CYPHER Learning vs Canvas LMS comparison

Instructure and CYPHER LEARNING are both solutions in the Learning Management Systems (LMS) category. Instructure is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.0, while CYPHER LEARNING is ranked #3 with an average rating of 8.8. Instructure holds a 4.7% mindshare in LMS, compared to CYPHER LEARNING’s 4.0% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Instructure users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of CYPHER LEARNING users who would recommend it.

Canvas LMS

Read 11 Canvas LMS reviews

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703 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

CYPHER Learning

Read 55 CYPHER Learning reviews

2,117 Views
2,075 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Canvas LMS

CYPHER Learning

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 19, 2024

CYPHER Learning and Canvas LMS are competitive products in the e-learning market. Canvas LMS is frequently seen as superior due to its expansive feature set, but CYPHER Learning garners attention for its pricing and support.

Features: CYPHER Learning offers gamification, personalized learning paths, and adaptive learning, which enhance engagement and motivation. Canvas LMS provides robust course management and integration options, offering extensive customization and advanced analytics, attracting larger institutions seeking flexibility.

Room for Improvement: CYPHER Learning could enhance its scalability for larger enterprises and expand its integration capabilities. It could also improve its mobile interface and analytics insights. Canvas LMS might benefit from streamlining its setup process and enhancing its customer service responsiveness. Additionally, it could improve cost transparency and reduce overall complexity.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: CYPHER Learning is praised for an easy deployment process and responsive support, simplifying onboarding for users. Canvas LMS, while offering detailed documentation, may have a more complex initial setup compared to CYPHER Learning, but provides a comprehensive range of technical support resources.

Pricing and ROI: CYPHER Learning stands out with competitive pricing and a strong ROI for small to mid-sized organizations, focusing on cost-effectiveness and scalability. Canvas LMS, though pricier, offers a high return on investment for larger institutions with its advanced features and robust functionalities, appealing to those seeking a comprehensive educational solution.

To learn more, read our detailed CYPHER Learning vs. Canvas LMS Report (Updated: July 2025).

Buyer's Guide

CYPHER Learning vs. Canvas LMS

July 2025

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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

Canvas LMS

Ranking in Learning Management Systems (LMS)

5th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

CYPHER Learning

Ranking in Learning Management Systems (LMS)

3rd

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Learning Management Systems (LMS) category, the mindshare of Canvas LMS is 4.7%, down from 4.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of CYPHER Learning is 4.0%, down from 5.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Learning Management Systems (LMS)

Featured Reviews

Lance Levin

Learning Magic Solutions | Managing Director at CTI

Comprehensive learning system transforms education with innovative features

The integration capability of Canvas LMS with other educational tools is probably the best for integration. They have thousands of apps that are already integrated with Canvas LMS. It uses a very simple API LTI method where you just have to input a number and then it's integrated. When assessing the analytics features and reporting features of Canvas LMS, they have comprehensive capabilities. They have reporting, attendance registers, and the back-end SIS system. The reporting is very easy and analytics is excellent. Regarding its mobile compatibility feature, Canvas LMS is probably the easiest to use. It's user-friendly and operates with simple copy and paste functionality. It operates similarly to Word, with no difficulty at all. It's extremely user-friendly. When speaking about scalability and flexibility, Canvas LMS is very scalable. Everything's on the AWS cloud, so content is not a problem offline. It's scalable because the largest universities in the world use it.

