# Page 3 | Brightspace Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra

> Page 3 - Is Brightspace the right Higher Education solution for you? Explore 234 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice.

Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/122854/Brightspace/reviews

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Brightspace

4.3 (234)

[View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/122854/Brightspace/alternatives/)

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Last updated March 13th, 2026

# Page 3 - Reviews of Brightspace

## Showing most helpful reviews

Showing 51-75 of 234 Reviews

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Reviewer's Role

Length of Use

Frequency of Use

Mavares P.  
Docente Universitario  
  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Redefining the learning "

July 25, 2018

5.0

Create pleasant spaces for interaction among the participants.

Pros

Technological advances in modern platforms seek, in one way or another, to redefine the concept of human learning. That is why platforms like Brightspace seek not only to manage all the most important aspects of educational management, ranging from the earliest ages to the most advanced students of high school, changing with them and adapting to their cognitive and emotional needs, accompanying them, but without imposing rhythms. And this is possible because Brightspace seeks to personalize learning, focusing them, in a very short time, effectively and in a very simple way. The versatility of the platform makes it absolutely compatible with the wide range of smart devices. The process of teaching is not limited to the simple act of speaking or explaining in the classroom, this process must be thought, planned, developed, executed and, more importantly, evaluated. Brightspace all those tasks, using their useful tools. As a direct consequence, we can observe a significant improvement in classroom work, which will be noticed, due to the amount of activities that users will begin to share, which will involve parents and tutors, who will be able to manage feedback processes in real time. with personal messages.

Cons

Platforms such as Brightspace must have control or ability to configure pop-up windows, as well as other tools that must adapt to the changing requirements of users. The platform must be more managed so that it can reach more places and be more recommended.

Review Source

PD

Pam D.  
Associate Dean  
Education Management  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Its okay"

February 8, 2022

4.0

We had to move platforms and this seemed a good choice. Not as changeable as I though it would be and to have them integrate anything new you have to submit and get on a "list" and get votes with the highest votes getting the work. Ridiculous. Hire more people. Service everyone. That's what companies do no?

Pros

The interface looks nice, and it's easy to sort student. The discussion board threading works well, and the left hand menu bar is easy to navigate. I appreciate that there are multiple ways to arrive at different areas in the course, and the seminar integration is really easy and nice.

Cons

I wish the seminar would let me review the actual comments as I grade, the integration of a competency based rubric is clunky, when you have a CLA as well as something else for an assignment one overwrites the other in a very maddening way taking multiple steps to finish up a grade. The announcements section is now difficult for students to read, but that could just be our set up as well.

Review Source

TD

Teddy D.  
Director of Recruiting  
Education Management  
Used the software for: 6-12 months

### "Alright There are better options"

May 27, 2023

5.0

My experience with Brightspace has been somewhat positive although I would go researching more alternatives

Pros

One of the features I like most about Brightspace is the progress tracking. If a student is behind on an assignment or more than it highlights on their course.

Cons

At the time I was introduced to Brightspace, the previous learning environment stopped operations resulting in everyone having to adjust to Brightspace. One of the features I like the least about bright space is not being able to access Brightspace on mobile. It is difficult to view it on mobile and other classroom tools are able to view it on mobile

Switched from

[Blackboard](https://www.capterra.com/p/14500/Blackboard-LMS-for-Business/)

Blackboard was ceasing operations resulting in institutions to find an alternative within a short span of time.

Review Source

LY

Lap Y.  
Professor  
E-Learning  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Brightspace"

April 16, 2022

4.0

It was a competent platform which allowed me to do the things I need to teach the course. I would have liked a longer transition period to adjust from the previous platform.

Pros

It is a pretty standard educational online platform for E-Learning. Was able to pick up how to use Brightspace in a short learning curve.

Cons

School switched to Brightspace without any real transition from previous platform. This made it a bit difficult for faculty and students to transition to this new platform.

