--- title: "Sakai LMS Software Pricing, Alternatives & More 2026 | Capterra" description: "With the help of Capterra, learn about Sakai LMS Software - reviews, pricing plans, popular comparisons to other Learning Management System products and more." source_url: "https://www.capterra.com/p/124698/Sakai-CLE/" page_type: "product" language: "en" publication_date: "2026-10-21" --- # Sakai LMS Software Review 2026: Features, Integrations, Pros & Cons Last updated on October 21, 2026 Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Description](#description)[Use cases](#use-cases)[Alternatives](#alternatives)[FAQs](#faqs)[Features](#features)[Pricing](#pricing)[Integrations](#integrations)[Support](#support)[Reviews](#reviews) Sakai LMS ## What is Sakai LMS? Sakai is an open source learning management system created by and for educators in higher education. The Sakai LMS provides features for communication, collaboration, course creation, integration with third party apps, and open source tools. Sakai offers functionality like group tools, communication options, easy course building with lessons and modules, and the ability to upload, store and share files and resources. ## What is Sakai LMS used for? [Learning Management System](https://www.capterra.com/learning-management-system-software/)[eLearning Authoring Tools](https://www.capterra.com/elearning-authoring-tools-software/) Top alternative Featured Overall rating Based on 33 user reviews Reviews sentiment Positive 85% Neutral 12% Negative 3% ### Starting price Free trial not available Capterra Shortlist charts the highest-rated and most popular products... Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings... Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings... Do you work for Sakai LMS?[Manage this product listing](https://www.g2.com/products/sakai/claim_requests/new?auto=true) ## Compare with a popular alternative Capterra selects software alternatives based on relevant features, verified user reviews and user interactions. Placement may be influenced by client status. ### Sakai LMS 4.1 (33) VS. [4.5 (129)](https://www.capterra.com/p/172471/Cypher-Learning/reviews/) Starting Price Contact vendor Starting Price Contact vendor Free Trial Free Version Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version Ease Of Use 4.1 (33) Ease Of Use 4.2 (2,909) Value For Money 4.6 (13) Value For Money 4.4 (1,880) Customer Service 4.7 (13) Customer Service 4.3 (1,866) ## Sakai LMS alternatives Highest Rated [4.8 (167)](https://www.capterra.com/p/135075/Classe365/reviews/) Starting price $100.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 98% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [4.7 (196)](https://www.capterra.com/p/143513/LearnWorlds/reviews/) Starting price $99.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 94% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [3.9 (14)](https://www.capterra.com/p/206275/Blackbaud-LMS/reviews/) Starting price Contact vendor for pricing Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 64% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [4.7 (147)](https://www.capterra.com/p/141006/Arlo-Training-Event-Software/reviews/) Starting price $121.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 97% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [View all alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/124698/Sakai-CLE/alternatives/) ## FAQs about Sakai LMS Overview ### Which roles and teams benefit most from Sakai LMS? Sakai LMS is most used by instructors, professors, lecturers, and teaching assistants who build courses, share materials, manage assignments, and assess learners. Students and graduate researchers access coursework and collaboration spaces. eLearning coordinators, program administrators, registrars, and IT support teams administer course delivery, enrollment, platform quality, and user assistance. Answer based on 29 reviews Overview ### What company size and specific industries is Sakai LMS built for? Sakai LMS is designed for higher education institutions, including universities, along with university faculty and students. It is best suited to the education sector rather than small businesses, mid-market companies, or enterprise teams in other industries. Features and Usability ### What are the key features of Sakai LMS? Sakai LMS offers course management, course tracking, and a gradebook for academic and business training programs. It also includes built-in course authoring, quizzes, tests and assessments, a learner portal, and mobile learning, plus SCORM compliance, social learning, asynchronous learning, blended learning, and API access. Integrations ### Which third-party tools and platforms does Sakai LMS integrate with? Sakai LMS integrates with WizIQ LMS for course and training platform connections. It supports this third-party integration for organizations that need to link Sakai with an external learning management system. Answer based on 2 reviews Getting Started and Support ### What training and onboarding options does Sakai LMS offer? Sakai LMS provides videos for training and onboarding. Videos can support self-paced learning by letting users review setup steps, feature explanations, and common tasks at their own pace. No other training formats are listed in the catalog data for Sakai LMS. Answer based on 4 reviews Getting Started and Support ### What customer support options does Sakai LMS offer? Sakai LMS provides Email/Help Desk, FAQ/Forum, and a Knowledge Base for support. Users often describe the community as helpful and growing, with information that makes the platform easier to use, though some note a need for more video resources and occasional waits for updates or answers. Answer based on 3 reviews User interface ### Is Sakai LMS easy to use and navigate? Sakai