Absorb LMS vs Circle
Absorb LMS and Circle are both online courses & LMS tools. Absorb LMS is aimed at enterprise and small businesses, while Circle is aimed at creators and small businesses.
Enterprise LMS for employee, customer and partner training
All-in-one community platform for creators and brands
| Pricing | Paid | Paid · $89 |
| Starting price | Not published | $89/mo |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Free trial | — | 14 days |
| Built for | Enterprise, Small businesses | Creators, Small businesses |
| Platforms | web, ios, android | web, ios, android |
| Country | CA | US · 2020 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose Absorb LMS if
Mid-size and enterprise organizations that run compliance, onboarding and partner training at scale and want strong admin automation.
- Strong admin automation that reduces manual enrollments
- Handles internal and external audiences in one system
- Clean learner interface with a mobile app
Look elsewhere if: Small teams wanting quick setup and transparent pricing, or creators selling courses to the public (TalentLMS, Thinkific, LearnWorlds).
Choose Circle if
Creators and companies who want a premium, branded community with courses and payments.
- Polished, flexible community experience
- Courses, events and payments in one
- Strong for creators and B2B communities alike
Look elsewhere if: Budget communities (Skool, Discord) or knowledge-heavy forums (Discourse).
Absorb LMS vs Circle pricing
Absorb LMS
- Absorb LMSCustomQuote based on learner count; demo required
Circle
- Professional$89/moBilled annually; unlimited members, 3 admins, 2% transaction fee
- Business$199/moBilled annually; 5 admins, 1% transaction fee, workflows, API
- Scale$419/moBilled annually; 10 admins, 1% transaction fee, AI agents
- Circle PlusCustomBranded mobile apps, unlimited admins, 0.5% transaction fee
Absorb LMS · Key features
- Separate branded portals for employees, customers and partners
- Automated enrollment rules, learning paths and recertification
- Absorb Aura AI agents for learners, authors and admins
- Absorb Create for AI-assisted course authoring
- Absorb Skills with a library of 12,000+ job skills
- Absorb Amplify catalog with 20,000+ off-the-shelf courses
Cons
- No published pricing; every deal requires a sales process
- Key modules like Create, Engage and Analyze cost extra
- Overkill for small teams with simple training needs
Circle · Key features
- Spaces for posts, chat, events and courses
- Live streams and video rooms
- Paid memberships, tiers and gated spaces
- Workflows for automation and member journeys
- Branded mobile apps (Plus)
- AI agent, analytics and API
Cons
- Price plus transaction fees
- Branded app is a significant add-on
- Search and threading can be weaker than forums
Absorb LMS vs Circle: FAQ
Do Absorb LMS and Circle have a free plan?
Absorb LMS has no free plan. Circle has no free plan, a 14-day free trial.