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LMS · head to head

Schoology vs Totara

Schoology logo

Schoology

LMS

LMS that connects learning with the bigger picture

From
Free
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

  • Only Schoology has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Schoology schoology (now PowerSchool's Schoology Learning) gates its full feature set behind a separate Enterprise package; the free version is a limited LMS tier, per the vendor's own archived K-12 page (2019), with no dollar figure published for the Enterprise upgrade.; 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: Schoology covers Course management, Totara covers Organisational hierarchies.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Schoology and Totara actually diverge.

Attributes where Schoology and Totara differ
AttributeSchoologyTotara
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, IOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android, Linux
Founded2009Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (LMS).

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 Schoology

  • Course management
  • Gradebook
  • Assessment builder
  • Discussion boards
  • Resources library
  • Parent portal
  • Analytics
  • Mobile app

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.

Schoology

  • Course deliverynot Totara
  • Assessmentnot Totara
  • Collaborationnot Totara
  • Parent communicationnot Totara

Totara

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

Where each one falls short

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

Schoology

  • Schoology (now PowerSchool's Schoology Learning) gates its full feature set behind a separate Enterprise package; the free version is a limited LMS tier, per the vendor's own archived K-12 page (2019), with no dollar figure published for the Enterprise upgrade.

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

Schoology

Free
  • BasicFree
    • Course management
    • Assignments
    • Gradebook
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • SIS integration
    • Analytics
    • Standards alignment

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 Schoology if

  • You need course management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want gradebook.
Schoology 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 Schoology or Totara better?
Neither clearly leads. Schoology starts at Free and Totara at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Schoology or Totara?
Schoology has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Schoology and On request for Totara.
Does Schoology or Totara run on more platforms?
Schoology runs on Web, IOS, Android. Totara runs on Web, iOS, Android, Linux.
Can I use Schoology for free?
Yes. Schoology has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Totara starts at On request.
What is Schoology best used for?
Schoology is most often used for course delivery, assessment, collaboration, parent communication. Of those, course delivery and assessment are not what Totara is typically brought in for.
What can Schoology do that Totara cannot?
Schoology covers Course management, Gradebook, Assessment builder, Discussion boards. Totara covers Organisational hierarchies, Compliance and certification, Totara Perform, Totara Engage.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

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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