Looking for Simpliv vs Lynda comparison ? In this we will share detailed comparison between 2 online learning platforms Lynda and Simpliv.
Time was when the only medium of education that the world knew was classroom training. Teachers came on time, as did the students. We were taught exactly what was written in the textbooks, and we had examinations to assess the extent to which we had imbibed what we had been taught.
Fast forward to a couple of decades back, and the world of education is radically different. Most of the world continues to learn in classrooms, but a new component has added tremendous value to what we are learning and has complemented it: online courses. A typical offshoot of the technologies that have been making inroads into every aspect of our lives, these Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) have moved in to make a paradigm shift in the way education is being imparted and consumed.
Once it became apparent that the massive area of education was going to undergo climactic changes that alter their very core; a number of players-predictably led by the tech companies-jumped on the bandwagon to explore the prospects. The reason for this rush is easy to understand: this market is huge; it is growing, and it is global.
The market for online learning has been growing very sharply in many parts of the world for a few years now. It is the near-explosion of learning platforms, fueled by technologies, that many companies have eyed and exploited. Some have understood this market so well that, being early starters, they have brought about a whole new dimension to this market. One such company is Lynda. It is this online learning platform that I will take up for some fairly detailed dissection in this blog.
A Merc vs Chevy comparison
As I get down to analyzing the features of this platform, I will do so with a reference. At the other end of this analysis is the relatively new entrant into this burgeoning market, Fremont, CA-based Simpliv Learning. What is the rationale for this comparison (although this is a bit of a misnomer since I will for the most part narrate and describe the two platforms and explain their salient features to help you decide which to choose)?
This is the basis for my reasoning: it is common to find comparisons and assessments between what are more or less equals. I have not really made or come across comparisons between two platforms that are unlike each other. Again, does it make sense to talk in the same breath about what are essentially as different from each other as chalk is from cheese?
Yes, and this is why I say so: you have both a Merc and a Chevy in the market. Is every buyer a potential customer for only the premium brand? How many people out there even think of buying a model of this aspirational make? The overwhelming proportion of buyers are those who look for simple, affordable brands. This does not make Merc meaningless; all that it means is that there are a few dozen Chevy buyers for every single unit of Merc.
I hope you are now getting an idea of what I am driving at. Lynda is the real Benz of the global online learning market. And, with complete justification. What else do you expect a company that was acquired by none lesser than LinkedIn, that too, for a princely amount of a billion and a half dollars, to be? With this kind of history, it is but natural to expect Lynda to be right there, at the top. Didn’t I say it is the equivalent of elitist Merc?
Where does this leave the other players in the market? What about the likes of players like Simpliv? At the cost of repeating myself, I want to reiterate that Lynda and Simpliv are as different to each other as one can imagine. Yet, it is the players such as Simpliv that really make and define the online learning market. I am not suggesting that Lynda is redundant; all that I am saying is that it is for those ultra-classy, super elitist market, which, my guess is, should make up not more than a small fraction of the market.
Now, on to the core of this discussion: what does Simpliv have up its sleeve, and what does Lynda offer? Which should you choose between the two, and what are your benefits of choosing either? This is what I will be explaining in detail over the next few paragraphs.
First of all, let me start with an overview of how the two are alike and unlike each other.
Simpliv vs Lynda: Overview
While this table could give you a glimpse of what you can expect from these two platforms, it is necessary to get down to more detail about what these platforms are, which I believe will do justice to this blog.
About Lynda
Lynda, named eponymously for its founder, is an old name in the online learning space. Lynda is a LinkedIn offering. It was acquired by LinkedIn in 2015 and was rechristened LinkedIn Learning in late 2017. It has today positioned itself as a provider that offers highly industry-fit courses that suit almost any learning need and profession.
Lynda offers courses based on a subscription model. It offers an initial free subscription for a month, after which it becomes a paid service. At $25 a month, its subscription cost is not very expensive, but it is the cost of the individual courses that will leave you agape. I had to pinch myself many times to believe that a course such as a figure drawing costs something in the region of $1400. Yes, you are reading that figure right, and I am saying this to reconfirm my own eyesight. Agreed, these could be very high-value courses, but what defense would I give to my market if I were Lynda and priced a course at this astronomical level?
Does Lynda have a justification for this kind of price? Is it the demand this topic has in the market? Is it the narrowed down focus of this topic? Or is it the reputation of the expert? I don’t know. No matter what, it is extremely difficult to come to terms with gargantuan figures such as this.
