Google Classroom vs Moodle comparison

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Google Classroom

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 2, 2025

Moodle and Google Classroom are two contenders in the educational platform sector. Moodle excels with its modular flexibility and extensive features, while Google Classroom stands out for its ease of use and integration with the Google Suite.

Features: Moodle offers advanced quiz options like randomizations, a robust plugin community for customizations, and supports legacy integrations like LTI and H5P. Google Classroom integrates seamlessly with Google tools, supports easy communication and material sharing, and offers features like Google Forms for quizzes.

Room for Improvement: Moodle's complex UI and lack of intuitiveness for non-technical users can be challenging. It also lacks built-in multi-tenancy support and robust analytics. Google Classroom could improve its organization and assessment features. Its interface sometimes confuses young students, and it lacks detailed grading capabilities for advanced educational settings.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Moodle offers flexible deployment options, supporting both on-premises and cloud setups, requiring technical expertise. Its customer service relies on community support unless users opt for paid support. Google Classroom is cloud-based with a simpler onboarding process through the Google ecosystem and lacks direct technical support but benefits from dedicated resources for common issues.

Pricing and ROI: Moodle is open-source, making it cost-effective, with free and paid options. Google Classroom offers a free solution integrating with Google tools, and its paid version provides additional functionality. Both provide good ROI, especially Moodle with its expansive feature set and open-source foundation.

To learn more, read our detailed Google Classroom vs. Moodle Report (Updated: December 2025).

Google Classroom 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

Google Classroom

Ranking in Learning Management Systems (LMS)

4th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Moodle

Ranking in Learning Management Systems (LMS)

1st

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of December 2025, in the Learning Management Systems (LMS) category, the mindshare of Google Classroom is 2.7%, down from 6.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Moodle is 4.6%, down from 13.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Learning Management Systems (LMS) Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Moodle	4.6%
Google Classroom	2.7%
Other	92.7%

Learning Management Systems (LMS)

Featured Reviews

Wafaa Salah

Professor at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees

User-Friendly Platform with Valuable Features but Needs Improvement in Pool of Questions and Statistics

The integration with Google Workspace is great because we have many tools such as Google Meet, Google Sheets, and Google Drive. However, the space is very limited. We purchased extra space until it reached 100 gigabytes. I have been using Google since having a Gmail account in 2001 when I was a student. Google Classroom allows me to make quizzes and assignments for students with random ordering, but I would appreciate having a pool of questions feature. For example, having 1000 questions and extracting 20 for each student would allow every student to have a different version. Currently, while using quizzes, every question appears to every student, though the order might differ. Adding the pool of questions would be beneficial. Having statistics while students take their exams would be helpful - showing how many students submitted, how many are in progress, and how many have not started the quiz. Having a log file to track students who opened documents would be valuable. In Moodle, I can see which students opened files, downloaded them, or watched videos. This feature is not available in Google Classroom, which is why I prefer other applications with more powerful statistics to trace student performance.

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Chris Sackiw

Meteorologist - Training and Development. Météorologue - Formation Et Perfectionnement at Environment Canada

A highly flexible and customizable learning management system with a wide range of features, providing educators with the tools to create engaging and interactive online courses

Moodle has proven to be highly effective for training and professional development within our organization. It has replaced the traditional practice of sending individuals on courses across the country, offering coast-to-coast accessibility. We've also begun utilizing badges for internal certification, streamlining the process of recognizing achievement. As its usage has expanded, we started with native Moodle on our section and have since extended it to other groups. The integration of third-party plugins or tools has influenced our utilization of Moodle. While we haven't implemented as many filters as we potentially could have, one individual has managed administration duties and the integration of these tools. This individual has also been involved in other areas, dedicating significant time to programming within Moodle for a specific program for one group. This process has spanned several years, demonstrating the commitment required to bring these enhancements to fruition.

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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

"Google Classroom is simple to use."

"The most valuable feature of Google Classroom is the ability to share my lectures with many students, assign tasks to be completed, and overall student engagement."

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

"What I liked most about Google Classroom is it was very easy to communicate with the students and simple for me to learn even though it was the first time I was using it. I was able to learn the features very well by navigating through the different discussions forums and becoming proficient, not necessarily a master but knowledgeable in using the solution. The ease of use was the best feature."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is its performance."

"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."

"Company-wise, the most important feature is that it is a product of Google. It is a part of Google Suite. With Google Classroom, you can easily embed a Google Sheet, Google Doc, or Google Form. You can easily create a quiz in Google Form. It is integrated with Google Drive. So, everything is on Google Drive, and you can easily use it. With single sign-on, you can use it with Google Apps as well."

"The most valuable feature of Google Classroom is the ability to meet people and it is online."

More Google Classroom pros

"The number of permissions that are available and different ways to report and get the information out are the most valuable features. We have been able to get precise bits of information out, and we have also been able to delegate a lot."

"This is a scalable solution. We have had 30,000 students using the solution. During COVID, we were able to accommodate a 500% increase in traffic."

"Almost all the activity modules are available inside the courses, so that makes our training easier and more comfortable."

"Cost-effective and intuitive."

"The most valuable feature of Moodle is the exam question shuffle. Students in the classroom will all have different question list numbers. For example, one student's question one will be another student's question ten."

"The ability to insert a variety of tools, create and organize course content, and share large volumes of materials, written, audio, or visual, is very valuable."

"The initial setup is straightforward."

"Moodle is useful for several things, and you can customize it."

More Moodle pros

Cons

"The stability of the product is an area with certain flaws where improvements are required."

"The initial setup of Google Classroom is straightforward. The deployment took us two to three months because we had to train the faculty."

