CohortStudio vs. Arlo
Arlo was built for corporate L&D. You aren't that.
Arlo is a capable platform for in-house training teams with IT budgets. For independent certification trainers running under $1M/year, it's priced for somebody else and it doesn't natively understand certifications.
Feature-by-feature
CohortStudio vs. Arlo, line by line.
| Feature | CohortStudio | Arlo |
|---|---|---|
Starting price (monthly) Arlo's entry tier starts around $159/month and scales with users and modules. | $49 | ≈ $159 |
Per-seat fee on registrations Both charge a flat subscription, not a per-seat fee. | 0% | 0% |
Unlimited learners | ||
Scrum Alliance connector Arlo has no native Scrum Alliance class list submission. | ||
Scrum.org connector | ||
ICAgile connector | ||
Branded certificates | ||
Open Badges 3.0 Arlo supports Accredible integration at extra cost for digital credentials. | ||
Stripe-native checkout Arlo integrates with multiple gateways; Stripe is one of them. | ||
Purchase orders / invoicing | ||
Setup time to first class Arlo typically involves onboarding assistance and configuration calls. | Under an hour | 1 to 2 weeks |
Built for independent trainers Arlo's buyer persona is a corporate L&D manager, not a solo CST. |
Pick CohortStudio if
You're an independent CST, PST, or ICAgile instructor running under $1M/year and you want software that treats certifications as first-class, not as a note in a description field.
Pick Arlo if
You're an in-house training department at a mid-sized or large organization with dedicated training ops and multi-country compliance needs that generic platforms can't handle.
The short version
Arlo is the right call for a corporate training department with an ops person and a budget. For an independent certification trainer, it's over-engineered, over-priced, and still missing the certifying-body connectors you actually need. CohortStudio is the platform designed for your shape of business.
FAQ
Arlo migration, answered.
Can I migrate my Arlo catalog to CohortStudio?
Yes. Free catalog migration is included for any trainer switching from Arlo. We'll port your class templates, past cohort records, and learner history before you cut over. Email hello@cohortstudio.io to kick it off.
Does Arlo actually submit class lists to Scrum Alliance?
Not natively. You export a spreadsheet from Arlo and upload it to the Scrum Alliance trainer portal manually. CohortStudio does this with one click.
How does Arlo's pricing work?
Tiered subscription with separate fees for users, modules, and integrations. Add-ons for digital credentials. The pricing page lists $159/month as an entry point; real deployments run higher.
Can I run both in parallel while I migrate?
Yes. Lots of trainers keep Arlo for their enterprise accounts while running new public cohorts on CohortStudio. The Stripe payouts and credentials live entirely in CohortStudio from day one.
Ready to leave Arlo?
We'll migrate your catalog for free. Email hello@cohortstudio.io.