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Webinars · head to head

Panopto vs Totara

Panopto logo

Panopto

Webinars

Video management and live streaming platform for enterprises

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: Panopto no price list is published, and the vendor states there are no tiers at all; 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: Panopto covers Video management, Totara covers Organisational hierarchies.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Panopto and Totara actually diverge.

Attributes where Panopto and Totara differ
AttributePanoptoTotara
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsWindows, Mac, IOS, Android, WebWeb, iOS, Android, Linux
CategoryWebinarsLMS
Founded2007Unknown

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 Panopto

  • Video management
  • Live streaming
  • Recording
  • Search
  • Analytics
  • Microsoft 365
  • Canvas
  • Blackboard

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.

Panopto

  • Recording, hosting and searching lecture and training videonot Totara
  • Integrating video libraries with learning management systemsnot Totara

Totara

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

Where each one falls short

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

Panopto

  • No price list is published, and the vendor states there are no tiers at all
  • Cost depends on user count, integrations, add ons and deployment model, so several negotiated variables set the figure
  • Four capabilities are separately priced add ons on top of any quote
  • Every route to a figure is a demo or a conversation with sales

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

Panopto

On request
  • Professional$500/month
    • Video storage
    • Basic features
  • Business$1000/month
    • Live streaming
    • Analytics
  • Enterprise$2500/month
    • Custom solutions
    • Dedicated 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 Panopto if

  • You need video management.
  • You work on Windows, Mac, IOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want live streaming.
Panopto 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 Panopto or Totara better?
Neither clearly leads. Panopto 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, Panopto or Totara?
Panopto starts at On request and Totara at On request.
Does Panopto or Totara run on more platforms?
Panopto runs on Windows, Mac, IOS, Android, Web. Totara runs on Web, iOS, Android, Linux.
What is Panopto best used for?
Panopto is most often used for recording, hosting and searching lecture and training video, integrating video libraries with learning management systems. Of those, recording, hosting and searching lecture and training video and integrating video libraries with learning management systems are not what Totara is typically brought in for.
What can Panopto do that Totara cannot?
Panopto covers Video management, Live streaming, Recording, Search. Totara covers Organisational hierarchies, Compliance and certification, Totara Perform, Totara Engage.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Panopto: How much does Panopto cost?

Panopto does not publish pricing rates. Instead, each organization receives a custom quote based on unique factors including the number of users, storage needs, integrations required, and deployment model.

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.

Panopto: What is included in Panopto's base enterprise plan?

The base enterprise plan includes enterprise-scale storage, AI capabilities like search and auto-captions, content creation tools, security and compliance features, LMS integrations, and dedicated implementation support.

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.

Panopto: Does Panopto offer a free trial?

Panopto offers free product demonstrations for prospective customers, with pricing discussions typically conducted through direct contact with their sales team.

Source
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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