The most expensive elearning library isn’t the most expensive one, isn’t the one with the highest price tag. It’s the one that sits in your LMS or LXP and doesn’t work. Probably because you didn’t ask the right questions as the start.
I’ll go through some of the questions thay you should ask before you buy an off-the-shelf elearning library, especially if you are comparing different elearning libraries? If this if the first time you are looking at buying an elearning library then this insight article will help you to make sure that you won’t waste money and time. Let’s unpack what’s actually included, what to check before you commit, and what can go wrong if you don’t.
What’s happening across the learning market
It helps to know what’s happening across the wider learning landscape. Several industry sources have identified key trends and pressures that influence how organisations choose and use elearning libraries. It’s an idea to know what is happening in the market and to see
- eLearning Industry identifies AI, skills-first learning, and personalised learning as major forces shaping L&D strategy, increasing the need for adaptable and well-structured elearning libraries.
Source: eLearning Industry – Trends That Will Shape L&D - Industry analysis shows a shift from traditional course delivery towards learner-centric, on-demand and contextual learning, placing greater emphasis on content discoverability and metadata quality.
Source: eLearning Industry – Instructional Design and Learning Strategy Articles - Training Industry reports that learning leaders are under pressure to demonstrate ROI, scalability, and alignment with business goals, making licence flexibility and ongoing content development critical selection criteria.
Source: Training Industry – Measurement and Analytics Features
It’s not just about buying courses
When you start looking at an elearning library or if you’ve got one you might assume you’re simply buying a set of courses. But you’re actually getting a licence. You never actually get the physical product. I’ve worked on multiple projects so I’ve seen what happens. You need to remember that you rarely own the courses. It’s just a license. If you want to own a course then you need to go down the route of custom elearning.
Any licence is probably going to be time-bound, typically a one-year agreement, sometimes extending over three years. You’re not just making a purchase. You’re entering into a contract. That contract is going to have lots of conditions and you need to make sure you understand it, get someone from your legal team to check this. It is not unusual for prices to go up each year and to see a long termination period that you can easily miss.
I’ve worked with a supplier that had a 6 month termination agreement that we missed and we had to carry one for an additional year. They didn’t help us, they might have thought this was great. But we never used them again, nor do we put them forward to any of our customers.
You’re buying a licence, not a product
When you license an elearning library, you’re agreeing to a defined period of access, with specific terms around updates, additions, and usage that apply to most elearning libraries. This is one of the biggest misunderstandings in elearning buying decisions.
As I’ve shared already you need to look through that license to be clear about what you are getting. I’ve seen too make companies make the mistake of thinking that they are getting the courses and the content forever. Essentially you are just hiring access until the contract end finishes. You also need to see what you are getting in terms of updates and support during the contract period. Be really clear about what you getting for your money during the contract period.
It’s a bit like software
Think back to how we used to buy software. I can remember deploying software via CD-Rom and floppy dics. This was time-consuming. But we owned the product and we had individual licenses. This has now been replaces by saas models.
You’d purchase a physical product, like Microsoft Office, install it, and then you’d need to update it manually when a new version came out. You might recall installing software by sitting at your PC or Mac and using a stack of floppy disks. Next it was the CD-ROM and then the DVD-ROM.
You owned the physical software and you used it until the software or the machine stopped working. Viruses, malware, and the internet were rarely talked about, we’d be aware of it, but not at the level that we are not considering.
Buying elearning content used to feel like that too. Content was delivered on CD-ROM, with developers working out how much content they could fit onto a 650 MB disc, constantly pushing the technology with each software release. If something needed to be updated then it might be pushed out with a patch on floppy discs.
But now it’s different. You’re not buying a fixed product. You’re licensing something that should evolve, but dont’ assume that it will. I’ve seen lots of elearning libraries where you get the content and that’s it. Software as a Service fundamentally changed not only how we use software, but also how software is sold. Quickly, the option to buy software and use it for several years disappeared. You now buy a licence to use the software for a fixed period of time.
If you are buying software, this is something you need to consider, whether it’s for L&D, IT, or any other sector. The very best elearning libraries will give you access to a roadmap. This details of the courses and updates that are coming, this allows you to plan and know what content is coming. At Real Projects we speak to our customers about what problems they have with a view to developing courses that we can add to the roadmap.
