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Education · head to head

Blackboard vs ON24

Blackboard logo

Blackboard

Education

Comprehensive learning platform for educational institutions

From
$10/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
ON24 logo

ON24

Webinars

The digital engagement platform

From
$2000/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Blackboard user interface is outdated, cluttered, and unintuitive with hidden menus and excessive clicks; ON24 the Internet Archive's capture of ON24's homepage on 1 January 2021 named five distinct platform tiers, Webcast Elite, Engagement Hub, Target, Intelligence, and Connect, but pointed visitors to a 'Find your pricing fit' quiz rather than publishing figures.
  • They diverge on capability: Blackboard covers Course management, ON24 covers Live webinars.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Blackboard and ON24 actually diverge.

Attributes where Blackboard and ON24 differ
AttributeBlackboardON24
Starting price$10/year$2000/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryEducationWebinars
Founded19971998

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 ON24

  • Live webinars
  • Virtual events
  • Engagement hub
  • AI-powered analytics
  • Content hubs
  • Salesforce
  • Marketo
  • Eloqua

Both cover

  • Web support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Blackboard

  • Course deliverynot ON24
  • Student engagementnot ON24
  • Assessmentnot ON24
  • Virtual learningnot ON24

ON24

  • Event planningnot Blackboard
  • Ticket salesnot Blackboard
  • Attendee managementnot Blackboard
  • Virtual eventsnot Blackboard
  • Event marketingnot 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  • User interface is outdated, cluttered, and unintuitive with hidden menus and excessive clicks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

ON24

  • The Internet Archive's capture of ON24's homepage on 1 January 2021 named five distinct platform tiers, Webcast Elite, Engagement Hub, Target, Intelligence, and Connect, but pointed visitors to a 'Find your pricing fit' quiz rather than publishing figures.

Pricing, plan by plan

Blackboard

$10/year

No published plan breakdown. See the Blackboard review.

ON24

$2000/month
  • Core$2000/month
    • Webinars
    • Engagement tools
    • Basic analytics
  • Professional$4000/month
    • Virtual events
    • Advanced analytics
    • Integrations
  • Enterprise$8000/month
    • Full platform
    • AI insights
    • Dedicated success manager

Which should you pick?

Choose Blackboard if

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

Choose ON24 if

  • You need live webinars.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want virtual events.
ON24 review

Questions people ask

Is Blackboard or ON24 better?
Neither clearly leads. Blackboard starts at $10/year and ON24 at $2000/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Blackboard or ON24?
Blackboard starts at $10/year and ON24 at $2000/month.
Does Blackboard or ON24 run on more platforms?
Blackboard runs on Web. ON24 runs on Web, Ios, Android.
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 ON24 is typically brought in for.
What can Blackboard do that ON24 cannot?
Blackboard covers Course management, Assessment tools, Discussion boards, Virtual classroom. ON24 covers Live webinars, Virtual events, Engagement hub, AI-powered analytics. Both handle Web support, Android 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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