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Webinars · head to head

Kaltura vs Totara

Kaltura logo

Kaltura

Webinars

Video platform for learning, media, and engagement

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: Kaltura no published pricing; vendor directs all inquiries to request quotes, demos, or trials; 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: Kaltura covers Video creation, Totara covers Organisational hierarchies.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Kaltura and Totara actually diverge.

Attributes where Kaltura and Totara differ
AttributeKalturaTotara
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsWindows, Mac, IOS, Android, WebWeb, iOS, Android, Linux
CategoryWebinarsLMS
Founded2006Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (On request), 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 Kaltura

  • Video creation
  • Live streaming
  • Analytics
  • Interactive content
  • Mobile apps
  • Canvas
  • Blackboard
  • Moodle

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.

Kaltura

  • Enterprise video portals and internal town hallsnot Totara
  • Virtual classrooms and lecture capture for universitiesnot Totara

Totara

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

Where each one falls short

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

Kaltura

  • No published pricing; vendor directs all inquiries to request quotes, demos, or trials
  • Pricing is custom per customer with no rate information disclosed publicly

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

Kaltura

On request
  • Starter$400/month
    • Video library
    • Basic features
  • Professional$1000/month
    • Live streaming
    • Analytics
  • Enterprise$2500/month
    • Custom solutions
    • Support

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 Kaltura if

  • You need video creation.
  • You work on Windows, Mac, IOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want live streaming.
Kaltura 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 Kaltura or Totara better?
Neither clearly leads. Kaltura 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, Kaltura or Totara?
Kaltura starts at On request and Totara at On request.
Does Kaltura or Totara run on more platforms?
Kaltura runs on Windows, Mac, IOS, Android, Web. Totara runs on Web, iOS, Android, Linux.
What is Kaltura best used for?
Kaltura is most often used for enterprise video portals and internal town halls, virtual classrooms and lecture capture for universities. Of those, enterprise video portals and internal town halls and virtual classrooms and lecture capture for universities are not what Totara is typically brought in for.
What can Kaltura do that Totara cannot?
Kaltura covers Video creation, Live streaming, Analytics, Interactive content. Totara covers Organisational hierarchies, Compliance and certification, Totara Perform, Totara Engage.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Kaltura: How much does Kaltura cost?

Kaltura does not publish pricing online. The vendor offers custom pricing based on solutions selected, requiring customers to request quotes or book demos through their website.

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.

Kaltura: Can I try Kaltura before purchasing?

Kaltura offers free trial access, but specific trial terms, duration, and feature restrictions are not stated on the pricing page. Contact Kaltura to request a trial and learn about specific offerings.

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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