Blackboard Learning Management vs Moodle comparison

Blackboard Learning Management

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Apr 20, 2025

Blackboard Learning Management and Moodle are competing in the educational technology category. Blackboard holds advantages in professional support and institutional implementation, whereas Moodle is preferred for its robust feature set and flexible customization.

Features: Blackboard offers integration capabilities, advanced analytics, and collaboration tools. Moodle provides modularity, open-source flexibility, and multilingual support.

Room for Improvement: Blackboard could improve on cost efficiency, user experience, and customization options. Moodle can enhance professional support, simplify setup processes, and expand enterprise features.

Ease Of Deployment and Customer Service: Blackboard features a formalized deployment process with comprehensive technical service. Moodle offers a hands-on experience with community-driven support.

Pricing and ROI: Blackboard typically involves higher setup costs with potential ROI through institutional support. Moodle offers lower entry costs and long-term ROI through customizability and reduced operational expenses.

To learn more, read our detailed Blackboard Learning Management vs. Moodle Report (Updated: April 2025).

Blackboard Learning Management vs. Moodle

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Blackboard Learning Management

Ranking in Learning Management Systems (LMS)

6th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Moodle

Ranking in Learning Management Systems (LMS)

2nd

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Learning Management Systems (LMS) category, the mindshare of Blackboard Learning Management is 2.4%, up from 2.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Moodle is 11.7%, down from 15.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Learning Management Systems (LMS)

Featured Reviews

James Phelps

Adjunct Professor at Nova Southeastern University

Expandable with good real-time live interactions but is very expensive

Initially, Blackboard had problems for faculty members who were forced to use it to try to get it set up and running. That said, over time, they improved that. Unfortunately, due to its licensing requirements on standalone systems, like at a university on our servers, we run into problems where we can only set it up in one way. The way you teach a biology class is not the way you teach a social science class, for example. It's not flexible. Often you are forced into compromising in such a manner that neither group would be happy. If you need help, the help desk in-house will provide 24-hour help to both students and faculty. That means you have eight people, eight hours a day, supervisors, and an overall manager. It takes at least 12 people to handle maintenance for a 10,000-person campus for 24-hour coverage.

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Ertan Aslan

Head of Educational Technology and Innovation Department Experience at a educational organization with 51-200 employees

Plenty of modules, highly flexible, and advantageous different user types

It would be a benefit if there was an easy single sign-on with social media services for Moodle. There are some plugins that I tried, but they didn't work seamlessly. it is a work in progress. Having the single sign-on with social media services would be appreciated because in my school we are using Google suite and the main reason why we use Google Classroom is that it is integrated seamlessly with the suite. If I have the same seamless integration with Google suite with Moodle, I would use Moodle more often. I'm using it for myself, but school-wise, it's limited because of the ease of access. Google Classroom is very simple, and straightforward for teachers. It has many features with most being basic. It's easy for everyone to learn. Moodle has a lot of advanced features which can scare people who are not advanced users. If Moodle could improve user-friendliness or more people would use it. This includes the user interface and the overall user experience could improve. When comparing it to Google, it's a bit more difficult. For example, with Google Classroom, as long as you have a Google account any teacher can go there and create a classroom. However, with Moodle, it's a bit difficult. You need to have a system first. It has to be installed, and then you need to know how to create a classroom. You need to know how to use those tools. It requires some getting used to and some training.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"One of Blackboard's strengths is its historical prominence as a leading LMS for universities in the US and Europe a decade or more ago."

"Blackboard enables instructors to collectively gather all the grading data into one place. If students upload content or post it to a Google Doc, I can do my grading and calculate the grades. It is an excellent holding place for all of that data"

"The solution is easy to use."

"The modules and courses are flexible."

"One of the most important features is the possibility of creating unlimited subdomains."

"It encompasses various components, including course delivery modules, content management, community engagement features, digital classrooms, and mobile integration."

"It is scalable."

"It is relatively easy to use to build processes for establishing and conducting work within the templates that are used. It is not that hard to follow along or use, and it is pretty simple to pick it up and run with it."

"Moodle has a vast array of features which are really useful for the work our company does. Moodle hosts the courses through online systems and also offers quizzes and badges which our customers frequently use."