One of the biggest long-term risk is getting locked into licences and pricing that escalate beyond the original project, while the library itself barely evolves. You need to be clear about what development and updates you’ll actually get over the coming months and years, otherwise bill shock is almost inevitable.
Is it mobile-first?
You might have had a BlackBerry or one of the first XDA devices. I can remember getting a mobile and sending my first text message, at the time I couldn’t actually see the point of it, but now we have text, WhatsApp, Instant Messages and more. The mobile phone has developed into the smart phone with the majority of people using its app to help with our daily life.
The updated technology including 5G network and smart phones and has led to a range of applications within L&D and we are seeing it used a range of applications, with the phone itself almost a secondary consideration. For buyers looking at elearning content, a key consideration is whether the content will work on a mobile device. That’s not just the content, but also the LXP or LMS.
We’ve seen providers trying to increase flexibility, but it doesn’t always show up in the final product. Some content in an elearning library may be several years old or developed to support specific interactive or functional requirements. You still need to think about your own mobile device requirements. Is mobile first a consideration? Don’t just test the content on your desktop PC or mac.
If you are testing content, it’s also worth checking how it behaves across different devices. Is it responsive? How many of the courses work on a mobile phone? Do you need to download a specific app, or will the content work within a browser?
What does the licence actually include?
Most providers will base your licence on the number of users. You’ll often be paying for a one-year licence. In some cases, it may stretch to three years, so it’s worth checking what that includes. Pricing and licenses can be complication with each vendor having a different pricing model. It can be difficult to work out the pricing model and to compare, but its not impossible. If you are not ensure get your finance team involved as they will be able to create a model so that you can work out the price per user/person.
At this stage you also need to understand the total cost of ownership. Consider all of the other on-costs and not just the cost of the license. You might need training, travel etc. Check out for any hidden or update costs that the vendor might have included.
Sometimes you’re buying the content as part of your LMS setup rather than as a separate deal. In those cases, you need to look carefully at what’s been included and whether it’s been properly implemented. You might not even want the content that the LMS provider has included, again you need to go through the procurement process and see what it being involved and what you are paying for. This is too often overlooked.
You’re often buying it through your LMS
In many cases, the elearning library comes bundled with your LMS. But are the courses what you need? The courses may already be implemented or integrated when you start using the platform. Do some analysis on what you need. You might find that the courses are not what you need but this can be viewed as course insurance. If the pricing is ok, it might be useful to have courses available for the future.
Within a library its likely that you’ll always have content that you don’t need. What you need to ascertain is how much of the library is content that you don’t need. You can then apply this to the cost. This is an important part of the procurement process.
It’s still worth asking what exactly is included in the bundle and what you’re actually getting as part of your LMS agreement. It is also worth checking whether you get all of the content, whether courses are tiered, and whether there are access restrictions. You don’t want to find out later that you have to pay more to access all of the content.
What if the content isn’t what you actually need? Can you get a reduction on your LMS price and then source the content you do need? You might be changing to a new LMS and want to bring your existing content provider with you. Check this before you sign contracts.
Content means more than just courses
It’s easy to assume content just means courses. One of the most overlooked questions is how is the content structured and what metadata sits behind it. Without good data and a clear structure, search results are poor and people struggle to find what they need. I’ve seen libraries that simply dump you on a homepage and leave you digging because the UX and data model weren’t thought through.
You need to make sure that you are not just getting a course and some basic data. For your users to get an excellent user experience you are going to need a really good information layer to support this. If you don’t have, don’t be surprised if users don’t get the right content.
Part of the procurement process needs to be the content review. There may be different types of content bundled in, such as video explainers, toolkits, infographics, or other formats. That should prompt you to think beyond the course list and look closely at what’s actually included. It’s not difficult to bulk out an elearning library with a load of infographics or PDF files and you can be buying a lot of money for 100-150 infographics. Are you paying for a library that is basically a big library of infographics?
Before you sign, make sure you check what you want and what’s in the package. You might be getting five or six content providers rolled into your LMS, but what if those providers aren’t what you need? You should also find out what happens if a provider leaves. Does this affect your contract price? Do they get replaced if they leave?
