GrassBlade LRS

GrassBlade LRS is a learning record store that stores eLearning activity and adds reporting for xAPI ecosystems. It is best for organizations that need quiz or video analytics, or want to keep records on their own servers. Choose it for that reporting depth and deployment choice; compare plan quotas carefully because overage charges vary substantially.

Overview

GrassBlade is available as a cloud-hosted service or an on-premise installation. Its self-hosted edition runs on a customer’s PHP/MySQL server, keeping learning data there, but that choice brings infrastructure requirements: an HTTP server, mod_rewrite, cURL, PHP 7.3 or later, MySQL 4 or later, and the PDO PHP module for MySQL. Self-hosting suits organizations with the capacity and need to manage their own server; teams seeking a managed option can use the cloud service.

GrassBlade Cloud LRS supports content published with xAPI, SCORM and cmi5, including work from Articulate, Adobe Captivate, iSpring and H5P. Integrations also include several LMS platforms—LearnDash, WP Courseware, LearnPress, LifterLMS, Tutor LMS and MasterStudy—as well as Vimeo, Zapier, Dropbox, GamiPress, Gravity Forms and H5P.org. That range is useful for organizations collecting activity across a varied learning stack, though buyers should match their own tools to the integrations they need.

Key features

Filtered custom reports can be downloaded as PDF or CSV and distributed automatically by email. Rich Quiz Reports compare learner performance across multiple attempts for content made with Storyline, Rise, Captivate and iSpring. These reports are valuable when teams need to evaluate repeat attempts and learner differences, rather than simply retain activity records.

Advanced Video Reporting covers video overviews, completion, grades, activity data and progress heatmaps. The GrassBlade LRS App is included with all plans and works on Android, iPhone, iPad and MacBook with Apple silicon. SSO and secured tokens are listed security features; GrassBlade also positions self-hosting as a way to keep data on the customer’s server.

GrassBlade says it imposes no statement limit on either cloud or self-hosted versions, but practical capacity depends on the server and the plan’s overage rules. Zapier connects the cloud service to more than 1,500 applications. Customers receive guides and documentation and can contact support by ticket or email.

Pricing

GrassBlade has no free plan or free trial. Its annual plans fall into two distinct groups: cloud plans with monthly statement quotas and overage charges, and installation plans with learner caps. Buyers should choose based on their usage model, not just the entry price.

PlanAnnual priceIncluded limits and termsEssential$66 a year25,000 statements/mo, 1 instance; $4 per 1,000 statements over quotaLite$144 a year ($12.00/month, billed annually)5,000 statements/mo, 1 instance; $7 per 1,000 statements over quotaPro$166 a year100,000 statements/mo, 3 instances; $3.5 per 1,000 statements over quotaAdvanced$499 a year500,000 statements/mo, 5 instances; $3 per 1,000 statements over quotaBusiness$665 a year1 million statements/mo, 5 instances; $2 per 1,000 statements over quotaStarter$399 a yearUp to 250 learners, 2 installations, production and development; sold outStandard$999 a yearUp to 1,000 learners, 2 installations, production and development; offline licensing availablePremium$2,999 a yearUp to 5,000 learners, 3 installations, production, staging and development; offline licensing availablePremium+ (Managed)$5,999 a yearUp to 5,000 learners, 3 installations, production, staging and development; unlimited free installation serviceEnterpriseCustom pricing3 installations, production, staging and development; unlimited free installation serviceAmong the statement-based plans, Essential has the lowest annual price and a larger quota than Lite, but charges more for each additional 1,000 statements. Lite’s $12.00/month equivalent is billed annually and its 5,000-statement quota is modest; it is a poor fit for workloads likely to exceed that cap. Pro raises the quota to 100,000 and lowers the overage rate, while Advanced and Business add still larger quotas and reduce the per-unit fee. Those higher tiers suit heavier statement volume, but the buyer should estimate monthly usage to see whether the extra capacity offsets the higher annual cost.

The installation plans use learner and environment limits instead. Starter is sold out. Standard is the lowest available learner-based tier, while Premium increases the learner cap and adds a staging installation; Premium+ costs more than Premium and includes unlimited free installation service. Enterprise has custom pricing. These plans are more relevant when installation count and learner limits fit the organization better than statement quotas.

Platforms

GrassBlade lists Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, Windows, web, API and self-hosted availability. The included app covers Android, iPhone, iPad and Apple-silicon MacBook; self-hosted deployments require the documented PHP/MySQL environment.

Who it's for

GrassBlade is a strong candidate for learning teams that need reporting across quizzes, video and multiple content standards, especially when they already use its named LMS and authoring-tool integrations. Organizations with data-location requirements may prefer the on-premise option. It is less suitable for buyers wanting a free starting tier, a trial before committing, or a straightforward plan without statement overage considerations.

Pros and cons

Pros: Custom report exports and automated email distribution make recurring analysis practical.

Pros: Quiz reports compare multiple attempts, and video reports include completion, grades and heatmaps.

Pros: Cloud and self-hosted deployment give organizations a choice about where to run the LRS and keep data.

Cons: There is no free plan or trial, so buyers must commit to a paid annual plan without a stated trial period.

Cons: Statement quotas and overage fees differ by plan; Lite’s 5,000-statement monthly allowance and $7 per 1,000 overage can constrain growing usage.

Cons: Self-hosting requires a compatible PHP/MySQL server and makes capacity management the customer’s responsibility.

Alternatives

Compare Learning Record Store Software if you want to review the category before selecting a product.

Veracity Learning is worth considering if a freemium option matters: its free Lite plan includes five LRSs and is based on your infrastructure.

SQL LRS is the alternative for teams seeking a free, Apache 2.0 open-source, self-hosted option, with implementation and support services quoted separately.

Cluelabs LRS is another freemium LRS option with a free plan.

xh is a free open-source command-line HTTP client.

Mosra offers a free launch-period plan with unlimited lessons; paid plans are planned but not yet live.

Instancy Learning Record Store is a paid option with a free trial and custom proposals based on user count, modules and implementation needs.

itslearning is a full LMS with yearly licensing based on user count and optional services.

SCORM Cloud LRS has a free, non-time-based trial tier with three courses, up to 5GB of storage and 10 resettable registrations.

Verdict

Choose GrassBlade if your learning operation needs more than record storage—particularly quiz and video analytics—or needs an on-premise route for data control. Its cloud, content-standard and reporting coverage make it a capable fit for varied eLearning environments. Look elsewhere if you need a free trial or prefer to avoid annual commitments and statement-based overage calculations.