How much does it cost to switch LMS?

The direct cost of switching is usually smaller than people fear. It breaks down into:

• Brief overlap — paying for the old and new system together for two to four weeks during migration.
• Your team's time — exporting data, re-importing SCORM courses, and rebuilding anything that didn't transfer.
• Optional migration help — many vendors include this free or for a modest one-off fee.

What you save often outweighs it: lower subscription cost, no more server and maintenance bills (if you're leaving self-hosted Moodle), and far less admin time.

To keep switching cheap: archive courses you no longer run, move only what's active, and ask the new vendor what migration assistance is included. When comparing, look at total cost of ownership — software plus hosting plus staff time — not just the sticker price.