LMS provides a clean, hierarchical interface that many students find easy to navigate for courses, resources, and collaboration. Faculty and administrators may face a learning curve, however, as some workflows require extra clicks and the visual design can feel dated. Mobile navigation and grading tools also draw mixed feedback. Answer based on 13 reviews ## Features AI summary Based on 7,102 Learning Management System reviews Capterra data shows that buyers of learning management system software rank the following features as their top priorities: - **Course Management** (**48%** of reviewers rated this feature as critical) - **Learner Portal** (**47%**) - **Training Management** (**44%**) Sakai LMS supports **Course Management** and **Learner Portal**, giving teams a central place to organize learning content and provide learners with easy access to courses and materials. However, it does not include **Training Management**. Instead, it offers other highly valued capabilities, including **Course Tracking** (**43%**) and **Tests/Assessments** (**40%**), which help businesses monitor learner progress and measure knowledge retention, allowing teams to manage learning outcomes more effectively. Course Management 3.5 (6) 66.67% of 6 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Create, organize, and assign courses to users Learner Portal 3.8 (4) 50.00% of 4 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Students can access materials and communicate with instructors via their online student profile Course Tracking 4.2 (5) 40.00% of 5 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Track which progress and course materials have been completed by each user Tests/Assessments 4.8 (4) 25.00% of 4 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Create tools to measure student retention of learning material and lessons Mobile Learning 4.0 (6) 16.67% of 6 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Access for students to complete learning materials on mobile platforms Asynchronous Learning 4.3 (3) 33.33% of 3 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Supports flexible learning at different times (i.e., learners can access course materials at their own pace) Sakai LMS 18 features ### All Features - Academic/Education: Software specialized for schools (K-12 & Post-Secondary) - API: Application programming interface that allows for integration with other systems/databases - Asynchronous Learning: Supports flexible learning at different times (i.e., learners can access course materials at their own pace) - Blended Learning: Supports learning paths that combine in-person classes with online/virtual courses - Built-in Course Authoring: Tools that allow users to create and publish courses and course material/content - Corporate/Business: Software specialized for corporate use - Course Management: Create, organize, and assign courses to users - Course Tracking: Track which progress and course materials have been completed by each user - eCommerce Management: Has a built-in eCommerce system or integrates with third-party systems to manage online sale of products - eLearning Companies: Software specialized for companies that sell courses/content - Gradebook: Track student's scores and grades on course materials - Learner Portal: Students can access materials and communicate with instructors via their online student profile - Learning Management: Organize and track educational activities - Mobile Learning: Access for students to complete learning materials on mobile platforms - Quizzes: Brief assessments used to measure knowledge and skills - SCORM Compliance: Adherence to the standards outlined in the SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model) framework - Social Learning: Create tools to promote social interaction and learning between students/trainees and instructors/trainers - Tests/Assessments: Create tools to measure student retention of learning material and lessons --- Get Advice We can help you find the software with the features you need. Features 3.9 (32) 3.9 Based on 32 reviews ## Pricing Value for money 4.6 (13) ### Starting price Free trial not available Value for money 4.6 (13) 4.6 Based on 13 reviews ## Integrations [ WizIQ LMS](https://www.capterra.com/p/137808/WizIQ-LMS/) Connect with a Capterra advisor for a free 15-minute consultation Get a personalized software list aligned to your business needs with guidance from our expert advisors. Our team has helped 1 million+ businesses like yours find options that fit their needs. ## Support, customer service and training options Customer Service 4.7 (13) Support - Email/Help Desk - FAQs/Forum - Knowledge Base - Phone Support - 24/7 (Live rep) - Chat Training - In Person - Live Online - Webinars - Documentation - Videos Deployment - Web - Android - iPhone/iPad Typical users - Freelancers - Small businesses - Mid size businesses - Enterprises Customer Service 4.7 (13) 4.7 Based on 13 reviews ## User reviews Overall rating 4.1 Based on 33 reviews Filter by rating Counts reflect reviews available in this feed. 5(11) 4(16) 3(5) 2(1) 1(0) Mentioned topic Recent reviews first, then most helpful Arram K. Registrar service specialist 2 Used the software for: Less than 1 year ### "Product is good when searching " 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 3.0 3.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 4.0 4.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 August 23, 2018 Pros If you need to search something, this product is great. Has everything laid out Cons It’s pretty hard to navigate through so u will need to have some training before diving in. