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LMS · head to head

ClassDojo vs Totara

ClassDojo logo

ClassDojo

LMS

Build amazing classroom communities

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Totara logo

Totara

LMS

Open source learning, performance and collaboration platform derived from Moodle and sold through partners

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only ClassDojo has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: ClassDojo the AI homework helper, the 2,000 plus digital book library, detailed progress reports, memory albums and calendar sync are all restricted to the paid ClassDojo Plus subscription; Totara you cannot buy from the vendor. Every purchase runs through a partner who sets its own hosting, services and support pricing, so identical platforms are quoted at materially different totals and buyers must run a partner comparison as well as a product comparison.
  • They diverge on capability: ClassDojo covers Behavior tracking, Totara covers Organisational hierarchies.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ClassDojo and Totara actually diverge.

Attributes where ClassDojo and Totara differ
AttributeClassDojoTotara
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, IOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android, Linux
Founded2011Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (LMS).

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 ClassDojo

  • Behavior tracking
  • Parent messaging
  • Class story
  • Student portfolios
  • Dojo points
  • Translation
  • School story
  • Mobile app

Only in Totara

  • Organisational hierarchies
  • Compliance and certification
  • Totara Perform
  • Totara Engage
  • Self-hosting
  • Programs and learning plans

What people use each for

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

ClassDojo

  • classroom communication and behavior trackingnot Totara
  • teacher-parent communicationnot Totara
  • student engagement toolsnot Totara

Totara

  • Health services and government bodies that must evidence mandatory training by job role across a large hierarchynot ClassDojo
  • Organisations with data residency rules that require the platform to run on their own infrastructurenot ClassDojo
  • Moodle users who need appraisal, competency and compliance features the academic product does not carrynot ClassDojo
  • Buyers who want exit rights over the platform code rather than dependence on a single hosted vendornot ClassDojo

Where each one falls short

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

ClassDojo

  • The AI homework helper, the 2,000 plus digital book library, detailed progress reports, memory albums and calendar sync are all restricted to the paid ClassDojo Plus subscription
  • ClassDojo Plus is sold to families rather than to schools, so parents pay for the premium tier
  • The Plus page publishes no monthly or yearly price, only a 7 day free trial
  • No pricing is published for the school leader or district offerings

Totara

  • You cannot buy from the vendor. Every purchase runs through a partner who sets its own hosting, services and support pricing, so identical platforms are quoted at materially different totals and buyers must run a partner comparison as well as a product comparison.
  • Open source does not mean cheap. Subscription plus partner hosting plus implementation and version upgrade services commonly lands near commercial system cost, and the saving is in control and exit rights rather than in the invoice.
  • The administrative interface carries its Moodle lineage and is dense, so administrator training is a real project cost rather than an afterthought.
  • Major version upgrades are projects, especially where a partner has customised the deployment, and organisations that customise heavily find upgrades slower and dearer over time.
  • The learner facing experience is functional rather than engaging, and organisations wanting a consumer grade learning experience usually front it with something else.

Pricing, plan by plan

ClassDojo

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Behavior points
    • Messaging
    • Class story
  • Plus$7.99/month
    • All free features
    • Beyond School
    • Dojo Islands
  • School$undefined/month
    • School story
    • Admin tools
    • Analytics

Totara

On request
  • Totara subscription via partner$undefined/year
    • Sold only through distribution partners
    • Partner sets hosting, implementation and support pricing
    • Source available under the GPL, but subscription required for supported releases

Which should you pick?

Choose ClassDojo if

  • You need behavior tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want parent messaging.
ClassDojo review

Choose Totara if

  • You need organisational hierarchies.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Linux.
  • You also want compliance and certification.
Totara review

Questions people ask

Is ClassDojo or Totara better?
Neither clearly leads. ClassDojo starts at Free and Totara at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ClassDojo or Totara?
ClassDojo has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for ClassDojo and On request for Totara.
Does ClassDojo or Totara run on more platforms?
ClassDojo runs on Web, IOS, Android. Totara runs on Web, iOS, Android, Linux.
Can I use ClassDojo for free?
Yes. ClassDojo has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Totara starts at On request.
What is ClassDojo best used for?
ClassDojo is most often used for classroom communication and behavior tracking, teacher-parent communication, student engagement tools. Of those, classroom communication and behavior tracking and teacher-parent communication are not what Totara is typically brought in for.
What can ClassDojo do that Totara cannot?
ClassDojo covers Behavior tracking, Parent messaging, Class story, Student portfolios. Totara covers Organisational hierarchies, Compliance and certification, Totara Perform, Totara Engage.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ClassDojo: Is ClassDojo free?

Yes, ClassDojo core platform is free for teachers forever; the service is positioned as a free tool for educators without required payment.

Source
Totara: Is Totara free because it is open source?

No. The source is available under the GPL, but supported releases require a subscription, and it is sold through partners who add hosting, implementation and support costs.

ClassDojo: What is ClassDojo Plus and how much does it cost?

ClassDojo Plus is the premium tier; specific pricing details are not published on the ClassDojo website and require direct inquiry with the company.

Source
Totara: How is it different from Moodle?

Moodle is built around courses and academic delivery. Totara adds organisational hierarchies, role based automatic assignment, recurring certification and appraisal, which is what workplace compliance reporting needs.

ClassDojo: Are parents charged to use ClassDojo?

ClassDojo does not charge parents for the service; the free platform includes parent-teacher communication features at no cost to families.

Source
Totara: Can we host it ourselves?

Yes. Self hosting is a genuine option and is one of the main reasons regulated and public sector buyers choose it over a hosted only competitor.

ClassDojo: Why is ClassDojo free if there's a premium tier?

ClassDojo offers free core features to teachers to drive adoption; premium features for advanced needs or professional development are available as paid add-ons.

Source
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