Absorb LMS Review
by Absorb Software
Absorb LMS is an AI-powered learning management system from Calgary-based Absorb Software for employee, customer and partner training.
- Company size
- Small businesses, mid-market companies, enterprises
- Pricing model
- Quote only
- Integrations
- 40
Best for
- HR and compliance teams that want training assigned from HRIS data automatically
- Organizations that need recertification enrollments without manual tracking
- Companies that also sell training to customers or partners (built-in eCommerce)
Not ideal for
- Buyers who want a published price before a sales call
- Teams that require ISO 27001 certification, which Absorb does not state on its compliance page
How we evaluated Absorb LMS
This review rests on 17 facts checked against Absorb LMS’s official pricing pages and documentation, most recently on . We did not test the product hands-on: the score and the pros and cons use only those verified facts, as our methodology explains, and third-party ratings are quoted, never scored.
Our verdict
Absorb LMS suits organizations that want rule-based assignment and compliance automation with HR-system connectors managed by the vendor. It assigns courses by role, department, location and skill gaps, automates certification and recertification enrollments, and reports completion and compliance status in real time. Pre-built connectors cover ADP, Workday, BambooHR and UKG Pro; it states WCAG 2.1 conformance and a completed SOC 2 Type 2 examination. Prices are quoted by learner count.
Strengths
Managed HR connectors
Pre-built connectors for ADP, Workday, BambooHR and UKG Pro are set up by Absorb's implementation team; BambooHR data syncs about every 30 minutes.
Evidence: Notable integrations: ADP, Workday, BambooHR, UKG Pro, Salesforce, Zoom, Webex
Compliance automation
Certification and recertification enrollments run automatically, with real-time completion and compliance reports.
Evidence: Recertification tracking: Yes
Large content library
Amplify offers over 20,000 courses from more than 100 publishers alongside AI course authoring in Absorb Create.
Evidence: Authoring and content library: Yes
Accessibility and SOC 2
Absorb states WCAG 2.1 conformance for learners and admins and has completed a SOC 2 Type 2 examination.
Evidence: Accessibility and mobile: Yes
Weaknesses
No published prices
The pricing page is a quote form that starts with your learner count.
Evidence: Price transparency: Quote only
No ISO 27001 stated
Absorb's compliance page lists GDPR, WCAG 2.1 and SOC 2 Type 2, but no ISO 27001 certification.
Evidence: SOC 2 Type II: Yes
Price at a glance
Pricing model
Quote only
Quick answers
- How much does Absorb LMS cost?
- Absorb does not publish prices. Its pricing page is a quote form that asks how many learners you have, from 1-50 up to 25,000+.Based on Pricing model: Quote only
- Does Absorb LMS support SCORM and xAPI?
- Yes. Absorb supports SCORM, xAPI and HTML5 content.Based on SCORM and xAPI support: Yes
- Does Absorb LMS integrate with Workday and ADP?
- Yes, through pre-built connectors for ADP, Workday, BambooHR and UKG Pro, plus REST APIs and webhooks.Based on Notable integrations: ADP, Workday, BambooHR, UKG Pro, Salesforce, Zoom, Webex
- Is Absorb LMS SOC 2 compliant?
- Absorb states that it completed the SOC 2 Type 2 examination and that the platform is WCAG 2.1 compliant.Based on SOC 2 Type II: Yes
Coverage of core corporate LMS capabilities
Each core capability we evaluate in Corporate LMS, checked against Absorb LMS’s own documentation. “Not verified yet” means we have not confirmed it either way, not that it is missing.
11 verified of 11 core capabilities
Corporate LMS
- Course catalog
- Assignment and enrollment rules
- SCORM and xAPI support
- Completion tracking and records
- Reminders and escalation
- Recertification tracking
- Reporting and export
- Authoring and content library
- Instructor-led sessions
- HRIS integration and user sync
- Accessibility and mobile
Specifications
Pricing
- Price transparency
- Quote only
Fit
- Countries supported
- Customers in 34 countries
Product
- Modules
- Learning management (LMS), Absorb Create (AI course authoring), Absorb Amplify content library, Absorb Skills, eCommerce, Aura AI agents
- Mobile apps
- iOS, Android
- AI features
- Absorb Create course generation, Aura learning and admin agents, Intelligent assist for admins
Integrations
- Open API
- Yes
- API type
- REST
- Webhooks
- Yes
Absorb LMS integrations
5 integrations we documented, by how they connect. Absorb LMS reports 40 native integrations in total.
Absorb LMS integration coverage
The 9 apps that corporate LMS products document most often, and whether Absorb LMS documents each.
4 of the 9 most-connected apps documented by Absorb LMS; median of the 8 products compared: 5
- BambooHR · documented by 7 of 8
- Zoom · documented by 7 of 8
- Microsoft Teams · documented by 6 of 8
- Salesforce · documented by 6 of 8
- Slack · documented by 4 of 8
- Workday · documented by 4 of 8
- ADP Workforce Now · documented by 3 of 8
- Okta · documented by 3 of 8
- ADP · documented by 2 of 8
Integrations each vendor documents (native, marketplace, Zapier or API), 8 live corporate LMS products. Not documented does not mean not possible.
Where it ranks
- #6 of 7 scoredCorporate LMS
- #4 of 6 scoredCorporate LMS for Enterprises
- #6 of 7 scoredCorporate LMS for Mid-Sized Companies
- #3 of 3 scoredCorporate LMS for Small Business
Absorb LMS alternatives
Security and compliance
- SOC 2 Type IIYes
- GDPR programYes
- Single sign-onYes
About Absorb Software
- Headquarters
- Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Ownership
- Private equity-backed
Official profiles
Absorb LMS: frequently asked questions
Who owns Absorb LMS?
Absorb Software is based in Calgary, Canada; in 2021 it agreed to be acquired by the private equity firm Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe from Silversmith Capital Partners.
Does Absorb LMS have a mobile app?
Yes, for iOS and Android, and it works online and offline.
Does Absorb LMS use AI?
Yes. Absorb Create generates draft courses from a topic, outline, document or presentation, and Aura adds AI agents for learners, managers and admins.
What is Absorb LMS used for?
Absorb LMS is a corporate LMS product built for small businesses, mid-market companies, and enterprises. Its modules include Learning management, Absorb Create, Absorb Amplify content library, Absorb Skills, and 2 more.
What are the best alternatives to Absorb LMS?
In our corporate LMS ranking, the highest-scored products other than Absorb LMS are 360Learning, TalentLMS, and iSpring LMS. Compared side by side, by reason to switch: Absorb LMS alternatives.
What are the pros and cons of Absorb LMS?
Strengths documented on the vendor’s own pages: managed HR connectors, compliance automation, and large content library. It is less suited to buyers who want a published price before a sales call and teams that require ISO 27001 certification, which Absorb does not state on its compliance page.
Does Absorb LMS have an API?
Yes. Absorb LMS offers an open API (REST) to customers, with webhooks for event updates.
Is Absorb LMS good for small businesses?
Absorb LMS lists small businesses among the company sizes it is built for (small businesses, mid-market companies, and enterprises). It ranks #3 of 3 in our corporate LMS for small businesses.
Is Absorb LMS right for your team?
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