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Education & E-Learning · head to head

Blackboard vs Google Data Studio

Blackboard logo

Blackboard

Education & E-Learning

Comprehensive learning platform for educational institutions

From
$10/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Google Data Studio logo

Google Data Studio

Business Intelligence

Free data visualization by Google

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Google Data Studio has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Blackboard user interface is outdated, cluttered, and unintuitive with hidden menus and excessive clicks; Google Data Studio google Data Studio has been renamed Looker Studio; the vendor's own landing page states it is free to use ("It's easy and free"), with no enterprise pricing tier visible on the consumer product itself.
  • They diverge on capability: Blackboard covers Course management, Google Data Studio covers Free Platform.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Blackboard and Google Data Studio actually diverge.

Attributes where Blackboard and Google Data Studio differ
AttributeBlackboardGoogle Data Studio
Starting price$10/yearFree
Pricing modelUnknownfree
Free tierNoYes
CategoryEducation & E-LearningBusiness Intelligence
Founded19971998

Identical on both: platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Blackboard

  • Course management
  • Assessment tools
  • Discussion boards
  • Virtual classroom
  • Gradebook
  • Mobile app
  • Analytics
  • Accessibility

Only in Google Data Studio

  • Free Platform
  • Real-time Collaboration
  • Custom Visualizations
  • Data Blending
  • Sharing
  • Google Analytics
  • BigQuery
  • Google Sheets

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Blackboard

  • Course deliverynot Google Data Studio
  • Student engagementnot Google Data Studio
  • Assessmentnot Google Data Studio
  • Virtual learningnot Google Data Studio

Google Data Studio

  • Self-service analyticsnot Blackboard
  • Data explorationnot Blackboard
  • Ad-hoc reportingnot Blackboard
  • Collaborative analysisnot Blackboard
  • Embedded analyticsnot Blackboard

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Blackboard

  • User interface is outdated, cluttered, and unintuitive with hidden menus and excessive clicks
  • Slow response times and platform crashes when opening multiple tabs simultaneously
  • Cannot track detailed student activity beyond most recent login information
  • Limited ability to handle large file uploads for content and assignments
  • Minimal customization options for page and template design

Google Data Studio

  • Google Data Studio has been renamed Looker Studio; the vendor's own landing page states it is free to use ("It's easy and free"), with no enterprise pricing tier visible on the consumer product itself.

Pricing, plan by plan

Blackboard

$10/year

No published plan breakdown. See the Blackboard review.

Google Data Studio

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited Reports
    • Data Connectors
    • Collaboration

Which should you pick?

Choose Blackboard if

  • You need course management.
  • You also want assessment tools.
Blackboard review

Choose Google Data Studio if

  • You need free platform.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want real-time collaboration.
Google Data Studio review

Questions people ask

Is Blackboard or Google Data Studio better?
Neither clearly leads. Blackboard starts at $10/year and Google Data Studio at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Blackboard or Google Data Studio?
Google Data Studio has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $10/year for Blackboard and Free for Google Data Studio.
Does Blackboard or Google Data Studio run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Google Data Studio for free?
Yes. Google Data Studio has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Blackboard starts at $10/year.
What is Blackboard best used for?
Blackboard is most often used for course delivery, student engagement, assessment, virtual learning. Of those, course delivery and student engagement are not what Google Data Studio is typically brought in for.
What can Blackboard do that Google Data Studio cannot?
Blackboard covers Course management, Assessment tools, Discussion boards, Virtual classroom. Google Data Studio covers Free Platform, Real-time Collaboration, Custom Visualizations, Data Blending. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Blackboard: What does Blackboard LMS offer?

Blackboard is a learning management system that includes course management, assignment and gradebook tools, discussion forums, and analytics for tracking learner progress in online, hybrid, and in-person courses.

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Related pages

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