Blackboard Learning Management vs CYPHER Learning comparison

Blackboard and CYPHER LEARNING are both solutions in the Learning Management Systems (LMS) category. Blackboard is ranked #5 with an average rating of 7.8, while CYPHER LEARNING is ranked #3 with an average rating of 9.1. Blackboard holds a 1.6% mindshare in LMS, compared to CYPHER LEARNING’s 3.2% mindshare. Additionally, 90% of Blackboard users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of CYPHER LEARNING users who would recommend it.

Blackboard Learning Management

Read 10 Blackboard Learning Management reviews

1,743 Views
1,342 Comparison Views

90% willing to recommend

CYPHER Learning

Read 55 CYPHER Learning reviews

1,709 Views
1,675 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Blackboard Learning Management

CYPHER Learning

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jul 27, 2025

Blackboard Learning Management and CYPHER Learning are competitors in the educational technology industry. CYPHER Learning appears to have an advantage due to its innovative features that cater to modern educational needs.

Features: Blackboard Learning Management is equipped with comprehensive assessment tools and robust reporting features, making it ideal for large educational institutions. It integrates seamlessly with various systems, providing versatility in deployment. CYPHER Learning, on the other hand, offers a more intuitive platform with automation and AI-driven learning paths, supporting personalized learning experiences with features like competency-based learning and child classes.

Room for Improvement: Blackboard Learning Management could enhance its user interface to become more intuitive and modernize its mobile access. Additionally, streamlining its integration process with newer applications could attract a broader user base. CYPHER Learning could improve by expanding its customer support services, refining documentation for advanced features, and enhancing scalability for very large institutions.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Blackboard Learning Management provides extensive support and a structured deployment process, tailored for institutions with complex needs. CYPHER Learning simplifies deployment through cloud-based solutions, offering a quicker setup time and responsive customer assistance. Blackboard stands out with its established support network, whereas CYPHER is noted for rapid deployment and adaptive customer service.

Pricing and ROI: Blackboard Learning Management tends toward higher setup costs due to its extensive features and customization options but justifies this with substantial ROI for large-scale implementations. CYPHER Learning offers more competitive pricing, focusing on quick ROI through lower setup costs and operational efficiencies. Blackboard is preferred by those seeking comprehensive solutions despite higher initial expenses, while CYPHER attracts institutions that prioritize cost-effectiveness and innovation.

To learn more, read our detailed Blackboard Learning Management vs. CYPHER Learning Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Blackboard Learning Management vs. CYPHER Learning

September 2025

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Helped 868,787 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Blackboard Learning Management

Ranking in Learning Management Systems (LMS)

5th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

5.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

CYPHER Learning

Ranking in Learning Management Systems (LMS)

3rd

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Learning Management Systems (LMS) category, the mindshare of Blackboard Learning Management is 1.6%, down from 2.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of CYPHER Learning is 3.2%, down from 5.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Learning Management Systems (LMS) Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
CYPHER Learning	3.2%
Blackboard Learning Management	1.6%
Other	95.2%

Learning Management Systems (LMS)

Featured Reviews

James Phelps

Adjunct Professor at Nova Southeastern University

Expandable with good real-time live interactions but is very expensive

Initially, Blackboard had problems for faculty members who were forced to use it to try to get it set up and running. That said, over time, they improved that. Unfortunately, due to its licensing requirements on standalone systems, like at a university on our servers, we run into problems where we can only set it up in one way. The way you teach a biology class is not the way you teach a social science class, for example. It's not flexible. Often you are forced into compromising in such a manner that neither group would be happy. If you need help, the help desk in-house will provide 24-hour help to both students and faculty. That means you have eight people, eight hours a day, supervisors, and an overall manager. It takes at least 12 people to handle maintenance for a 10,000-person campus for 24-hour coverage.

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Roland Lorenzo M Ruben

Philosophy Professor at De La Salle University - Dasmariñas

Offers flexible learning and saves printing costs; it has been excellent for us

There is room for improvement in the CYPHER Learning mobile application because my students have given feedback that they are not using the mobile app as it takes time to open. I also use the app. For me, it is easier to use than using the browser, but some of the students do not use it because it takes a very long time to open. Most of our students are using smartphones. Some students do not have laptops, so if the mobile app is more responsive, it would be a great help for us. The peer feedback feature is not user-friendly. Some of our faculty members were very happy when CYPHER gave the news that there is already a peer feedback feature because we were asking for it, but when they used it, they found it complicated and not user-friendly. They were disappointed with the peer feedback feature. When students submit their outputs, we want their classmates to give feedback as well, but that is not very easy to use. After I tried it, I also did not find it very friendly to use. They have this assessment type where we can group our students. We create groups, and they can work and collaborate with the group. While grading the submissions of the groups, although we can see that the students are separated by groups, we still have to grade them one by one. We would like a way to grade the group as one. For example, if there are five members in a group, currently, we give each member a grade. It would be easier to be able to give the same grade to all the members of the group. The team assessment feature could be improved to allow grading the group as one.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"Blackboard enables instructors to collectively gather all the grading data into one place. If students upload content or post it to a Google Doc, I can do my grading and calculate the grades. It is an excellent holding place for all of that data"

"The modules and courses are flexible."

