Canvas LMS vs Open edX
Canvas LMS
instructure.com
Open edX
openedx.orgSide by side
| Figure | Canvas LMS | Open edX |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 3 | 1 |
| Spec score · Learning Management Systems | 8.6 (#11) | 8.7 (#8) |
| Spec score · Education Learning Management | 8.5 (#3) | 8.1 (#7) |
| Spec score · Education software | 8.4 (#5) | 8.0 (#10) |
| Spec score · Educational Software | 8.4 (#6) | 8.1 (#11) |
| Spec score · E-Learning Software | 8.4 (#9) | 8.0 (#15) |
| Analytics | Course, user and administrative analytics expose learner progress and usage data; Canvas Data Services provides SQL access to user and usage details. | Aspects analytics aggregates data such as enrollment, learner progress, assessment performance, forum activity, and video engagement into metrics and visualizations. |
| API access | Yes | Yes |
| Assessments | Yes | The platform includes native editors for formative and summative assessments, including question types and tools for coding, engineering, and other STEM content. |
| Founded | 2008 | 2012 |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Headquarters | Salt Lake City, Utah, USA | Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States |
| Integrations | Canvas advertises integration with more than 1,000 external tools through open technology and standards. | The platform supports LTI 1.3 integrations and extensible course components called XBlocks. |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes |
| SSO support | Yes | Yes |
| What it does | Canvas is a web-based learning-management system for institutions, educators and students to deliver courses, assess learning, communicate and track achievement. | Open edX is an open-source teaching and learning platform with course authoring tools and a learner-facing learning management system. |
Plans
Canvas LMS
- Canvas CorePriced on request
- Canvas NextPriced on request
- Canvas PlusPriced on request
In their own words
Canvas LMS
Canvas LMS is a cloud learning management system for creating and delivering courses, assessing learners, providing feedback, communicating with learners, and viewing analytics. Canvas Core includes course creation and delivery, assessment and feedback, essential analytics, and learner communication tools. Canvas Plus adds interactive video through Studio, in-app messaging and engagement through Impact, and advanced analytics. Canvas Next includes Plus capabilities plus IgniteAI Agent for administrators and instructors, IgniteAI Ask Your Data, and IgniteAI Study Tools for learners. The system supports assessments, single sign-on, API access, and a mobile app. Other listed capabilities include digital certificates and badges, public verification, expiry management, custom branding, automatic captions, searchable transcripts, and LMS delivery. Canvas LMS was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is a paid cloud service with no free plan; pricing for Canvas Core, Plus, and Next is available on request. Its listed platform is API.
Open edX
Open edX is an open-source platform for teaching and learning, combining course authoring tools with a learner-facing learning management system. Open edX Studio supports creating, managing, reusing and remixing course content. Aspects analytics turns enrollment, learner progress, assessment performance, forum activity and video engagement into metrics and visualizations. The platform supports LTI 1.3 integrations and extensible course components called XBlocks. Listed sign-in integrations include SAML and OAuth 2.0 providers such as Facebook, Google, Microsoft and LinkedIn. Open edX supports assessments, certificates, APIs and mobile apps, and can be self-hosted. Universities, governments, nongovernmental organizations and enterprises use the platform. Institutions control their content, learner data, hosting environment and governance policies. The software has no license fees, but an organization operating an instance must arrange hosting, infrastructure, maintenance, support and customization. Organizations can seek implementation help from service partners. The project began in 2012 and is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Its security process directs vulnerability reports to its Security Working Group and does not offer bug bounties.