Comparing different systems
TMS, LMS or Event Software?
How training management software compares with the other systems you’ll come across.
The complete guide
What Is Training Management Software?
What it does, how it helps, and why Dante stands out. A complete guide answering what is training management software, covering key features, benefits, and how to choose the right solution for your business.
- Seamless course schedulingCourses, trainers and venues in one place
- Smart delegate managementAttendance, bookings and certificates
- Built-in finance & invoicingSend invoices and track payments
- CRM & online bookingClients and bookings through your website
Streamline your training business
Training Management Software in Practice
Training Management Software centralises your admin, from scheduling to communication, making it easier to run, track, and scale training from one place.
One Platform for the Business of Training
So, what is training management software in practice? It’s a platform that streamlines your operations by automating admin tasks like scheduling, bookings, and delegate management. This reduces manual work, boosts team productivity, and frees up time to focus on growth and client acquisition.
A modern TMS:
- Online bookings, invoicing and account management
- Fill more seats, maximise attendance and get paid faster
- Growth that isn’t limited by team size
TMS vs training management system
Software or System?
In practice, there’s no difference. While “system” can suggest a more complete, all-in-one solution and “software” might imply a narrower focus, providers use the terms interchangeably. Training management software and training management system mean the same thing.
TMS vs learning management software (LMS)
Run Training, or Deliver It?
A TMS manages the business side of training: scheduling, bookings, finance, resources and reporting. An LMS delivers the training: hosting e-learning content, tracking learner progress and managing certifications. Many organisations use both to cover the full training lifecycle.
TMS vs event management software (EMS)
One-Off Events, or Ongoing Training?
EMS is built for one-off events like conferences or expos. It lacks the core features training providers need, like course scheduling, delegate management, and a training-specific CRM. For ongoing or high-volume training delivery, a dedicated TMS is the better fit.
In short
In short, a TMS helps you run your training business efficiently, while an LMS helps you deliver and track learning content.
Key features
Most Important Features in a TMS
The features that matter most when you’re choosing training management software, and what each one does for your training business.
01Course Management
Every Course, From Creation to Delivery
Create new courses in minutes and manage every stage of delivery from the same platform. Assign personnel, schedule dates and keep track of bookings to ensure attendance rates are high enough on every course.
02Delegate Management
Fill Seats and Bring Delegates Back
Manage delegates across courses with dedicated tools for refresher training, group bookings, cancellations, transfers and more, to help you fill seats on every course and encourage customers to book again.
03Course Booking System
Turn Website Visitors Into Bookings
Turn your website into a complete online booking system with an integrated checkout, payment gateway and customer portal. Convert web traffic into paying customers and fill courses with instant, automated bookings.
04Training CRM
Every Customer Relationship in One Place
Keep all of your customer data in one place and use it to nurture ongoing relationships. Identify high-value customers, prioritise their needs and provide tailored experiences effortlessly, to maximise revenue through repeat bookings.
05Accounting & Finance
Invoicing and Payments Without the Pain
Take the pain out of managing accounts and finances with automated invoicing, payment reminders, custom price agreements and plenty more. Integrate with your current accounting software to keep using the tools you trust.
06Automation
Grow Without Growing Your Team
Drive growth and increase revenue without creating additional work or building a larger team. Build a more profitable training business by removing inefficiencies and growth bottlenecks that hold you back from expanding.
Who needs a TMS?
Built for Anyone Who Provides Training
Dante’s training management software is designed for any organisation that provides training services, including:
- CPD training providers
- Commercial training companies
- Training departments for corporations
- Universities
- In-house training departments
- Extended enterprises that train clients, dealers, partners, and more
Internal training
Training Your Own People
Where individuals within the organisation are trained as part of their employment or membership. Internal training teams often require simpler tools, focused on scheduling, attendance and training records.
External training
Training Paying Customers
Where companies provide training services for paying customers, and need advanced features like online booking, payment gateways, invoicing, and CRM integration.
Who uses it
The People It Helps Most
A TMS delivers the most value to daily users such as training managers, admins, HR staff, and sales teams: anyone involved in organising or selling courses. Trainers use it to see their upcoming courses and record attendance on the day, while managers use its reports to plan ahead and track performance across the business.
Dante offers solutions for both
Essentials or Professional
Essentials is ideal for managing internal training or launching a small training business. Professional adds online booking, enhanced CRM, advanced reporting, and automation to boost efficiency.
Why use an online TMS?
The Benefits of an Online TMS
Why training providers run their business online: everything in one place, available anywhere, with the admin done for you.
All Your Data in One Place
A 360° view of performance, with delegate profiles and communications stored securely and accessible anytime, anywhere, from any device.
Easy Course Management
Schedule courses up to one year in advance, without the risk of double bookings, with real-time availability for venues, instructors and other resources.
Grow Your Training Business
Online bookings 24/7, live resource availability, automated invoicing and a training CRM help you run more courses, fill more seats and increase revenue.
Automate Repetitive Tasks
Automate bookings, emails, accounting and resource management, so your team can focus on revenue, with fewer clerical mistakes and less burnout.
How to choose the right TMS
Six Steps to Choosing a TMS
Implementing a training management system is a significant investment, so you want to get it right the first time. Here are the key steps to follow when choosing a TMS.
Step 01 · Identify your goals
Identify Your Goals
Before choosing a TMS, make sure you have a clear understanding of your goals. Are you looking to reduce manual admin, improve communication or increase course completion rates? Or perhaps your existing platform is too complex or lacks features you need. Whatever your objectives, pick a solution that satisfies them.