Switched from

[Canvas](https://www.capterra.com/p/127214/CANVAS/)

The school made the switch, I am not sure why.

Review Source

BD

Brandy D.  
Student  
Accounting  
Used the software for: 6-12 months

### "Very useful "

June 13, 2023

5.0

Very easy to use

Pros

Easy to use, I can view all coursework and courses and grades

Cons

Overall I like it all, nothing found that I haven't liked yet

Review Source

Melissa E.  
Adjunct Professor  
Higher Education  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Best used for online courses"

April 5, 2019

5.0

I have not had any problems using Brightspace or D2L. I think the user interface is easy to learn and it is easy to find where I need to be to make assignments, grade submissions, and more. The system allows you to work as the administrator/faculty/teacher/instructor/ but also allows you to switch to the student view, which enables you to see what your students will see. I like that feature! It is extremely easy to upload files and images and adding hyperlinks is also a breeze, allowing you to choose the new window to open within the course or on a separate page. Even when they update the software, I find it very easy to learn the new applications. I have used a few other systems in the past and I really do like Brightspace and D2L over the others.

Pros

I found this software very easy to use and pretty intuitive. It is fresh looking on the screen and I've not had any issues with the system not working as it should.

Cons

There are a few extra clicks that have to take place in some parts of the software to get back to where you want to be. That is somewhat annoying, but a minor issue.

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
Instructor  
Education Management  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Average but does the job"

March 21, 2023

4.0

I won't say it was either good or bad. My school would not let me integrate other products into Brightspace.

Pros

I think because it is similar to other LMS systems, it does not take long to learn if you know others.

Cons

I had to often find user YouTube videos on how to do things. Users that struggled with finding answers themselves.

Review Source

Ray A.  
Research and Cultural Consultant, Editor/writer, interpreter.  
Education Management  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Brightspace - excellent upgrade from D2L "

October 30, 2020

5.0

Very convenient platform for distance education especially useful in the midst of the COVID pandemic, particularly ease of including images and video in course materials. Allowed us to manage course materials, provide timely quizzes, and manage student grades.

Pros

Has addressed many prior user problems experienced with D2L Well-ordered, clean user interface Easy to design different courses, quizzes, and tests with minimal investment of time. Excellent grading features that calculate percentages easily. Can easily switch from teacher view to student view to check the layout and identify problems before finalizing content.

Cons

Some of the menus are not intuitive. ie) I had trouble figuring out how to include deadline dates for assignments after which the software would no longer accept submissions. UI interface is too spread out- it doesn't make efficient use of space on small screen tablets.

Review Source

ZAiN R.  
QA  
Education Management  
Used the software for: I used a free trial

### "Making Online Learning & Training a brighter space for all."

March 2, 2023

5.0

Implemented and customized tools to cater for our specific training and learning needs.Well-developed eco-system with paid support tiers.

Pros

Polished software with a multitude of features makes this an outstanding "investment".

Cons

Pricing is competitive, however some value-added services are locked behind a premium/paid tier.

Alternatives considered

[Set a Time](https://www.capterra.com/p/164700/Set-a-Time/)[Edsby](https://www.capterra.com/p/122855/Edsby/)[itslearning](https://www.capterra.com/p/129887/itslearning/)[Sakai LMS](https://www.capterra.com/p/124698/Sakai-CLE/)[Canvas](https://www.capterra.com/p/127214/CANVAS/)

Review Source

DO

Debbie O.  
Associate Professor  
Education Management  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "an unnecessarily complicated system"

May 10, 2021

2.0

stressful

Pros

adding modules, changing the course image

Cons

The gradebook is a nightmare! Every semester its a nightmare. Something that should be so intuitive is so complicated on Brightspace. When I create an assignment it doesn't just go into the gradebook--I have to "link it". But then when brightspace duplicates a column in the gradebook I cannot just "delete" a column in the gradebook! You cannot do anything in the gradebook simply! I also cannot trust the gradebook's math because it will count somethings and not others! One semester it duplicated a whole assignment (but I only had ONE dropbox for it?!?!) and I could not get rid of it---all students ended up with duplicate grade for it. I loved the original D2L--so easy to use! This brightspace? a disaster....