"One of the most important features is the possibility of creating unlimited subdomains."

"It is scalable."

"It encompasses various components, including course delivery modules, content management, community engagement features, digital classrooms, and mobile integration."

"The solution is easy to use."

"One of Blackboard's strengths is its historical prominence as a leading LMS for universities in the US and Europe a decade or more ago."

"The usability makes it easy for our doctors to find whatever they're looking for. The groups help them interact with each other, creating a kind of network and a place of engagement. It's not just a platform to go and learn and get out. It's a place where they can actually interact with other doctors and share experiences."

"In terms of the user availability, there is access to the platform 24 hours. So, we don't need to determine a specific time for training. We just give them a link, password, and period for them to complete, e.g., four days, then it is up to them. What is important is they pass the minimum requirements needed to pass the exams and certification process."

"Another feature that is great for me... is the learning outcomes feature... In CYPHER Learning, it's called the Mastery feature. The learning outcomes feature allows us to measure whether students have achieved competency, based on the encoded learning outcomes."

"When I do a survey, CYPHER Learning is helpful because then I can more quickly peruse students' responses. I don't have to go through question by question. Grading-wise, it has certainly helped, when giving a survey, to streamline my grading for that assignment."

"I can use a template to replicate class content so that I can use the same content in the three sections where I teach. That way, I don't have to continuously edit my classes. It's very useful."

"It brings students together in one place with teaching materials. Also, it has a social capability to it by way of forums and groups. That is definitely important for our programs. There has been a lot of engagement in our programs."

"Compared to other platforms, it is very user-friendly and intuitive, and both teachers and students can easily find what they need and use the functions without extensive training."

"With class folders in place, it is possible to follow up on the children. I know when students have seen the material that has been uploaded to the platform and, thus, understand if they are following the classes."

More CYPHER Learning pros

Cons

"The solution is not flexible."

"Blackboard could benefit from significant improvements in its data storage and software functionality to remain competitive with more innovative LMS solutions."

"Blackboard has limitations in terms of delivering content and assessing student assignments because it can't handle large file sizes. It's also limited in its ability to track student activity. Instructors can see the student's most recent login, but they can't follow the activity."

"The system falls short in terms of managing assessments and exams effectively."

"The solution must provide better integration with third-party software."

"It would be ideal to create a more responsive or more intuitive template for access from telephones or tablets."

"Most of the room for improvement is around my course design, the video content, and the structure of my courses so that they're more engaging and interactive. Whether the platform can help me deliver those outcomes, I'm not sure, but that will probably be my core focus over the next 12 months."

"We have teachers of all ages and those who are a little older hardly interact with the platform. It needs greater accessibility and more detailed updates and information regarding all its tools."

"We can see who has accessed the portal, but it is not very intuitive. There is an issue with MATRIX user reporting. It is not that useful a lot of the time because we see conflicting dates in the activity and login. I have tried to work with their engineers, and asked, "Well, what's the real deal here," and there is no clarity around it."

"One thing that has been a problem is that CYPHER Learning doesn't save the students' work while they are doing it. For example, if you are on a Google Doc, and you close your Google Doc, then you come back, the work that you did has been saved. However, in CYPHER Learning, if for some reason the student clicks out of CYPHER Learning and goes back in, whatever they typed isn't saved. That is an area that they need to improve. A lot of my students may write an essay, but if they are two paragraphs in and their iPad crashes or something, when they go back, they are like, "All my work is gone." So, this would be an area that I would recommend for improvement in CYPHER Learning. It needs to auto save, and it doesn't auto save. That is definitely a weakness."

"I would like to see an improvement in peer bonding and the possibility for students to share knowledge among themselves regarding the work that they do. That would greatly help in that it wouldn’t be a one-to-many communication format."

"Screen sorting can be improved by providing more filtering options."

"If the system had some graphing abilities and not just exporting of data to Excel sheets, that would be nice. I would like to be able to run a report on something and get graphs with insightful data. In an Excel sheet, I just have to reanalyze the data."

"The parents' training was not adequate. Parents say that it wasn't user-friendly for them."

More CYPHER Learning cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"At the beginning, you can choose a basic plan. As your users grow you can buy a more expensive license."

"The product pricing tends to be higher than alternatives."

"Understanding your active users, compared to total users, in terms of the plan you choose, is something to be aware of."

"The price was fair for all the features we received."

"For our for-profit entities, CYPHER Learning is the perfect solution in terms of cost. It is not too expensive and is about the same as what other service providers charge."

"We have compared pricing with different vendors and found that CYPHER Learning was the most reasonable."

"CYPHER Learning is a bit more expensive than our previous solution."

"Their plans are based on enrollment numbers. We're at the silver level with 100 active learners. So, you're really beholden to how many learners you're going to accommodate. There are no extra costs in addition to the standard licensing fees."

"We actually want to look at other systems or develop our own system because the cost point of MATRIX is so high. It doesn't feel like we get any value for it."

"The pricing is somewhere in the middle. It's not too expensive and, for what it is, it's very reasonable."

