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LMS · head to head

Edpuzzle vs Sakai

Edpuzzle logo

Edpuzzle

LMS

Make any video your lesson

From
Free
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

  • Each has a real cost: Edpuzzle free tier limited to 20 videos maximum, with no storage increase from deleting; 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: Edpuzzle covers Video embedding, Sakai covers Course sites.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Edpuzzle and Sakai actually diverge.

Attributes where Edpuzzle and Sakai differ
AttributeEdpuzzleSakai
Pricing modelUnknownOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Linux, iOS, Android
Founded2013Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Edpuzzle

  • Video embedding
  • Question overlays
  • Audio notes
  • Voiceover
  • Progress tracking
  • LMS integration
  • Mobile app
  • Google Classroom

Only in Sakai

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

Both cover

  • Gradebook

What people use each for

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

Edpuzzle

  • Flipped classroomnot Sakai
  • Video assignmentsnot Sakai
  • Formative assessmentnot Sakai
  • Remote learningnot 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 Edpuzzle
  • 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 Edpuzzle
  • A university with an existing Java and Tomcat operations team, where the marginal cost of running one more Java application is genuinely low.not Edpuzzle
  • A consortium of institutions sharing one deployment and one set of local integrations rather than each paying separate per-student licences.not Edpuzzle

Where each one falls short

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

Edpuzzle

  • Free tier limited to 20 videos maximum, with no storage increase from deleting
  • Primarily focused on K-12; less comprehensive for higher education video management
  • Advanced features require paid plan, limiting free users to basic interactivity

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

Edpuzzle

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 20 videos maximum
    • Basic interactive features
    • Limited analytics
  • Pro Teacher$12/month
    • Unlimited videos
    • Advanced analytics
    • Priority support
  • Pro Annual$162/year
    • Same as Pro Teacher
    • Annual discount

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 Edpuzzle if

  • You need video embedding.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want question overlays.
Edpuzzle 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 Edpuzzle or Sakai better?
Neither clearly leads. Edpuzzle starts at Free and Sakai at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Edpuzzle or Sakai?
Edpuzzle starts at Free and Sakai at Free.
Does Edpuzzle or Sakai run on more platforms?
Edpuzzle runs on Web, iOS, Android. Sakai runs on Web, Linux, iOS, Android.
Can I use Edpuzzle for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Edpuzzle best used for?
Edpuzzle is most often used for flipped classroom, video assignments, formative assessment, remote learning. Of those, flipped classroom and video assignments are not what Sakai is typically brought in for.
What can Edpuzzle do that Sakai cannot?
Edpuzzle covers Video embedding, Question overlays, Audio notes, Voiceover. Sakai covers Course sites, Tests and Quizzes, Lessons, Assignments. Both handle Gradebook.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Edpuzzle: What is the video storage limit on the free Edpuzzle plan?

Free accounts can store up to 20 videos. Deleting videos does not increase the limit. Upgrading to a Pro plan provides unlimited storage.

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.

Edpuzzle: Can I use videos from YouTube in Edpuzzle?

Yes, Edpuzzle lets you take videos from YouTube, Khan Academy, Crash Course, TED-Ed, and National Geographic, then add interactive elements like questions and annotations.

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.

Edpuzzle: How much does Edpuzzle Pro cost?

Edpuzzle Pro starts at $12 per month for individuals, or $162 per year. Professional license options are available for schools and districts at custom pricing.

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.

Edpuzzle: Can I embed my own voice narration?

Yes, one of Edpuzzle's key features is the ability to add your own voice narration and explanations to any video, making content more personalized for your class.

Source
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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