Google Classroom vs Moodle comparison

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Google Classroom

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 8, 2024

Moodle and Google Classroom are competitive in the learning management system category. Google Classroom often has the upper hand due to its simple integration with Google Workspace despite Moodle's comprehensive features.

Features: Moodle offers a customizable plugin system enhancing flexibility, extensive community support, and high adaptability for diverse educational needs. Google Classroom provides seamless integration with Google Workspace, simplifying assignments and collaboration, and an easy-to-use interface for quick setups.

Room for Improvement: Moodle users suggest enhancements in interface design, performance stability, and user-friendliness without technical skills. Google Classroom could improve grading features, customization options, and expand its feature set to meet advanced requirements.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Moodle supports multiple deployment models with tailored solutions but requires a learning curve during setup. Google Classroom, being cloud-based, is simple to deploy with minimal technical input and benefits from robust Google support for quick resolutions.

Pricing and ROI: Moodle's open-source model offers cost-effectiveness for institutions ready to invest in setup and maintenance, with potential long-term advantages. Google Classroom provides a free base model with Google Workspace, offering attractive ROI due to lower operational costs and efficient integration.

To learn more, read our detailed Google Classroom vs. Moodle Report (Updated: October 2024).

Google Classroom vs. Moodle

October 2024

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Categories and Ranking

Google Classroom

Ranking in Learning Management Systems (LMS)

3rd

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Moodle

Ranking in Learning Management Systems (LMS)

2nd

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2024, in the Learning Management Systems (LMS) category, the mindshare of Google Classroom is 8.3%, down from 13.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Moodle is 15.5%, down from 16.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Learning Management Systems (LMS)

Featured Reviews

Andrew Bryson

IT Manager at Pipers Corner School

An easy-to-use and intuitive solution that can be used to facilitate excellent teaching and learning

We have very little to do with the solution's maintenance. Since it's an online software as a service (SaaS) platform, Google deals with all the maintenance, and we don't need to worry about it. We've got Microsoft 365, Firefly, and Google. It would be nice if that were all in one platform or integrated much more easily so that the look and feel was one single platform. Users should make sure they have done their planning properly. Users should not think they'll be able to just switch it on and it will all work. You do need to plan it and plan it carefully and properly. Overall, I rate Google Classroom a nine out of ten.

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James Phelps

Adjunct Professor at Nova Southeastern University

Inexpensive and pretty easy to use, but not easily adaptable for an individual

It does have some problems that are hard to work around, but they can be worked around once you figure out how to make it function or how to work with specific components. The ability to input modified, individual, independent grades in a grade center component is not just hard. It almost always requires you to get tech involved. When you're dealing with a learning system where you have people in an open enrollment with all different levels of learning modes or methodologies, and as well as a worldwide student body, you end up with situations where you have to absolutely exempt somebody from a grade or an assignment and enter a new, different kind of assignment because of their skillset or lack thereof. You can't do that in Moodle. It is virtually impossible to do that in Moodle without having a tech do it for you, and when you have to have that level of tech support, it becomes problematic. They need to fix the grade book center. It is the part where you do evaluations. They need to fix it so that the individual professors can make changes directly without having to get a hold of tech support to do it for them.

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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 most valuable feature of Google Classroom is its clouds based. It can be accessed anywhere. Additionally, the GUI is good, we have not had any complaints and the platform has built-in security. For example, email has protection."

"What I like about Google Classroom are the video lessons. I enjoy using it because it makes my life easier, for example, I can easily change my class and my lecture notes."

"What I liked most about Google Classroom is it was very easy to communicate with the students and simple for me to learn even though it was the first time I was using it. I was able to learn the features very well by navigating through the different discussions forums and becoming proficient, not necessarily a master but knowledgeable in using the solution. The ease of use was the best feature."

"The most valuable feature of Google Classroom is the ability to share my lectures with many students, assign tasks to be completed, and overall student engagement."

"When a teacher uploads material, all students connected to that class will receive the same information at the same time. I have found this to be a valuable feature. I also like that the material remains in Google Classroom until the teacher removes it. The UI is user-friendly, and you don't have to have prior experience to use the solution."

"This solution integrates with all the other Google apps including Google Calendar and Google Docs. This makes it very easy to manage."

"The customer service and support are very good."

"Google Classroom is easy to use and intuitive, and it's not difficult to set up."

More Google Classroom pros

"The customization features of Moodle significantly enhance the learning experience for our users."

"The product's most valuable feature is the ability to import and export documents for courses, assessments, and questionnaires in any format."

"The monitoring aspect is important for students."

"They have made it really easy for you to see the flow on the forums. The information is well organized and the UI is fairly easy to navigate."

"The solution is stable."

"The most valuable feature of Moodle is the exam question shuffle. Students in the classroom will all have different question list numbers. For example, one student's question one will be another student's question ten."

"The initial setup is straightforward."

"The best thing about Moodle is that it is open source and has many useful plugins. It is a great solution for an organization that needs modifications and customization."

More Moodle pros

Cons

"I would like to see a better user experience, a more engaging interface, and more templates. Google should develop templates or at least encourage developers to share them. 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."