More CYPHER Learning pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

University

23%

Educational Organization

18%

Government

10%

Computer Software Company

Educational Organization

20%

Computer Software Company

10%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	2
Midsize Enterprise	3
Large Enterprise	5

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	30
Midsize Enterprise	9
Large Enterprise	5

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Blackboard Learning Management?

The modules and courses are flexible.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Blackboard Learning Management?

The product pricing tends to be higher than alternatives like Canvas, making Blackboard more suitable for larger universities with substantial budgets.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Blackboard Learning Management?

To make Blackboard Learning Management better, I believe maintaining, updating, and upgrading the content is the key success factor for the platform to provide value to students.

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for NEO LMS?

The pricing for CYPHER Learning is on par with other solutions. I've been a single user of the system for a while and priced out several other options, and it's probably standard pricing if not may...

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What needs improvement with NEO LMS?

One of the areas that I believe CYPHER Learning could improve on is having a saving function as you type in, much as some Google products. That would really help in my classroom because we do a lot...

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What advice do you have for others considering NEO LMS?

I absolutely recommend CYPHER Learning to other users. My students really connect with it because it doesn’t resemble anything else available. The ease of use, the autonomy it provides my students,...

See all answers

Comparisons

Google Classroom vs Blackboard Learning Management

Compared 100% of the time

More Blackboard Learning Management Competitors

Cornerstone Learn vs CYPHER Learning

Compared 46% of the time

Canvas LMS vs CYPHER Learning

Compared 33% of the time

Moodle vs CYPHER Learning

Compared 21% of the time

More CYPHER Learning Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Blackboard Learning Management

September 2025

Download Blackboard Learning Management product report

Buyer's Guide

CYPHER Learning

September 2025

Download CYPHER Learning product report

Also Known As

No data available

MATRIX LMS, NEO LMS

Overview

Blackboard Learning Management System (LMS) is a comprehensive platform designed to enhance the teaching and learning experience in educational institutions. With its user-friendly interface and robust features, Blackboard LMS enables educators to create, deliver, and manage online courses effectively. Blackboard LMS is facilitates communication and collaboration among students and instructors. The platform's built-in discussion boards, chat rooms, and messaging systems enable real-time interaction and engagement, fostering a sense of community and allowing students to participate actively in the learning process.

Blackboard LMS also provides a full set of tools for content creation and management. Educators can easily upload and organize course materials, including documents, videos, and multimedia resources. The platform supports various file formats, making it convenient for instructors to deliver diverse content to their students.

Assessment and grading are simplified with Blackboard LMS. Educators can create online quizzes, assignments, and exams, and even set automated grading criteria. This saves time and effort, while also providing students with immediate feedback on their performance. The platform also offers grade book functionality, allowing instructors to track and manage student progress easily.

Blackboard LMS features robust analytics and reporting capabilities. Educators can access detailed data on student engagement, performance, and participation, enabling them to identify areas for improvement and tailor their teaching strategies accordingly. This data-driven approach enhances the effectiveness of instruction and supports personalized learning.

Blackboard LMS is also highly customizable, allowing institutions to tailor the platform to their specific needs. It integrates seamlessly with other educational tools and systems, ensuring a smooth workflow and enhancing the overall learning experience.

Blackboard Learning Management System is a powerful and versatile platform that empowers educators to deliver engaging and effective online courses. With its comprehensive features, user-friendly interface, and customizable options, Blackboard LMS is a valuable tool for educational institutions seeking to enhance their teaching and learning environment.

Blackboard

CYPHER Learning provides an AI-powered platform designed for efficient, personalized learning. It supports an ever-evolving educational and professional landscape with intuitive, comprehensive tools.

CYPHER Learning offers a unified learning experience, simplifying course creation and improving learner engagement through automation, gamification, and adaptive learning. Its intuitive design enhances communication and multimedia integration, making it suitable for trainers, educators, and HR professionals. Advanced analytics and customization options bolster its capabilities, positioning it as a leading choice for competency-based education and training.

What features define CYPHER Learning?

Gamification: Encourages engagement through game-like elements.
Adaptive Learning: Tailors content to individual learner needs.
Competency-Based Learning: Focuses on skill development and mastery.
Automation: Streamlines content delivery and administrative tasks.
Customizable Course Materials: Allows tailored content and pathways.

Why consider CYPHER Learning?

Enhanced Engagement: Keeps learners motivated with captivating experiences.
Improved Productivity: Increases efficiency for trainers and administrators.
Comprehensive Analytics: Provides insights into learner performance and engagement.
Seamless Integration: Integrates with external platforms for a unified experience.

CYPHER Learning finds applications in industries like health, insurance, and retail management, supporting technical training, onboarding, and professional development. Organizations leverage its customizable features for both self-paced and cohort-based learning, enriching their educational initiatives across sectors.

CYPHER LEARNING

Sample Customers

University of Derby, University of Warwick, John Moore's University

Millions of users across business, academia, and entrepreneurs - worldwide.

Buyer's Guide

Blackboard Learning Management vs. CYPHER Learning

September 2025

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