Kamy Anderson is an expert in online learning, training, and webinar technology. He offers valuable insights into eLearning strategies, live webinar effectiveness, LMS optimization, employee development, course design, and more.
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Being in the training industry for over a decade now, I’ve seen firsthand businesses struggling to train their employees effectively.
The challenges include adopting the wrong training software, expensive software, lack of engagement, and difficulty measuring ROI .
But what if there was a way to train your employees for free without sacrificing quality or results?
Free training software can offer all the functionality you need without breaking the bank for certain use cases, such as onboarding new employees, compliance training, or basic skills development .
That’s what this blog is all about.
In this post, I’ll share my top picks of the best free training software for employees in 2026 .
If you’re ready to save money and train your employees like a pro, read on!
Let’s now explore each of these tools in detail.
I’ve tried and tested numerous software options, and I’m here to share those insights. Drawing on my personal experiences and valuable input from peers, I’ve crafted this list of the best free training software for you.
Whether you’re looking for software to streamline your onboarding process, enhance employee skills, improve compliance training , or boost customer service training , you can surely find a tool of your choice.
These handpicked solutions are free and easy to use.
The first free training software I would recommend is ProProfs Training Maker. It is ideal for employee training for startups and micro-businesses, offering training to up to 10 learners.
Although a free tool, it provides you access to exclusive features, including easy course creation from scratch or using templates , uploading existing materials like Word docs and videos, quizzes, surveys, tracking progress, and delivering certificates.
Other features you would get are learning paths, roles, permissions, personalized portals, and branding.
However, you can upgrade to the business plan if you want to use its 100+ readymade course library or create a custom landing page.
Forever free for up to 10 learners. Paid plans start at $1.99 /active learner/month. No hidden costs. 15-day money-back guarantee.
Looking for free training software? Get started with our forever-free plan. No credit card is required.
Another good software worth considering is PeopleGoal . It is fully customizable and is designed to help organizations create tailored career plans, facilitate skill development, and provide 1:1 guidance for employees at every stage of their growth.
Even with its free plan, you can set OKRs and SMART goals, run 360-degree and continuous feedback cycles, and deliver employee-centric performance reviews. PeopleGoal makes it easy to design development roadmaps, track skill progress, and give employees the autonomy to manage their own career advancement with supervisor support.
You can also customize onboarding experiences, automate workflows without coding, and integrate engagement surveys to ensure ongoing growth and alignment.
FREE 7-day trial. Paid starts at $4/user/month.
I’ve explored SkillSoft, a prominent corporate learning and development player, and this is what I found.
They’ve built a strong reputation for providing diverse learning solutions, making them a trusted partner for organizations to enhance workforce skills and knowledge.
When it comes to leadership and business development, SkillSoft plays a pivotal role. They offer comprehensive programs that go beyond the conventional knowledge-based training.
SkillSoft focuses on fostering behavioral change and practical application of leadership skills.
What’s great is that their Leadership Development Program is highly customizable, allowing you to tailor it to your organization’s specific needs, making it a valuable asset for companies of all sizes.
On top of that, SkillSoft’s immersive learning platform, Percipio , augments the learning experience through AI-driven personalization and curated learning paths. This makes leadership and business development more accessible and effective for you and your team.
Free plan available. Get in touch with the company for the paid plan
My experience with Forma LMS was quite good, particularly for its automated PDF certificate features. Forma LMS offered customizable templates, allowing easy certificate design with the built-in editor or by uploading custom images and logos. Fonts, colors, and layouts could be tailored to match our branding.
The system allowed flexible criteria for certificate issuance, including completion rate, score, time spent, or attendance, which was highly adaptable for various courses and user groups.
Distributing certificates was straightforward, with options to send them via email, download them as PDFs, or allow learners to access and print certificates from their profiles.
I love how Whale makes my work life so much easier. I can create new procedures and policies in seconds with over 100+ templates, a powerful editor, and AI Assist.
And the contextual suggestions are a lifesaver. Whale always has my back, offering suggestions that enhance my work and save me precious time. No more hunting for crucial knowledge; Whale delivers it to me exactly when needed. It’s like having an expert by my side, guiding me through every step.