"Students used to have points that were accumulated and the letter grades, such as A's, B's, C's, et cetera. Google Classroom should add a feature by which you can toggle in between both of them. It's more than only accumulated points, which are not going to mean that much for students unless there's a prize at the end or some type of reward for the effort. However, if there's a way to toggle in between allocating points versus allocating a grade, it would be nice."

"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."

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

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

"The stability could be improved."

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

"It would be helpful to add voice or audio capabilities to the classrooms instead of text only."

More Google Classroom cons

"They need to have a better way to illustrate competencies so that, when people go through the programs, they can actually show they are competent in the subject matter."

"Moodle is missing a subscription-based system where learners can subscribe to available courses and make the payment for those courses."

"Its interface design could be more user-friendly."

"Moodle's weakest point is the user interface."

"The customization of the interface could be improved."

"An improvement would be to have it support physically challenged students, who we think should be able to participate in some of our courses."

"The biggest area for improvement is the UI. They should also make the navigation simpler to understand. They've recently introduced a new way of having navigation work in Moodle, but they all look very similar."

"Where Moodle could definitely improve is the user interface. You have a lot of themes and you can customize themes, but if you are going to use Moodle off the shelf, even with a hosting company, a lot of training is involved. Training is available, but if your faculty or your development team isn't highly technical, it's going to be a challenge, whereas there are other interfaces that are much easier, but they don't do as much. So, there is a give and take there. If Moodle could find a way to make the user interface for the instructional designers and the learners more intuitive, it probably would be a huge improvement. The manager area and the admin area are fine, but when it comes to the people who are using the system but might not be highly technical, it needs improvement."

More Moodle cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product offers a yearly based license."

"For Google Classroom, you don't need to pay for its license because they offer free access to the platform."

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

"If you do a certain size and build, it's like any Google solution. You have to pay for storage, but you don't need to pay extra to use the interface. There may be Google Classroom partners that provide more integrated solutions, but I don't know. I'm strictly DIY."

"There are competitors that offer free solutions, making the price of Google Classroom high."

"The tool is available for free."

"Google Classroom is a free solution."

"Google Classroom is a free solution. There is paid version that has more options, the cost is approximately eight dollars per student per month."

More Google Classroom pricing and cost advice

"This particular organization is a relatively small academic institution. It is a single campus, not very big, with 4,500 to 5,000 total students. It is not a big faculty. There are no hard sciences other than undergraduate-level hard sciences. So, Moodle is functional, and it is relatively simple because it is open-source software. It has sub advantages, and it is inexpensive. Small schools with small enrollment numbers just can't afford the more expensive ones."

"It is open source, and it has a lot of free documentation. It can be by far the least expensive option, but it depends on how one decides to use it. It can be free if you download it and host it on-prem, and you don't count your time as being worth anything. So, it can be almost free, or it can be very expensive just depending on if you get a package with a provider and if it is a huge solution."

"Moodle offer a 14 day free trial and then requires payment."

"The licensing cost is quite high and it operates on an annual basis."

"It is a one-time registration with the Moodle site. There isn't a yearly or monthly fee."

"Moodle is an open-source solution that is free of cost."

"Moodle is a free solution."

"Moodle is free. It should probably stay free. There isn't really any support for Moodle unless you pay an astronomical amount, which is weird."

More Moodle pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

25%

University

11%

Computer Software Company

Government

Educational Organization

15%

Comms Service Provider

13%

University

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Google Classroom?

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

What needs improvement with Google Classroom?

There is room for improvement in the notification. Just managing the Guardian invitations and ensuring they get notifications. That's what I mean. We're currently using GAM to do that.

What is your primary use case for Google Classroom?

It is for students, for learning, assignments, and all that. Just learning management. I don't use it as a teacher. I just support it, so I don't use it a lot as an end-user.

What do you like most about Moodle?

The customization features of Moodle significantly enhance the learning experience for our users.

What needs improvement with Moodle?

The customization of the interface could be improved. Although we can load and change themes, it still always looks like Moodle. We have not found a way to significantly alter its appearance.

What is your primary use case for Moodle?

We use Moodle to manage our students' information, the classes, and the course catalog, which are mainly related to education. It serves as a learning management system for teaching in class.

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Product Reports

Download Google Classroom product report

Google Classroom

November 2024

Download Moodle product report

November 2024

Learn More

Google

Overview

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.

Moodle is a comprehensive learning management system offering various features to facilitate online education. With its user-friendly interface, Moodle allows educators to create and manage courses, deliver engaging content, and assess student progress. The platform supports various multimedia formats, allowing users to integrate videos, audio, and interactive activities. Additionally, Moodle provides communication tools, such as forums and messaging, fostering collaboration and interaction among students and instructors. The system also includes assessment tools that enable teachers to create quizzes, assignments, and surveys to evaluate student performance.

Moodle's customizable and flexible environment lets institutions tailor the platform to their needs and branding. With its mobile app, Moodle ensures accessibility and convenience for learners on the go.

Moodle is a powerful and versatile learning management system that empowers educators to deliver effective and engaging online courses.

Sample Customers

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

Acacia University, Alliant International University, American University of Health Sciences, Anaheim University Online, Aspen University, Cal State University San Bernardino, California State University Los Angeles, Chattanooga Fire Training, City of Humble Fire Department, George Washington University, Georgia Institute of Emergency Medical Services, Michigan Online Classroom, Virginia Beach Sheriffs Office, Washington Post