LMS · alternatives
Alternatives to Google Classroom
22 lms tools sit alongside Google Classroom in this directory. Below is what separates each from Google Classroom on the figures we hold, price, model, tier count and rating, and a direct comparison for every one.
- Alternatives listed
- 22
- With a free tier
- 7
- Cheaper to start
- -
- Google Classroom starts at
- Free
Why people look past Google Classroom
Nothing on the record flags a reason to move. Google Classroom has a free tier. People still switch over fit and workflow, and those are not things a catalogue entry can measure, which is what the comparisons below are for.
What each alternative does differently
Ordered by the aggregated rating on each catalogue entry. Differences are drawn from price, pricing model, tier count and rating, the fields the category listing carries. For a feature-level difference, follow the head-to-head link on each card: those pages read both full records.
Open-source LMS designed by educators for educators
- Publishes an entry price of $200/year, where Google Classroom does not.
Open-source LMS for engaging learning experiences
- No free tier, where Google Classroom has one.
- Publishes an entry price of $5/student-year, where Google Classroom does not.
LMS that connects learning with the bigger picture
Priced and rated the same as Google Classroom on the figures we hold. The difference, if there is one, is in the feature records.
Asynchronous training video with AI avatars, quizzes and a searchable knowledge library
- Publishes an entry price of $24/month, where Google Classroom does not.
Open source French-language learning platform, now developed as Claroline Connect
- Publishes an entry price of Free, where Google Classroom does not.
Open source learning management system with no licence fee and a Latin American and francophone user base
Priced and rated the same as Google Classroom on the figures we hold. The difference, if there is one, is in the feature records.
Every Google Classroom alternative at a glance
A dash means the catalogue entry carries no figure, not that the answer is nothing.
| Tool | Entry price | Model | Tiers | Head to head |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Classroom (this page) | Free | - | 2 | |
| MoodleOpen-source LMS with highly customizable course structures, SCORM support, and extensive analytics for K-12 and higher ed. | Free, then $200/year | - | 2 | vs Google Classroom |
| CanvasFeature-rich commercial LMS used by higher ed institutions with advanced gradebook, rubrics, and assessment capabilities. | $5/student-year | - | - | vs Google Classroom |
| SchoologyK-12 focused LMS by PowerSchool with parent portals, standards-based grading, and SIS integration. | Free | Subscription | 2 | vs Google Classroom |
| Weet | Free, then $24/month | Per creator per month | 2 | vs Google Classroom |
| Claroline | Free | Open source, no licence fee | 2 | vs Google Classroom |
| Chamilo | Free | Open source, no licence fee | 2 | vs Google Classroom |
| Sakai | Free | Open source, no licence fee | 2 | vs Google Classroom |
| Nearpod | Free, then $159/year | - | 3 | vs Google Classroom |
| Degreed | On request | Quote | 2 | vs Google Classroom |
| Skilljar | On request | Quote | 1 | vs Google Classroom |
| Sana | On request | Quote | 1 | vs Google Classroom |
| Echo360 | On request | Quote | 4 | vs Google Classroom |
| Schoox | On request | Quote | 1 | vs Google Classroom |
| Thought Industries | On request | Quote | 1 | vs Google Classroom |
| Tovuti LMS | On request | Quote | 1 | vs Google Classroom |
| Whatfix | On request | Quote | 1 | vs Google Classroom |
| Totara | On request | Quote | 1 | vs Google Classroom |
| LearnDash | $199/year | Per site per year | 3 | vs Google Classroom |
| CYPHER Learning | On request | Quote | 1 | vs Google Classroom |
| LearnUpon | On request | Quote | 1 | vs Google Classroom |
| LinkedIn Learning | On request | Subscription | 3 | vs Google Classroom |
| Docebo | On request | Subscription | 3 | vs Google Classroom |
Ratings are aggregated from third-party sources and imported with each catalogue entry; Softwr hosts no reviews of these products. How each figure is used is set out on the Google Classroom badges page.
Cheaper ways to solve the same problem
What you would be giving up
Google Classroom is most often brought in for class management, assignment distribution, grading, communication. Anything replacing it has to cover the ones you actually depend on, and a cheaper tool that misses one of them is not cheaper.
Two things this page cannot settle. It compares on price, model, tier count and rating, because those are the fields the category listing carries, feature-level differences need both full records, which is what the head-to-head pages load. And the ratings are third-party aggregates imported with each entry rather than reviews written here, so a 0.2 difference between two tools is noise rather than a finding.
If Google Classroom is broadly right and the question is cost, the Google Classroom pricing breakdown covers every tier and what each one adds. If you want the whole field rather than a shortlist, the LMS category lists everything the directory holds, and best lms tools ranks them.
Google Classroom runs on web, ios, android. Platform coverage is not carried on the category listing for the alternatives, so it is one more thing to check on each head-to-head page rather than here.
Questions about Google Classroom alternatives
- What are the main alternatives to Google Classroom?
- 22 other lms tools are listed in this directory, led by Moodle, Canvas, Schoology, Weet. They are ordered by the aggregated rating on each catalogue entry, not by any Softwr ranking.
- What is the best free alternative to Google Classroom?
- 7 of the alternatives listed here can be used without paying: Moodle, Schoology, Weet, Claroline, Chamilo.
- Is there a reason to switch away from Google Classroom?
- Nothing in the data flags one. Google Classroom has a free tier. Fit and workflow are the usual reasons to move, and those are not things this record can measure.
- What would I give up by switching from Google Classroom?
- Google Classroom is most often brought in for class management, assignment distribution, grading, communication. Anything you replace it with has to cover the ones you actually rely on, the side-by-side comparisons linked from each alternative below put the two feature records against each other.
- Is there an open-source alternative to Google Classroom?
- None of the lms tools listed here are recorded as open source. That is what the licence field on each entry says, and the field is not always filled in, so it is worth checking directly for any tool you are serious about.
- How were these Google Classroom alternatives chosen?
- They are the tools filed in the same category, LMS, ordered by the aggregated rating on each entry. There is no editorial shortlist, and nothing on this page is paid: no sponsored placement runs on alternatives pages and the order cannot be bought. Softwr has not used these products.
- Where can I compare Google Classroom against one of these directly?
- Every alternative below has a side-by-side page against Google Classroom covering price, platforms, features and what each one is used for. Those pages read the full record for both products rather than the summary shown here.
- Does this list cover every lms tool?
- No. It covers what this directory holds in the LMS category, 22 tools beside Google Classroom. The category page lists the rest of the catalogue as it grows.