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Webinars · head to head

Kaltura vs Sakai

Kaltura logo

Kaltura

Webinars

Video platform for learning, media, and engagement

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: Kaltura no published pricing; vendor directs all inquiries to request quotes, demos, or trials; 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: Kaltura covers Video creation, Sakai covers Course sites.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Kaltura and Sakai actually diverge.

Attributes where Kaltura and Sakai differ
AttributeKalturaSakai
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, Mac, IOS, Android, WebWeb, Linux, iOS, Android
CategoryWebinarsLMS
Founded2006Unknown

Identical on both: 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 Kaltura

  • Video creation
  • Live streaming
  • Analytics
  • Interactive content
  • Mobile apps
  • Canvas
  • Blackboard
  • Moodle

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.

Kaltura

  • Enterprise video portals and internal town hallsnot Sakai
  • Virtual classrooms and lecture capture for universitiesnot 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 Kaltura
  • 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 Kaltura
  • A university with an existing Java and Tomcat operations team, where the marginal cost of running one more Java application is genuinely low.not Kaltura
  • A consortium of institutions sharing one deployment and one set of local integrations rather than each paying separate per-student licences.not Kaltura

Where each one falls short

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

Kaltura

  • No published pricing; vendor directs all inquiries to request quotes, demos, or trials
  • Pricing is custom per customer with no rate information disclosed publicly

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

Kaltura

On request
  • Starter$400/month
    • Video library
    • Basic features
  • Professional$1000/month
    • Live streaming
    • Analytics
  • Enterprise$2500/month
    • Custom solutions
    • Support

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 Kaltura if

  • You need video creation.
  • You work on Windows, Mac, IOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want live streaming.
Kaltura 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 Kaltura or Sakai better?
Neither clearly leads. Kaltura 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, Kaltura or Sakai?
Sakai has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Kaltura and Free for Sakai.
Does Kaltura or Sakai run on more platforms?
Kaltura runs on Windows, Mac, IOS, Android, Web. 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. Kaltura starts at On request.
What is Kaltura best used for?
Kaltura is most often used for enterprise video portals and internal town halls, virtual classrooms and lecture capture for universities. Of those, enterprise video portals and internal town halls and virtual classrooms and lecture capture for universities are not what Sakai is typically brought in for.
What can Kaltura do that Sakai cannot?
Kaltura covers Video creation, Live streaming, Analytics, Interactive content. Sakai covers Course sites, Tests and Quizzes, Gradebook, Lessons.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Kaltura: How much does Kaltura cost?

Kaltura does not publish pricing online. The vendor offers custom pricing based on solutions selected, requiring customers to request quotes or book demos through their website.

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.

Kaltura: Can I try Kaltura before purchasing?

Kaltura offers free trial access, but specific trial terms, duration, and feature restrictions are not stated on the pricing page. Contact Kaltura to request a trial and learn about specific offerings.

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.

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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