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LMS · head to head

Cornerstone Learning vs Sakai

Cornerstone Learning logo

Cornerstone Learning

LMS

Enterprise talent management and learning

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sakai logo

Sakai

LMS

Open source learning management system governed by the Apereo Foundation

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Sakai has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Cornerstone Learning no pricing is published and no tier structure is shown; Sakai the zero licence fee is misleading: running Sakai needs Java operations, database administration and upgrade testing capacity, and universities that costed only the hardware have ended up paying a hosting partner anyway.
  • They diverge on capability: Cornerstone Learning covers Learning management, Sakai covers Course sites.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cornerstone Learning and Sakai actually diverge.

Attributes where Cornerstone Learning and Sakai differ
AttributeCornerstone LearningSakai
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, IOS, Android, APIWeb, Linux, iOS, Android
Founded1999Unknown

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 Cornerstone Learning

  • Learning management
  • Compliance tracking
  • Content marketplace
  • Skills development
  • Social learning
  • Analytics
  • Mobile app
  • AI recommendations

Only in Sakai

  • Course sites
  • Tests and Quizzes
  • Gradebook
  • Lessons
  • Assignments
  • Forums and messaging
  • LTI support
  • Self-hosting

What people use each for

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

Cornerstone Learning

  • Enterprise learning management and compliance trainingnot Sakai
  • Talent development and skills tracking across a workforcenot Sakai

Sakai

  • A university whose data protection policy or national regulation requires student coursework to stay on institution-controlled infrastructure inside a specific jurisdiction.not Cornerstone Learning
  • An institution that has been repriced twice by a commercial LMS vendor after ownership changes and wants a platform with no owner to sell it.not Cornerstone Learning
  • A university with an existing Java and Tomcat operations team, where the marginal cost of running one more Java application is genuinely low.not Cornerstone Learning
  • A consortium of institutions sharing one deployment and one set of local integrations rather than each paying separate per-student licences.not Cornerstone Learning

Where each one falls short

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

Cornerstone Learning

  • No pricing is published and no tier structure is shown
  • The vendor states cost depends on organisational needs and size, with an estimate available only after a demo
  • No minimum purchase or user count is disclosed

Sakai

  • The zero licence fee is misleading: running Sakai needs Java operations, database administration and upgrade testing capacity, and universities that costed only the hardware have ended up paying a hosting partner anyway.
  • The third-party teaching tool ecosystem builds and tests for Canvas first, so Sakai adopters do their own LTI integration work and occasionally wait for a vendor to certify against a platform it does not prioritise.
  • Because governance is a foundation of member institutions rather than a company, a feature only gets built if some institution funds an engineer to build it, so roadmap commitments are weaker than a vendor contract provides.
  • The interface, while improved through the version 20 to 25 cycle, still reads as older than Canvas or Brightspace, and academic staff who have used a commercial LMS elsewhere notice it immediately.
  • Adoption is concentrated in specific regions and sectors, so the pool of people who have run Sakai in production is small, making it harder to hire an administrator than for Moodle or Canvas.

Pricing, plan by plan

Cornerstone Learning

On request
  • Learning$undefined/month
    • Course management
    • Compliance
    • Mobile
  • Talent Suite$undefined/month
    • All Learning
    • Performance
    • Recruiting

Sakai

Free
  • SakaiFree
    • Educational Community Licence, no licence fee
    • Full source on GitHub
    • Community support through Apereo lists and Jira
  • Commercial hosting and support$undefined/year
    • Provided by Apereo affiliates such as Longsight
    • Hosting, upgrades, backups and support
    • Quoted per institution, commonly by student headcount

Which should you pick?

Choose Cornerstone Learning if

  • You need learning management.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android, API.
  • You also want compliance tracking.
Cornerstone Learning review

Choose Sakai if

  • You need course sites.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Linux, iOS, Android.
  • You also want tests and quizzes.
Sakai review

Questions people ask

Is Cornerstone Learning or Sakai better?
Neither clearly leads. Cornerstone Learning starts at On request and Sakai at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cornerstone Learning or Sakai?
Sakai has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Cornerstone Learning and Free for Sakai.
Does Cornerstone Learning or Sakai run on more platforms?
Cornerstone Learning runs on Web, IOS, Android, API. Sakai runs on Web, Linux, iOS, Android.
Can I use Sakai for free?
Yes. Sakai has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Cornerstone Learning starts at On request.
What is Cornerstone Learning best used for?
Cornerstone Learning is most often used for enterprise learning management and compliance training, talent development and skills tracking across a workforce. Of those, enterprise learning management and compliance training and talent development and skills tracking across a workforce are not what Sakai is typically brought in for.
What can Cornerstone Learning do that Sakai cannot?
Cornerstone Learning covers Learning management, Compliance tracking, Content marketplace, Skills development. Sakai covers Course sites, Tests and Quizzes, Gradebook, Lessons.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cornerstone Learning: How does Cornerstone Learning determine pricing?

Cornerstone Learning uses custom pricing based on each organization's needs and size. The company does not publish standard pricing and requires organizations to contact their sales team for a personalized estimate through a free demo.

Source
Sakai: Is Sakai still actively developed?

Yes. Version 25.0 shipped in 2025, 25.1 followed in November 2025, and further maintenance releases in the 25 line are planned, with commits continuing through 2026.

Cornerstone Learning: Is there a free trial or demo available?

Yes, Cornerstone Learning offers a free personalized demo where you can discuss your requirements and receive a pricing estimate tailored to your organization.

Source
Sakai: Who owns Sakai?

No company does. Governance sits with the Apereo Foundation, a membership organisation of institutions, and the code is under the Educational Community Licence.

Cornerstone Learning: Does pricing vary by organization size?

Yes, pricing depends on your organization's needs and size. Each organization receives a different cost estimate based on these factors.

Source
Sakai: What does it actually cost to run?

The software is free. The cost is Java hosting and staff, or a commercial hosting agreement with an Apereo affiliate such as Longsight, typically quoted by student headcount.

Sakai: How does it compare to Moodle?

Moodle has a far larger plugin ecosystem and installed base; Sakai has a cleaner assessment and gradebook model and is more common in research-intensive universities. Moodle is easier to hire for.

Sakai: Can we migrate off it later?

Yes, but course content export fidelity through Common Cartridge is imperfect, so budget for manual rebuilding of assessments as you would leaving any LMS.

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