I would also like to talk about another feature which caught my attention. It’s the automated training flow. Whale takes care of the training process so I can focus on what truly matters. It’s like having a personal tutor for my team, ensuring everyone stays up-to-date.
Forever free plan (up to 5 users). Paid plan starts at $6/user/month
As a longstanding user of Coggno, I find this tool to be an excellent choice to facilitate global collaboration and communication within my organization. It offers a range of features that make remote work and meetings more efficient and engaging. Plus, accessing Coggno from mobile devices ensures flexibility in joining or hosting meetings from anywhere.
I wanted to create and publish my online courses without spending too much money. That’s why I chose Coggno’s free plan, which gave me access to their tools and features that never expire.
With Coggno, I could upload my content, manage my courses, and distribute them to my audience.
The SCORM-compliant platform makes it easy to package courses for SCORM-compliant LMS systems. It also excels in creating stylish, responsive HTML5 eLearning content that works across various devices.
Free plan available. Paid plans start at $199/month.
If you’ve been looking for a mobile LMS with a forever-free plan, look no further than EdApp. This online learning app offers a mobile-first approach, making it incredibly convenient and accessible for learners, regardless of location and time.
What truly sets EdApp apart are its interactive templates. Learning doesn’t feel like a chore when you can engage with the content through drag-and-drop exercises, multiple-choice quizzes, matching challenges, and more.
EdApp uses game-based elements like points, badges, leaderboards, and even prizes to motivate you.
EdApp also encourages social learning. I’ve connected with fellow learners, engaged in discussions through chat and comments, participated in polls, and even had my work peer-reviewed.
Forever free plan. The paid plan starts at $2.95/active user/month.
Watch: What Is a Mobile LMS & How Can It Help Train Anytime, Anywhere?
After extensive research, I’ve discovered another exceptional employee training tool that truly excels in the realm of branded training. This tool offers a wealth of features that make it the best choice for crafting a strong and distinctive brand identity within your organization.
One top feature is the ability to choose a unique and memorable domain name for your training portal. Whether it’s a personalized subdomain or a custom web address, this tool provides the flexibility to create a web presence that aligns perfectly with your brand.
You can effortlessly tailor the appearance of your training portal with your logo, preferred colors, fonts, and imagery, ensuring it resonates with your organization’s identity.
In addition, this tool offers robust SEO tools to optimize your training portal’s name and content, making it easier to attract and engage employees.
Free plan available. Paid plans start at $50
My experience with ATutor has been positive. This free training software for employees impresses with its commitment to accessibility, making it an inclusive environment for all learners.
As an open-source LMS, it adheres to international accessibility standards and offers DIV-based themes to ensure that assistive technology users can fully engage in learning.
ATutor’s social networking features are something I personally liked. It allowed users to create networks and interest groups and share photos across courses, fostering a sense of community and collaboration.
The platform keeps users up-to-date with current information, simplifying navigation for quick access to ongoing activities. Security measures like encrypted passwords and password reset protocols enhance data protection.
Free plan available. Paid plans start at $35/month
The last entry on this list is Sakai, which I like due to its robust system administration capabilities. It offers a highly configurable system of roles and permissions, allowing for customization to match specific business processes. This level of control ensures efficient management of courses and users.
Communication and collaboration are super easy with Sakai. It provides a range of synchronous and asynchronous tools for messaging, discussions, and social connections, making it easy to stay connected and work together.
Its state-of-the-art grading and assessment features simplify student evaluation, from high-stakes testing to rubric-based scoring.
This tool allows you to organize various resources, control access, and share files effortlessly. Moreover, Sakai encourages community contribution by allowing users to develop and integrate their own tools.
Free plan available. No licensing fees. Get in touch with the company for the paid plan.
Scribe is my go-to solution for onboarding, significantly enhancing the process in various ways. By instantly transforming any process into a step-by-step guide, it streamlines onboarding, reducing ramp-up time and eliminating the need for repetitive explanations.
New hires benefit from clear, easy-to-follow documentation, helping them acclimate quickly.
What sets Scribe apart for onboarding is its simplicity. It allows team members to share their expertise effortlessly, creating guides as they perform tasks.