Switched from

[Moodle](https://www.capterra.com/p/80691/Moodle/)

institution made the switch.

Review Source

VW

Val W.  
Professor  
Education Management  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "D2L Brightspace"

December 29, 2022

5.0

Tracks students progress and grades so that students and faculty may track student progress.

Pros

It is easy for faculty and student to use and integrates with publisher assignments.

Cons

There is nothing that is missing to that I don't like about D2L.

Review Source

Michael A.  
Assistant Professor  
E-Learning  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "High Functionality, Low Intuitiveness "

July 28, 2019

5.0

As one of many different Learning Management Systems on the market, Brightspace foots the bill as a solid platform that is student- and instructor-friendly. The layout is self-explanatory, and the default settings are appealing to many users. The ability to customize course elements, while being able to make use of embedded tools, such as calendars and rubric designers, makes this learning environment a safe bet for prospective clients. As an instructor, I do find some processes to be a bit convoluted and unintuitive. For instance, assigning grade values and having these numbers populate in the grade book can be cumbersome. In addition, grading and publishing grades can be tricky if the correct options are unselected. Overall, Brightspace presents an aesthetically appealing and functional product that has its own quirks, while boasting a host of benefits.

Pros

Numerous design and layout options Embedded templates for rubrics and assignments

Cons

Some functionality is not intuitive in nature

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
Preschool Teacher  
Consumer Services  
Used the software for: 6-12 months

### "Good for online schooling"

December 9, 2021

4.0

I like how easy it makes online courses.

Pros

I like that Brightspace is easy to use. In previous online courses, we had used another program, which was a hot mess. Brightspace is user-friendly and really easy to find what you're looking for. The useability, however, depends mainly on the professor/teacher/whoever that may set up the course. Currently, everything is laid out in weeks, so each "module" contains what is due that week. Very simple to use, from a student standpoint.

Cons

I have noticed that when posting/replying to a discussion board, there are no notifications. And by this I mean there are no "push" notifications, so it's sometimes hard to see if people are responding to my post. Once I log in on a desktop/laptop, I can easily see if people have responded. However, if I'm using the app on my phone, it doesn't necessarily "pop up" and say that someone commented or posted something new. I personally would like a notification when this happens.

Review Source

Ben S.  
IT Consultant  
Information Technology and Services  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Great for Online Learning"

November 20, 2018

5.0

As a student my expirience with Brightspace has been nothing but positive.

Pros

As a college student, I have used D2L for 3 years. I have taken a handful of all online classes whose only presence was via Brightspace. Brightspace has created a really nice online environment for classes, you can host all your content there, provide quizzes/tests within Brightspace. Theres even a discussion board for talking with other class members or the instructor. I like being able to work at my own pace, which is what an online class provides, and Brightspace provides all the features to host a well developed online class.

Cons

Auto-saving responses on tests doesn't work always. This is a relatively new feature though so, I'm sure it will get fixed soon.

Review Source

LR

Lars R.  
Student Assistent  
Research  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Review Brightspace"

August 23, 2023

4.0

Pros

Het fijne aan brightspace als studentenportal is dat het vele opties heeft om groepsgesprekken aan te maken. Waardoor studenten makkelijk in contact kunnen komen.

Cons

Op telefoon is brightspace niet fijn in gebruik, ik gebruik het via de app pulse. Echter kun je op deze app een stuk minder functies gebruiken. Ook wanneer je een melding krijgt en op deze klikt, laadt het vaak niet. Ook wordt je vaak automatisch afgemeld, waardoor je opnieuw in moet loggen wat veel tijd kost

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
Lecturer, Researcher  
Higher Education  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Good LMS but not all-encompassing"

September 26, 2018

4.0

Brightspace by D2L was useful for implementing a live course's online material, but the program lacks important components that are necessary for online courses.

