CYPHER Learning vs Google Classroom comparison

CYPHER LEARNING and Google are both solutions in the Learning Management Systems (LMS) category. CYPHER LEARNING is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.7, while Google is ranked #3 with an average rating of 8.3. CYPHER LEARNING holds a 4.9% mindshare in LMS, compared to Google’s 5.4% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of CYPHER LEARNING users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 96% of Google users who would recommend it.

CYPHER Learning

Read 54 CYPHER Learning reviews

2,745 Views
496 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Google Classroom

Read 25 Google Classroom reviews

2,139 Views
792 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

CYPHER Learning

Google Classroom

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 12, 2025

CYPHER Learning and Google Classroom compete in the educational technology category, focusing on providing comprehensive solutions for learning environments. While CYPHER Learning offers advanced features and customization, Google Classroom is recognized for its seamless integration and ease of use, providing simplicity for users familiar with Google services.

Features: CYPHER Learning includes personalized lessons, gamification, and a robust rules engine, allowing extensive customization and adaptability in teaching methods. It also provides certificates and a comprehensive support system. Google Classroom integrates smoothly with Google Suite, offering powerful communication tools and simplicity, which is ideal for quick adoption and basic functionality without complex customization.

Room for Improvement: CYPHER Learning could enhance its reporting and automation, as some users find these areas complex. Integration with more third-party platforms is also limited. Google Classroom needs improvements in grading capabilities and offline access, particularly to better support interactive learning experiences. Enhanced video conferencing integration could also benefit users.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: CYPHER Learning supports multiple deployment options, including public, private, and hybrid clouds, offering flexibility and excellent customer support with fast response times. Google Classroom is primarily cloud-based, facilitating straightforward deployment and integration with Google apps, though it lacks a personalized support structure compared to CYPHER Learning.

Pricing and ROI: CYPHER Learning offers competitive pricing with flexible plans based on active users, delivering significant ROI through reduced administrative costs. It provides substantial value, especially for institutions requiring advanced LMS features. Google Classroom is free for educational institutions, which is highly appealing. The paid version offers additional features at a low cost but may lack the comprehensive capabilities necessary for more demanding educational environments.

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

Buyer's Guide

CYPHER Learning vs. Google Classroom

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

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

Google Classroom

Ranking in Learning Management Systems (LMS)

3rd

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2025, in the Learning Management Systems (LMS) category, the mindshare of CYPHER Learning is 4.9%, down from 6.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Google Classroom is 5.4%, down from 11.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Learning Management Systems (LMS)

Featured Reviews

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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Susan Nash

Director of innovation at AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PETROLEUM GEOLOGISTS

It's free and integrates seamlessly with many tools

When students don't have Gmail accounts, it creates a lot of hiccups, but the main issue is that the interface is somewhat primitive. It’s intuitive and you can be up and running in no time at all. However, it is not very attractive. But that may be because I installed it myself and I'm not using any fancy templates. It's primitive because that's how I've been able to get it going. I would like to see a better user experience, a prettier interface, and more templates. Google could make templates readily available or users could design and share them. As it is, you’ll only get a basic framework when you create a new course. You don't have different themes to choose from like you do in Moodle. Most learning management systems also have a dashboard. It would be useful to have a dashboard with blocks on the side that lets you navigate all of your courses. It would like to have the ability to navigate at a glance and breadcrumbs. By breadcrumbs, I mean it should be designed to leave you a trail like you would use to find your way out of a forest. Go back to where you were and pick up where you left off. So, instead of going back, it shows you where you were. Moodle does something like this, but you don't see it in Canvas or Blackboard. I think that that would be a big advantage. And then, a dashboard would just be when you go to the front page, in addition to having your courses listed there, you would have something like other activities, as well. Further, the dashboard would include your calendar, you could have a calendar there, you could have different productivity apps.

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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

"I mainly use the storage folders that allow students to upload their work in an organized way. By providing a large storage capacity, the system allows students to upload videos and images. I can also rate students and give them feedback with comments or stickers."

"The customization is very good because it allows us to completely brand the product so that it is our brand."

"This platform not only allows you to transmit the content in an agile and interactive way, but you can also interact with the students and keep them up to date. It is a platform that provides communication with the student, not only academically but also personally."

"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."

"The lessons we offer in each course can be both in written format and in audio or video format. This dramatically helps participants to choose their best way of learning."

"Overall, I would rate CYPHER Learning a ten out of ten."

"I am able to monitor the classes: who has entered, who has not entered yet, and who has viewed the classes. If we are working on an assignment it allows me to upload an assessment rubric where they can see and learn about their progress."

"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."

More CYPHER Learning pros

"The customer service and support are very good."

"Google Classroom is very effective for communication and excellent for assigning homework and resources."

"The most valuable features of Google Classroom are the meetings, mark book, and assignments."

"The most valuable feature of Google Classroom is the ability for the lecturer to put in work. Additionally, the work can be graded after completion, and there can be feedback provided through the system which has a good interface."

"Google Classroom is simple to use."

"The most valuable feature of Google Classroom is the ability to meet people and it is online."

"Company-wise, the most important feature is that it is a product of Google. It is a part of Google Suite. With Google Classroom, you can easily embed a Google Sheet, Google Doc, or Google Form. You can easily create a quiz in Google Form. It is integrated with Google Drive. So, everything is on Google Drive, and you can easily use it. With single sign-on, you can use it with Google Apps as well."

"I can see all the submissions in a central place."