That said, I have not really been appointed by Lynda to advise them on their pricing strategy. So, let us move on to the other items on the plate. I would like to devote the next few paragraphs to giving you some kind of a bird’s eye view of their features.
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Bunch of Features
Just like how the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, the way to Lynda is through LinkedIn Learning! This means that, as claimed on its website, all of its tutors and courses have been shifted totally to LinkedIn Learning. What does this mean to the user?
The strategy is not difficult to understand. As we are all aware, LinkedIn is the world’s largest network of professionals, and going by their figure, they are a social network of some half a billion professionals around the world. So, by routing Lynda through LinkedIn Learning, what this brand does is simple: cater to the needs of the professional. This should give be the basis for understanding the kind of courses one can expect from this platform. It is for the professional, the professional, and the professional.
No matter what kind of professional you are, you are sure to find a course on Lynda that is tailored to your exact professional needs. You could be looking for growth in your profession as an IT professional, or a bartender, or a public speaker, or a teacher. There is almost no profession or trade or skill that is left uncovered by Lynda. All of its courses are offered under these six broad heads:
The relevant image here for these six points:
Want to know how good is PluralSight and if it is the right platform for you to begin learning? Check out this review about PluralSight and find out if you should consider it for learning new skills.
Lynda Courses
As regards the quantity and the quality of these courses, there is quite nothing to comment. The courses are superbly well rounded, perfectly appropriate, and very well crafted. On top of its credibility, the learner also gets certified for learning a course.
Learning Paths
If one were to make a discussion about Lynda, the highpoint is this feature called Learning Paths. No talk about Lynda is complete without it. This is the real USP on which this platform is built. So, what is it?
Lynda Learning Paths is a collection of courses that are on the practical aspect of learning. Yes, you do get practical with many courses, such as IT-related ones. But the trick here is that these courses teach you whatever you need to learn and master a focused, narrowed down topic. It is common to have a generalized course such as public speaking, for example. But what Lynda Learning Paths does is to break this broad topic further and get down to a specific aspect of it. This is normally in the areas that will give learners a headstart in the industry they want to learn.
Take for instance the broad topic of business. A look at this collection will give you an idea of what kind of topics are covered under Learning Paths. Where Learning Paths differs is that it offers a collection of courses that relate to the specifics of a business, and this is where it really impresses. See what you get under business:
Lynda Business Courses
This is a very, very small list of literally hundreds of such courses that you will find. And, this is just one broad category that I listed. So, you can imagine the depth and variety of these courses.
And on top of the usual features such as flexibility and certification upon completion, the real value from these courses is that they are practical. The courses are designed to make the learner get not just academic, textual knowledge, but real practical skills needed to advance in their careers.
I have yet to describe the real differentiator of these courses: its teachers. Can you imagine someone like Guy Kawasaki being on the panel of teachers for Learning Paths? Additionally, you have real industry leaders teaching their respective specializations.
Definitely, these factors make Lynda a highly reliable and reputable platform for learning for professionals.
All these features sit on top of a very exquisitely designed website. Its core features stand out and make an immediate mark on the visitor. It is factors such as design and navigability for which I would love to hand full marks to Lynda. A look at these aspects will convince you that if LinkedIn could eye Lynda and eventually purchase it, there must have been a real justification behind it.
About Simpliv
Simpliv Features
Simpliv goes by its image of being a platform for learning for everyone. By this, it means that it is a platform into which anyone, even those with little money, can enroll into. So, what Lynda is to the executive (and the super-rich, in some cases), Simpliv is for the man on the street. By this, I mean that Simpliv is just the right platform for anyone who is interested in learning and acquiring lifechanging or profession enhancing skills. This is a platform that you have to go to if you want to do either of these.
So, where does that pit Simpliv against Lynda? Is it a match between unquails? Then, have I wasted time and energy in making this comparison between incompatible entities? Not really. My assessment is simple:
Lynda is Lynda, and Simpliv is Simpliv. If you want to choose Lynda, go to Lynda. Likewise, if you want to choose Simpliv, go to Simpliv. I have just explained the kind of market segment that Lynda aims to cater to. In the same way, Simpliv has its task cut out in catering to its own segment. Which is this? Anyone. Anywhere. One from any financial status.
Does this mean that Simpliv’s courses are not as good as Lynda’s, and serves no real purpose? No. Simpliv’s courses carry their own value, and this is good, both in itself and in comparison, to Lynda’s. What I mean is that Simpliv’s courses do not fade in comparison to Lynda’s. No way. Simpliv is a no-frills, no-exuberance, purpose-serving platform. It had better be, if its courses start at under $3.
