Freedom251 › Skills Management Software
Trainora
What Trainora is
Trainora is a self-hosted training matrix for tracking competencies, completion evidence, and renewal timing. Its matrix separates valid, expiring, expired, never recorded, and not applicable states. Expiry is calculated from each achievement date and the configured validity period. Completion records can include PDF or image evidence, with files checked by their file signatures and checked again when served. Administrators can log a group session, record attendance, and create a completion record for every attendee. An expiry digest and read-only iCalendar feed support reminders in Outlook, Google Calendar, and Apple Calendar. Trainora offers REST endpoints, a webhook for newly created records, and an MCP endpoint for compatible clients. List requests return no more than 500 rows, and the API cannot create people, competencies, or sessions. It runs on PHP 8 with MySQL or MariaDB, or SQLite for a trial, and a Docker one-liner is provided. The full PHP source is included, with data kept on the buyer’s server.
Who it suits
Trainora suits organizations that need competency records, evidence, expiry tracking, and custom skill-gap analysis on their own infrastructure. It is intended for administrators rather than tracked people seeking courses or self-service logins.
What it does well
- Tracks five competency status states
- Stores PDF or image completion evidence
- Records group attendance and completions
- Provides calendar and API options
- Data stays on the buyer’s server
What to know first
- No courses, quizzes, or e-learning
- No certificate generation or self-service logins
- API lists capped at 500 rows
- No free plan or trial
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Extended licence | One payment; no subscription · Unlimited sites you own or operate · unlimited people | $179, paid once |
| Single licence | One payment; no subscription · One (1) domain or subdomain · unlimited people | $79, paid once |
As ownware.io lists them, read 7 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Verdict
Trainora focuses on competency records and expiry administration rather than delivering learning content. Its self-hosted deployment, evidence handling, reminders, and integrations fit teams that want control of their data and workflows.
Facts from Trainora's own pages
- API limits
- List endpoints are capped at 500 rows, and the API does not create people, competencies, or sessions. · ownware.io, 7 Oct 2026
- Deployment
- Trainora runs on PHP 8 with MySQL or MariaDB, or SQLite for a trial, and the site provides a Docker one-liner. · ownware.io, 7 Oct 2026
- Evidence
- Completion records can hold PDF or image evidence, which the site says is checked by file magic bytes and re-checked when served. · ownware.io, 7 Oct 2026
- Expiry calculation
- Competency expiry is computed from the achievement date and configured validity period rather than stored as an expiry flag. · ownware.io, 7 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- The API page documents REST endpoints, a webhook for newly created records, and an MCP endpoint usable by MCP-compatible clients; it says Trainora implements the protocol rather than integrating with a specific vendor. · ownware.io, 7 Oct 2026
- Matrix states
- The matrix distinguishes valid, expiring, expired, never recorded, and not applicable competency states. · ownware.io, 7 Oct 2026
- Not included
- Trainora does not provide courses, quizzes, e-learning, SCORM, certificate generation, or self-service logins for tracked people. · ownware.io, 7 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Trainora is a self-hosted training matrix for tracking people’s competencies, completion evidence, and expiry dates. · ownware.io, 7 Oct 2026
- Reminders and calendar
- Trainora provides an expiry digest and a read-only iCalendar feed for Outlook, Google Calendar, or Apple Calendar. · ownware.io, 7 Oct 2026
- Security
- API keys can be read-only or read-and-write, and a key cannot exceed the permissions of its associated user. · ownware.io, 7 Oct 2026
- Security and hosting model
- The product page says the full PHP source is included, data stays on the buyer’s server, and the software never phones home. · ownware.io, 7 Oct 2026
- Sessions
- Administrators can record a group session, mark attendance, and create a completion record for each attendee. · ownware.io, 7 Oct 2026
- Support
- Email support covers installation and defects in delivered code, usually replies within a day or two, and excludes custom development and server administration. · ownware.io, 7 Oct 2026
Where Trainora stands on Freedom251
- Skills Management Software#18 of 27