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LMS · head to head

Docebo vs Sakai

Docebo logo

Docebo

LMS

AI-powered learning platform

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: Docebo no price is published, and cost depends on product tier plus an active user count; 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: Docebo covers AI-powered learning, Sakai covers Course sites.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Docebo and Sakai actually diverge.

Attributes where Docebo and Sakai differ
AttributeDoceboSakai
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, IOS, Android, APIWeb, Linux, iOS, Android
Founded2005Unknown

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 Docebo

  • AI-powered learning
  • Social learning
  • Content marketplace
  • Mobile app
  • Gamification
  • Analytics
  • Extended enterprise
  • Virtual classroom

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.

Docebo

  • Corporate learning management and compliance trainingnot Sakai
  • Delivering and tracking training to employees, partners or customersnot 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 Docebo
  • 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 Docebo
  • A university with an existing Java and Tomcat operations team, where the marginal cost of running one more Java application is genuinely low.not Docebo
  • A consortium of institutions sharing one deployment and one set of local integrations rather than each paying separate per-student licences.not Docebo

Where each one falls short

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

Docebo

  • No price is published, and cost depends on product tier plus an active user count
  • Three different user counting models exist, monthly active, yearly active and registered active, so what counts as a billable user is itself a negotiated term
  • The vendor states the product is best suited to organisations training at least 250 learners
  • Add ons sit on top of the tier and are not enumerated with prices

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

Docebo

On request
  • Engage$undefined/month
    • Course management
    • Mobile learning
    • Reporting
  • Elevate$undefined/month
    • All Engage
    • AI features
    • Social learning
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • All Elevate
    • Extended enterprise
    • Custom integrations

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 Docebo if

  • You need ai-powered learning.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android, API.
  • You also want social learning.
Docebo 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 Docebo or Sakai better?
Neither clearly leads. Docebo 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, Docebo or Sakai?
Sakai has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Docebo and Free for Sakai.
Does Docebo or Sakai run on more platforms?
Docebo 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. Docebo starts at On request.
What is Docebo best used for?
Docebo is most often used for corporate learning management and compliance training, delivering and tracking training to employees, partners or customers. Of those, corporate learning management and compliance training and delivering and tracking training to employees, partners or customers are not what Sakai is typically brought in for.
What can Docebo do that Sakai cannot?
Docebo covers AI-powered learning, Social learning, Content marketplace, Mobile app. Sakai covers Course sites, Tests and Quizzes, Gradebook, Lessons.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Docebo: How much does Docebo cost?

Docebo uses custom pricing designed to reflect how your organization engages with learning. Tiers include Elevate and Enterprise, with pricing based on selected tier, active user model, and user count.

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.

Docebo: What is Docebo's minimum learner requirement?

Docebo is typically suited for organizations training 250 or more learners. Specific pricing requires contacting their sales team.

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.

Docebo: What are Docebo's pricing tiers?

Docebo offers Elevate tier with personalization, white-labeled design, and AI-powered content. Enterprise tier includes advanced analytics, integration of up to 6 tools, and elite support.

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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