LMS · head to head
Sakai vs Skillshare
Sakai
LMS
Open source learning management system governed by the Apereo Foundation
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
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.; Skillshare limited language support available compared to Udemy which offers 75 languages
- They diverge on capability: Sakai covers Course sites, Skillshare covers Video classes.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Sakai and Skillshare actually diverge.
| Attribute | Sakai | Skillshare |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Open source, no licence fee | subscription |
| Platforms | Web, Linux, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android |
| Founded | Unknown | 2010 |
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 Skillshare
- Video classes
- Class projects
- Discussions
- Offline viewing
- Mobile learning
- Workshops
- Curated paths
- Teacher studio
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 Skillshare
- 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 Skillshare
- A university with an existing Java and Tomcat operations team, where the marginal cost of running one more Java application is genuinely low.not Skillshare
- A consortium of institutions sharing one deployment and one set of local integrations rather than each paying separate per-student licences.not Skillshare
Skillshare
- Skill developmentnot Sakai
- Creative projectsnot Sakai
- Career growthnot Sakai
- Side hustlesnot 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.
Skillshare
- Limited language support available compared to Udemy which offers 75 languages
- Focus on creative skills means limited technical or professional development courses
- Video quality and instructor expertise varies across courses
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
Skillshare
Free- FreeFree
- Select free classes
- Class projects
- Premium$13.99/month
- All classes
- Offline viewing
- No ads
- Teams$undefined/month
- Team management
- Analytics
- Custom content
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.
Choose Skillshare if
- You need video classes.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want class projects.
Questions people ask
- Is Sakai or Skillshare better?
- Neither clearly leads. Sakai starts at Free and Skillshare at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Sakai or Skillshare?
- Sakai starts at Free and Skillshare at Free.
- Does Sakai or Skillshare run on more platforms?
- Sakai runs on Web, Linux, iOS, Android. Skillshare runs on Web, iOS, Android.
- 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 Skillshare is typically brought in for.
- What can Sakai do that Skillshare cannot?
- Sakai covers Course sites, Tests and Quizzes, Gradebook, Lessons. Skillshare covers Video classes, Class projects, Discussions, Offline viewing.
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.
Skillshare: How much does Skillshare cost?
Skillshare Premium membership costs $167.88 per year (about $13.99 per month) when billed annually, or $17.99 to $32 per month when paying month-to-month. New members receive a free trial before billing begins.
SourceSakai: 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.
Skillshare: What topics does Skillshare cover?
Skillshare offers more than 30,000 project-based classes in design, illustration, photography, video, writing, marketing, and productivity. Courses often include downloadable resources like templates, brushes, and design files.
SourceSakai: 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.
Skillshare: Can I download Skillshare classes for offline viewing?
Yes, Skillshare Premium members can download classes for offline viewing, allowing you to watch content anywhere without an internet connection.
SourceSakai: 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.
Skillshare: Does Skillshare offer certificates?
Yes, Skillshare classes include certificates of completion as part of the project-based learning model, allowing you to track and share your learning progress.
SourceSakai: 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.
Skillshare: Is there a free tier on Skillshare?
Skillshare offers a free one-month trial to new users who provide card details. After the trial, a paid subscription is required for continued access.
SourceRelated pages
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