CYPHER Learning vs Canvas LMS comparison

Instructure and CYPHER LEARNING are both solutions in the Learning Management Systems (LMS) category. Instructure is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.0, while CYPHER LEARNING is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.7. Instructure holds a 5.5% mindshare in LMS, compared to CYPHER LEARNING’s 4.6% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Instructure users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of CYPHER LEARNING users who would recommend it.

Canvas LMS

Read 10 Canvas LMS reviews

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466 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

CYPHER Learning

Read 54 CYPHER Learning reviews

2,481 Views
474 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Canvas LMS

CYPHER Learning

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 19, 2024

CYPHER Learning and Canvas LMS are competitive products in the e-learning market. Canvas LMS is frequently seen as superior due to its expansive feature set, but CYPHER Learning garners attention for its pricing and support.

Features: CYPHER Learning offers gamification, personalized learning paths, and adaptive learning, which enhance engagement and motivation. Canvas LMS provides robust course management and integration options, offering extensive customization and advanced analytics, attracting larger institutions seeking flexibility.

Room for Improvement: CYPHER Learning could enhance its scalability for larger enterprises and expand its integration capabilities. It could also improve its mobile interface and analytics insights. Canvas LMS might benefit from streamlining its setup process and enhancing its customer service responsiveness. Additionally, it could improve cost transparency and reduce overall complexity.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: CYPHER Learning is praised for an easy deployment process and responsive support, simplifying onboarding for users. Canvas LMS, while offering detailed documentation, may have a more complex initial setup compared to CYPHER Learning, but provides a comprehensive range of technical support resources.

Pricing and ROI: CYPHER Learning stands out with competitive pricing and a strong ROI for small to mid-sized organizations, focusing on cost-effectiveness and scalability. Canvas LMS, though pricier, offers a high return on investment for larger institutions with its advanced features and robust functionalities, appealing to those seeking a comprehensive educational solution.

To learn more, read our detailed CYPHER Learning vs. Canvas LMS Report (Updated: March 2025).

Buyer's Guide

CYPHER Learning vs. Canvas LMS

March 2025

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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

Canvas LMS

Ranking in Learning Management Systems (LMS)

5th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

CYPHER Learning

Ranking in Learning Management Systems (LMS)

1st

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Learning Management Systems (LMS) category, the mindshare of Canvas LMS is 5.5%, up from 5.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of CYPHER Learning is 4.6%, down from 6.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Learning Management Systems (LMS)

Featured Reviews

James Phelps

Adjunct Professor at Nova Southeastern University

Intuitive, easy to learn, and easy to adapt to various teaching methodologies

It is scalable. There must be 20,000 people using it on that campus. We run a medical college, a public health department, and the hard sciences department. We also have a lot of things that are spread out across the state of Florida through Canvas. So, it is pretty scalable. In terms of our plans to increase its usage, I don't know what the university is going to do, but right now, the university is saturated with Canvas. Even if you're doing classes in a regular standard classroom, all of your exams, all of your quizzes, all of your practicals, and all of your teaching are recorded and loaded into the Canvas system for future review by accreditors. So, it is pretty well saturated on that particular campus.

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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

"The assessment tools in Canvas significantly contribute to educational outcomes by allowing instructors to create and manage assessments effectively."

"The integration with Zoom is a notable feature. It allows for seamless access to live class sessions directly from Canvas after authentication, enabling quick entry into Zoom calls. You can also schedule Zoom calls or private recordings directly within Canvas, making it convenient, especially for situations like self-recording exams. Additionally, Canvas excels in collaboration and discussion capabilities. Users can engage in discussions on various topics, and there's the option to create custom groups for more focused interactions. These groups provide a level of privacy and isolation from the broader class, which is a significant advantage."

"The product's flexibility is exceptional."

"They have a more extensive support base in terms of infrastructure."

"Its easy adaptability to whatever form or methodology you are using to teach is valuable. It tends to be seamless, and it is very much a self-intuitive product. It requires almost no instruction, and you can be fully up to speed and ready to run on it. You can bring someone in who has never worked with any online learning or LMS system, and in a week's timeframe, they would almost be fully functional because Canvas is so simple to use."

"We have been using Canvas LMS, and overall, it has served our needs well for managing courses and general settings."

"The solution is easy to access."

"I used a lot of other systems in my IT career and Canvas LMS truly has everything that I would look for in an enterprise system."

More Canvas LMS pros

"E-commerce is still one of the exotic features, meaning that not all LMS providers offer it. It is critical for us. We have had no trouble implementing payment gateways with this system and it works out-of-the-box without any special tricks."

"The most valuable feature is competency tracking. All apprentices follow particular programs where they have to demonstrate competencies, skills, knowledge, and behavior standards. The ability to track and measure their progress against the norm is functional."

"The ability to integrate it with a lot of our third-party service providers like Turnitin, through a plugin, is helpful. There aren't many learning management systems that integrate so well with different APIs and LTIs, especially when a school has various tools in its tech stack."

"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."

"We also use the platform for automation and adaptive learning purposes. The ability to set trigger rules that show or hide specific class sections or assignments is as optimal as possible. Because it is intuitive, it is easy to create content for students in a personalized way. And it is very intuitive for the students."

