Humulo vs Interplay Learning: Which VR Platform for Safety Training?

Humulo and Interplay Learning both use VR for workforce training, but they solve different problems. Humulo builds immersive VR safety simulations for EHS compliance: forklift, fire extinguisher, LOTO, confined space. Interplay Learning is a skilled trades upskilling platform covering HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and solar. If your primary need is OSHA-aligned safety training, Humulo is the dedicated solution. If you’re training HVAC technicians or electricians on trade skills, Interplay Learning covers those trades.

Last Updated: February 28, 2026

What Each Platform Actually Does

Humulo builds purpose-built VR safety simulations. The catalog includes 15+ OSHA-aligned modules covering forklift operation, fire extinguisher use (all five fire classes), lockout/tagout procedures, confined space entry, and PPE selection. The buyer is almost always an EHS manager or safety director at a manufacturing plant, warehouse, or government facility. That’s it. Humulo doesn’t try to teach people how to wire a junction box or troubleshoot an air handler.

Interplay Learning runs on a platform called SkillMill that delivers 500+ hours of skilled trades content. Think HVAC troubleshooting, electrical wiring, plumbing, solar installation, and facilities maintenance. They offer a mix of VR simulations, 3D interactive exercises, and video-based courses. Their buyer is typically an L&D or training manager looking to upskill technicians and reduce ramp time for new hires in trades roles.

Here’s the thing most comparison shoppers miss: these platforms target different buyers. Humulo targets EHS and safety directors. Interplay targets workforce development and trades training managers. There’s overlap at the edges, but the core missions are distinct.

Safety Training Modules Compared

This is where the differences become obvious. Here’s a side-by-side look at specific safety and training modules:

Two patterns jump out. First, Humulo has purpose-built VR simulations for the specific safety scenarios that cause the most recordable incidents: forklifts, fires, energy control, confined spaces. Every module puts the trainee inside the hazard. Second, Interplay’s safety content is primarily video-based OSHA courses delivered through their CareerSafe partnership. Those are solid compliance courses, but they’re not immersive VR practice. Interplay’s VR strength is in trades skill-building, not safety simulation.

If you need workers to physically practice pulling a fire extinguisher pin and sweeping a Class B fire in VR before they ever face a real one, that’s Humulo’s wheelhouse. If you need an HVAC tech to troubleshoot a faulty compressor in a 3D simulation, that’s Interplay’s.

Pricing and Business Model

Interplay Learning runs on a subscription model. Their Basic plan starts at $349/year for up to 15 learners, which includes 365 hours of trades training content across 22 learning paths. Team and Enterprise plans carry custom pricing, and larger deployments typically negotiate per-user annual rates. It’s a SaaS model through and through.

Humulo works differently. Deployments are hardware-plus-software packages, typically procured as a one-time purchase with optional ongoing support. There’s no per-user subscription lock-in. You buy the headsets and the simulation licenses. This model works well for safety compliance programs with a defined scope, where you know exactly which modules you need and don’t want recurring per-seat charges eating into your EHS budget year after year.

The subscription model makes sense when you’re continuously adding new trade courses and cycling technicians through an expanding content library. The one-time procurement model makes sense when your safety training requirements are stable and you need to reduce your recordable rate without ongoing SaaS costs. Government buyers, in particular, find Humulo’s procurement structure easier to work with.

Hardware and Delivery

Interplay Learning is platform-flexible. Their content runs in web browsers, on tablets, phones, and Meta Quest VR headsets. VR is an option, not a requirement. Most of their content works perfectly fine on a desktop or tablet. This gives them broad deployment reach, especially for organizations that don’t want to buy VR hardware.

Humulo is VR-first. The simulations run on standalone headsets, and they’re designed specifically for hands-on immersive practice. You don’t watch a video of someone using a fire extinguisher. You pick one up, pull the pin, aim the nozzle, squeeze the handle, and sweep the base of the fire. That tactile, spatial experience is the whole point.

Interplay’s multi-platform flexibility is a genuine advantage for scaling across a large organization where not every learner needs VR. But for safety scenarios where physical muscle memory matters, where the whole point is practicing the correct response before the emergency happens, VR-first training creates deeper retention. An independent Central Washington University study on Humulo’s platform found that 100% of participants said VR improved their comprehension and 100% wanted VR included in future safety training.

Research and Efficacy Data

Humulo has an independent efficacy study conducted by Central Washington University. Researchers Dr. Szu-Hsien “Diana” Dang and Dr. Dirk Serne tested VR safety training against classroom-only instruction and found that VR significantly improved both immediate comprehension and 30-day knowledge retention. One hundred percent of participants reported that VR improved their understanding. One hundred percent wanted it included in future training. That’s an independent university publishing those numbers, not Humulo’s marketing team.

Interplay Learning’s data comes from their own 2025 State of Skilled Trades Training Report. The headline numbers: 7 in 10 companies say they ramp technicians faster with simulation-based training, saving an average of 4.3 months. And 52% of workers using digital learning said they’re more likely to stay at their current job. Those are useful data points, but they’re self-reported survey results from Interplay’s own customer base, not a controlled university study.

This distinction matters if you’re presenting ROI data to your C-suite or board. Independent third-party validation carries more weight than internal surveys. That said, Interplay’s sample sizes are likely larger given their installed base of over 110,000 users, so their self-reported data isn’t without value. It’s a question of what kind of evidence your stakeholders require.

Government and Military Readiness

If you’re buying through government procurement channels, this section matters a lot.

