What’s Better for eLearning Websites? WordPress LMS vs. SaaS

by Vipe Team in WordPress Development; Published on 28.04.2022

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eLearning is all the craze right now, and our WordPress agency for enterprise understands that making the decision to offer an online course is a huge step. Putting an online course together is no easy job, and it most certainly requires more time than, say, writing a blog post.

The WordPress developers from Vipe Studio know that the creation of an online course encompasses various phases – from the initial stages of conceptualizing the topic through the content creation itself. In fact, we know that making an online training can take just as much time and effort as the coding we do.

If you’re just getting started in the eLearning sector, you’ll find out that there are a variety of options for where you may design and sell your online course. For instance, there are existing sites, such as LinkedIn Learning, that will pay for your content.

Additionally, there are software as a service (SaaS) solutions. Our enterprise WordPress agency reminds you that SaaS offers self-service course creation with tools to help you promote and expand your audience. This is similar to building a website with SquareSpace – you get everything you require in one place at a single price.

The final option you have (and, spoiler alert – the best one) is self-hosting your content with an open-source content management system like WordPress that can be paired with a WordPress LMS integration. LMS stands for Learning Management System and is practically the greatest thing you can choose for your eLearning website.

So, if you want to create an online course, but aren’t sure whether to use a WordPress Learning Management System (LMS) or a Software as a Service (SaaS) solution, we’ve got you covered. In this article, our WordPress Agency for Development will dive deeper into the pros and cons of each approach. Let’s go!

Are SaaS Solutions a Viable Option for eLearning Websites?

Let’s put a disclaimer at the very beginning – our WordPress development agency is not a fan of using SaaS solutions for eLearning websites, and we’ll use this article to tell you why an LMS integration with WordPress is a far better idea.

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However, we want to be as objective and unbiased as possible. This is why we believe there is a time and place for employing a SaaS solution – particularly when you are just getting started or conducting early market research.

If you’re not sure if you’re prepared to develop a course or don’t know how to put one together, learning on a free tier (or free trial) of a SaaS service can save you money. However, we always tell our clients that it is better for their business to invest in an advanced solution that will aid the course content creation.

This is where custom WordPress website development comes into play. If you know how to use WordPress and already have a site created with it, hosting your own courses is the best route you can take.

There are several reasons why we recommend this approach, but the most important is that you own your content and have complete control over how it is delivered. Using WordPress, you may monetize your course however you want and provide your students with the learning experience you desire.

What Makes a WordPress LMS Integration Superior to Any SaaS Solution?

Complete control over your content – this is what a WordPress LMS integration can offer. Our WordPress development agency reminds you that you should be proud of every piece of content you produce.

Remember that this is your intellectual property that has been shared with the world to assist others in their educational endeavors. It’s not simple to create any type of content, be it a blog post, or a video, but it’s even more difficult to develop full-fledged online training.

Thankfully, though, an LMS integration with WordPress comes to the rescue for anyone who needs a reliable, scalable, and secure eLearning solution. In the next few points, our WordPress development company will walk you through some of the major benefits of LMS X WordPress that will make you see just how WP surpasses SaaS solutions.

1. You Own Your Content

WordPress is an open-source platform, which means that it allows you to take ownership of your own data. By choosing a WordPress LMS integration you can be sure that you’ll have complete control over everything you produce.

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While any SaaS’s Terms of Service (ToS) may provide you complete control over what you do with your content, they are subject to change. Remember that you’re putting your trust in a business that needs to make money from you utilizing their product.

Most of the time, this should work just fine. However, you may end up on the losing side if the business models change.

2. You Are in Charge of the Student Experience

Our WordPress agency for enterprise reminds you that SaaS solutions strive to provide the greatest possible experience for both you and your students. They’ll be in charge of the experience, and you’ll hopefully be able to customize what they deem fit.

However, there is a big chance you won’t like how the service is assisting you with your online course, and in this case, you’ll be completely stuck.

By choosing an LMS integration with WordPress you will be only bound by the constraints of the plugins or features you have installed. So, WordPress is the obvious winner here.

3. You Are in Charge of the Features

Oftentimes, SaaS solutions would add more features to keep you using and liking the platform. When you use a WordPress LMS integration, however, the majority of what you would probably want is either established or can be developed to match your schedule and demands.

Our enterprise WordPress agency reminds you that our favorite CMS comes with free plugins for almost anything you can imagine as well as paid plugins with even greater capabilities.

One of the best things about WP is that you can pair an LMS integration with the powerful WooCommerce plugin. This way your students will be able to take advantage of the advanced way in which WooCommerce handles customer payments and customer checkouts.

4. Maintain Your Community

Our WordPress Agency for Development knows that if you’re in the eLearning industry, then your students are your community. This is why you should do everything you can to maintain that community.

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Remember that finding new students is far more difficult than selling a new course to existing students who appreciate your teaching approach. Most of the time, students who enjoy a particular teacher will continue with that instructor, regardless of the target demographics of the classes.

WordPress allows you to create a community for your pupils. There are numerous excellent tools available to assist you. An LMS integration with WordPress also allows you to expand your teaching base by bringing on other teachers. You just have to create a new account for the new teacher and submit their courses there.

With WordPress, you can also give those instructors additional authority. Once they’ve signed in, they’ll have as much control as you’ve given them.

A WordPress LMS integration allows you to design your ideal learning environment, whether it’s a tiny single class or an online university with a wide range of courses and instructors. The best part is that none of this demands you to agree to a ToS that does not reflect your vision and ultimately supports someone else’s financial interests.

Choose an LMS Integration With WordPress, and Make a Splash in the eLearning Industry!

And so, putting a course online is not a simple task. A SaaS solution might work for you if you want to get started quickly, but it is not a good long-term option for your business.

An LMS integration with WordPress will provide you with the flexibility to build the unique experience you and your prospective students are searching for. This will take your courses and teaching to the next level.

Do you want to embark on the journey of creating an online course? Our WordPress development agency can help!

Vipe Studio offers a WordPress Development for Education (LMS) service that can be the most solid foundation for your online training. Send us your inquiry so we can become your long-term technical partner!