CYPHER Learning vs Google Classroom comparison

CYPHER LEARNING and Google are both solutions in the Learning Management Systems (LMS) category. CYPHER LEARNING is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.7, while Google is ranked #3 with an average rating of 8.3. CYPHER LEARNING holds a 4.5% mindshare in LMS, compared to Google’s 4.5% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of CYPHER LEARNING users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 96% of Google users who would recommend it.

CYPHER Learning

Read 54 CYPHER Learning reviews

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474 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Google Classroom

Read 25 Google Classroom reviews

1,974 Views
758 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

CYPHER Learning

Google Classroom

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Apr 20, 2025

CYPHER Learning and Google Classroom are competitors in the learning management systems (LMS) category. CYPHER Learning has the upper hand with its advanced features and deployment options, but Google Classroom maintains a strong position due to its ease of use and integration with G Suite.

Features: CYPHER Learning offers advanced capabilities like gamification, personalized lessons, and a rule engine that automates training processes. Its customizable content and in-depth analytics suit various learning contexts. Google Classroom is known for its seamless integration with G Suite, providing simplicity and ease of use for basic classroom management, though it lacks advanced analytics.

Room for Improvement: CYPHER Learning could improve its language translation frameworks and expand reporting options to enhance user experience for non-technical educators, as well as improve integration with external resources and mobile usability. Google Classroom could benefit from better organization features, robust grading systems, and enhanced communication and assignment tracking, along with simpler navigation.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: CYPHER Learning excels with flexible deployment options across public, private, and hybrid clouds, offering extensive support channels and highly rated customer service. Google Classroom, operating on the public cloud, is praised for its simple setup though lacks the variety of deployment options of CYPHER Learning and could improve in customer service.

Pricing and ROI: CYPHER Learning offers competitive pricing based on active users with flexible plans, resulting in efficient ROI through reduced training costs. Google Classroom's free or cost-effective paid options make it accessible for organizations with limited budgets, but its lack of advanced features might not meet the needs of larger enterprises for significant ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed CYPHER Learning vs. Google Classroom Report (Updated: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

CYPHER Learning vs. Google Classroom

April 2025

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Helped 849,686 peers since 2012

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

CYPHER Learning

Ranking in Learning Management Systems (LMS)

1st

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Google Classroom

Ranking in Learning Management Systems (LMS)

3rd

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

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 CYPHER Learning is 4.5%, down from 5.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Google Classroom is 4.5%, down from 11.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Learning Management Systems (LMS)

Featured Reviews

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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Susan Nash

Director of innovation at AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PETROLEUM GEOLOGISTS

It's free and integrates seamlessly with many tools

When students don't have Gmail accounts, it creates a lot of hiccups, but the main issue is that the interface is somewhat primitive. It’s intuitive and you can be up and running in no time at all. However, it is not very attractive. But that may be because I installed it myself and I'm not using any fancy templates. It's primitive because that's how I've been able to get it going. I would like to see a better user experience, a prettier interface, and more templates. Google could make templates readily available or users could design and share them. As it is, you’ll only get a basic framework when you create a new course. You don't have different themes to choose from like you do in Moodle. Most learning management systems also have a dashboard. It would be useful to have a dashboard with blocks on the side that lets you navigate all of your courses. It would like to have the ability to navigate at a glance and breadcrumbs. By breadcrumbs, I mean it should be designed to leave you a trail like you would use to find your way out of a forest. Go back to where you were and pick up where you left off. So, instead of going back, it shows you where you were. Moodle does something like this, but you don't see it in Canvas or Blackboard. I think that that would be a big advantage. And then, a dashboard would just be when you go to the front page, in addition to having your courses listed there, you would have something like other activities, as well. Further, the dashboard would include your calendar, you could have a calendar there, you could have different productivity apps.

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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

"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."

"It has 100% helped me organize my time. It provides more time for interaction and feedback with my students, both in the classroom or personally. This is why I consider the solution as an achievement. It feels more collaborative in the sense that planning not only depends on me, but also on my students."

"The customization is very good because it allows us to completely brand the product so that it is our brand."

"The entire system is incredibly valuable, but one of the reasons we chose CYPHER Learning was the social interaction features, such as forums, student groups, and messaging."

"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."

"CYPHER Learning has very much improved our onboarding processes and learning curve."

"The feature I use the most is the rubrics tool. I have built all my rubrics in the platform and, using them, I can mark the scores that the students have and it provides transparency between the students and the teachers."

