Canvas Network vs OpenWHO
Canvas Network
canvas.net
OpenWHO
openwho.orgSide by side
| Figure | Canvas Network | OpenWHO |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| 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 | 1 |
| Spec score · MOOC Platforms | 9.1 (#6) | 7.7 (#43) |
| Certificates | Canvas Network does not issue certificates; individual instructors or sponsoring institutions decide whether to provide them. | OpenWHO no longer provides certificates, and verification of certificates earned previously is not possible through the new site. |
| Founded | Instructure’s company timeline states it was founded in 2008 and launched Canvas in 2011. | 2017 |
| Headquarters | Salt Lake City, Utah, USA | Geneva, Switzerland |
| Purpose | Canvas Network provides free, open professional development courses built by educators for educators. | OpenWHO is WHO’s learning resource hub for health emergencies, covering topics from infectious diseases to emergency management. |
| Support | Course-specific help is provided through instructor materials or discussion forums, with Canvas Guides available for platform questions. | The FAQ lists [email protected] and [email protected] as support contacts. |
Plans
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.