Softwr

LMS · head to head

Totara vs Udacity

Totara logo

Totara

LMS

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

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Udacity logo

Udacity

LMS

Nanodegrees for in-demand tech skills

From
$249/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Udacity expensive compared to many online learning alternatives at $249/month or annual commitments
  • They diverge on capability: Totara covers Organisational hierarchies, Udacity covers Nanodegree programs.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Totara and Udacity actually diverge.

Attributes where Totara and Udacity differ
AttributeTotaraUdacity
Starting priceOn request$249/month
Pricing modelquoteUnknown
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, LinuxWeb, iOS, Android
FoundedUnknown2011

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Totara

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

Only in Udacity

  • Nanodegree programs
  • Real-world projects
  • Mentorship
  • Code review
  • Career services
  • Industry partnerships
  • Mobile learning
  • Enterprise platforms

What people use each for

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

Totara

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

Udacity

  • Tech skill developmentnot Totara
  • Career transitionnot Totara
  • Upskillingnot Totara
  • Team trainingnot Totara

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Udacity

  • Expensive compared to many online learning alternatives at $249/month or annual commitments
  • Course certificates lose value after subscription ends if not continuously maintained
  • Limited offline access to course materials
  • May lack breadth of non-tech courses compared to general learning platforms

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Udacity

$249/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Udacity review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Totara if

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

Choose Udacity if

  • You need nanodegree programs.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want real-world projects.
Udacity review

Questions people ask

Is Totara or Udacity better?
Neither clearly leads. Totara starts at On request and Udacity at $249/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Totara or Udacity?
Totara starts at On request and Udacity at $249/month.
Does Totara or Udacity run on more platforms?
Totara runs on Web, iOS, Android, Linux. Udacity runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is Totara best used for?
Totara is most often used for health services and government bodies that must evidence mandatory training by job role across a large hierarchy, organisations with data residency rules that require the platform to run on their own infrastructure, moodle users who need appraisal, competency and compliance features the academic product does not carry, buyers who want exit rights over the platform code rather than dependence on a single hosted vendor. Of those, health services and government bodies that must evidence mandatory training by job role across a large hierarchy and organisations with data residency rules that require the platform to run on their own infrastructure are not what Udacity is typically brought in for.
What can Totara do that Udacity cannot?
Totara covers Organisational hierarchies, Compliance and certification, Totara Perform, Totara Engage. Udacity covers Nanodegree programs, Real-world projects, Mentorship, Code review.

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.

Udacity: How is Udacity priced?

Udacity offers subscription-based pricing: $249/month or $846 for 4 months (approximately $212/month with 15% discount). One subscription covers 500+ courses and all 80+ Nanodegree and Executive programs. Month-to-month subscriptions are cancellable anytime.

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.

Udacity: Does Udacity offer degree programs?

Yes, Udacity offers a Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence ($199 enrollment fee plus subscription) and MBA in AI Product Management, both priced under $5,000 total, approximately 90% cheaper than traditional programs.

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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