That brings me to the most important reason for which I have chosen to compare these two platforms that are, to repeat the exact words I used earlier, as different from each other as chalk is to cheese. Simpliv’s courses start at low single digits. This is the single most important reason for which you should choose Simpliv because if this is your kind of budget, you had better forget Lynda.
I want to reiterate that Simpliv’s courses are no pushovers. You get just what you need for gaining knowledge in almost any area of learning, and to grow in your career, and to close any skills gaps. What more does one need from a teaching platform? Simpliv offers just what not only Lynda but any other MOOC platforms offer:
Simpliv Advantages
A look at some of the Simpliv technical courses it has on its platform convinced me fully about the credibility and value of its courses. Mind you, this is a list of just its Development courses. Obviously, you don’t expect too much more from a learning platform. Almost all the courses, without exception, are priced at just under $10.
In addition, Simpliv also offers courses under different levels. It has courses under these levels:
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
And, Simpliv also has another very attractive feature: its language mediums. Its teaching is not restricted to only English. You could be taking its courses in Azerbaijani, Bengali, Arabic, Sinhala, or many other languages. This is a lovely little way of getting down to the learner’s most intimate learning needs.
I am not done yet. Simpliv’s courses are trusted by companies as reputable as Apple, Accenture, Capgemini, HP, Siemens, and many more. All these points to the fact that something that is inexpensive need not be worthless. If there could be a better means of spending this money, you could consider doing so.
Another value-adding component
Simpliv’s value addition does not end here. It also has a handsome collection of course bundles. It is like the packages you buy at a mall. Don’t soaps and deodorants add value to your cosmetics list when they are clubbed with something like fragrances? The idea is to offer more to the buyer at less. Instead of buying items singly, which could cost more, you could buy a bundle of related items, all of which, when bought as one bunch, cost lesser.
That is how Simpliv’s course bundles work. Take a look at its course bundle on public speaking, for instance. For choosing this bundle, you get a pack of 10 courses related to public speaking. All of these combined could cost you quite a lot, but when you buy them as a bundle package, you get a very solid discount.
Simpliv has courses at higher prices, too!
All this should not lull you into thinking that Simpliv is only for those who are looking for alternative means of spending money that they wanted to put on a coffee. It has courses that are priced well. This may surprise you after everything that I have told you about this platform till now. But that is the fact:
It has virtual live training courses. These are not the same as the thousands of courses that it offers for under $10. These are offered in both live and recorded formats. Where these courses differ from the usual ones is that they are offered as a complete package, just like any other regular classes that you would take by attending classroom training.
This is an example of how this course works:
Take this ITIL® 4 Foundation Certification Training course as an example.
The course objective is preparing the learner to pass the ITIL 4 Foundation examination. It does so by reinforcing adequate comprehension and recall of the ITIL 4 service management framework. This framework leads to the ITIL 4 Foundation qualification, which is a fundamental requirement for attaining the ITIL 4 higher level qualification. As can be expected, this is not a course for everyone. It is for those who want to augment their careers in IT service management.
So, here goes it. Simpliv is not all about just inexpensive courses. It commands a price where its courses are critical to helping learners pass important exams or grades. Here, too, it has sufficient price waivers on these courses.
Now, a few closing thoughts…
I have all along been saying in this Simpliv vs Lynda blog that this isn’t really a direct comparison. I’m not saying this in the sense that a comparison between these two platforms is meaningless and unwarranted. Rather, my aim is to make you, my readers, understand what these two platforms are, and what to expect from either.
To just go back to what I started with, this is a Benz and Chevrolet type of brand we are talking about. Most people may love to own and romance a Merc. But is it really called for? The Merc is a fantasy car. It is what you would drive to show the world that you have arrived.
But then, there is that luxury vs need paradigm. A Merc fulfills a very niche need. At the other end, a Chevy is what someone who needs a car should look for. It is light on the pocket, easy to buy and service, and most important of all, serves its purpose. If you are looking for something beyond what most cars offer in terms of need, go for the German giant. Or else, choose the Chevy safely and wisely.
Pricing Simpliv vs Lynda
Lynda
Testimonials Simpliv vs Lynda
Customer Review Of Simpliv
Customer Review Of Lynda
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Conclusion: Simpliv vs Lynda 2024
Simpliv: 9/10 for all the qualities described above
Lynda: 9/10, again, for all that I have told you it is!
