Forio vs Marketplace Simulations

Forio builds interactive simulations for training and higher education, with options for ready-made business learning and tailored projects. Epicenter is its platform for creating learning simulations with model-driven interfaces, cohort management, and secure deployment. Ready-Made simulations support individual, team-based, and asynchronous formats. Forio also develops custom simulations with customers and says the customer owns the resulting intellectual property. Performer provides branded role-play experiences with scoring criteria, facilitator dashboards, and AI feedback for select exercises. Epicenter supports Python, R, and Julia models, along with Vensim and Stella, and includes Flow.js, Epicenter.js, and REST APIs. It can connect LLMs and AI libraries through Python or APIs, and describes OAuth 2.0 security and role-based project access. Epicenter Personal is free. Ready-Made Simulations start at $168, paid once; Epicenter Professional costs $1,970 a year, and Epicenter Business costs $4,770 a year. Performer Business costs $7,200 a year, plus a one-time set-up and training fee of $2,700.

Marketplace Simulations provides web-based business education tools for undergraduate and MBA students and their educators. Its subjects include core business, marketing, societal impact, strategic management, business strategy, entrepreneurship, supply chain, MBA and EMBA capstones, and microsimulations. Students can compete with classmates or computer-controlled teams; computer play supports classes of 1,000 or more. Platform tools include an AI Coach, an AI Tactical Plan Reviewer, and an Automated Coaching Assistant. Automated grading uses cumulative balanced scorecard results, with Easy, Intermediate, and Difficult levels and manual adjustments. Simulations run on internet-connected devices without software installation. Marketplace integrates with Canvas, Moodle, Blackboard, Sakai, Brightspace, Harvard Business Publishing, and Western Governors University, and supports LTI 1.1 and LTI Advantage. The Individual Microsimulation is listed at $8, paid once, billed at $8 per student; exercises take 10–25 minutes and students can replay them. Live support hours are listed for weekdays and weekends, with 24-hour emergency support for registered instructors.