Awero vs POK

Awero provides digital tools for competence development, assessment, and recognition, along with training and consultancy. Its Cities of Learning platform helps learners and organisations map learning opportunities, combine local and digital activities into playlists, and issue or earn Open Badges. Activities can use skills from the multilingual ESCO database. Assessment can include self-assessment, peer review, or organiser assessment, while organisers can analyse data about their activities, playlists, and badges.

The Badge Wallet app lets learners earn, store, manage, and share badges, with downloads linked for Android and iOS. Personal accounts can sign in with a password, Facebook, or Google; the chosen method cannot later be changed. Awero serves not-for-profit organisations, public institutions, and businesses. Open Access costs nothing for personal and organisation accounts, and voluntary donations are welcome. Custom-look setup is listed at €1,500, paid once with Partner Access or €1,750, paid once with Standard Access. Awero says platform functions use default settings and cannot be tailored on demand, and temporary downtime or unexpected behaviour may occur.

POK (Proof of Knowledge) helps organizations issue, manage, and verify digital credentials and microcredentials, including Open Badges 3.0 credentials on blockchain. Each credential has a unique link and QR code that opens a public page with the issuer, holder, date, skills, and current status. Its template editor supports logos, backgrounds, typefaces, signatures, custom attributes, dynamic API images, and paper formats. Organizations can issue credentials in bulk from Excel or CSV files; the free plan has no user cap or added bulk-issuance cost. Connections include Moodle, Canvas, Blackboard, D2L Brightspace, and Open edX through LTI 1.3, Sana through xAPI, and other systems through LTI, API keys, REST API, or webhooks. LMS rules can issue credentials after course completion, optionally with a minimum grade. POK supports several credential standards and offers white-label branding. Its Free Web2 plan is free; blockchain verification is $0.30, paid once, or $3,000 a year for up to 50,000 credentials.