Pros

This Learning Management System is GOOD but not the best. It is great that D2L and Brightspace have an easy-to-use portal that differentiates between student, instructor, and even TAs. However, the options that come with competitors like CANVAS are far superior...

Cons

CANVAS, a competing LMS, provides more external resource use, such as Virtual Office Hours during Conferences, and even grouping students into smaller groups to use MS Office through Collaborations. Brightspace is user friendly for students but more difficult to manage for administrators/teachers.

Review Source

RH

Regina H.  
Student  
Higher Education  
Used the software for: Less than 6 months

### "Nice interface but not intuitive or easy to use"

October 13, 2020

3.0

Overall, my experience with Brightspace is negative. It looks deceivingly simple to use because of their modern look and Bright color scheme that is often associated with newer websites with easy functionality, but menus are often hard to find and it is difficult to do basic tasks like scoring quizzes.

Pros

I like the ability for there to be an online classroom and I like that it records the lectures. I like how the online classroom allows for screensharing and chatting also. I also like the look of the software; it doesn't look dated.

Cons

At this point, I have used several types of software like Brightspace as I have been in higher education for almost 7 years now as an undergraduate student and now, a graduate student. I think out of all those other software that I have used, Brightspace is the least intuitive to navigate. On the outset, I think the website looks clean and modern and it feels like a website that would be easy to navigate. But when you actually do start navigating the website, you find out how hard it is to find simple commands. For example, to simply program and then score a quiz online is much harder than it needs to be. Menus for basic things like how to see the students' grades were hard to find and I had to ultimately turn to google to figure out how to grade the quiz. I am new to this software, so maybe it just takes some getting used to, but so far, as a new user, I am finding that Brightspace is not intuitive or easy to navigate.

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
Instructor of English  
Higher Education  
Used the software for: 6-12 months

### "A platform for learning with its own learning curve"

November 21, 2018

4.0

Brightspace has allowed our students to access course information online and in hybrid environments. The LMS is powerful and can produce quality courses that are highly customizable and interactive. I have used it for around six months now as an instructor and have noticed that while it is powerful, you might want to trial it out alongside a couple of other competitors to find one that fits you.

Pros

I like the complex features that are offered by this LMS. Course creators can embed external sources, create several nested modules and access plenty of documentation. Users can also access content on nearly all browsers and operating systems.

Cons

There is a steep learning curve, and it can be difficult to even access basic course information as a learner, or to even find out how to create a single module for students as an administrator. The issues related to mobile access, Safari, and flash are still present in this LMS as well. It will be difficult to access certain pages, and some external links do not allow you to access them either.

Review Source

SM

Stephanie M.  
Student  
Education Management  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Love the Ease!"

January 27, 2022

5.0

Pros

Never had an issue with being able to see the assignments. Love how we get push notifications when items are graded and we can see the over all grade for the course.

Cons

I do not believe anything is missing with Brightspace.

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
Instructor  
Higher Education  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Course Building and Grading with D2L"

March 17, 2019

4.0

Overall, D2L Brightspace is relatively easy to use and robust. It's not always intuitive, but that seems to be the case with all LMS I've used.

Pros

I use D2L, Moodle, and Blackboard in my multiple jobs. D2L is the most visually attractive of these, and the "drag and drop" functionality of course building makes things much easier than in Blackboard, for example.

Cons

When grading, I wish the rubrics appeared in the margin of same tab as the assignment, rather than a separate pop-up window, though this is already an improvement from earlier iterations.

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
Student  
Primary/Secondary Education  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Great for my Classes"

April 16, 2019

5.0

Pros

I like the ability to stay on top of my assignments in classes and know what is to be expected throughout the semester. It is easy to see what is due week by week under the course content. I think the site is set up fairly well.