More Google Classroom pros

Cons

"Perhaps there is room for improvement in the gamification part. I have used it but it has not been very clear to me. It may be my responsibility for not asking about it in the training sessions, but the way you use it is not so clear."

"One of the things that I would like to see improvement on is detecting duplicate users by identifying them by their names and not only by their email addresses. Many people change their email addresses but we don't know that they have. This can result in unnecessary duplication of user accounts."

"While the number of apps available for integration with CYPHER Learning has increased over the years, I would love to see this number continue to grow. I believe this would help solidify its position amongst other learning management systems as a viable option for educators and schools."

"There is a section where you can create games and tools. I don't know if it is because I didn't have the training, but I couldn't use the gamification tools. I would like them to create a link with a tutorial explaining how to do this from the platform."

"Improvement is needed to the reporting options and system because sometimes it's not very accurate. We feel that there are not enough aspects to report on. We need some more advanced reporting."

"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."

"An important addition would be training so that we can exploit the platform much more. The platform is advancing and being updated. It is important to know and understand everything in more detail, and how to work with it."

More CYPHER Learning cons

"Technical support from Google has been very frustrating in unrelated areas like Google Pay and Google Wallet. It has been quite challenging, with unresolved tickets and a lack of response creating lots of frustration."

"The product must provide different plans for different customers so that we can pay for only what we use."

"The initial setup is not very easy. It has modern complexity."

"The user interface of Google Classroom could improve by being more user-friendly."

"The stability could be improved."

"There are a lot of things that need to be fixed in order for it to be called a learning management system. I think that's where a lot of people are very confused in terms of what Google Classroom actually does. Google Classroom is not a learning management system. A learning management system allows teachers to grade with authenticity and doesn't provide only one grade for a particular document or assignment."

"There's room for improvement in the offline functionality. When you're working with a class, you can't close the class or perform certain tasks when you're offline."

"It would be useful if this solution had its own online teaching platform with an integration with a Google video conferencing tool."

More Google Classroom cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."

"When I first started, I wanted the enterprise package. We had to build up our student base to get up to the number of students that we needed to be in that enterprise package. Then, we had a 100% return on investment within the first year of using the program."

"NEO's price is good."

"It seems moderate and as per industry standards. In my previous organization, we had to hire an outside company, so I know what companies charge to do just a single course. Considering that, the price of CYPHER Learning is in the typical cost range."

"It is cheap for us. We started with CYPHER Learning, and then when our contract was finished, we needed to undergo a bidding process. We had to look at other LMSs as well and compare it with them. Its price convinced us to stay with CYPHER Learning. The cost is low, but the quality is excellent. The lower price compared to other LMSs makes it perfect for us."

"I am happy with it. It is very well priced."

"CYPHER Learning is more cost-efficient for us compared to others."

"It's affordable, but they have doubled the pricing at random times. That's a problem. They have to change that for forecasting purposes."

More CYPHER Learning pricing and cost advice

"The tool is available for free."

"The solution is affordable."

"We are an educational institution, and it is free of charge for us. Normally, if you are a private company, you have to pay a lot of money to get this service, but they are giving it for free to schools."

"The product offers a yearly based license."

"We did not need a license to use Google Classroom."

"Google Classroom is free to use."

"My child's school made payments on a subscription-based model to use Google Classroom."

"Google Classroom is a free solution."

More Google Classroom pricing and cost advice

See which vendors are best for you

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

23%

Computer Software Company

12%

Comms Service Provider

Government

Educational Organization

23%

University

12%

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

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

What do you like most about Google Classroom?

The product's UI is good and user-friendly.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Google Classroom?

There is room for improvement in AI integration, specifically in the education sector. Google Classroom could benefit from tools that help correct coding errors for students, thereby enhancing lear...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Google Classroom?

We are using Google Classroom for assessments, homework, and providing resources to students. We also use it for tuition and online interaction, focusing on IT subjects such as computing and progra...

See all answers

Comparisons

Canvas LMS vs CYPHER Learning

Compared 39% of the time

Moodle vs CYPHER Learning

Compared 37% of the time

Cornerstone Learning vs CYPHER Learning

Compared 24% of the time

More CYPHER Learning Competitors

Moodle vs Google Classroom

Compared 61% of the time

Blackboard Learning Management vs Google Classroom

Compared 25% of the time

Canvas LMS vs Google Classroom

Compared 14% of the time

More Google Classroom Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

CYPHER Learning

March 2025

Download CYPHER Learning product report

Buyer's Guide

Google Classroom

February 2025

Download Google Classroom product report

Also Known As

MATRIX LMS, NEO LMS

No data available

Overview

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

Google Classroom is an online learning platform that allows teachers to create and manage virtual classrooms. With Google Classroom, teachers can easily distribute assignments, communicate with students, and provide feedback. Students can access their assignments, submit their work, and collaborate with their peers all in one place. The platform integrates seamlessly with other Google tools like Google Drive and Google Docs, making it easy for students to create and share their work. Google Classroom also provides a streamlined workflow for teachers, allowing them to save time and stay organized. Google Classroom is a user-friendly and efficient tool that enhances the learning experience of teachers and students alike.

Google

Sample Customers

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

Google Classroom is used in major urban school districts throughout the United States, including: * Los Angeles Unified School District * Chicago Public Schools * New York City Department of Education * Houston Independent School District * Miami-Dade County Public Schools * Dallas Independent School District * Broward County Public Schools * Clark County School District (Las Vegas) * Philadelphia School District

Buyer's Guide

CYPHER Learning vs. Google Classroom

March 2025

Free Report: CYPHER Learning vs. Google Classroom

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