Keep learner costs lean
Check whether an LMS counts registered users or active learners. With WorkplaceHero, course learners never need a paid plan place. You pay for the training they take, with staff oversight available separately.
For SMEs weighing up a learning management system
A lean LMS alternative for SMEs.
Compare LMS licence, setup and running costs with WorkplaceHero's lean training model. Free learner places, pay-as-you-go courses and optional CPD and performance plans for SMEs.
Why SMEs are moving on from per-seat LMS pricing
Check what happens when people leave
Ask your provider about retention and export before removing a user. With WorkplaceHero, leaver records stay read-only for inspection and the person keeps their own CPD and credentials.
Training sits apart from everything else
A course library does not know about your 1:1s, probation milestones, appraisals or CPD targets. WorkplaceHero connects them, so development actually joins up.
Engagement stats hide the real story
Login counts are not learning. Compliance status, verified evidence and CPD hours tell you what inspectors and clients actually ask for.
The finance view
Keep training lean. Compare the whole bill.
A licence price is only one line in the budget. Check these four costs before committing, then pay for the learning and oversight your team actually needs.
Setup and migration
Ask whether implementation, data import and administrator training are included or quoted separately.
£0 self-service setup. Optional guided onboarding from £350 + VAT.
Annual user licences
Check minimum user tiers, registered versus active users, and whether the headline price requires annual payment.
£0 course-learner licences. Paid staff plans are separate.
Course content
Find out whether the licence includes the courses you need or only the software to deliver them.
Buy courses as needed from the shared wallet. Credit costs vary by course.
Running and renewal
Check support, integrations, content updates, renewal terms and unused-seat rules. Do not assume they cost extra.
Courses and diagnostics on demand; monthly or annual staff plans when needed.
A worked training-only budget
50 learners. No annual learner licence.
One one-credit course place per person, funded by a 50-credit pack. Assignment, progress and certificate tracking are included in the free training workspace.
This is not an all-staff CPD or compliance oversight plan. Every active staff member using paid oversight needs a plan place, not just the managers. Course prices vary and some need more than one credit.
Compare your quote with us- Self-service setup
- £0
- 50 course-learner licences
- £0
- 50-credit pack at £4.70 per credit
- £235
- Illustrative training total
- £235 + VAT
Excludes paid staff plans, additional courses, diagnostics and optional guided onboarding. The £4 credit rate applies to packs of 500 or more, not this 50-credit example. Not a like-for-like full LMS comparison or a guaranteed saving.
What do LMS licences cost annually?
Two published starting points, not a market average. Some LMS options are inexpensive and have no setup fee. Compare what is included, the user limit and the training content before comparing totals.
MoodleCloud Starter
AUD $230 per year
50 users and 1 GB storage. The user allowance includes administrators and teachers as well as learners, so this is not 50 learner places plus managers. Annual payment upfront, with automatic annual renewal.
No separate setup fee is listed on the standard plan page. Local taxes and bank conversion fees may apply. Check whether you need to supply or purchase your own course content.
MoodleCloud official pricingTalentLMS Core
From USD $119 per month, billed yearly
Equivalent to USD $1,428 for 12 months at that starting rate. This is the published entry price, not a verified quote for 50 users. Pricing changes with the selected user tier; monthly billing is also available.
TalentLMS states there are no setup fees. Check your required user tier, course library and optional additions on the pricing page rather than assuming extra fees.
TalentLMS official pricingSources checked 27 October 2026. Prices can change. Vendor amounts stay in their published currencies, with no exchange-rate conversion or implied saving. These software licences are not equivalent to the WorkplaceHero training-only example above. Vendor tax treatment should be confirmed before purchase.
Side by side
A buying checklist, not a claim that every LMS has the same features. Check the specific provider and plan.
What you get
Traditional LMS
WorkplaceHero
Free to start
- Pricing modelUser tiers, active users or a quoted licenceFree training workspace; optional paid staff plans
- Occasional learners (annual refreshers, one-off courses)Depends on the user-count modelNever use plan places - buy courses as needed
- Compliance matrix and required training by job roleCheck the planPaid oversight plan
- Staff CPD logs that stay with the person between jobs
- Manager verification of external training evidenceCheck the planPaid oversight plan
- 1:1s, probation milestones and appraisalsPerformance plan
- Diagnostics: 360 feedback and organisation assessmentsPay as you go
- Slack integration for logging and approvalsIncluded on paid plans
- Leaver records kept read-only for inspectionCheck retention and export terms
- 50 learners taking a one-credit courseLicence plus any content costs£235 + VAT for 50 credits
Course learners never use paid plan places. Wider staff oversight requires a paid place for each active staff member using it.
Switching is easier than you think
- 1Create a free workspace and add your team - no card needed.
- 2Assign WorkplaceHero courses and track progress in the free training workspace.
- 3Choose a paid oversight plan for job-role training requirements and verified external evidence.
- 4Run WorkplaceHero alongside your current LMS until its contract ends.
Built for how SMEs actually work
- Free workspace: unlimited learners, up to 5 owners and managers.
- Essentials from £2/person/month + VAT adds CPD and compliance oversight for paid staff places.
- Performance adds 1:1s, probation milestones, appraisals and talent tools.
- Credits cost £5 + VAT, down to £4 with packs of 500 or more; course credit costs vary.
- Every person's CPD record is portable - it belongs to them, not the licence.
Questions
What is the difference between WorkplaceHero and a traditional LMS?
LMS features and pricing vary: many charge for a user tier or active users, and a course library may be separate. WorkplaceHero offers course delivery alongside optional paid CPD oversight, compliance and performance tools. Each person's own CPD record stays with them between jobs.
Do we have to pay for every employee like we do with an LMS?
Course learners never use paid plan places. A free workspace supports course assignment, progress and certificate tracking. Paid staff CPD, wider compliance oversight and performance tools require a plan place for every active staff member using those features, not just the managers.
How much does it cost to train 50 people with WorkplaceHero?
For a training-only example, a 50-credit pack costs £235 plus VAT. It can fund one one-credit course place for each of 50 learners, with £0 self-service setup and £0 learner licence fees. Courses cost different numbers of credits; this is not a quote for 50 places on any course. Paid CPD oversight, performance plans and optional guided onboarding are separate.
What LMS setup and running costs should an SME compare?
Ask for the annual licence, the user-count rule, implementation and migration, course content, integrations, support and renewal costs. Some providers include these; others quote separately. WorkplaceHero self-service setup is free. Optional guided onboarding starts from £350 plus VAT, quoted and invoiced separately. Courses and diagnostics are bought as needed; paid staff plans are separate.
How much could we save compared with an LMS?
There is no universal saving. Compare your actual LMS quote with the courses, staff plan places and support you need from WorkplaceHero. A training-only budget is not equivalent to a full LMS licence or an all-staff oversight plan. Bring your quote to a walkthrough and compare the scope line by line.
Can we keep our existing training content?
Yes. You can assign external or in-house training to staff and have a manager verify completion, so certificates from any provider sit alongside WorkplaceHero courses in one compliance matrix.
What happens to training records when someone leaves?
Leaver records stay read-only in your workspace for audit and inspection. The leaver keeps their own CPD log and credentials in their personal account, so neither side loses anything.
Is there a long contract or minimum term?
Paid plans are monthly or annual per person, and you can start with a completely free workspace. There is no platform-wide annual licence covering people who never log in.
Does WorkplaceHero replace an LMS entirely?
For most SMEs, yes. You get course delivery, compliance tracking, CPD, reviews and diagnostics in one place. If you already have an LMS, WorkplaceHero can sit alongside it as the compliance and development layer while you run down the contract.