Softwr

LMS · head to head

Totara vs Userscripts

Totara logo

Totara

LMS

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

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Userscripts logo

Userscripts

Browser Extensions

Open-source userscript manager for Safari on Mac and iOS

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Userscripts has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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.; Userscripts safari cannot let extensions bypass a site's Content Security Policy, so strict sites produce "Refused to execute a script" errors that the @inject-into workaround does not always fix.
  • They diverge on capability: Totara covers Organisational hierarchies, Userscripts covers Built-in script editor.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 17 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Totara and Userscripts actually diverge.

Attributes where Totara and Userscripts differ
AttributeTotaraUserscripts
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteopen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, LinuxSafari, macOS, iOS
CategoryLMSBrowser Extensions

Identical on both: 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 Totara

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

Only in Userscripts

  • Built-in script editor
  • Standard metadata support
  • GM API
  • Remote script updating
  • iCloud sync
  • Per-page popup

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 Userscripts
  • Organisations with data residency rules that require the platform to run on their own infrastructurenot Userscripts
  • Moodle users who need appraisal, competency and compliance features the academic product does not carrynot Userscripts
  • Buyers who want exit rights over the platform code rather than dependence on a single hosted vendornot Userscripts

Userscripts

  • Running userscripts on Safari without paying for Tampermonkeynot Totara
  • Running userscripts on an iPhone or iPadnot Totara
  • Writing scripts on a Mac and syncing them to iOSnot Totara
  • Blocking or restyling site elements Safari content blockers cannot reachnot Totara
  • Keeping a script library under an open-source licencenot 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.

Userscripts

  • Safari cannot let extensions bypass a site's Content Security Policy, so strict sites produce "Refused to execute a script" errors that the @inject-into workaround does not always fix.
  • Apple only. There is no Chrome, Firefox or Edge build, so it cannot be a cross-browser answer.
  • iCloud sync is documented as having delays, which is awkward when editing the same script on two devices.
  • Requires macOS 12 and Safari 14.1, or iOS 15.1, so older Apple hardware is excluded.
  • GPL v3 means a commercial licence is required for non-open-source use, which matters if you are embedding rather than just using it.

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

Userscripts

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full functionality
    • GPL v3 licensed
    • macOS, iOS and iPadOS

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 Userscripts if

  • You need built-in script editor.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Safari, macOS, iOS.
  • You also want standard metadata support.
Userscripts review

Questions people ask

Is Totara or Userscripts better?
Neither clearly leads. Totara starts at On request and Userscripts at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Totara or Userscripts?
Userscripts has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Totara and Free for Userscripts.
Does Totara or Userscripts run on more platforms?
Totara runs on Web, iOS, Android, Linux. Userscripts runs on Safari, macOS, iOS.
Can I use Userscripts for free?
Yes. Userscripts has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Totara starts at On request.
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 Userscripts is typically brought in for.
What can Totara do that Userscripts cannot?
Totara covers Organisational hierarchies, Compliance and certification, Totara Perform, Totara Engage. Userscripts covers Built-in script editor, Standard metadata support, GM API, Remote script updating.

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.

Userscripts: Is Userscripts for Safari free?

Yes, free on the App Store and licensed under GPL v3. A commercial licence is required for use in something that is not itself open source.

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.

Userscripts: Does it work on iPhone?

Yes, on iOS and iPadOS 15.1 or later, which makes it one of the few ways to run userscripts on an iPhone.

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.

Userscripts: Why do I get "Refused to execute a script" errors?

Safari does not let extensions bypass a site's Content Security Policy the way other browsers do. The documented workaround is changing the script's @inject-into setting, though it does not resolve every case.

Source
Userscripts: Do my scripts sync between Mac and iPhone?

Yes, over iCloud, though the project notes the sync can be delayed rather than immediate.

Source
Userscripts: What are the system requirements?

macOS 12 or later with Safari 14.1 or later, or iOS and iPadOS 15.1 or later.

Source
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