Check:
- Less manual admin
- Better communication
- Higher course completion rates
Step 02 · Set a timeline
Set a Timeline With Milestones
With all the research, testing and negotiation involved, it can take months to find the right system, and it’s easy to lose sight of your goals. Set a timeline with fixed milestones to keep your targets on track through implementation and beyond.
Check:
- Implementation dates
- Completion deadlines
- Monthly or quarterly reviews
Step 03 · Consider future needs
Consider Your Future Needs, Too
As your company grows, so do your demands on a TMS. Make sure it can keep delivering what you need, and calculate how much it will cost as you upgrade or increase usage, as many platforms charge for usage too.
Check:
- Room to grow with you
- The cost as you upgrade
- Charges for usage
Step 04 · Choose the right plan
Choose the Right Plan
Most TMS providers sell their platform across complex plans and pricing models, so understand what you need first. To make life easier, Dante runs two scalable plans for businesses at different stages of growth, with no complex pricing or hidden fees.
Check:
- What you need from a TMS
- Plans and pricing models compared
- No hidden fees
Step 05 · Check implementation
Check the Implementation Process
A TMS acts as the core of your business, so it needs an implementation process that includes a demo or free trial, training, data import, customisation and potentially more. Ask providers about their process, its cost and the time frame.
Check:
- A demo or free trial
- Training and data import
- Cost and time frame
Step 06 · Ask about support
Ask About Customer Support
With a TMS at the heart of your business, technical issues can grind progress to a halt. Check what support is provided on each plan, and whether it will be enough on the day you run into problems.
Check:
- Email, live chat or phone
- What each plan includes
- Fast, responsive help
3 mistakes to avoid
Avoid These Mistakes When Choosing a TMS
Here are the three things to avoid when choosing a TMS, so the system you pick works for you from day one.
Mistake 01 · Small print
Not Checking the Small Print
TMS contracts often include auto-renewal clauses, restrictive exit terms, or minimum notice periods. Read the full agreement, particularly around contract length, cancellation rights, and what happens to your data if you leave.
With Dante:
- No contracts and no lock-in: two flat-rate plans, with the same fee every month and nothing hidden in the small print.
Mistake 02 · Full cost
Not Knowing the Full Cost
The headline price rarely tells the whole story. Factor in onboarding fees, data migration, additional user licences, and any charges per booking or delegate, and get a total cost of ownership figure before you commit.
With Dante:
- No hidden fees, and the fee checker on our pricing page shows your monthly cost up front.
Mistake 03 · Wrong features
Chasing the Wrong Features
The features you’ll use day-to-day matter more than the ones that look good in a demo. Focus on the core workflows your team relies on, like course scheduling, bookings and invoicing, and make sure those work exactly as you need.
With Dante:
- A free demo of the workflows you use, then Dante configured for your business from day one.
What makes Dante different?
Refined Over 30+ Years
Built for productivity. Designed for ease. Backed by decades of experience. We focus on simplicity, not bloated features, and customise and integrate Dante to fit your business.
Training Without Limits
No limits on courses, delegates, schedules, trainers or other resources.
Simple Pricing, No Hidden Fees
Two flat-rate plans: the same fee every month, with no contracts or surprises.
Enterprise-Grade Support
Phone and email support from our UK-based team, for every customer on every plan.
Configured for Your Business
Automation workflows, custom fields and reports set up for you from day one.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Your Questions Answered
Here you’ll find answers to common questions about our training management software, to help you understand how it can work for your organisation.
How much does a TMS cost?
Training management software varies in pricing and most providers offer several plans at different price points. Many TMS providers charge a range of additional fees so make sure you understand the full cost before signing up. Dante is priced differently. We run two plans with simple pricing, no hidden fees and rolling monthly contracts so you can cancel at any time – take a look at our pricing page for more info.
What is training management software?
Training management software streamlines the day-to-day running of your training company so you can increase profitability and grow your business.
Features typically include course scheduling, delegate management, resource assignments, online course booking and other tools to automate or speed up admin tasks that normally take minutes or hours.
Who needs a training management system?
A training management system is essential for anyone in the business of delivering courses. It’s particularly valuable for:
- Commercial training providers offering health & safety, compliance, technical, or professional development courses
- Specialist training companies in sectors like construction (CSCS, IPAF), logistics, hospitality, or skills training
- Multi-venue training businesses managing tutors, resources, and schedules across locations
- L&D teams in councils, NHS trusts, and large organisations managing internal training programmes
If you’re currently using spreadsheets, multiple disconnected tools, or generic event software to manage your training business, a purpose-built TMS will streamline your operations and help you scale efficiently.
Can I try Dante’s TMS for free?
Yes. You can book a personalised demo to explore Dante’s Training Management Software with no obligation and no credit card details required. During the demo, our team will walk you through the core features, answer your questions, and show you how the system can support your specific training operations.
This gives you the opportunity to see how everything works in practice, from course scheduling and delegate management to reporting and automation. If you decide to move forward, we’ll guide you through the full implementation process, including system setup, data migration, and configuration tailored to your business requirements. Our goal is to ensure the system aligns with your workflows from day one, so you can start seeing value as quickly as possible.
Is training management software difficult to use?
Some training management systems are difficult to use for a variety of reasons: poor usability, bloated features, etc. Dante has refined its software for 30+ years to address the changing needs of today’s training businesses in a system that’s equally powerful and easy to use.
What's the minimum contract length?
Zero months! Both plans are rolling monthly contracts that you can cancel at any time at no cost – it’s our job to keep you happy and make sure you’re making the most out of your Dante System.
Ready to Transform Your Training Business?
Optimise your training operations and automate business growth with Dante training management software.
In the past year, on Dante
- Courses scheduled
- 150k+
- Delegates trained
- 500k+
- Revenue generated
- £100m+
- Days back per user
- 22+