  • Totara Perform
  • Totara Engage
  • Self-hosting
  • Programs and learning plans

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Arc Publishing

  • Content management for news and digital publishersnot Totara
  • Subscription and paywall managementnot Totara
  • Video publishing alongside articlesnot Totara
  • Multi-site delivery for broadcast and B2B publishersnot Totara

Totara

  • Health services and government bodies that must evidence mandatory training by job role across a large hierarchynot Arc Publishing
  • Organisations with data residency rules that require the platform to run on their own infrastructurenot Arc Publishing
  • Moodle users who need appraisal, competency and compliance features the academic product does not carrynot Arc Publishing
  • Buyers who want exit rights over the platform code rather than dependence on a single hosted vendornot Arc Publishing

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Arc Publishing

  • Now sold as Arc XP, and arcpublishing.com redirects there
  • Pricing is not published
  • Built for media companies, so the editorial workflow assumptions do not suit a general business site

Totara

  • You cannot buy from the vendor. Every purchase runs through a partner who sets its own hosting, services and support pricing, so identical platforms are quoted at materially different totals and buyers must run a partner comparison as well as a product comparison.
  • Open source does not mean cheap. Subscription plus partner hosting plus implementation and version upgrade services commonly lands near commercial system cost, and the saving is in control and exit rights rather than in the invoice.
  • The administrative interface carries its Moodle lineage and is dense, so administrator training is a real project cost rather than an afterthought.
  • Major version upgrades are projects, especially where a partner has customised the deployment, and organisations that customise heavily find upgrades slower and dearer over time.
  • The learner facing experience is functional rather than engaging, and organisations wanting a consumer grade learning experience usually front it with something else.

Pricing, plan by plan

Arc Publishing

On request
  • Enterprise$undefined/custom
    • Custom CMS
    • Paywall integration
    • Advanced analytics

Totara

On request
  • Totara subscription via partner$undefined/year
    • Sold only through distribution partners
    • Partner sets hosting, implementation and support pricing
    • Source available under the GPL, but subscription required for supported releases

Which should you pick?

Choose Arc Publishing if

  • You need modular cms.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want content creation.
Arc Publishing review

Choose Totara if

  • You need organisational hierarchies.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Linux.
  • You also want compliance and certification.
Totara review

Questions people ask

Is Arc Publishing or Totara better?
Neither clearly leads. Arc Publishing starts at On request and Totara at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Arc Publishing or Totara?
Arc Publishing starts at On request and Totara at On request.
Does Arc Publishing or Totara run on more platforms?
Arc Publishing runs on Web, Mobile. Totara runs on Web, iOS, Android, Linux.
What is Arc Publishing best used for?
Arc Publishing is most often used for content management for news and digital publishers, subscription and paywall management, video publishing alongside articles, multi-site delivery for broadcast and b2b publishers. Of those, content management for news and digital publishers and subscription and paywall management are not what Totara is typically brought in for.
What can Arc Publishing do that Totara cannot?
Arc Publishing covers Modular CMS, Content creation, Publishing workflow, Paywall management. Totara covers Organisational hierarchies, Compliance and certification, Totara Perform, Totara Engage.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Arc Publishing: Does Arc XP publish pricing online?

No. Arc XP does not publish pricing on their website. Interested customers are directed to schedule a chat with a local account manager or request a demo to discuss pricing.

Source
Totara: Is Totara free because it is open source?

No. The source is available under the GPL, but supported releases require a subscription, and it is sold through partners who add hosting, implementation and support costs.

Arc Publishing: How do I get a pricing quote from Arc XP?

You must contact Arc XP's sales team directly. The company offers options to schedule a chat with your local account manager or submit a demo request form.

Source
Totara: How is it different from Moodle?

Moodle is built around courses and academic delivery. Totara adds organisational hierarchies, role based automatic assignment, recurring certification and appraisal, which is what workplace compliance reporting needs.

Totara: Can we host it ourselves?

Yes. Self hosting is a genuine option and is one of the main reasons regulated and public sector buyers choose it over a hosted only competitor.

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