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Roland Lorenzo M Ruben

Philosophy Professor at De La Salle University - Dasmariñas

Offers flexible learning and saves printing costs; it has been excellent for us

There is room for improvement in the CYPHER Learning mobile application because my students have given feedback that they are not using the mobile app as it takes time to open. I also use the app. For me, it is easier to use than using the browser, but some of the students do not use it because it takes a very long time to open. Most of our students are using smartphones. Some students do not have laptops, so if the mobile app is more responsive, it would be a great help for us. The peer feedback feature is not user-friendly. Some of our faculty members were very happy when CYPHER gave the news that there is already a peer feedback feature because we were asking for it, but when they used it, they found it complicated and not user-friendly. They were disappointed with the peer feedback feature. When students submit their outputs, we want their classmates to give feedback as well, but that is not very easy to use. After I tried it, I also did not find it very friendly to use. They have this assessment type where we can group our students. We create groups, and they can work and collaborate with the group. While grading the submissions of the groups, although we can see that the students are separated by groups, we still have to grade them one by one. We would like a way to grade the group as one. For example, if there are five members in a group, currently, we give each member a grade. It would be easier to be able to give the same grade to all the members of the group. The team assessment feature could be improved to allow grading the group as one.

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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

"They have a more extensive support base in terms of infrastructure."

"Its easy adaptability to whatever form or methodology you are using to teach is valuable. It tends to be seamless, and it is very much a self-intuitive product. It requires almost no instruction, and you can be fully up to speed and ready to run on it. You can bring someone in who has never worked with any online learning or LMS system, and in a week's timeframe, they would almost be fully functional because Canvas is so simple to use."

"It's easy to follow. It flows well, and it's easy to use."

"I used a lot of other systems in my IT career and Canvas LMS truly has everything that I would look for in an enterprise system."

"The product's flexibility is exceptional."

"The integration with Zoom is a notable feature. It allows for seamless access to live class sessions directly from Canvas after authentication, enabling quick entry into Zoom calls. You can also schedule Zoom calls or private recordings directly within Canvas, making it convenient, especially for situations like self-recording exams. Additionally, Canvas excels in collaboration and discussion capabilities. Users can engage in discussions on various topics, and there's the option to create custom groups for more focused interactions. These groups provide a level of privacy and isolation from the broader class, which is a significant advantage."

"Canvas LMS is user-friendly. Its assessment tools help to find the weaknesses and strengths of students."

"We have been using Canvas LMS, and overall, it has served our needs well for managing courses and general settings."

More Canvas LMS pros

"Initially, I was very excited about the automations. But when we started using the actual courses, I found that the ability to sync content and settings from parent courses to child courses is what I value the most. But both the automations and syncing are at the top of the list."

"In terms of the user availability, there is access to the platform 24 hours. So, we don't need to determine a specific time for training. We just give them a link, password, and period for them to complete, e.g., four days, then it is up to them. What is important is they pass the minimum requirements needed to pass the exams and certification process."

"It is very easy for educators to communicate with students using the CYPHER Learning messaging system, which is imperative for our organization."

"It's very easy to monitor and check student progress. I can go in and, with a couple of clicks, see any participant and where they are in the process."

"The first point is the ease of use. It is a very easy platform to use, especially for students and families, with a very friendly layout. It also has a series of support systems, including communication with parents, students, the ability to invoice for online courses, and other qualities that make the system very versatile and facilitate a teacher's work."

"With class folders in place, it is possible to follow up on the children. I know when students have seen the material that has been uploaded to the platform and, thus, understand if they are following the classes."

"This platform not only allows you to transmit the content in an agile and interactive way, but you can also interact with the students and keep them up to date. It is a platform that provides communication with the student, not only academically but also personally."

"For as long as I have been working with MATRIX (for a few years now), they have the social aspect with groups. The thing that they did not have for years, until earlier this year, was a reply-all feature. I had been asking for that for years and they finally added it this year. That has been helpful because now our students are less frustrated."

More CYPHER Learning pros

Cons

"The high-tech interactivity with other software, like ArcGIS or RSA Archer, can be better. It is not as easily compatible with them. You can put apps in it that the students can then access, but the routing of apps through the Canvas system slows down functionality on the other types of products."

"Integrating more AI capabilities for the product could enhance its functionality, particularly in automating repetitive tasks and personalizing learning experiences."

"It would be nice to be able to do more real-time comprehensive reporting with Canvas LMS."