Humulo Virtual Reality Inc. is a certified SDVOSB (Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business). They hold active Department of Defense contracts and have deployed VR safety training at military and government facilities, including Air Force and Navy installations. SDVOSB certification means Humulo is eligible for set-aside procurement under federal small business programs, which simplifies the buying process for government agencies with veteran-owned business requirements.

Interplay Learning doesn’t hold SDVOSB status and doesn’t appear to have direct DOD contracts. They do have Hunt Military Communities as a customer. Hunt is the largest private military housing operator in the U.S. with housing on 40+ military installations, and they use Interplay’s platform to train their 600 maintenance technicians on HVAC, plumbing, and electrical skills. But that’s a private contractor, not DOD procurement.

For a contracting officer or program manager looking to fulfill set-aside requirements while implementing VR safety training, Humulo’s SDVOSB status and existing DOD track record are a meaningful advantage. You can also see how Humulo stacks up against other competitors in our comparisons of Humulo vs PIXO VR, Humulo vs Strivr, and Humulo vs Transfr.

Company Background

Humulo Virtual Reality Inc. was founded in 2019 and is based in Edgewater, Maryland. It’s a small, focused company that does one thing: VR safety training for industrial workplaces. Customers include Kaiser Aluminum, the University of Wisconsin, and multiple DOD branches (Air Force, Navy). Seven years in VR safety with a tight product focus.

Interplay Learning was founded in 2016 by Doug Donovan in Austin, Texas. The company has grown to roughly 227 employees and has raised over $60 million in total funding, with Goldman Sachs Alternatives as a recent major investor. They report approximately $25 million in annual revenue and were named to Deloitte’s 2025 Technology Fast 500 list. In September 2024, they acquired Industrial Training International (ITI), which added crane and rigging simulation training to their platform.

Interplay is a much bigger, well-funded company with a broader platform. Humulo is a specialist. Bigger doesn’t automatically mean better. It depends entirely on whether you need a broad trades training platform or dedicated safety simulations. A 227-person company building HVAC courses and a focused team building fire extinguisher simulations are solving fundamentally different problems.

Which Platform Should You Choose?

Choose Humulo if:

• Your primary need is VR safety training for OSHA compliance
• You’re in manufacturing, warehousing, or government
• You need forklift, fire extinguisher, LOTO, or confined space simulations
• You want independent university efficacy data to support your business case
• You need SDVOSB certification or government set-aside procurement
• You prefer one-time hardware/software procurement over annual per-user subscriptions

Choose Interplay Learning if:

• You need skilled trades upskilling (HVAC, electrical, plumbing, solar)
• You want a subscription model with a broad, continuously expanding content library
• You need multi-platform delivery (browser, tablet, phone, not just VR)
• You’re training apprentices and new technicians on trade fundamentals
• You want OSHA 10/30 certification courses alongside trades content

And here’s something most vendor comparison pages won’t tell you: some organizations should use both. A large manufacturer might use Interplay for their facilities maintenance team’s HVAC and electrical upskilling, and Humulo for their EHS department’s safety onboarding program. They’re complementary platforms, not strictly competitive ones.

If you’re still evaluating your options, our full comparison of the top VR safety training companies covers PIXO VR, Strivr, Transfr, and others alongside Humulo. And if your current safety training isn’t producing the retention results you need, it may be time to look at what VR delivers versus traditional classroom methods.

Ready to see Humulo’s VR safety simulations in action? Schedule a demo here.

Related: VR Lockout Tagout Training: Practice LOTO Procedures Without the Risk

For warehouse and distribution center operations specifically, Humulo’s forklift and dock safety modules provide hands-on practice that generic video libraries cannot match. Learn more in our VR warehouse safety training guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Interplay Learning offer VR safety training?

Interplay Learning’s VR content focuses on skilled trades like HVAC troubleshooting and electrical work. Their safety training is primarily video-based OSHA 10-Hour and 30-Hour courses delivered through a CareerSafe partnership. They don’t offer VR simulations for forklift operation, fire extinguisher use, lockout/tagout, or confined space entry. For dedicated VR safety simulations, Humulo is purpose-built for those scenarios.

Is Humulo or Interplay Learning better for manufacturing safety?

For dedicated OSHA safety compliance training in manufacturing (forklift, fire extinguisher, LOTO, confined space), Humulo is purpose-built. Interplay Learning targets skilled trades upskilling: HVAC, electrical, plumbing. If your manufacturing facility needs both safety compliance training and trades upskilling for maintenance techs, the two platforms can work together.

What does Interplay Learning cost?

Interplay Learning’s Basic plan starts at approximately $349/year for up to 15 learners, covering 365 hours of trades training across 22 learning paths. Team and Enterprise plans have custom pricing based on user count and feature requirements. The model is a per-user annual subscription. Humulo, by contrast, uses a one-time hardware-plus-software procurement model without recurring per-user fees.

Does Humulo have an independent efficacy study?

Yes. Central Washington University conducted an independent study led by Dr. Szu-Hsien “Diana” Dang and Dr. Dirk Serne. The study found that VR safety training significantly improved both immediate comprehension and 30-day knowledge retention compared to classroom-only methods. One hundred percent of participants said VR improved their understanding, and 100% wanted VR included in future safety training. You can read the full study results here.

Can you use both Humulo and Interplay Learning?

Yes, and it’s a reasonable approach for organizations with both safety compliance needs and skilled trades upskilling needs. Use Humulo for OSHA-aligned VR safety simulations (forklift, fire extinguisher, LOTO, confined space) and Interplay Learning for HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and facilities maintenance training. The platforms serve different purposes and don’t conflict with each other.

Related: VR safety training vs e-learning comparison — see how VR stacks up against e-learning on cost, retention, and ROI.