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LMS · head to head

Sakai vs Userscripts

Sakai logo

Sakai

LMS

Open source learning management system governed by the Apereo Foundation

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Userscripts logo

Userscripts

Browser Extensions

Open-source userscript manager for Safari on Mac and iOS

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.; Userscripts safari cannot let extensions bypass a site's Content Security Policy, so strict sites produce "Refused to execute a script" errors that the @inject-into workaround does not always fix.
  • They diverge on capability: Sakai covers Course sites, Userscripts covers Built-in script editor.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 17 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Sakai and Userscripts actually diverge.

Attributes where Sakai and Userscripts differ
AttributeSakaiUserscripts
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feeopen-source
PlatformsWeb, Linux, iOS, AndroidSafari, macOS, iOS
CategoryLMSBrowser Extensions

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Sakai

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

Only in Userscripts

  • Built-in script editor
  • Standard metadata support
  • GM API
  • Remote script updating
  • iCloud sync
  • Per-page popup

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 Userscripts
  • 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 Userscripts
  • A university with an existing Java and Tomcat operations team, where the marginal cost of running one more Java application is genuinely low.not Userscripts
  • A consortium of institutions sharing one deployment and one set of local integrations rather than each paying separate per-student licences.not Userscripts

Userscripts

  • Running userscripts on Safari without paying for Tampermonkeynot Sakai
  • Running userscripts on an iPhone or iPadnot Sakai
  • Writing scripts on a Mac and syncing them to iOSnot Sakai
  • Blocking or restyling site elements Safari content blockers cannot reachnot Sakai
  • Keeping a script library under an open-source licencenot 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.

Userscripts

  • Safari cannot let extensions bypass a site's Content Security Policy, so strict sites produce "Refused to execute a script" errors that the @inject-into workaround does not always fix.
  • Apple only. There is no Chrome, Firefox or Edge build, so it cannot be a cross-browser answer.
  • iCloud sync is documented as having delays, which is awkward when editing the same script on two devices.
  • Requires macOS 12 and Safari 14.1, or iOS 15.1, so older Apple hardware is excluded.
  • GPL v3 means a commercial licence is required for non-open-source use, which matters if you are embedding rather than just using it.

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

Userscripts

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full functionality
    • GPL v3 licensed
    • macOS, iOS and iPadOS

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 Userscripts if

  • You need built-in script editor.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Safari, macOS, iOS.
  • You also want standard metadata support.
Userscripts review

Questions people ask

Is Sakai or Userscripts better?
Neither clearly leads. Sakai starts at Free and Userscripts at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Sakai or Userscripts?
Sakai starts at Free and Userscripts at Free.
Does Sakai or Userscripts run on more platforms?
Sakai runs on Web, Linux, iOS, Android. Userscripts runs on Safari, macOS, iOS.
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 Userscripts is typically brought in for.
What can Sakai do that Userscripts cannot?
Sakai covers Course sites, Tests and Quizzes, Gradebook, Lessons. Userscripts covers Built-in script editor, Standard metadata support, GM API, Remote script updating.

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.

Userscripts: Is Userscripts for Safari free?

Yes, free on the App Store and licensed under GPL v3. A commercial licence is required for use in something that is not itself open source.

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.

Userscripts: Does it work on iPhone?

Yes, on iOS and iPadOS 15.1 or later, which makes it one of the few ways to run userscripts on an iPhone.

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.

Userscripts: Why do I get "Refused to execute a script" errors?

Safari does not let extensions bypass a site's Content Security Policy the way other browsers do. The documented workaround is changing the script's @inject-into setting, though it does not resolve every case.

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.

Userscripts: Do my scripts sync between Mac and iPhone?

Yes, over iCloud, though the project notes the sync can be delayed rather than immediate.

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.

Userscripts: What are the system requirements?

macOS 12 or later with Safari 14.1 or later, or iOS and iPadOS 15.1 or later.

Source
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