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LMS · head to head

Sakai vs Screencastify

Sakai logo

Sakai

LMS

Open source learning management system governed by the Apereo Foundation

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Screencastify logo

Screencastify

LMS

Simple video creation for everyone

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Screencastify limited to Chrome browser only, cannot record on Firefox, Safari, or Edge
  • They diverge on capability: Sakai covers Course sites, Screencastify covers Screen recording.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Sakai and Screencastify actually diverge.

Attributes where Sakai and Screencastify differ
AttributeSakaiScreencastify
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feefreemium
PlatformsWeb, Linux, iOS, AndroidChrome Browser
FoundedUnknown2013

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 Sakai

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

Only in Screencastify

  • Screen recording
  • Video editing
  • Drawing tools
  • Google Drive export
  • Chrome support
  • Edge support

What people use each for

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

Sakai

  • A university whose data protection policy or national regulation requires student coursework to stay on institution-controlled infrastructure inside a specific jurisdiction.not Screencastify
  • 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 Screencastify
  • A university with an existing Java and Tomcat operations team, where the marginal cost of running one more Java application is genuinely low.not Screencastify
  • A consortium of institutions sharing one deployment and one set of local integrations rather than each paying separate per-student licences.not Screencastify

Screencastify

  • Recording lessons for flipped classroom instruction without external toolsnot Sakai
  • Creating product demos and explainer videos for sales teamsnot Sakai
  • Documenting technical processes for customer support tutorialsnot Sakai
  • Collecting and grading video assignments from students with rubricsnot Sakai
  • Adding interactive assessments to video content to measure understandingnot Sakai

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Screencastify

  • Limited to Chrome browser only, cannot record on Firefox, Safari, or Edge
  • Free version watermark appears on all videos and requires upgrade to remove
  • Free tier limited to 10 videos total before requiring paid plan
  • Maximum 1080p resolution at 30fps, no support for higher framerates or 4K
  • No free educator license for educational institutions

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Screencastify

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 10 videos
    • 30-minute recording limit
    • Browser tab, full screen, and webcam recording
  • Starter$7/month
    • Unlimited videos
    • 60-minute recording limit
    • Basic editing
  • Pro$10/month
    • Unlimited videos
    • 180-minute recording limit
    • AI video enhancements
  • Enterprise & EDU$null/month
    • Custom pricing
    • Central admin controls
    • LMS integrations

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Screencastify if

  • You need screen recording.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Chrome Browser.
  • You also want video editing.
Screencastify review

Questions people ask

Is Sakai or Screencastify better?
Neither clearly leads. Sakai starts at Free and Screencastify at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Sakai or Screencastify?
Sakai starts at Free and Screencastify at Free.
Does Sakai or Screencastify run on more platforms?
Sakai runs on Web, Linux, iOS, Android. Screencastify runs on Chrome Browser.
Can I use Sakai for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Sakai best used for?
Sakai is most often used for a university whose data protection policy or national regulation requires student coursework to stay on institution-controlled infrastructure inside a specific jurisdiction., 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., a university with an existing java and tomcat operations team, where the marginal cost of running one more java application is genuinely low., a consortium of institutions sharing one deployment and one set of local integrations rather than each paying separate per-student licences.. Of those, a university whose data protection policy or national regulation requires student coursework to stay on institution-controlled infrastructure inside a specific jurisdiction. and 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. are not what Screencastify is typically brought in for.
What can Sakai do that Screencastify cannot?
Sakai covers Course sites, Tests and Quizzes, Gradebook, Lessons. Screencastify covers Screen recording, Video editing, Drawing tools, Google Drive export.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

Screencastify: What's the free tier limit?

Free plan allows 10 total videos up to 30 minutes each, with watermark. After 10 videos, you must upgrade.

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.

Screencastify: Is Screencastify limited to Chrome?

Yes. Screencastify is exclusively a Chrome extension and does not work on other browsers like Firefox, Safari, or Edge.

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.

Screencastify: What's the maximum video quality?

Maximum resolution is 1080p at 30 frames per second. Videos can only be exported to MP4, audio to MP3, or as GIF.

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.

Screencastify: Does Screencastify work for educational use?

Screencastify lacks a free educator license for schools or non-profits, unlike some competitors who offer discounted or free plans for educational institutions.

Source
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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