The onboarding capabilities foster a more efficient, focused, and welcoming onboarding experience. It’s a powerful tool that ensures new team members are up to speed in record time.
Free plan available. Paid plans start from $23/seat/month
Another free training tool I would suggest is TalentLMS. This is a great option for small businesses or individuals wanting to try the software before upgrading to a paid plan.
It is primarily designed to streamline building and editing training and ensure that organizations can effectively train their teams to meet regulatory requirements.
One thing that immediately caught my eye was the accessibility of training. TalentLMS allows teams to access training materials from anywhere, using any device.
I feel that this level of flexibility is crucial in today’s fast-paced business environment.
The tool also emphasizes the importance of keeping records, which can be crucial in legal matters.
TalentLMS provides a convenient way to organize and manage training programs. Features like single sign-on (SSO) and software integrations make it easier for administrators to focus on essential tasks rather than getting bogged down in administrative work.
Free plan available (up to 5 users). Paid plans start at $69/month (billed annually)
Choosing the right free training software for employees depends on several factors, including your organization’s size, specific training needs, and budget.
If you ask me, my top three picks would be:
ProProfs Training Maker is a versatile choice, ideal for startups and small businesses with up to 10 learners. It offers easy course creation, content uploads, quizzes, progress tracking, and certificate delivery. ProProfs allows for self-paced learning and offers branding options. While the free plan has limitations, the features you get in the free plan are simply amazing.
PeopleGoal is an excellent choice for businesses focused on employee development and growth. It lets you set OKRs, run 360-degree feedback, create skill development plans, and track progress, all in one platform. With customizable workflows and no-code tools, you can tailor the experience to your organization’s unique needs. While its customization depth may take time to explore, the flexibility and development-focused features make it a standout option.
SkillSoft does exceptionally well for leadership and business development training. It offers comprehensive programs that focus on behavioral change and the practical application of leadership skills. However, there may be occasional lag in course updates and responsiveness issues with customer support.
While all three of these options have their strengths, ProProfs Training Maker turns out to be the best free software for employee training, in my opinion. Its user-friendly interface, scalability, automation, and all essential features in one platform make it a solid choice for smaller organizations looking to provide effective training for their employees.
Free training software for employees is a digital platform or tool that offers learning resources, courses, and modules free of charge to help enhance the skills and knowledge of a company’s workforce. These solutions often include features like interactive lessons, quizzes, and progress tracking, making it easier for organizations to upskill their employees without incurring additional expenses.
Watch: What is a Cloud-Based Learning Management System?
Features to consider include a user-friendly interface, customizable content creation, progress tracking, assessment and quizzes, multimedia support (videos, slides, etc.), mobile accessibility, and a variety of learning formats. Additionally, look for scalability to accommodate growing teams and analytics for insights into employee performance. Read this guide to know more.
To select the ideal free training software for your business, begin by identifying your organization’s training requirements and objectives. Look for software with essential features. Ensure it offers a user-friendly interface for both administrators and learners, supports mobile access for flexible learning, provides adequate customer support and resources, complies with data security regulations, and genuinely offers free access without hidden costs.
Watch: How to Choose the Best LMS Software for Employee Training
Using free training software for employees brings several advantages. It’s a budget-friendly option, saving businesses from hefty training expenses. Customization features allow tailoring content to match specific organizational requirements, ensuring training aligns perfectly with company goals. The software’s progress tracking and analytics provide valuable insights into employee performance, aiding in continuous improvement and development.
Yes, free training software has its limitations. One common drawback is limited functionality compared to paid options, with fewer advanced features and integrations. Support and updates may be less reliable, potentially impacting user experience. Additionally, some free platforms may have content restrictions or lack in-depth courses, limiting the breadth of training. Scalability can also be a concern for growing businesses, as these solutions may not handle larger user bases effectively.
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Kamy Anderson is a Senior Writer specializing in online learning and training. His blog focuses on trends in eLearning, online training, webinars, course development, employee training, gamification, LMS, AI, and more. Kamy's articles have been published in eLearningIndustry, TrainingMag, Training Zone, and Learning Solutions Magazine. Connect with him on LinkedIn.
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