Canvas Network vs edX
Canvas Network
canvas.net
edX
edx.orgSide by side
| Figure | Canvas Network | edX |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $12.50/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 2 | 9 |
| Spec score · MOOC Platforms | 9.1 (#6) | 9.1 (#7) |
| Spec score · Online Course Marketplaces | 8.6 (#15) | 9.3 (#2) |
| Founded | Instructure’s company timeline states it was founded in 2008 and launched Canvas in 2011. | 2012 |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Headquarters | Salt Lake City, Utah, USA | Arlington, Virginia, United States |
| Mobile apps | Canvas Student supports grades, assignments, calendars, messaging, discussions, videos and quizzes; separate Teacher and Parent apps are offered. | both |
| What it does | Canvas Network is an educator-focused catalog of free, open professional-development courses powered by Canvas LMS. | edX is a mission-driven online course provider offering courses, programs, and other educational content from edX, member institutions, 2U, partners, and other institutions. |
Plans
edX
- Audit trackFree
- Verified trackPrice not published
- Starter$349 a year
- Campus PlanPriced on request
- Essentials$150 a year
- Teams$396 a year
- Professional Certificate Programs$500, paid once
- Executive Education Programs$2,500, paid once
- EnterprisePriced on request
In their own words
Canvas Network
Canvas Network offers free professional development courses made by educators for K–12 and higher education educators. Subjects include teaching methods, technology skills for educators, student performance analysis, and leadership. Anyone with an email address can enroll, but learners need a separate Canvas Network account, even if they use another Canvas instance. Materials become available on or after the course start date; courses begin according to U.S. Mountain time. Learners can work through activities at their own pace, though an instructor may invite them to synchronous activities. Instructors or sponsoring institutions may provide completion certificates, but Canvas Network does not issue them. It also does not charge eligible institutions to offer courses. Powered by Canvas LMS, the service is available on the web, Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, and Windows. Its Android and iOS apps support course access, assignment submission, discussions, and grade viewing, though not every Canvas feature is available in the apps. Offline learning is available. Course settings may hide an individual course after it ends.
edX
edX is an online course provider offering courses, certificates, executive education, microcredentials and degrees from edX, member institutions, 2U and other organizations. Learners can audit courses for free, but the audit track limits content, omits graded assignments and certificates, and ends access to materials when the course ends. Verified individual courses start at around $50 and include graded work, a certificate and continued access to lectures, readings and lessons. Multi-course professional certificate programs start at around $500; executive education programs can cost at least $2,500. Courses combine video and text, discussions, and different problems and assessments; many are self-paced, and individual courses generally take two to six weeks. Android and iOS apps support enrollment, most assignments, discussions and offline video downloads, but not timed or proctored exams. Institutional and business offerings include LMS integrations, SSO, grade pass-back, analytics dashboards and administrative tools. edX reports a network of 100 million learners and more than 250 content partners.