What if you don’t want them? What if the price is integrated into the pricing model? Do you still have to pay for it? If you want microlearning content does the library actually include it?
My advice is to build a clear specification and understand what you actually need by looking across the sector. Don’t assume the biggest library will cover everything. Many are padded out with outdated content, infographics, or material you’ll never use. And don’t get star struck by big stands and freebies. Those are paid for by your subscription and licence fees, not by magic.
Check before you sign
When you’re about to make a purchase, check before you sign. Be clear about what you want and make sure the pricing reflects your organisation’s needs. Check and check again. Don’t be the only person who has checked through the pricing and the specification.
Some platforms will let you add content later, but not all of them do. If you have your own content or want to bring in a new provider, check whether the LMS or LXP will allow this and how easy the process is. It shouldn’t be difficult, but you need to make sure you don’t end up with a high bill just for uploading content. At times buying elearning content is why harder than it should be, but if you get informed before you start you’ll avoid some of the pitfalls.
While some platforms accept a wide range of content formats, others are more limited. You need to be clear about what your platform supports. SCORM gets a lot of attention on LinkedIn, but it remains the format most organisations still use. You don’t want to get stuck with a platform that doesn’t support SCORM and then struggle to update your content.
It’s important to be aware of these differences before you commit.
Beware of bundled providers you didn’t choose
Some platforms include access to multiple content providers, sometimes five or six, as part of their bundle. But what if those providers aren’t right for your organisation? In many cases, the cost is rolled into your LMS contract. Even if you don’t want the content, you may still have to pay for it.
So it’s worth asking early: can you choose your own providers, or are you locked into a bundle?
Is the licence flexible?
Before you commit, consider whether the licence terms are flexible enough to support your organisation over time. If you’re entering a three-year contract, will it still reflect your needs if things change?
Think about whether it allows for growth, restructuring, or shifts in your learning priorities. Have you included a break clause halfway through the term? If not, get one. You’ll often hear about relationships and partnerships. That’s true, but if it’s a good one, you should be able to discuss the contract and terminate it without unnecessary friction.
Also consider international needs
Does the licence support international delivery? This is not about simply pressing translate. Too many libraries claim to offer courses in over 100 languages. The result is often poor-quality content that has been pushed through an AI engine without proper review.
If your organisation operates across regions, think about whether you’ll need translations or access in other countries, and how you want that content delivered. AI tools may help with translation, but keep humans in the loop. Don’t just press translate and move on.
My Final Thoughts
This isn’t just about content or choosing between different elearning libraries. It’s about how that content is delivered, packaged, and licensed. You’ll read about relationships and partnerships, but this isn’t about a nicely packaged hamper once a year or a pleasant afternoon at a trade event. Think about the level of support you’ll receive each week and month when you are using the product.
Does the library actually support what you need? What will it be like in the field? What will employees think? Not every course will be a winner from the start, but aim for something that supports your overall learning objectives.
Ask the right questions. Check the assumptions. And make sure what you’re buying actually fits your organisation, now and in the future.
Questions and answers
What questions should you ask about an elearning library?
You should ask what the licence includes, how long it lasts, how often content is updated, how the library is structured, and whether the content is mobile-first and easy to search within your LMS.
What are the key questions to ask when evaluating an elearning digital tool?
Key questions include how the tool integrates with your LMS, how content is organised and searched, what data and reporting are available, and what support and updates are included in the licence.
What are some important questions about online learning?
Important questions focus on how learners access content, whether it works on mobile devices, how progress is tracked, and whether the learning stays relevant and useful over time.
What are the three main types of elearning?
The three main types of elearning are self-paced online courses, virtual instructor-led training, and blended learning, which combines digital learning with live or in-person sessions.
If you need help with selecting an elearning library – get in touch via our contact page.
Scott Hewitt
Scott Hewitt works with Learning and Development teams to deliver off-the-shelf eLearning that is quick to deploy and easy to scale across global organisations. He has built an award-winning eLearning library of over 800 courses in nine languages, with a focus on multilingual content, accessibility, and practical workplace training.
Alongside this, he has developed specialist training in data and analytics in football, informed by visits to clubs across the UK and Europe.
Connect on LinkedIn