"One of the things that we are really excited about is being able to tie the state or national standards as competencies. Then, when students complete a course, they are awarded certain competencies or standards that we have aligned with the course. This shows schools evidence that students are meeting standards. Right now, we are not tying any of our courses with how schools are testing and assessing students. However, our company goals are to provide access to STEM for all students and help schools engage with communities to develop the STEM talent and workforce, which then impacts a community's economic development."

"It is very easy for educators to communicate with students using the CYPHER Learning messaging system, which is imperative for our organization."

"The first point is the ease of use. It is a very easy platform to use, especially for students and families, with a very friendly layout. It also has a series of support systems, including communication with parents, students, the ability to invoice for online courses, and other qualities that make the system very versatile and facilitate a teacher's work."

More CYPHER Learning pros

Cons

"Integrating more AI capabilities for the product could enhance its functionality, particularly in automating repetitive tasks and personalizing learning experiences."

"The product could be integrated with a talent management system."

"The high-tech interactivity with other software, like ArcGIS or RSA Archer, can be better. It is not as easily compatible with them. You can put apps in it that the students can then access, but the routing of apps through the Canvas system slows down functionality on the other types of products."

"It would be good to be able to do teleconferencing within the LMS."

"There are a couple of areas that could be improved. Firstly, the discussion feature is not very interactive and can be slow to respond, making it less intuitive at the moment. This is an aspect that needs substantial improvement. Another point to consider is related to the cost of the LMS system. It's perceived as relatively expensive, which has led to discussions about transitioning away from Canvas, potentially to a more cost-effective alternative. This cost-related aspect is a significant factor to consider when implementing such a system."

"The learning curve is not steep, but it is intermediate."

"In our working, we are encountering many challenges with Canvas LMS. One of the major area is their business model which is having a very different pricing structure. The structure is made in such a way that the license fee is needed to be paid for the complete year even if the student has been enrolled for a programme of short duration. This structure is not conducive with our needs and hence, in the past few years, been increasing our costs manifold. Along with this, Canva LMS also lacks many functionalities such as notifications and adaptive learning. There is a specific issue with the licensing model that affects us in continuous education. The inability to reuse a license for the same course in different terms hinders our cost efficiency. For instance, if a program runs from January to April, we are required to pay for the license twice within the same academic year. This contrasts with other platforms like Hyper, where reusing a license is possible, allowing us to use the same license multiple times in different terms. Along with the use, we are exploring the integration of artificial intelligence into our processes, and Canvas LMS falls short in this regard. While some platforms allow connections with external AI services, Canvas does not currently offer built-in artificial intelligence capabilities, a feature we find valuable for enhancing the learning experience."

"The solution could be upgraded and improved."

More Canvas LMS cons

"CYPHER Learning should definitely offer live video conferencing integration."

"I do wish that there could be some formatting option so that I don't have to do some manual work in terms of translating the data into, for example, a PowerPoint presentation."

"The vendor could improve on the chat system. Right now, the student only has access to messaging. Maybe it would be good to have a mini chat or the ability to do video calls with teachers if they have any questions about an assignment."

"One thing that I wish was different was that it showed the full title in the catalog when I create something outside, such as in Articulate 360, and bring it in. When you go into the catalog title, it does not show you the whole title. If it is a long title, it will just have three dots. I wish it would just show the entire title, even if it goes into the next line so that people can see the whole title."

"One example is the email integration. When we send out an email to a customer that says, "Welcome, here's your enrollment and this is what you do," if it bounces back because that email address is not correct, CYPHER Learning won't tell you that your email bounced back."

"I would like to have the ability to search by certificate number in order to verify the validity of a certificate."

"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."

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

More CYPHER Learning cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The platform can be expensive for smaller organizations with fewer students."

"Canvas LMS is an affordable solution."

"The pricing of Canvas is satisfactory for my university. We have negotiated a good price, especially considering that we are a large university with twenty-six campuses across the country. Canvas offers a favorable pricing model for academic institutions, and the cost is reasonable. However, in continuous education, the challenge lies not in the price itself but in the business model. The requirement to pay for the entire year when our students may only use the license for a shorter duration creates challenges. The inability to adjust the licensing based on actual usage is a significant drawback for us, making the effective cost higher compared to other platforms like Hyper Learning"

"Canvas LMS is low-priced compared to other vendors."

"The main reason we went for it was cost, which was very reasonable."

"CYPHER LEARNING is very flexible when it comes to pricing. They hear out their customers and see where they can help them as far as cost is concerned."

"NEO's price is good."

"Our satisfaction with the pricing is a 10 out of 10."

"If you go for an open source solution, you're going to find out that the costs in the long run end up being a lot more, and the process is frustrating."

"It has helped us save from 90% to 100% of our costs. The most valuable thing that we have earned in the last three years is time, e.g., my personal time versus my work time. There is more harmony."

"Overall, the pricing of CYPHER Learning is okay. There are cheaper solutions that offer way fewer features and there are more expensive and more capable solutions, but they might be overkill for many companies that are not big enough. It's about balance. CYPHER Learning is in the middle; not very expensive, not very cheap."

