When Kognisia is not the right choice: cases to know
Control of the code, selling courses to the public, very small numbers: where another solution serves you better, and where Kognisia is a good fit.
Read the articleYou run a training provider and two quotes are sitting on your desk. One states a price per month, the other an annual fee. A third comes from afar, with a "customisation" line that nobody can explain. Impossible to say which is the cheapest, because they are not counting the same thing.
We do not give a price range here. It would be wrong for half of you, and we have no solid source for one. We give you the grid for reading any quote.
Item 1: the licence, the line everyone sees
This is the subscription that gives you access to the platform, hosted and maintained by the supplier. Its amount depends on a basis of calculation: the number of users created, the number of learners actually active, sometimes the number of learning paths or brands.
This basis counts for more than the rate itself. Two licences at the same advertised price can produce very different invoices as soon as your activity varies from one month to the next. At Kognisia, the licence is annual and follows tiers of active learners. We detail these criteria in how to compare SaaS licences.
Item 2: the set-up, where time costs more than money
Importing your learners, configuring roles, training your trainers, choosing message templates. Some suppliers charge for this step, others include it. Either way, it also costs you internal time: someone on your team will spend days on it.
Ask three things. Who does the configuration, you or the supplier? How long should you allow before the first learner is connected? And is customisation to your brand included or optional? With us, white label is an option, so a separate line on the quote.
Item 3: the content, often the heaviest
An empty LMS trains nobody. Your courses have to be produced, or bought. Producing a 20-minute module with its quiz and its brief takes hours, and you may have a hundred to do.
That is why this item can exceed the licence, especially in the first year. Two routes exist: upload your own content, or start from a ready-made course catalogue, offered at Kognisia as an option in the form of full courses, blocks or modules. Neither is better. It depends on what you already do better than others.
Item 4: support and updates
This is the item you discover last, at the first problem. Who answers when a learner cannot log in? How quickly? Are new features included in the licence, or charged separately?
Rules change too. The Qualiopi framework, the French quality certification for training providers, goes from 32 to 33 indicators on 1 November 2026, and indicator 19, on distance training, specifies that the provider must be able to prove that learners actually followed the programme. A tool whose updates are included adapts without you paying a second time. A frozen tool forces you to patch together evidence on the side.
Think about the exit too. Article 28 of the GDPR, the European regulation, requires the contract with a processor to provide, at the end of the service, for deletion or return of the data, at the client's choice. Have it written down in what format and at what price: a paid export is one more cost.
The table for comparing two quotes
| Item | What the quote must specify | The question that settles it |
|---|---|---|
| Licence | Basis of calculation, term, renewal | What happens if my learners double within a quarter? |
| Set-up | Who configures, in what time | What work remains on my side? |
| Content | Your content, catalogue, production | Who writes the first learning paths, and in how many hours? |
| Support and updates | Response times, updates included | Is a regulatory change charged for? |
How to decide without getting it wrong
Put the four items on a sheet, with one column per supplier, and fill it in over twelve months. Empty boxes are questions to ask, not zeros. Then look at the pricing page and, if your catalogue has yet to be built, at the time it will really take you.
Our view: do not rule out a quote because of its licence. Rule it out when you cannot explain, in two sentences, what each line will do for you.
And outside France?
Qualiopi is French. For you in England, there is no single equivalent: the cost question meets the apprenticeship funding rules, and the levy is the first thing to check. Those rules apply to England only; we have not verified Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. The GDPR and the Data Act are European; VAT and training funding depend on each country. The EU rows below concern you only if you also operate in the EU, which the UK has left.
| Country | Equivalent or rule | Reference | Key takeaway |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (England) | Apprenticeship levy; Growth and Skills Levy reforms | gov.uk, Pay the Apprenticeship Levy (updated 6 April 2026); Growth and Skills Levy factsheet of 2 September 2026 | Employers with an annual pay bill over £3 million pay the levy at 0.5% of the annual pay bill, reduced by a £15,000 yearly allowance that does not carry over. Since 1 August 2026: 25% co-funding for new apprentices aged 25 and over. From 1 October 2026: £2,000 hiring payment for employers outside the levy (apprentices aged 16 to 24), with first payments possible in January 2027 |
| European Union | Switching charges | Regulation (EU) 2023/2854 (Data Act), art. 29 and 50 | Charges limited to direct costs until 12 January 2027, abolished afterwards. SaaS is mentioned in a recital; classification of an LMS to be validated |
| Germany | VAT on training | § 4 Nr. 21 UStG | Exemption reserved for recognised establishments; the Baden-Württemberg form excludes recorded streamed courses. Other Länder not verified: take tax advice |
| Spain | Subsidised training credit; VAT | Ley 30/2015, art. 9; Ley 37/1992, art. 20.Uno.9º | Annual credit applied as a rebate on social contributions, at the latest on the December 2026 recibo (date to be confirmed). Exemption for teaching by an authorised entity; software licence to be validated |
| Italy | VAT on training | DPR 633/1972, art. 10 n. 20; D.Lgs. 10/2026 | Exemption for teaching services until 31 December 2026; the Testo unico IVA becomes operational on 1 January 2027 and changes the references on invoices. Licence: to be validated |
These rules change: have your case validated by local advice.
Frequently asked questions
Is there such a thing as a free LMS?
Open-source software exists, and its licence costs nothing. Hosting, maintenance, updates and support remain your responsibility, or a provider's. The cost has not disappeared, it has moved to another item.
Is the licence always calculated per learner?
No. Some licences count users created, others active learners, others still flat fees. Ask for the written definition before comparing.
How long to be operational?
It depends mainly on your content, not on the tool. If your materials exist, a first learning path is built in a few days. If everything has to be written, allow weeks.
How do I know whether the LMS will pay off for me?
Compare the time you spend today tracking and chasing your learners with what the LMS would take over. The ROI calculator gives a first estimate, to be set against your reality.
In summary
An LMS costs four things: a licence, a set-up, content, and support with updates. Compare them over twelve months, with the same number of learners, and insist on what is included, line by line. Your next step: take your current quotes and fill in the table.
Sources
- CNFCE: Qualiopi, what changes on 1 November 2026, accessed 13 October 2026.
- CNIL: European data protection regulation, chapter IV (article 28, processor), accessed 13 October 2026.
- European Union: Data Act, Official Journal text, accessed 13 October 2026.
- Germany: § 4 UStG, accessed 13 October 2026.
- Spain: Ley 30/2015 (BOE), Ley 37/1992 (BOE) and Fundae guide to subsidies, accessed 13 October 2026.
- Italy: DPR 633/1972, art. 10 and D.Lgs. 10/2026, accessed 13 October 2026.
- United Kingdom: Pay the Apprenticeship Levy, Growth and Skills Levy factsheet and DWP announcement of 7 December 2025, accessed 13 October 2026.
The Kognisia team
Kognisia designs a SaaS learning platform, with a training catalogue and white label as options.
Kognisia designs a SaaS learning platform, with a training catalogue and white label as options.