"In our working, we are encountering many challenges with Canvas LMS. One of the major area is their business model which is having a very different pricing structure. The structure is made in such a way that the license fee is needed to be paid for the complete year even if the student has been enrolled for a programme of short duration. This structure is not conducive with our needs and hence, in the past few years, been increasing our costs manifold. Along with this, Canva LMS also lacks many functionalities such as notifications and adaptive learning. There is a specific issue with the licensing model that affects us in continuous education. The inability to reuse a license for the same course in different terms hinders our cost efficiency. For instance, if a program runs from January to April, we are required to pay for the license twice within the same academic year. This contrasts with other platforms like Hyper, where reusing a license is possible, allowing us to use the same license multiple times in different terms. Along with the use, we are exploring the integration of artificial intelligence into our processes, and Canvas LMS falls short in this regard. While some platforms allow connections with external AI services, Canvas does not currently offer built-in artificial intelligence capabilities, a feature we find valuable for enhancing the learning experience."

"The solution could be upgraded and improved."

"The product could be integrated with a talent management system."

"There are a couple of areas that could be improved. Firstly, the discussion feature is not very interactive and can be slow to respond, making it less intuitive at the moment. This is an aspect that needs substantial improvement. Another point to consider is related to the cost of the LMS system. It's perceived as relatively expensive, which has led to discussions about transitioning away from Canvas, potentially to a more cost-effective alternative. This cost-related aspect is a significant factor to consider when implementing such a system."

"It would be good to be able to do teleconferencing within the LMS."

More Canvas LMS cons

"One thing that I wish was different was that it showed the full title in the catalog when I create something outside, such as in Articulate 360, and bring it in. When you go into the catalog title, it does not show you the whole title. If it is a long title, it will just have three dots. I wish it would just show the entire title, even if it goes into the next line so that people can see the whole title."

"There could be improvements in the dynamic and accessibility tools for the youngest students. For example, I create or attach links from other pages, and I use activities and games, such as roulettes, that encourage student participation."

"CYPHER Learning should definitely offer live video conferencing integration."

"There needs to be greater granularity of user packages. We don't always have 100 users per month. However, we pay for 100."

"Most of our wish list for CYPHER Learning has already been addressed. One that we are still asking them for is to include competencies from different industries, since they have industry partners. These would be the competencies that these industries need so that we can make sure that we are developing our students toward those competencies or skill sets."

"I would also like to see them improve accessibility for younger kids. Perhaps they could enable us to customize folders in a more playful way."

"The gamification option is a section that we have not learned because we have not been able to specify a training space for the use of this gamification tab. However, it would be good to have training and learn about how to use it."

"I'd like a way to set deadlines for assignments to be submitted by learners' onboarding programs based on their enrollment dates. For example, if a learner starts in October, and we want the assignment submitted 30 days after that."

More CYPHER Learning cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Canvas LMS is an affordable solution."

"The platform can be expensive for smaller organizations with fewer students."

"The pricing of Canvas is satisfactory for my university. We have negotiated a good price, especially considering that we are a large university with twenty-six campuses across the country. Canvas offers a favorable pricing model for academic institutions, and the cost is reasonable. However, in continuous education, the challenge lies not in the price itself but in the business model. The requirement to pay for the entire year when our students may only use the license for a shorter duration creates challenges. The inability to adjust the licensing based on actual usage is a significant drawback for us, making the effective cost higher compared to other platforms like Hyper Learning"

"Canvas LMS is low-priced compared to other vendors."

"CYPHER LEARNING is very flexible when it comes to pricing. They hear out their customers and see where they can help them as far as cost is concerned."

"The pricing is good. It's scalable, meaning you can start off at a cost level that is easy for a startup and then build on it from there."

"The pricing is somewhere in the middle. It's not too expensive and, for what it is, it's very reasonable."

"Even though it's priced high, the return on investment is going to be phenomenal. It does what you want it to do."

"Our satisfaction with the pricing is a 10 out of 10."

"It's a little bit more than I want to pay, but I'm okay with it."

"CYPHER Learning is a bit more expensive than our previous solution."

"Understanding your active users, compared to total users, in terms of the plan you choose, is something to be aware of."