"The product's most valuable feature is the ability to import and export documents for courses, assessments, and questionnaires in any format."

"It doesn't take long to learn how to use it and to set up basic courses and things like that."

"One of my biggest pet peeves is that many LMSs do not offer a course or site-level backup that is an industry-standard file. So, if you decide you don't like Moodle or some other LMS, you should be able to back up all your data and take it and go somewhere else. Moodle does offer that. There are several others that do that as well, but there are some LMSs that don't, which isn't a very good business practice because they hold their clients hostage. That's one of the things I really like about Moodle."

"The most valuable features of Moodle are the ability to create assignments, divide them into teams, and the course delivery. In Cornerstone, I need to reach out to the team, and it is not as simple, a little more involved. Additionally, the solutions is easy to manage."

"The solution is stable."

"The customization features of Moodle significantly enhance the learning experience for our users."

More Moodle pros

Cons

"The system falls short in terms of managing assessments and exams effectively."

"It would be ideal to create a more responsive or more intuitive template for access from telephones or tablets."

"Blackboard could benefit from significant improvements in its data storage and software functionality to remain competitive with more innovative LMS solutions."

"The solution must provide better integration with third-party software."

"Blackboard has limitations in terms of delivering content and assessing student assignments because it can't handle large file sizes. It's also limited in its ability to track student activity. Instructors can see the student's most recent login, but they can't follow the activity."

"The solution is not flexible."

"Everything is very text heavy. There are no videos or moving images. For a visual learner, there's not a lot of visual content so Moodle is not suitable for all types of learners."

"The customization of the interface could be improved."

"Moodle's weakest point is the user interface."

"We have needed to complete many customizations for Moodle to use it in all of our relevant organizations. We have found many issues with the competencies as we cannot assign many sub competencies to competencies."

"One aspect that I found a bit confusing was the dual editing system, where you could edit the layout of the course separately from editing the content."

"For a first time user, especially someone who is non-technical, Moodle is difficult for them to understand and they often need assistance."

"Its interface design could be more user-friendly."

"It would be good to have a feature that would ensure that students are the ones performing the given assessment."

More Moodle cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product pricing tends to be higher than alternatives."

"At the beginning, you can choose a basic plan. As your users grow you can buy a more expensive license."

"This solution offers a free-to-use version which can be deployed only on-premises and is what we are using. Moodle also offer support based and cloud based subscriptions. Organizations can select the appropriate package based on their needs. Moodle offer reasonable pricing for the use of their solution."

"Moodle is a free online learning platform, but it also offers a paid version of it."

"Moodle have a very robust licensing system that is user friendly. It's not very expensive."

"Moodle is a free solution."

"The licensing cost is quite high and it operates on an annual basis."

"In terms of cost, it is available at no charge."

"Moodle is a free open-sourced solution. This is one of the best aspects of Moodle."

"Moodle offer a 14 day free trial and then requires payment."

More Moodle pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

University

20%

Educational Organization

20%

Government

10%

Computer Software Company

Educational Organization

14%

Comms Service Provider

13%

Manufacturing Company

University

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Blackboard Learning Management?

The modules and courses are flexible.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Blackboard Learning Management?

The product pricing tends to be higher than alternatives like Canvas, making Blackboard more suitable for larger universities with substantial budgets.

What needs improvement with Blackboard Learning Management?

Blackboard could benefit from significant improvements in its data storage and software functionality to remain competitive with more innovative LMS solutions.

What do you like most about Moodle?

The customization features of Moodle significantly enhance the learning experience for our users.

What needs improvement with Moodle?

The customization of the interface could be improved. Although we can load and change themes, it still always looks like Moodle. We have not found a way to significantly alter its appearance.

What is your primary use case for Moodle?

We use Moodle to manage our students' information, the classes, and the course catalog, which are mainly related to education. It serves as a learning management system for teaching in class.

