Learning Management Systems: A Comparative Analysis of Open-Source and Proprietary Platforms

In the context of distance education, the choice of platform for content delivery becomes a critical success factor. This paper analyzes the state of the art of e-learning platforms, Learning Management Systems and sums up a comparative analysis of some of the most popular open-source and proprietary. I test results on the comparison between the 27 different platforms and e-learning, show that at present there is still a significant gap between open source and proprietary platforms, particularly with regard to the characteristics of social networks.