More CYPHER Learning pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

20%

University

17%

Manufacturing Company

Non Profit

Educational Organization

20%

Computer Software Company

12%

Comms Service Provider

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Canvas LMS?

We have been using Canvas LMS, and overall, it has served our needs well for managing courses and general settings.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Canvas LMS?

Integrating more AI capabilities for the product could enhance its functionality, particularly in automating repetitive tasks and personalizing learning experiences.

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Canvas LMS?

I rate Canva LMS a nine out of ten.

See all answers

What do you like most about NEO LMS?

Creating courses for our resources is one of the best features of CYPHER Learning.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for NEO LMS?

The pricing for CYPHER Learning is on par with other solutions. I've been a single user of the system for a while and priced out several other options, and it's probably standard pricing if not may...

See all answers

What needs improvement with NEO LMS?

One of the areas that I believe CYPHER Learning could improve on is having a saving function as you type in, much as some Google products. That would really help in my classroom because we do a lot...

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 14% of the time

Brightspace vs Canvas LMS

Compared 14% of the time

Google Classroom vs Canvas LMS

Compared 13% of the time

Moodle vs Canvas LMS

Compared 10% of the time

Totara Learn vs Canvas LMS

Compared 10% of the time

More Canvas LMS Competitors

Cornerstone Learn vs CYPHER Learning

Compared 44% of the time

Moodle vs CYPHER Learning

Compared 24% of the time

More CYPHER Learning Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Canvas LMS

July 2025

Download Canvas LMS product report

Buyer's Guide

CYPHER Learning

July 2025

Download CYPHER Learning product report

Also Known As

No data available

MATRIX LMS, NEO LMS

Overview

Canvas LMS is a comprehensive learning management system that enhances the educational experience. It offers a user-friendly interface that allows educators to create and manage courses, assignments, and assessments. Canvas enables seamless communication and collaboration between students and teachers. It supports various multimedia formats, making it easy to incorporate engaging content into lessons. Canvas also provides a mobile app, ensuring accessibility on the go. Its built-in analytics and reporting allow educators to track student progress and identify areas for improvement. Canvas LMS can integrate with other educational tools and platforms, enhancing its functionality. Canvas LMS is a powerful and versatile platform that empowers educators to deliver effective and engaging online learning experiences.

Instructure

CYPHER Learning provides an AI-powered platform designed for efficient, personalized learning. It supports an ever-evolving educational and professional landscape with intuitive, comprehensive tools.

CYPHER Learning offers a unified learning experience, simplifying course creation and improving learner engagement through automation, gamification, and adaptive learning. Its intuitive design enhances communication and multimedia integration, making it suitable for trainers, educators, and HR professionals. Advanced analytics and customization options bolster its capabilities, positioning it as a leading choice for competency-based education and training.

What features define CYPHER Learning?

Gamification: Encourages engagement through game-like elements.
Adaptive Learning: Tailors content to individual learner needs.
Competency-Based Learning: Focuses on skill development and mastery.
Automation: Streamlines content delivery and administrative tasks.
Customizable Course Materials: Allows tailored content and pathways.

Why consider CYPHER Learning?

Enhanced Engagement: Keeps learners motivated with captivating experiences.
Improved Productivity: Increases efficiency for trainers and administrators.
Comprehensive Analytics: Provides insights into learner performance and engagement.
Seamless Integration: Integrates with external platforms for a unified experience.

CYPHER Learning finds applications in industries like health, insurance, and retail management, supporting technical training, onboarding, and professional development. Organizations leverage its customizable features for both self-paced and cohort-based learning, enriching their educational initiatives across sectors.

CYPHER LEARNING

Sample Customers

Pragmatic Group, MRWED Training and Assessment, RedHill Education

Millions of users across business, academia, and entrepreneurs - worldwide.

Buyer's Guide

CYPHER Learning vs. Canvas LMS

July 2025

Free Report: CYPHER Learning vs. Canvas LMS

Find out what your peers are saying about CYPHER Learning vs. Canvas LMS and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.

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