Canvas Network vs Great Learning
Canvas Network
canvas.net
Great Learning
mygreatlearning.comSide by side
| Figure | Canvas Network | Great Learning |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | ₹999/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 | 6 |
| Spec score · MOOC Platforms | 9.1 (#6) | 9.0 (#8) |
| Spec score · Online Course Marketplaces | 8.6 (#15) | 9.2 (#6) |
| Certificates | Canvas Network does not issue certificates; individual instructors or sponsoring institutions decide whether to provide them. | The Academy offers free courses, while certificates for some free courses require a separate non-refundable payment. |
| Founded | Instructure’s company timeline states it was founded in 2008 and launched Canvas in 2011. | G2 lists Great Learning as serving customers since 2013 and founded in 2013. |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Headquarters | Salt Lake City, Utah, USA | Gurugram, Haryana, India |
| Learning format | Participants may review materials and complete activities at their convenience, although instructors can schedule optional synchronous activities. | Programs combine prerecorded lectures and videos with live interactions, mentors, projects and career guidance. |
| Licence | The public Canvas LMS codebase is open source under the GNU AGPLv3 licence. | Great Learning states that its content, learning-management software, website and applications are proprietary and protected by copyright; access is licensed rather than sold. |
| Mobile access | Canvas apps for Android and iOS let students access courses, submit assignments, participate in discussions, and view grades, though not all Canvas features are supported in the apps. | Great Learning provides mobile app support for accessing videos and exercises offline. |
| Rating on Apple App Store | 4.7 out of 5 from 2.8 million ratings | 4.1 out of 5 from 102 ratings |
| Rating on G2 | 4.5 out of 5 from 1,839 reviews | 4.3 out of 5 from 30 reviews |
| Rating on Google Play | 4.5 out of 5 from 224,000 reviews | 4.3 out of 5 from 37.9K reviews |
| Rating on Trustpilot | 1.5 out of 5 from 56 reviews | 4.8 out of 5 from 5,538 reviews |
| Self-hosting | The Canvas LMS repository provides installation guidance, including quick-start and production-start instructions. | The terms describe Great Learning services as hosted services and grant users a revocable personal license; they provide no self-hosting option. |
| Support | Course-specific help is provided through instructor materials or discussion forums, with Canvas Guides available for platform questions. | The mobile-app listing says program advisors provide 24/7 support through the program. |
| System requirements | Instructure recommends current or previous major Chrome, Firefox, Edge or Safari releases, JavaScript and cookies enabled, a computer five years old or newer with at least 1 GB RAM, and at least 512 kbps internet. | Great Learning publishes no detailed hardware or operating-system requirements; its terms instead make users responsible for compatible devices, software and internet access. |
Plans
Great Learning
- Free CoursesFree
- Great Learning Academy free coursesFree
- Academy Pro₹999 a month
- Professional Certificate in Full Stack Software Development$2,000, paid once
- AI for Business Leaders & Managers Post Graduate Program$4,100, paid once
- Great Learning Academy Pro+Price not published
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.
Great Learning
Great Learning offers professional and higher-education programs in technology, data, and business. Programs are available online, in classrooms, or in blended formats, with mentors and qualified faculty. Academy Pro adds AI assistance, coding practice, guided projects, mock interviews, career support, and certificates. It includes Microsoft and AWS courses with certificates from those providers. Great Learning works with institutions including Johns Hopkins University, MIT Professional Education, UT Austin, Northwestern University, Deakin University, and IIT Bombay. Mobile apps provide offline access to videos and exercises. The Free Courses plan lists 1,000+ courses at free; Academy Pro is ₹999 a month. Other listed programs include a full stack software development certificate for $2,000, paid once and a postgraduate program for business leaders for $4,100, paid once. New Academy Pro+ users receive a seven-calendar-day trial, and course access lasts one year after completion.