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. RE Reviewer Research Assistant Used the software for: 1-3 years ### "I wish it was a bit more user friendly" 3.0 September 19, 2019 Pros After using online web modules in Sakai for a while, it grows on you. If you know where the options are for the things you are looking for, you will be fine. But like I said, it takes time to grow on you. Cons The options are not clear at all. Nothing is self explanatory, I have had senior learners struggling with it the most as the courses do not show up automatically in the home page after signing up. Every aspect of Sakai seems not so unified, it requires different set of skills to do different things. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. Becky R. Distance Learning Coordinator Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "A truly "Open" Source LMS" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 4.0 4.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 May 17, 2017 Our community college previously used Blackboard, but needed to upgrade. We looked at various LMS's available in 2012, and our faculty liked Sakai the best. Why? It was easy to use, accessible, reliable, and contains excellent tools we need to provide quality online, hybrid and face-to-face courses. Pros I love the Sakai community. They are a dynamic, talented, committed community, who strive and succeed in making the LMS easier to use and accessible, and constantly improve tools so they best meet the needs of faculty and students. The community has developed a responsive user interface, and is working towards meeting all of the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level A and AA Success Criteria. Cons Like a true community, sometimes you have to wait until the money and resources are available to work on the project you think is important. In the four years I've been involved, the community has always found a way to find the resources needed to make important updates and improvements. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. RE Reviewer Design Engineer Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "Solid LMS platform" 4.0 December 23, 2021 Pros Good amount of different tools available like grade entry, storing files, assigning homework and exams, etc Can set due dates, exam length, overall good level of control Cons UI feels outdated, especially when compared to current industry competitors Feels slow at times Difficult to use on phone Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. RE Reviewer Research Associate II Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "We used to use Sakai and I wish we can go back" 5.0 January 14, 2020 Sakai was a course management software that allowed easy organized access for students and faculty. This also played an equipment signup and scheduling tool for my group. Pros The user interface was intuitive (from the user's side, I never saw the admin side). Asides the traditional course management feature, my group used it for equipment scheduling, which was a great added bonus. Cons Overall, the software was great. I don't think they had an app, or at least I was not aware of one. With mobile devices becoming a mainstream method of content consumption, having to go to a website and sign in seemed dated. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. RE Reviewer Professor Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "Learning Management system " 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 8/10 May 17, 2019 Pros Sakai is one of the best Learning Management systems in the market today. I have been using it for over five years and I can say with out a doubt that it has some of the most reliable features in the world of E-Learning. I am most impressed with the forum system and the assignment submission system. Cons There is only one element missing for Sakai, a real time option for a class meeting Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. RE Reviewer Associate Professor of History Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "Functional but not awesome" 4.0 December 18, 2018 It works for managing courses cheaply, but it doesn’t have the flash of blackboard or the convenience of Canvas Pros It’s user friendly. You can train on its uses really quickly. The assignments sync to the gradebook Cons The gradebook is clunky, the chat is basically useless, and grading discussion boards is a nightmare. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. RE Reviewer Graduate Research Assistant Used the software for: Less than 1 year ### "Inferior to Canvas" 3.0 February 14, 2022 Pros Sakai has a very basic loadout that doesn't clutter the screen with unnecessary information. Cons Compared to Canvas, Sakai became an inferior software. Difficult to look at (especially for those who had dyslexia and couldn't understand tabled information easily) and the time the software took to actually update information was slow (on the order of an hour or to at times). Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. VR Verified Reviewer Program Development Administrator Used the software for: 1-3 years ### "One stop shop for online education" 5.0 December 11, 2019 I used this platform as a doctoral student to access resources, syllabi, post assignments, read announcements, and engage in online/hybrid class discussions. Pros Once you log into Sakai CLE, you really can use it for anything you'd need as an online student Cons Sakai CLE took a little bit of a learning curve to navigate through, but once you figured it out, it was easy Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. RE Reviewer ### "Easy to use. " 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 May 17, 2017 My university uses this as the online platform for my online master's degree. Provides every option I would need in a virtual classroom. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. 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