Choosing a learning management system (LMS) is a big decision. The right platform can streamline operations, support learners effectively, and scale with your organization. But increasingly, LMS providers aren’t just offering the platform—they’re also offering to build your courses.
That raises a critical question: Should you let the same vendor handle both the LMS and the course content?
On the surface, it seems efficient. One contract, one team, less hassle. But look a little closer, and the answer becomes more nuanced. Let’s break it down.
The Appeal of a Single Vendor
1. Simplicity and Speed
Working with one partner means fewer moving parts. Fewer meetings. Fewer contracts. Fewer handoffs. That can translate to faster project timelines and smoother execution. You don’t have to worry about your content team misunderstanding how the LMS works—or vice versa.
For teams with limited internal resources or tight deadlines, this can be a major plus. It’s a plug-and-play approach: the LMS provider builds your training, uploads it, and you’re ready to launch.
2. Built-In Compatibility
An LMS provider who also builds your content will (in theory) know exactly how to optimize courses for their platform. That can mean cleaner user experiences, fewer technical hiccups, and smoother integration with platform features—like assessments, badges, SCORM/xAPI support, or mobile learning.
When different vendors are involved, compatibility issues can crop up. You might end up playing project manager, trying to get the platform and course developers to speak the same language.
The Case for Separation
But there are good reasons to pause before handing both roles to the same partner.
1. Expertise Isn’t Always Transferable
Just because a company builds a good LMS doesn’t mean they’re expert instructional designers.
Course development is a different discipline. It requires understanding adult learning theory, accessibility standards, user engagement strategies, and more. Some LMS vendors build courses as an add-on service, but their instructional design chops might be shallow—or heavily templated.
If learning outcomes matter (and they should), you want a team that specializes in creating effective, engaging content—not just dumping text into slides.
2. Risk of Vendor Lock-In
When one vendor controls both your platform and your content, it can be harder to switch down the road.
Maybe your LMS no longer fits your needs. But your content is tied up in a proprietary format. Or maybe your courses were built specifically for that platform’s quirks and won’t play nicely elsewhere. Now you’re stuck—or facing a costly migration.
Keeping content and platform development separate can protect your flexibility and negotiating power over time.
3. Blurred Accountability
If something’s not working—learners are dropping off, performance metrics are weak—who’s to blame? The platform? The content?
When both come from the same provider, it can be harder to get clear answers. Some vendors might point fingers internally or offer vague explanations. With separate teams, you can more easily identify problems, ask sharper questions, and push for fixes.
Questions to Ask Before You Decide
If you’re considering letting your LMS provider also develop your courses, here are some hard questions to ask:
1. What’s their track record in course design?
Ask to see sample courses. Not just pretty screenshots—actual walkthroughs. Are they engaging? Are they mobile-friendly? Are they built for learners or just to check boxes?
Find out who’s doing the design. Are they experienced instructional designers? Or just project managers outsourcing it elsewhere?
2. Can I reuse this content if I switch platforms?
Make sure your content will be exportable and standards-compliant (e.g., SCORM, xAPI). Ask for assurances in writing. Don’t wait until you’re trying to leave to find out your content is locked in.
3. Do they follow accessibility standards?
This is non-negotiable. Courses should meet WCAG 2.1 guidelines to be usable by people with disabilities. Ask how they test for accessibility—and what happens if a course fails.
4. Who owns the IP?
Clarify who owns the intellectual property of the courses. Some vendors might try to retain ownership or reuse your content elsewhere. You want full rights, especially if you’ve paid for development.
5. What’s their design process like?
Look for a collaborative approach, not a black box. You should have input on the tone, voice, and visuals. A good partner will involve subject matter experts and adapt to your audience—not just recycle templates.
When It Makes Sense to Keep It Together
There are situations where having one partner do both platform and content makes perfect sense.
You need to launch fast: If you’re under pressure to deliver training quickly and don’t have time to coordinate multiple vendors, a one-stop shop might be your best move.
You’re building simple compliance training: Not every course needs a cinematic, interactive experience. If it’s standard policy training or basic onboarding, you might be okay with templated content.
You trust the vendor’s design team: If they have a proven track record and you like what they’ve built for others, it could be a win.
You plan to stay with the LMS long-term: If you’re confident you won’t switch platforms for years, the risk of lock-in is less urgent.
When to Keep Them Separate
Other times, it’s smarter to split the roles:
You want high-impact learning: If the stakes are high—training frontline employees, launching a new product, changing behavior—you want a team that lives and breathes instructional design.
You value long-term flexibility: Separating platform and content gives you more control. You can upgrade either one without starting from scratch.
You already have strong internal expertise: If you’ve got instructional designers in-house, you may just need a tech partner, not a content creator.
Hybrid Options: The Best of Both Worlds?
You don’t necessarily have to go all-in with one approach.
Some organizations work with the LMS provider for technical setup and platform support, but bring in an external instructional design agency for course development.
Others use their LMS partner for basic, off-the-shelf courses—and outsource custom content elsewhere.
Another model: your team builds courses in-house, but the LMS provider offers guidance, templates, or toolkits to speed up development.
The key is defining clear boundaries and making sure each partner plays to their strengths.
Final Thought
Letting your LMS provider also build your courses can offer convenience—but it’s not always the smartest move.
Before you consolidate vendors, ask whether it’s saving you time or costing you quality, flexibility, or future options.
In the end, your learners don’t care how many vendors you used. They care whether the course works. Whether it’s clear. Whether it helps them do their jobs better.
That’s what should guide your decision.
About LMS Portals
At LMS Portals, we provide our clients and partners with a mobile-responsive, SaaS-based, multi-tenant learning management system that allows you to launch a dedicated training environment (a portal) for each of your unique audiences.
The system includes built-in, SCORM-compliant rapid course development software that provides a drag and drop engine to enable most anyone to build engaging courses quickly and easily.
We also offer a complete library of ready-made courses, covering most every aspect of corporate training and employee development.
If you choose to, you can create Learning Paths to deliver courses in a logical progression and add structure to your training program. The system also supports Virtual Instructor-Led Training (VILT) and provides tools for social learning.
Together, these features make LMS Portals the ideal SaaS-based eLearning platform for our clients and our Reseller partners.
Contact us today to get started or visit our Partner Program pages
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