Alison

Overview

Alison is a free-first learning platform for people building practical skills at their own pace, with career tools alongside its courses. It is also a potential starting point for organisations that need a low-cost learning management system (LMS), though the free business tier is capped at 10 users.

Key features

Courses and career resources

The course library spans more than 6,000 courses across 10 categories, with Alison describing its courses as CPD UK accredited. Self-paced study has no time limit, and completed courses can lead to Certificates or Diplomas. The breadth is a strong fit for learners exploring subjects or upskilling without a set schedule; advertising in free learning is the trade-off, and Premium is offered to remove it.

Free learning also includes psychometric assessments and career resources: a Career Ready Plan, Career Guide, résumé builder, job listings and course recommendations. That makes Alison more useful for career exploration than a course catalogue alone, though it does not change the limits on offline study.

Offline study

Offline access requires the Alison App and is limited to English courses. Quizzes, assessments and certificates still require an internet connection, so downloads suit reviewing course material while travelling, not completing every step offline. The app requires Android 7 or later or iOS 15.6 or later. Downloaded courses are for personal use and cannot be shared or distributed.

Organisational learning

The Free LMS gives organisations up to 10 users, access to more than 6,000 courses, and basic assignment and reporting without software, content or implementation fees. Administrators can invite learners, assign courses, manage groups, and control roles and permissions. That is a meaningful no-fee starting point for a small team, but the user cap makes it unsuitable for larger groups.

LMS+ removes the user cap and adds groups, co-branded certificates, ad-free learning, bulk-certificate discounts, advanced reporting and Content Hub storage. Selected plans include psychometric assessments. Alison also offers an API integration option, but the customer’s technical team must assess compatibility with its LMS, HR system or platform customisation. LMS+ states ISO 27000/9000 standards and GDPR compliance; Alison provides customer support and learning advisors for Free LMS and LMS+.

Pricing

Alison combines free access with paid options for downloads and business learning. The free learner plan includes courses, self-paced study and certificates and diplomas when available, but learning includes advertising.

• Single Course Download — $1, paid once: Downloads one course for personal offline use. Best for a one-off need; it does not provide a continuing library of downloads.
• Unlimited Offline Access — $5 a month: Allows unlimited course downloads while the subscription is active, with automatic monthly charges. It is the better fit for regular offline study, subject to the English-only and internet-dependent quiz, assessment and certificate limits.
• Free LMS — free: Supports up to 10 users per organisation, with 6,000+ courses and basic assignment and reporting. Small organisations can start without software, content or implementation fees, but larger groups need another option.
• LMS+ Starter — $99 a month: Includes 3 complimentary certificates per month, a 30% discount on bulk certificate purchases and 500 MB of Content Hub storage per month. It suits teams with modest certificate and storage needs.
• LMS+ Growth — $249 a month: Includes up to 180 psychometric tests per month, 10 complimentary certificates, a 40% bulk-certificate discount and 3 GB of storage per month. A free trial is available; this tier fits organisations needing assessments and more monthly capacity.
• LMS+ Enterprise — $599 a month: Includes up to 600 psychometric tests per month, 20 complimentary certificates, a 50% bulk-certificate discount and 5 GB of storage per month. It is the highest-capacity listed tier, though its test, certificate and storage allowances remain defined.

All three LMS+ prices are billed monthly. LMS+ has no user limits, seat licences or usage tiers, but the published monthly test, certificate and storage allowances still matter. No refund policy is stated.

Platforms

Alison is available on the web, Android and iOS. Offline learning is app-only, and the minimum app requirements are Android 7 or later and iOS 15.6 or later.

Who it's for

Alison is best for self-directed learners who want a broad free catalogue, career resources and the option to pay for offline downloads. It also suits small organisations testing employee, compliance, customer, partner or other training use cases through the Free LMS. Larger organisations can consider LMS+, provided its monthly allowances and API compatibility fit their needs.

Pros and cons

• Pros: More than 6,000 free courses, self-paced study without a completion deadline, and career tools make it useful beyond a single course.
• Pros: The Free LMS includes course access for up to 10 users without software, content or implementation fees, while LMS+ has no user cap or seat licences.
• Cons: Free learner access includes advertising, and removing it requires Premium.
• Cons: Offline study is English-only and app-only; quizzes, assessments and certificates need internet, limiting what downloads can replace.
• Cons: The Free LMS's 10-user cap excludes larger teams, while LMS+ plans impose monthly test, certificate and storage allowances.

Alternatives

For readers comparing broader course catalogues, MOOC Platforms and Online Course Marketplaces are useful starting points.

• edX is worth considering if a free audit track with limited course access and no graded assignments or certificate better fits your needs.
• Canvas Network is another free option, available on the web and desktop and mobile platforms.
• Great Learning offers 1,000+ self-paced free courses, with certificates available for a nominal fee.
• Khan Academy may suit learners considering a free-plan alternative.
• Brilliant limits its free plan to two lessons or practice sets per day, a different fit for readers comfortable with that daily allowance.
• Coursera is another freemium learning service for readers to consider.
• DataCamp lets free users take the first chapter of every course, while practice and projects have limited access.
• freeCodeCamp is another free learning option.

Verdict

Choose Alison if you want a large free course library with career resources, flexible pacing and optional paid offline downloads, or if a small organisation needs a no-fee LMS for up to 10 users. Look elsewhere if ad-free learning is essential without an added paid option, offline study must include assessments and certificates, or your organisation needs more than the Free LMS cap without LMS+ monthly allowances.