Google Classroom vs Blackboard Learning Management

Comparisons

Compared 100% of the time

More Blackboard Learning Management Competitors

SAP SuccessFactors Learning vs Moodle

Compared 22% of the time

Google Classroom vs Moodle

Compared 20% of the time

Cornerstone Learning vs Moodle

Compared 10% of the time

LearnWorlds vs Moodle

Compared 9% of the time

CYPHER Learning vs Moodle

Compared 8% of the time

More Moodle Competitors

Product Reports

Blackboard Learning Management

Download Blackboard Learning Management product report

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Overview

Blackboard Learning Management System (LMS) is a comprehensive platform designed to enhance the teaching and learning experience in educational institutions. With its user-friendly interface and robust features, Blackboard LMS enables educators to create, deliver, and manage online courses effectively. Blackboard LMS is facilitates communication and collaboration among students and instructors. The platform's built-in discussion boards, chat rooms, and messaging systems enable real-time interaction and engagement, fostering a sense of community and allowing students to participate actively in the learning process.

Blackboard LMS also provides a full set of tools for content creation and management. Educators can easily upload and organize course materials, including documents, videos, and multimedia resources. The platform supports various file formats, making it convenient for instructors to deliver diverse content to their students.

Assessment and grading are simplified with Blackboard LMS. Educators can create online quizzes, assignments, and exams, and even set automated grading criteria. This saves time and effort, while also providing students with immediate feedback on their performance. The platform also offers grade book functionality, allowing instructors to track and manage student progress easily.

Blackboard LMS features robust analytics and reporting capabilities. Educators can access detailed data on student engagement, performance, and participation, enabling them to identify areas for improvement and tailor their teaching strategies accordingly. This data-driven approach enhances the effectiveness of instruction and supports personalized learning.

Blackboard LMS is also highly customizable, allowing institutions to tailor the platform to their specific needs. It integrates seamlessly with other educational tools and systems, ensuring a smooth workflow and enhancing the overall learning experience.

Blackboard Learning Management System is a powerful and versatile platform that empowers educators to deliver engaging and effective online courses. With its comprehensive features, user-friendly interface, and customizable options, Blackboard LMS is a valuable tool for educational institutions seeking to enhance their teaching and learning environment.

Blackboard

Moodle is an open-source LMS offering course management, community plugins, and comprehensive integrations. Its modular design supports extensive customization, making it suitable for education sectors and corporate training.

Moodle provides a robust platform for creating and managing educational content. It integrates seamlessly with tools like Zoom and Teams, enhances cheat prevention with exam question shuffling, and supports advanced customization and accessibility. While its flexibility caters to diverse educational and corporate environments, Moodle faces challenges with login issues, improving mobile functionality, and a cumbersome setup process. Efforts to enhance documentation and ensure ease of navigation are ongoing. Its integration capabilities with ERP systems and support for LTI tools further position Moodle as a valuable resource for both educators and learners.

What are Moodle’s key features?

Course Management: Enables the creation and organization of courses, assignments, and exams.
Community Plugins: Offers extendable features through a variety of plugins supporting collaborative learning.
Integration with Tools: Supports platforms like Zoom, Teams, and Google Suite for enhanced communication and collaboration.
Security: Ensures robust protection of data with advanced security measures.
Accessibility Options: Provides tools to make learning accessible to all users, including those with disabilities.
Document Import/Export: Easy management of course materials via import/export capabilities.
LTI Tool Integration: Seamless incorporation of Learning Tools Interoperability standards for broader resource access.

What benefits can users expect from Moodle?

Customization: Flexibility allows tailoring of the platform to specific requirements or objectives.
Ease of Use: Designed for efficient course administration and facilitation of learning.
Role-Based Access: Supports personalized user roles and permissions.
Cost-Effectiveness: Open-source nature ensures budget-friendly deployment and maintenance.
Wide Range of Plugins: Enhances capability through a supportive plugin ecosystem.

In educational and corporate industries, Moodle is implemented for exam scheduling, resource management, and online assessments. It facilitates instructor-student interactions and is adaptable for both on-premises and cloud deployments. Organizations leverage Moodle for customizing employee certifications and training programs, benefiting from its versatile access controls and management tools.

Sample Customers

University of Derby, University of Warwick, John Moore's University

Acacia University, Alliant International University, American University of Health Sciences, Anaheim University Online, Aspen University, Cal State University San Bernardino, California State University Los Angeles, Chattanooga Fire Training, City of Humble Fire Department, George Washington University, Georgia Institute of Emergency Medical Services, Michigan Online Classroom, Virginia Beach Sheriffs Office, Washington Post

Blackboard Learning Management vs. Moodle