"Overall, I would rate CYPHER Learning a ten out of ten."

More CYPHER Learning pros

"When a teacher uploads material, all students connected to that class will receive the same information at the same time. I have found this to be a valuable feature. I also like that the material remains in Google Classroom until the teacher removes it. The UI is user-friendly, and you don't have to have prior experience to use the solution."

"The customer service and support are very good."

"Google Classroom is very effective for communication and excellent for assigning homework and resources."

"Assigning a unique copy of Google Classroom to students and giving out information is what the solution excels at."

"The most valuable feature of Google Classroom is security."

"The product's initial setup phase was easy."

"I can see all the submissions in a central place."

"Google Classroom is easy to use and intuitive, and it's not difficult to set up."

More Google Classroom pros

Cons

"The vendor could improve on the chat system. Right now, the student only has access to messaging. Maybe it would be good to have a mini chat or the ability to do video calls with teachers if they have any questions about an assignment."

"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."

"Perhaps there could be advances in artificial intelligence with more precise and immediate automated reports so that teachers have reports at hand. That would make things easier and would speed up processes."

"eCommerce integration is crucial for us. They have two separate reporting styles. You can view information within the courses themselves, and you can view information on the eCommerce orders. The reporting within the courses and the eCommerce orders are separate, causing difficulty."

"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."

"Due to the complexity of our business, we would welcome more options for access rights management."

"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."

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

More CYPHER Learning cons

"Technical support from Google has been very frustrating in unrelated areas like Google Pay and Google Wallet. It has been quite challenging, with unresolved tickets and a lack of response creating lots of frustration."

"The product should provide features that allow teachers to be on video while taking the class."

"I would like to see a better user experience, a more engaging interface, and more templates. Google should develop templates or at least encourage developers to share them. You'll only get a basic framework when you create a new course. You don't have different themes to choose from like you do in Moodle."

"There's room for improvement in the offline functionality. When you're working with a class, you can't close the class or perform certain tasks when you're offline."

"Google Classroom could improve by being easier to use. For example, making it functional with only a few buttons. It's difficult to know how to connect with students and make a link and share it with them. I found it difficult, and this is why I didn't continue using it. Additionally, it should be available to be downloaded to the desktop for use, similar to Zoom."

"It would be helpful to add voice or audio capabilities to the classrooms instead of text only."

"Initially, the product's initial setup phase may not seem user-friendly."

"I like Google Classroom the way it is, but an area for improvement could be its dashboard."

More Google Classroom cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Overall, the pricing of CYPHER Learning is okay. There are cheaper solutions that offer way fewer features and there are more expensive and more capable solutions, but they might be overkill for many companies that are not big enough. It's about balance. CYPHER Learning is in the middle; not very expensive, not very cheap."

"It's affordable, but they have doubled the pricing at random times. That's a problem. They have to change that for forecasting purposes."

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

"The main reason we went for it was cost, which was very reasonable."

"CYPHER Learning is more cost-efficient for us compared to others."

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

"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

"Google Classroom is free to use."

"The price of Google Classroom has been reasonable."

"The product is free."

"I use the free version of Google Classroom."

"If you do a certain size and build, it's like any Google solution. You have to pay for storage, but you don't need to pay extra to use the interface. There may be Google Classroom partners that provide more integrated solutions, but I don't know. I'm strictly DIY."

"Google Classroom is a free solution. There is paid version that has more options, the cost is approximately eight dollars per student per month."

"We are an educational institution, and it is free of charge for us. Normally, if you are a private company, you have to pay a lot of money to get this service, but they are giving it for free to schools."

"We did not need a license to use Google Classroom."

More Google Classroom pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

18%

Computer Software Company

12%

Comms Service Provider

Government

Educational Organization

24%

University

12%

Computer Software Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

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?

I did not negotiate the pricing, but from what I gathered, it was a significant purchase for us at West Music. We recognize its value and potential for growth, making it worthwhile.

See all answers

What needs improvement with NEO LMS?

The primary area for improvement is the reporting between courses and eCommerce, which currently use two separate reporting styles. Information can be accessed within the courses themselves, as wel...

See all answers

What do you like most about Google Classroom?

The product's UI is good and user-friendly.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Google Classroom?

There is room for improvement in AI integration, specifically in the education sector. Google Classroom could benefit from tools that help correct coding errors for students, thereby enhancing lear...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Google Classroom?