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

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

"The product must provide different plans for different customers so that we can pay for only what we use."

"This feature is not available in Google Classroom, which is why I prefer other applications with more powerful statistics to trace student performance."

"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."

"The initial setup is not very easy. It has modern complexity."

More Google Classroom cons

"Where Moodle could definitely improve is the user interface. You have a lot of themes and you can customize themes, but if you are going to use Moodle off the shelf, even with a hosting company, a lot of training is involved. Training is available, but if your faculty or your development team isn't highly technical, it's going to be a challenge, whereas there are other interfaces that are much easier, but they don't do as much. So, there is a give and take there. If Moodle could find a way to make the user interface for the instructional designers and the learners more intuitive, it probably would be a huge improvement. The manager area and the admin area are fine, but when it comes to the people who are using the system but might not be highly technical, it needs improvement."

"The solution should have more student-centric details in the modules."

"They need to have a better way to illustrate competencies so that, when people go through the programs, they can actually show they are competent in the subject matter."

"The biggest area for improvement is the UI. They should also make the navigation simpler to understand. They've recently introduced a new way of having navigation work in Moodle, but they all look very similar."

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

"The solution should continue to allow and foster the ability to integrate with cloud services."

"Sometimes, discrepancies arise when the information is not updated or lacks precision, potentially leading to the model producing misleading or incorrect outputs based on its training."

"Moodle Mobile is a really good area for improvement. All of 4.0 hasn't been released yet, and Moodle Mobile is not yet available for all different devices."

More Moodle cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I'm using a free version of Google Classroom, so it's a product I don't pay for."

"The solution is affordable."

"For Google Classroom, you don't need to pay for its license because they offer free access to the platform."

"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."

"The price of Google Classroom has been reasonable."

"There are competitors that offer free solutions, making the price of Google Classroom high."

"The product is free."

"Google Classroom is a free solution."

More Google Classroom pricing and cost advice

"It is a free-of-cost solution."

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

"It varies depending on the partner you're going with. It depends on whether they are a certified partner or not. It also varies depending on the demand. Usually, with Moodle and other LMSs, there is concurrent licensing. It's hard to figure out the best way to do it at the company that is selling the LMS. Moodle is usually one of the most cost-effective LMSs you can get."

"This particular organization is a relatively small academic institution. It is a single campus, not very big, with 4,500 to 5,000 total students. It is not a big faculty. There are no hard sciences other than undergraduate-level hard sciences. So, Moodle is functional, and it is relatively simple because it is open-source software. It has sub advantages, and it is inexpensive. Small schools with small enrollment numbers just can't afford the more expensive ones."

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

"It is a one-time registration with the Moodle site. There isn't a yearly or monthly fee."

"Moodle is free. It should probably stay free. There isn't really any support for Moodle unless you pay an astronomical amount, which is weird."

"Moodle is a free solution."

More Moodle pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

22%

University

13%

Manufacturing Company

13%

Performing Arts

Comms Service Provider

13%

Manufacturing Company

11%

University

10%

Educational Organization

10%

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	14
Midsize Enterprise	4
Large Enterprise	10

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	10
Midsize Enterprise	7
Large Enterprise	11

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Google Classroom?

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

What needs improvement with Google Classroom?

What is your primary use case for Google Classroom?

I'm not creating classrooms using Google Classroom, as I join courses that other professors have created. Our university works with Outlook and Teams, but I still use Google Classroom when joining ...

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.

Blackboard Learning Management vs Google Classroom

Comparisons

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Compared 15% of the time

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Compared 12% of the time

Schoology Learning vs Google Classroom

Compared 9% of the time

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Cornerstone Learn vs Moodle

Compared 8% of the time

SAP SuccessFactors Learning vs Moodle

Compared 7% of the time

LearnWorlds vs Moodle

Compared 7% of the time

Canvas LMS vs Moodle

Compared 7% of the time

Open LMS vs Moodle

Compared 7% of the time

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Product Reports

Google Classroom

Download Google Classroom product report

Download Moodle product report

Overview

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

Moodle provides open-source flexibility, plugin support, and integration capabilities for educational and organizational use, enhancing efficiency through features like course management and automatic grading.

Moodle is an adaptable platform for education and training purposes, offering extensive plugins, LTI tool compatibility, and integration options. Its course management, random exam question generation, and collaborative features make it popular among educational institutions. Modular design and activity modules strengthen user interaction, while accessibility measures support a diverse user base. Security and usability are key focuses, but improvements are needed in interface design and navigation. Scalability, customization, and documentation require attention for optimal performance and user satisfaction. Flexible integration with services like Google Suite and enhancements in reporting can further streamline its effectiveness.

What are Moodle's Key Features?

Open-source Flexibility: Easily customizable to meet user needs.
Extensive Plugin Support: Offers numerous plugins for expanded functionality.
LTI Tool Compatibility: Integrates seamlessly with external learning tools.
Automatic Grading: Streamlines assessment evaluation.
Accessibility Features: Ensures wide-ranging user inclusion.

What Benefits and ROI Should Users Look For?

Efficiency: Reduces time with automated processes.
Security: Protects data and maintains integrity.
Community: Global collaboration and support available.
Integration Capabilities: Connects with current systems and tools.
Flexibility: Adapts to educational and corporate training scenarios.

In education, Moodle is commonly used for exam scheduling, course hosting, and assignment management. Corporations leverage it for training and certification needs, while educators use it for planning, quizzes, and interaction facilitation. Its ERP integration and plagiarism detection capabilities are utilized widely. Companies find its plugin and cloud support critical for customized training implementations.

Sample Customers

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

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

Google Classroom vs. Moodle