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Education · head to head

Open edX vs Securly

Open edX logo

Open edX

Education

Open-source platform powering online learning

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Securly logo

Securly

Education

Web filtering, student safety monitoring and device management for K-12 schools

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Open edX has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Open edX no license fees for software but requires separate spending on hosting, infrastructure, and maintenance; Securly pricing stacks by module and only Filter has rates that surface publicly, so the quoted total for Filter plus Aware plus On-Call is routinely several times the number a district budgeted from the filtering line alone.
  • They diverge on capability: Open edX covers Course authoring, Securly covers Filter.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Open edX and Securly actually diverge.

Attributes where Open edX and Securly differ
AttributeOpen edXSecurly
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreePer student per year by module
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, IOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android, Chrome OS, Windows
Founded2012Unknown

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

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 Open edX

  • Course authoring
  • Interactive videos
  • Assessments
  • Discussions
  • Certificates
  • Analytics
  • Mobile apps
  • xBlocks

Only in Securly

  • Filter
  • Aware
  • On-Call
  • Classroom
  • MDM
  • Pass
  • Home
  • Delegated admin

What people use each for

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

Open edX

  • MOOC creationnot Securly
  • Corporate trainingnot Securly
  • Blended learningnot Securly
  • Degree programsnot Securly

Securly

  • A district that must show CIPA compliance for take-home Chromebooks used on home broadband, where network-level filtering does nothingnot Open edX
  • A district whose safeguarding policy requires that a human being reads a self-harm alert within minutes at any hour, including school holidaysnot Open edX
  • A one-to-one iPad programme needing Apple device enrolment, filtering and classroom control from a single agent rather than threenot Open edX
  • A district under pressure from parents who want visibility of what their child does on the school device at home, without the school having to field each request by handnot Open edX

Where each one falls short

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

Open edX

  • No license fees for software but requires separate spending on hosting, infrastructure, and maintenance
  • Customization and support from third-party providers requires additional investment

Securly

  • Pricing stacks by module and only Filter has rates that surface publicly, so the quoted total for Filter plus Aware plus On-Call is routinely several times the number a district budgeted from the filtering line alone.
  • The safety scanning generates false positives at volume, including song lyrics, creative writing and health-class assignments, and each one consumes counsellor or administrator time that the vendor does not pay for.
  • Alerting on student writing is a surveillance decision with real community consequences, and districts that deploy it without an explicit board policy and parent notification have faced local objections after the fact.
  • Coverage is strongest on managed Chromebooks; personal devices, non-Chrome browsers and encrypted apps outside the agent leave gaps that the compliance story quietly depends on nobody testing.
  • Per-student pricing is charged on enrolment rather than on devices, so a district that issues devices to only some year groups still pays for every student on the roll.

Pricing, plan by plan

Open edX

Free
  • Self-HostedFree
    • Full platform
    • Community support
    • All features
  • Managed Hosting$undefined/month
    • Hosted solution
    • Support
    • Maintenance

Securly

On request
  • Filter$undefined/year
    • Web filtering on and off network
    • Tiered per-student rates that fall as enrolment rises
    • Published in some purchasing co-operative catalogues, not on the vendor site
  • Aware$undefined/year
    • Automated scanning of email, documents and search for safety risk
    • Quoted per student, no public rate
  • On-Call$undefined/year
    • 24/7 human review and escalation of serious alerts
    • Quoted per student, priced on top of Aware
  • Classroom, MDM and Pass$undefined/year
    • Sold as separate per-student modules
    • Quoted

Which should you pick?

Choose Open edX if

  • You need course authoring.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want interactive videos.
Open edX review

Choose Securly if

  • You need filter.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Chrome OS, Windows.
  • You also want aware.
Securly review

Questions people ask

Is Open edX or Securly better?
Neither clearly leads. Open edX starts at Free and Securly at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Open edX or Securly?
Open edX has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Open edX and On request for Securly.
Does Open edX or Securly run on more platforms?
Open edX runs on Web, IOS, Android. Securly runs on Web, iOS, Android, Chrome OS, Windows.
Can I use Open edX for free?
Yes. Open edX has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Securly starts at On request.
What is Open edX best used for?
Open edX is most often used for mooc creation, corporate training, blended learning, degree programs. Of those, mooc creation and corporate training are not what Securly is typically brought in for.
What can Open edX do that Securly cannot?
Open edX covers Course authoring, Interactive videos, Assessments, Discussions. Securly covers Filter, Aware, On-Call, Classroom.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Open edX: How much does Open edX cost?

Open edX software itself is completely free with no license fees. Organizations must cover their own hosting, infrastructure, maintenance, and customization costs.

Source
Securly: Does Securly publish pricing?

Not on its own site. Tiered per-student rates for Filter appear in some US purchasing co-operative catalogues, falling as enrolment rises, but Aware, On-Call, Classroom, MDM and Pass are quoted.

Open edX: Are there hosting options for Open edX?

Open edX offers three deployment options: self-hosted (organizations deploy independently), managed providers (third-party companies offer cost-effective managed services), and a free sandbox for testing.

Source
Securly: What is the difference between Aware and On-Call?

Aware is the automated detection that produces alerts. On-Call is the staffed service that reads the serious ones out of hours and phones your escalation contacts. Buying Aware alone leaves the triage with your own staff.

Open edX: What does free mean for Open edX?

There are no license fees to use the Open edX software. Organizations can download and deploy it independently or use managed hosting providers for a fee.

Source
Securly: Does it filter on home internet?

Yes, filtering follows the managed device rather than the network, which is the point for take-home Chromebook programmes.

Securly: Is student data used for anything else?

Securly signs the US Student Privacy Pledge and district data processing agreements; check the specific DPA rather than the marketing page, since scanning scope and retention are negotiated terms.

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