Moodle vs. aNewSpring
Are you in the process of choosing a learning platform? Here’s what you need to think about.
The fact that you’re reading this right now is probably because you are looking at learning platforms and trying to figure out which one to choose or switch to. That can be a tough nut to crack, but we want to offer some help.
You probably think that we’ll tell you that the aNewSpring platform is so much better than Moodle with a tech-heavy feature list where we (miraculously) get all the plusses and Moodle gets none. Yes, that list is at the bottom (click!), and there’s no denying that we’re biased. But we’re not saying we’re better. It’s about finding a product that fits your needs, and that’s what we’ll talk about here.
Give us a few minutes of your time to prove it. Maybe you’ll learn (no pun intended) something.
There are many, many platforms out there but first:
‘what type of platform suits you best?’
» Open-source platforms (e.g. Moodle);
» Sofware-as-a-Service or SaaS platforms (e.g. aNewSpring);
» Installed products (not important for now).
This is the main difference between Moodle and aNewSpring. In short, it means that Moodle is free to use and all of its possibilities are openly available for everyone, and aNewSpring offers a complete package (software plus service) for a certain price. But that’s not the whole story.
At first sight, open-source seems more attractive; tons of plugins are available and by participating in the community, you will discover new possibilities all the time. But that requires lots of knowledge and skills (like coding), which most companies find in:
Those costs aren’t included, so you need to pay for the service.
So, free to use doesn’t mean no costs. There are no hidden costs at aNewSpring; you get the software and the service you need for a clear monthly fee. No coding skills required, no endless information search and no multiple third-party struggles. Check out our services below.
The aNewSpring services will take most of the real tech stuff out of your hands, and we’ll offer assistance when migrating from Moodle to aNewSpring because we know the implications of such a switch.
Services | ![]() | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Implementation | ✓ | ✘ |
Migration advice and support | ✓ | ? |
Customer success* | ✓ | ✘ |
Support | ✓ | ✘ |
Updates and upgrades | ✓ | ✘ |
Course catalog | ✓ | ✘ |
Security | ✓ | ✘ |
Servers, hosting and storage | ✓ | ✘ |
*that’s aNewSpring lingo for someone who will help you to be successful as quickly as possible.
Choosing a type is one thing but what are the actual consequences of choosing one of the types for your business?
Open source can be a great fit for your needs.
To check this, look at the following questions. Can you answer all of them with ‘yes’?
Had some ‘no’s’ to the above questions? See how aNewSpring is different.
“aNewSpring has been designed specifically with training businesses in mind, with all features aimed at solving your business challenges”.
If your core business is training and not IT, you probably don’t have all the tech stuff in place. Consequently, you can hire external help or look at a SaaS solution that is designed for and focuses on all the needs of training businesses.
Switching from Moodle to another platform means dealing with sunk costs; aNewSpring can offer many short- and long-term benefits. We’ll help out with:
“Moodle can take some time before it’s ready to use; aNewSpring will get you up and running as quickly as possible, so you can focus on training instead of IT”.
In short, what you have and what you need plays a big role in the choice of a learning platform.
If you’re still reading, there’s a chance that you’re thinking that aNewSpring is not that bad or at least that you’re considering your options. But don’t just take it from us. You can read what our customers say here:
As said earlier, deciding on the right solution can be tough. Maybe you have gained some new insights but a page like this can only do so much. And just feature checklists aren’t gonna cut it (have you checked out ours, yet?). So, where to go from here?
The best advice we can give you is to talk about your specific situation with people who have expert knowledge about the platform you’re considering.
So, find a Moodle expert and implementation consultant. Or talk to us by filling out the form, we’re quite a friendly bunch.
Let’s look at the features both tools offer.
Features | ![]() | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Design courses the way you want | ✓ | ✓ |
Suitable for trainers | ✓ | ✓ |
Start creating courses immediately | ✓ | ✓ |
Different learning modules | ✓ | ✓ |
Course catalog | ✓ | ✓ |
Assessment management | ✓ | ✓ |
Reuse content in different courses | ✓ | ✘ |
Adaptive learning journeys | ✓ | ✘ |
New releases and automatic updates | ✓ | ✘ |
Mobile friendly without extra work | ✓ | ✘ |
Hosting and support | ✓ | ✘ |
Integrations with API / LTI | ✓ | ✘ |
Learning management | ✓ | ✘ |
Reporting and statistics | ✓ | ✘ |
Self service portal | ✓ | ✘ |
No coding skills needed | ✓ | ✘ |