We are using Google Classroom for assessments, homework, and providing resources to students. We also use it for tuition and online interaction, focusing on IT subjects such as computing and progra...

See all answers

Comparisons

Moodle vs CYPHER Learning

Compared 36% of the time

Canvas LMS vs CYPHER Learning

Compared 36% of the time

Cornerstone Learning vs CYPHER Learning

Compared 29% of the time

More CYPHER Learning Competitors

Moodle vs Google Classroom

Compared 56% of the time

Blackboard Learning Management vs Google Classroom

Compared 27% of the time

Canvas LMS vs Google Classroom

Compared 17% of the time

More Google Classroom Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

CYPHER Learning

April 2025

Download CYPHER Learning product report

Buyer's Guide

Google Classroom

April 2025

Download Google Classroom product report

Also Known As

MATRIX LMS, NEO LMS

No data available

Overview

CYPHER Learning® exists to give learners the power to succeed in a rapidly changing world. Trainers, learning and development (L&D) pros, HR pros, and educators get everything they need in one platform to deliver faster, more personalized, and better learning outcomes. We provide the only all-in-one AI-powered learning platform that is easy-to-use, beautifully designed, and built to power hundreds of millions of learning moments every day. Create courses faster. Train and teach better. Learn even quicker. Experience our "just in time, just for you, just the way you want to learn" approach that puts people first.

Brandon Hall Group says:

"CYPHER Learning is not your typical “way inside the box” parochial learning tech. This is a supercharged next-generation technology platform that rocks competency and skills-based learning.”

“The best way to describe the tech is to say it anticipates the moves of the learner. And it’s super powerful. Like a Ferrari, the tech effortlessly combines beauty with the beast to deliver an elegant and stylish learning environment. This is what modern learning is supposed to be.”

Forbes Advisor says:

“The intuitive user interface (UI) and multiple ways to award learners for using the CYPHER Learning platform scores major points—it’s visually pleasing and keeps learners engaged. Aside from the user experience (UX) though, it’s a comprehensive platform that’s simple to use to create courses and track analytics of learner performance.”

Enduring benefits of the CYPHER human-centric approach
Learners desire and demand modern, holistic learning - to keep competitive, entertained, and ready for what’s ahead. Our human-centric approach delivers benefits and outcomes that have lasting positive effects on their personalized school path, career path, and life path.

CYPHER for Business
- Increased employee engagement
- Better employee lifecycle outcomes
- Increased competitive advantage
- Stronger culture of continuous learning
- Increased trainer and admin productivity

CYPHER for Academia
- Increased student engagement
- Better workforce preparedness
- Increased enjoyment of learning
- Stronger sense of purpose
- Increased teacher and admin productivity

Millions of users look to CYPHER everyday to deliver dynamic and personalized learning solutions like:

- Personalized skills development
- Hybrid learning
- Teacher and trainer productivity
- Training (employee, partners, customers, product, + more)
- Onboarding
- Employee lifecycle management
- Compliance
- Extended enterprise

and so much more!

The CYPHER platform has it all. Sophisticated automation, leveled-up gamification, insightful reporting and analytics (ROI), skills development, smart learning paths and proactive recommendations, customization, personalization, toolsets for every user.

“...users discover what great looks like when they use CYPHER."
- Brandon Hall Group

See the modern learning platform at: www.cypherlearning.com

CYPHER LEARNING

Google Classroom is an online learning platform that allows teachers to create and manage virtual classrooms. With Google Classroom, teachers can easily distribute assignments, communicate with students, and provide feedback. Students can access their assignments, submit their work, and collaborate with their peers all in one place. The platform integrates seamlessly with other Google tools like Google Drive and Google Docs, making it easy for students to create and share their work. Google Classroom also provides a streamlined workflow for teachers, allowing them to save time and stay organized. Google Classroom is a user-friendly and efficient tool that enhances the learning experience of teachers and students alike.

Google

Sample Customers

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

Google Classroom is used in major urban school districts throughout the United States, including: * Los Angeles Unified School District * Chicago Public Schools * New York City Department of Education * Houston Independent School District * Miami-Dade County Public Schools * Dallas Independent School District * Broward County Public Schools * Clark County School District (Las Vegas) * Philadelphia School District

Buyer's Guide

CYPHER Learning vs. Google Classroom

April 2025

Free Report: CYPHER Learning vs. Google Classroom

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