"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."

More CYPHER Learning pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

23%

University

14%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Educational Organization

20%

Computer Software Company

11%

Comms Service Provider

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Canvas LMS?

We have been using Canvas LMS, and overall, it has served our needs well for managing courses and general settings.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Canvas LMS?

Integrating more AI capabilities for the product could enhance its functionality, particularly in automating repetitive tasks and personalizing learning experiences.

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Canvas LMS?

I rate Canva LMS a nine out of ten.

See all answers

What do you like most about NEO LMS?

Creating courses for our resources is one of the best features of CYPHER Learning.

See all answers

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

I did not negotiate the pricing, but from what I gathered, it was a significant purchase for us at West Music. We recognize its value and potential for growth, making it worthwhile.

See all answers

What needs improvement with NEO LMS?

The primary area for improvement is the reporting between courses and eCommerce, which currently use two separate reporting styles. Information can be accessed within the courses themselves, as wel...

See all answers

Comparisons

Moodle vs Canvas LMS

Compared 18% of the time

Google Classroom vs Canvas LMS

Compared 17% of the time

Brightspace vs Canvas LMS

Compared 17% of the time

Schoology Learning vs Canvas LMS

Compared 13% of the time

Totara Learn vs Canvas LMS

Compared 13% of the time

More Canvas LMS Competitors

Moodle vs CYPHER Learning

Compared 35% of the time

Cornerstone Learning vs CYPHER Learning

Compared 27% of the time

More CYPHER Learning Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Canvas LMS

March 2025

Download Canvas LMS product report

Buyer's Guide

CYPHER Learning

March 2025

Download CYPHER Learning product report

Also Known As

No data available

MATRIX LMS, NEO LMS

Overview

Canvas LMS is a comprehensive learning management system that enhances the educational experience. It offers a user-friendly interface that allows educators to create and manage courses, assignments, and assessments. Canvas enables seamless communication and collaboration between students and teachers. It supports various multimedia formats, making it easy to incorporate engaging content into lessons. Canvas also provides a mobile app, ensuring accessibility on the go. Its built-in analytics and reporting allow educators to track student progress and identify areas for improvement. Canvas LMS can integrate with other educational tools and platforms, enhancing its functionality. Canvas LMS is a powerful and versatile platform that empowers educators to deliver effective and engaging online learning experiences.

Instructure

CYPHER Learning® exists to give learners the power to succeed in a rapidly changing world. Trainers, learning and development (L&D) pros, HR pros, and educators get everything they need in one platform to deliver faster, more personalized, and better learning outcomes. We provide the only all-in-one AI-powered learning platform that is easy-to-use, beautifully designed, and built to power hundreds of millions of learning moments every day. Create courses faster. Train and teach better. Learn even quicker. Experience our "just in time, just for you, just the way you want to learn" approach that puts people first.

Brandon Hall Group says:

"CYPHER Learning is not your typical “way inside the box” parochial learning tech. This is a supercharged next-generation technology platform that rocks competency and skills-based learning.”

“The best way to describe the tech is to say it anticipates the moves of the learner. And it’s super powerful. Like a Ferrari, the tech effortlessly combines beauty with the beast to deliver an elegant and stylish learning environment. This is what modern learning is supposed to be.”

Forbes Advisor says:

“The intuitive user interface (UI) and multiple ways to award learners for using the CYPHER Learning platform scores major points—it’s visually pleasing and keeps learners engaged. Aside from the user experience (UX) though, it’s a comprehensive platform that’s simple to use to create courses and track analytics of learner performance.”

Enduring benefits of the CYPHER human-centric approach
Learners desire and demand modern, holistic learning - to keep competitive, entertained, and ready for what’s ahead. Our human-centric approach delivers benefits and outcomes that have lasting positive effects on their personalized school path, career path, and life path.

CYPHER for Business
- Increased employee engagement
- Better employee lifecycle outcomes
- Increased competitive advantage
- Stronger culture of continuous learning
- Increased trainer and admin productivity

CYPHER for Academia
- Increased student engagement
- Better workforce preparedness
- Increased enjoyment of learning
- Stronger sense of purpose
- Increased teacher and admin productivity

Millions of users look to CYPHER everyday to deliver dynamic and personalized learning solutions like:

- Personalized skills development
- Hybrid learning
- Teacher and trainer productivity
- Training (employee, partners, customers, product, + more)
- Onboarding
- Employee lifecycle management
- Compliance
- Extended enterprise

and so much more!

The CYPHER platform has it all. Sophisticated automation, leveled-up gamification, insightful reporting and analytics (ROI), skills development, smart learning paths and proactive recommendations, customization, personalization, toolsets for every user.

“...users discover what great looks like when they use CYPHER."
- Brandon Hall Group

See the modern learning platform at: www.cypherlearning.com

CYPHER LEARNING

Sample Customers

Pragmatic Group, MRWED Training and Assessment, RedHill Education

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

Buyer's Guide

CYPHER Learning vs. Canvas LMS

March 2025

Free Report: CYPHER Learning vs. Canvas LMS

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