Absorb LMS vs Disco

Absorb LMS is a cloud learning management system from Absorb Software, headquartered in Calgary, Canada. It is used by more than 3,700 organizations to run compliance, onboarding, upskilling and external training, and was named a Leader in the 2025 Forrester Wave for learning management systems. In 2026 the company moved its web presence from absorblms.com to absorbai.com to emphasize its AI features, while the product keeps the Absorb LMS name.

The core LMS handles courses, learning paths, certifications, automated enrollment rules, with separate branded portals for employees, customers and partners. Add-on modules extend it: Absorb Create for AI-assisted course authoring, Engage for social learning and gamification, Analyze for reporting, Skills for skill mapping across 12,000+ job skills, Amplify with 20,000+ ready-made courses, and a commission-free eCommerce module for selling courses. Pricing is quote-only and based on learner volume.

Absorb fits mid-size and large organizations, including those that train frontline staff, resellers or franchisees, and want one platform with strong admin automation. Docebo is the closest enterprise rival with a heavier AI and content marketplace pitch, while TalentLMS is far cheaper and faster to launch for small teams with published pricing.

In May 2026 Absorb introduced Absorb Aura, a set of AI agents that answer learner questions, draft courses and automate admin work. When requesting a quote, ask which modules are bundled, since Create, Engage and Analyze are typically priced separately.

Disco is a learning platform from Disco Inc., a remote-first company based in Toronto and founded in 2020 by Candice Faktor, formerly of Wattpad, and Chris Sukornyk. It raised a $15 million round led by GSV Ventures in 2022. Disco helps organizations build branded academies that mix self-paced courses, live cohorts, events and community in one place, for customer education, member programs, partner enablement or employee training.

Admins can generate a program outline with AI, then build lessons with video, assignments and quizzes, run live events, and keep members engaged with channels, threads, DMs, groups, leaderboards and smart nudges. AI tools include a curriculum builder, quiz generator, video transcripts and summaries, audio narration, image generation, community moderation and Ask AI, which answers learner questions from program content. Payments run through Stripe, and Enterprise adds API and webhooks, SAML SSO and branded iOS and Android apps. The public plans are Organization and Enterprise.

Disco fits associations, training companies and businesses running cohort programs where community matters as much as content. Circle and Mighty Networks are stronger pure community tools with lower entry prices, Thinkific is a simpler course store, and Skool is far cheaper for creators. At $399 per month and up, Disco is priced for organizations rather than solo creators.

Ask AI lets learners query program knowledge directly. The 14-day trial is the best way to test the AI course builder on your own material before committing to annual billing.