Cons

I sometimes have trouble with the discussions section where I need to manually press that I have read another members posts, I wish it appeared automatically. It also took a bit to be able to navigate the site but after becoming familiar I have had no problems.

Review Source

ER

Elizabeth R.  
Course Coordinator  
Education Management  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Easy to use and wide variety of options"

July 9, 2019

5.0

I love Brightspace! When it was first introduced I was skeptical because of the system we had been using so long and having to train everyone on new software is time-consuming and exhausting. But I found that it was an easier transition than I imagined, although there are so many features it can be a bit overwhelming for some. Overall, I really enjoy using the software and know that it benefits my students as well.

Pros

I really like the feature where you can open up quizzes or surveys for individual students. I use this when I have set a time/date for an item to close by and then students give me a valid excuse, then I can open it back up for them for whatever length of time I choose for them to complete the assignment. I also like that it is easy for a skilled user to navigate.

Cons

Even though I know how to navigate through the online set up now, it is sometimes troublesome for my students because there are just so many different options and different ways to navigate to the same thing. I usually have to do a short run through on how to use the software before the class begins and then I always have those that reach out with numerous questions regarding how to find something. This too has to do with the laziness of some students since I had no problem teaching myself how to use it.

Review Source

JW

Jeremy W.  
  
Primary/Secondary Education  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Brightspace: a powerful, but not the most intuitive LMS"

July 2, 2015

4.0

Pros

Brightspace puts a lot of options at the user's disposal. It is a powerful, robust LMS that can be customized to fit a wide variety of preferences. As an admin and as an instructor, I really appreciated that the system did not lock me in to one way of doing things. I also really like how much, especially in recent years, the Brightspace development team seeks for input from its users (and provides great forums for sharing ideas for improvements).

Cons

Currently, Brightspace does not have a very robust way of setting up communications throughout the course. They use a feature called "intelligent agents" for sending notices to students when they meet certain criteria (for example, sending a particular note to a student when he is inactive in the course or performs particularly well on an assessment). This feature, however, lacks a good deal of "intelligence" and is pretty restricted in what it can do. I also feel that much of Brightspace is not particularly intuitive or streamlined. I'd like to see them improve on ease of use (without sacrificing power). A good example of this is the quiz feature where finding the exact page you need to get to in order to edit questions and grade values is a bit like a scavenger hunt.

Review Source

DB

Daisy B.  
Gerente  
Information Services  
Used the software for: 6-12 months

### "Software excelente e muito intuitivo"

January 3, 2023

5.0

Plataforma Intuitiva, de fácil utilização e manutenção. Tem recursos variados e que facilitam a comunicação com a comunidade acadêmica.

Pros

Fácil de incluir e excluir disciplinas e atividades. Houve facilidade na adaptação ao produto, tanto para alunos quanto para professores por conta da apresentação intuitiva da plataforma.

Cons

Na inclusão de presenças e faltas dos alunos temos uma certa dificuldade, pois devido a quantidade de alunos é necessário a inclusão de 4 presenças no mesmo dia. Gostaria de um recurso que facilitasse o registro de presenças e faltas dos alunos.

Reason for choosing Brightspace

Por recomendação de colegas e outras instituições que já utilizavam o produto. O Preço é condizente com o que é oferecido.

Review Source

FP

Frank P.  
Adjuct Faculty  
Education Management  
Used the software for: 6-12 months

### "Brightspace as D2L"

May 26, 2022

4.0

My overall experience is very positive. With little touch ups, the tool can be a lot better.

Pros

It's easy to use and it has a friendly user interface.

Cons

Tools such as entering the grades, individual reporting, etc. might have been a little better.

Switched from

[Blackboard](https://www.capterra.com/p/14500/Blackboard-LMS-for-Business/)

The University has decided to change the LMS.

Review Source

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