Selling courses or training: two tools, two needs
A course-selling platform sells to individuals, an LMS tracks and evidences group training. Here is how to choose according to your need.
Read the articleYou have three tabs open and a simple question: is this tool made for me? Sales pages always answer yes. We prefer to give you the cases where the answer is no, with the reasons. A publisher that can say no is easier to believe when it says yes.
Here we compare families of solutions, never brands. The detail of each family is in our comparison.
Four situations where another family is more suitable
You want total control of the code and the hosting. A self-hosted open-source LMS gives you control of everything. The GNU GPL licence, for example, allows you to use, adapt and redistribute software, provided it stays free (source: the quick guide to GPLv3 published by the GNU project). In return, installation, updates, security and backup are your responsibility. The subject is covered in open-source LMS or SaaS and the real cost of a self-hosted LMS. Kognisia is an online service: you do not own its code.
You sell courses to the general public. A course-selling platform is designed around the sales page, payment and a community of buyers. Kognisia is designed to track learners enrolled by a provider or a company. For online payment, we assert nothing: to be confirmed with the publisher. The full comparison is in course-selling platform or LMS.
Your numbers are very small. For around ten people trained twice a year, assembled tools are often enough: a shared space, a form, a video conference. An annual licence per band of active learners only makes sense if you track people regularly.
You have a precise technical requirement. Single sign-on with your directory, a content exchange format, an interface with other software, hosting in a given location: for all these points, we write "to be confirmed with the publisher". Do not sign anything on the strength of a web page, ours or anyone else's. Ask for the answer in writing.
Three situations where Kognisia is a good choice
Kognisia is aimed at a training provider, a CFA, a school or a company that must train, track and keep evidence, without a developer or a system administrator.
- No installation. The service is online, you build your learning paths and you invite your learners.
- Tracking that serves a purpose. Dashboard, progress per learner, drop-out alerts, mobile app with push notifications.
- Something to demonstrate with. Quizzes, assignments, case studies with automatic marking, badges shareable on LinkedIn: each step leaves a traceable record. The platform is compatible with the Qualiopi approach (a French certification), which is not itself a certification of the platform: that one belongs to your organisation, and its framework is changing (on 1 November 2026, according to the CNFCE, it gains one indicator, including one reserved for CFAs).
The table to place yourself
| Your situation | The most suitable family | Why |
|---|---|---|
| I want to control the code and host myself | Self-hosted open-source LMS | Freedom to adapt, but maintenance and security are your responsibility |
| I sell courses to individuals | Course-selling platform | Sales page and payment at the centre of the product |
| I train ten people a year | Assembled tools | An annual licence weighs more than the need |
| I must train and evidence results, without a technical team | SaaS LMS for training providers | Tracking, evidence and catalogue without installation |
| I need very general use, outside training | General-purpose SaaS LMS | Wide scope, fewer specialist tools |
| I have a precise technical requirement | To be confirmed with the publisher | Written answer before any signature |
Six questions to ask yourself before requesting a demonstration
- How many active learners will I have over the next twelve months, at the highest and the lowest?
- Are my learners enrolled by me, or do they buy themselves on a public page?
- Do I have someone to install, update and secure software?
- What evidence must I be able to produce, and for whom: funder, auditor, employer?
- What precise technical requirements do I have, to be confirmed in writing?
- Does my content already exist, or must I start from a ready-to-use catalogue?
If you answer "very few, public buyers, yes, none, none, nothing": another family will serve you better. Otherwise, the demonstration is worth your time. For the price, see the pricing or read how much an LMS costs.
Frequently asked questions
Can Kognisia be installed on our own servers?
We assert nothing here: to be confirmed with the publisher. If self-hosting is a condition, ask the question before anything else.
Can you sell your training courses online with Kognisia?
For online payment, this is to be confirmed with the publisher. If selling to the general public is the core of your business, a course-selling platform is the family to look at first.
Are exchange standards and single sign-on supported?
To be confirmed with the publisher, in writing. This is true of any platform: a list of standards on a web page is no substitute for a dated answer.
Does Qualiopi concern the platform or the organisation?
The organisation. Qualiopi certifies organisations, not software. The platform is compatible with the Qualiopi approach, because it keeps the progress records.
In summary
Kognisia suits those who must train and evidence results without a technical team, and does not suit those who want the code, selling to the public or very small numbers. Ask yourself the six questions above before comparing. Your next step: go through them with your team, then request a demonstration with your answers in hand.
Sources
- GNU Project: quick guide to the GPLv3 licence, accessed 14 October 2026.
- CNFCE: Qualiopi, what changes on 1 November 2026, accessed 14 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.