A reliable and highly developed LMS with a customization solution is crucial for the success of your organization. But many of us face obstacles in choosing the right LMS. You may always face questions like which is better? And what out of box solutions does LMS provide?.
As there are dozens of LMS alternatives in the market, you might always be confused in selecting the right one. But in this article, we will be speaking about the two most popular LMS- Moodle and Blackboard and also exploring Moodle vs Blackboard comparison. Moodle is a popular open-source and highly recommended platform by institutions and organizations. While Blackboard also provides customization solutions and is used in many schools and companies.
Now you might be thinking and wondering which is better? Moodle or Blackboard? We have come up with a precise comparison for Moodle™ vs Blackboard. Let’s explore and check out which LMS fulfills your learning needs.
Understanding Moodle And Blackboard
Moodle :
Moodle is an open-source LMS that provides collaborative learning environments which empower learning and teaching. It is a flexible and user-friendly platform adopted by most educational institutions and businesses of all sizes. You can self-host and customize Moodle as per your learning needs.
Moodle is designed with a flexible and straightforward user interface that is easy to navigate on desktop and mobile devices. It provides accessibility in learning as you can easily access content as per your convenience. Moreover, with the help of Moodle, you can gain a seamless learning experience as it delivers all learning solutions under one roof.
Blackboard:
Blackboard is the most popular LMS used by businesses and educational institutes worldwide, which delivers a powerful learning experience. It is easily customizable according to your organization’s needs. It provides advanced features and integrates with Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, and school information systems.
Speaking about features, it provides features like collaboration integration, group management, grading enhancement, and much more. With the help of Blackboard, the learning solution is deployed in three ways: self-hosting or cloud, managed hosting. Overall, it becomes easier to develop courses and incorporate appropriate tools at the right place, which engages and motivates learners.
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MOODLE vs BLACKBOARD
When comparing Blackboard vs Moodle , Moodle is majorly used in the organizations and educational sector, whereas Blackboard is widely used in schools. Before opting for any LMS, it is essential to look at the pricing structure.
Speaking about Blackboard learn vs Moodle pricing structure. Moodle is a free open source software, but one can notice that Moodle is not completely free; you need to pay charges for more customization features. Moodle looks confusing when used by novice users because of the clutter of system functionality.
Here are the three ways one can get disappointed after selecting this free LMS
- Customization through Moodle directly for a hefty price.
- Customization through Moodle Partners like Moodle rooms.
- Customization through in-house developers.
- Overall, one has to pay, now or later, if they need something good.
In comparison Moodle vs Blackboard, Moodle can be costly when it comes for customization. Blackboard, on the other hand, is a paid LMS and can be used right out of the box, which is much more comfortable and hassle-free. You can check per student cost with the blackboard pricing structure directly. Moreover, Blackboard is made for schools, government, and also businesses over the globe.
Moodle vs Blackboard comparison chart
Instructions method |  |  |
| Blended Learning | No | Yes |
| Self-paced Learning | Yes | No |
| Interactive Courses | Yes | Yes |
| Virtual Classroom | Yes | Yes |
Administrative Feature | | |
| eCommerce | No | Yes |
| Resource Management | No | Yes |
| Student Portal | No | Yes |
| Work Offline | No | Yes |
| Define User Roles | No | Yes |
Course Development feature | | |
| Course Authoring Tool | Yes | No |
Assessment method | | |
| Testing | Yes | Yes |
| Goal Setting | No | Yes |
| Skills Tracking | Yes | Yes |
These are the list for the couple of features which one looks at when buying an LMS. There are a lot more features and functions which are not listed here. (You may also check Moodle vs Canvas.)
Shortcomings: Moodle vs Blackboard
When considering Moodle vs Blackboard, Blackboard is a bit outdated but high on pricing; on the other hand, Moodle can be easy on pockets, but UI is just not user-friendly. It is constantly analyzed and keeps on updating to provide personalized training to its learners. Whereas with the help of Blackboard, it is easy to maintain complete control of all learning activities. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of Blackboard learn vs Moodle .
Moodle :
- Pros:
Moodle is highly customizable as you can personalize it according to your learning requirements. It allows you to develop your own website filled with dynamic courses for learning anytime and anywhere. Moreover, it provides a complete set of learner-centric tools and creates cooperative learning environments.
- Cons :
With the free Moodle version, you will see ads on the UI, and this would translate into a bad user experience for your users. You’ll have to pay a nominal monthly fee to remove the ads. Moreover, Moodle for school plans primarily intends to use up to 500 users, a setback given Moodle’s specialty of being an educational LMS. Educational institutes usually require a solution for over 500 users, and this puts them in a fix.
Blackboard :
- Pros:
Blackboard has all the vital tools to create an effective online learning environment. There are many learning tools through which you can integrate with Blackboard successfully. It provides integration with Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, and more. Blackboard provides third-party integrations and offers a seamless learning experience.
- Cons:
Many times it is reported that Blackboard can be buggy. Users may face issues regarding delay in page uploading. Also, unlike other mainstream LMSs, it doesn’t integrate with Google Apps and many other platforms. Moreover, the Blackboard is costly and takes time to update.
Takeaway: Moodle vs Blackboard
Blackboard vs Moodle, there is no clear winner as no product is perfect. However, in the open-source LMS range, these two are often the front runners for your companies. Both are individually priced, and you can compare through a series of strategic decisions specific to your organizational needs while keeping your learners in mind.
In this Moodle vs Blackboard tug of war, we feel it’s not wise to compare them against each other. Both of them are designed for different uses. Blackboard prioritizes providing better assessment tools for teachers, while Moodle focuses more on learners’ engagement tools.
While choosing LMS, we would recommend you to check the reviews and pros and cons of Moodle vs Blackboard. But if you are looking for an LMS that provides out-of-box solutions, Paradiso LMS is the best LMS worldwide with 1 million+ active users and is known for easy-to-use UI cost-effective solutions.
To get more information about LMS and its pricing strategy, click here. Please visit our website at paradisosolutions.com, send an email to [emailprotected] or call us to talk with one of our LMS experts at +1 800 513 5902
