Feature Spotlight
Why Programs Are Choosing CourseStorm Over Learning Stream
Informal ed programs need a registration management solution that meets their needs and their budget. If you’re looking for a new registration management software solution, Learning Stream might be on your list of tools to check out. They promote themselves as your “registration management concierge.” Sounds fancy, right?
At first glance, Learning Stream has a lot to offer. While the platform includes plenty of features, it might be a more complex tool than most informal ed programs need. And complexity probably isn’t on your list of must-haves when it comes to choosing registration management software. There are several Learning Stream alternatives out there. To help you make an informed decision, we’re comparing Learning Stream head-to-head with CourseStorm’s simple registration management software.
Who Uses Learning Stream?
Learning Stream markets itself as a registration management tool for education and training programs. It’s used by corporations, non-profits, and government agencies to manage all kinds of things related to learning. It can help you register students, manage e-learning content, track progress toward continuing education credits, onboard new employees, and administer online testing.
For many programs, extra services add cost without making the software more useful.
All of those service areas are great if you’re running a corporate learning program. They’re less useful if you’re an informal ed provider. For many programs, extra services add cost without making the software more useful. Your students just don’t get anything out of those extra bells and whistles.
That’s why, at CourseStorm, we focus exclusively on registration management. Our customers are art organizations, community education programs, workforce and continuing education services, and other programs offering informal learning opportunities. We still have plenty of features, they’re just designed specifically for informal ed programs.
Comparing Costs
Whether you need all of Learning Stream’s service areas or not, you’ll still pay $450 per month when your free trial period ends. Extra administrators cost an extra $60 per month. And that’s for the base-level services. Add-ons can add up quickly.
Per-month pricing means that you pay whether your program is currently enrolling students or not. If you’re running a seasonal program or camp, there may be months when you enroll no students, but still owe $450+ for the month.
With CourseStorm you pay per student, with no monthly fee. So, you only pay for the students you actually enroll.
Compare that to CourseStorm’s pricing model. You pay per student, with no monthly fee. So, you only pay for the students you actually enroll. There are no contracts and no long-term commitments. Rather than selling you on a software package, we put our energy into helping you learn to market your courses and get more registrations.
Is Learning Stream Easy to Use?
Learning Stream talks about how they train new users, guide them through the setup process, and perform an audit before a first event goes live. Some people might take this to mean that they’re supportive of their customers, but this list has us wondering why Learning Stream customers need all that support in the first place. Is Learning Stream so complicated that a new user can’t figure it out on their own?
Of course, CourseStorm is happy to help new and existing clients get oriented on our software. We offer onboarding, robust documentation, webinars, and unlimited support. But we measure success by how rarely our clients need to actually use those tools.
Our goal is to create a registration solution so simple that pretty much anyone can use it. You shouldn’t have to wait around for tech support or sit through hours of tutorials just to start registering students.
CourseStorm vs. Learning Stream: Key Features
Learning Stream is web-based and provides customer support over the phone and online. Its attendance features are more robust than CourseStorm’s, but it lacks class scheduling abilities, a learner’s portal, and reporting capabilities. Here’s a head-to-head comparison of the registration features for each platform.
This list is not exhaustive. Both programs have features and integrations not listed here, but it’s clear from this list where each registration software is focusing its attention. Learning Stream is designed for corporate learning; that’s why they don’t have built-in marketing tools. By contrast, Learning Stream alternative CourseStorm is focused on informal ed and offers everything your program needs to thrive.
Which Software Should You Choose?
We can’t tell you which solution is the right fit for your program. It comes down to your needs, goals, and budget. What we can do is offer a few points to keep in mind as you make your decision.
- Consider your particular needs. The needs of corporations and businesses are not the needs of informal education and community programs. Make sure you’re working with a solution designed for the types of classes you’re offering.
- Simplicity saves time and money. Complex systems with lots of bells and whistles can make registration more difficult for students, not to mention the staff members who have to figure out how to manage the back end. Look for the simplest solution that meets your needs.
- Look for the features you need and use. It’s easy to be dazzled by a long list of features. Just make sure those features are actually useful to you and will help grow your program. You want to make sure you’re checking all the boxes on the list of parts you need for a complete student registration system.
- When in doubt, ask around. Find out what others in your industry and area are using. Ask whether they’re happy with the tool and the customer service. First-hand accounts from real people are worth more than any sales pitch. In fact, we encourage you to call any of our customers and ask what they think of CourseStorm.
For help deciding if CourseStorm is right for you, start your free trial or contact us today.
Greg Shula
Greg has spent a decade analyzing business and marketing performance metrics of the companies he has worked with. He uses his analytical mind and investigative skills to find trends and simple answers from complicated data sets. Greg is also an amateur photographer who loves to capture nature from new perspectives.