Canvas vs. Microsoft Teams

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Canvas
Score 8.4 out of 10
N/A
Instructure is an educational software company based in Sandy, Utah. It is the developer of the Canvas learning management system, which is a comprehensive software package that competes with such systems as Blackboard Learning System, SumTotal and Saba.N/A
Microsoft Teams
Score 8.1 out of 10
N/A
Microsoft Teams combines video conferencing software with team collaboration tools. The communications platform allows MS Office users to conduct conference calls and share files via SharePoint, and join or initiate a group chat.
$4.80
per month per user
Pricing
CanvasMicrosoft Teams
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
Microsoft Teams Essentials
$4.80
per month per user
Microsoft Teams Enterprise
$5.25
per month (paid yearly) per user
Microsoft Teams Enterprise
$5.25
per month per user
Microsoft 365 Business Basic
$7.20
per month per user
Microsoft 365 Business Standard
$15
per month per user
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
CanvasMicrosoft Teams
Free Trial
YesYes
Free/Freemium Version
YesYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsMust contact vendor for pricing information.Discounts are available for non profit organizations.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
CanvasMicrosoft Teams
Features
CanvasMicrosoft Teams
Learning Management
Comparison of Learning Management features of Product A and Product B
Canvas
9.7
41 Ratings
16% above category average
Microsoft Teams
-
Ratings
Course authoring9.941 Ratings00 Ratings
Course catalog or library9.738 Ratings00 Ratings
Player/Portal9.832 Ratings00 Ratings
Learning content9.834 Ratings00 Ratings
Mobile friendly9.940 Ratings00 Ratings
Progress tracking & certifications9.837 Ratings00 Ratings
Assignments9.941 Ratings00 Ratings
Compliance management9.732 Ratings00 Ratings
Learning administration9.836 Ratings00 Ratings
Learning reporting & analytics9.838 Ratings00 Ratings
Social learning9.833 Ratings00 Ratings
Gamification9.32 Ratings00 Ratings
Single Sign On (SSO) Enabled Learning9.72 Ratings00 Ratings
Project Management
Comparison of Project Management features of Product A and Product B
Canvas
-
Ratings
Microsoft Teams
7.6
213 Ratings
1% below category average
Task Management00 Ratings7.6158 Ratings
Gantt Charts00 Ratings7.081 Ratings
Scheduling00 Ratings7.9181 Ratings
Workflow Automation00 Ratings7.7108 Ratings
Mobile Access00 Ratings8.0203 Ratings
Search00 Ratings7.0185 Ratings
Visual planning tools00 Ratings8.2125 Ratings
Communication
Comparison of Communication features of Product A and Product B
Canvas
-
Ratings
Microsoft Teams
7.9
223 Ratings
1% below category average
Chat00 Ratings9.2222 Ratings
Notifications00 Ratings8.1221 Ratings
Discussions00 Ratings8.6208 Ratings
Surveys00 Ratings7.9123 Ratings
Internal knowledgebase00 Ratings8.4136 Ratings
Integrates with GoToMeeting00 Ratings6.547 Ratings
Integrates with Gmail and Google Hangouts00 Ratings5.743 Ratings
Integrates with Outlook00 Ratings9.1155 Ratings
File Sharing & Management
Comparison of File Sharing & Management features of Product A and Product B
Canvas
-
Ratings
Microsoft Teams
7.9
208 Ratings
1% below category average
Versioning00 Ratings8.4145 Ratings
Video files00 Ratings8.3176 Ratings
Audio files00 Ratings8.6177 Ratings
Document collaboration00 Ratings8.5192 Ratings
Access control00 Ratings8.2173 Ratings
Advanced security features00 Ratings7.8135 Ratings
Integrates with Google Drive00 Ratings5.353 Ratings
Device sync00 Ratings8.0149 Ratings
Best Alternatives
CanvasMicrosoft Teams
Small Businesses
iSpring LMS
iSpring LMS
Score 8.9 out of 10
Stackby
Stackby
Score 9.0 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Schoology Learning
Schoology Learning
Score 9.6 out of 10
Troop Messenger
Troop Messenger
Score 9.8 out of 10
Enterprises
Schoology Learning
Schoology Learning
Score 9.6 out of 10
HCL Connections
HCL Connections
Score 9.0 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
CanvasMicrosoft Teams
Likelihood to Recommend
9.1
(83 ratings)
8.3
(282 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.3
(5 ratings)
3.7
(9 ratings)
Usability
10.0
(9 ratings)
8.7
(67 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
Support Rating
9.0
(11 ratings)
8.3
(113 ratings)
In-Person Training
10.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Online Training
8.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
8.5
(2 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Contract Terms and Pricing Model
-
(0 ratings)
6.3
(7 ratings)
Product Scalability
8.0
(1 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Professional Services
-
(0 ratings)
7.0
(7 ratings)
User Testimonials
CanvasMicrosoft Teams
Likelihood to Recommend
Instructure
It is really well suited for school situations like knowing what [assignments] need to be done when, getting feedback, getting points, finding the slides that the teacher used for explaining an [assignment] or theory. I think It would be less suited in business situations because it's [primarily] made to be a [one-way] communication tool for schools. Businesses need more control on individual levels I think[.]
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Microsoft
It is best suited for quickly finding answers and tracking them to where they need to go. A scenario where it is less appropriate may be something like a credit application, and overall contacting customers/residents. While it offers enterprise level security, that is likely not end-to-end when communicating with someone external. Also, for large files, I think Outlook is much better suited. I would also like to see a "shared files/links" section similar to iMessage on Apple devices so that you don't need to search chats for answers
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Pros
Instructure
  • Creativity options for teachers to create a virtual space that still has fun graphics and accessibility options.
  • Canvas has versatility in viewing options for assignment due dates such as the calendar built in feature as well as the dashboard options to display upcoming and due assignments.
  • Allowing teachers to create community with each other and collaborate in each-other's space.
  • Discussion platforms within classrooms for students to communicate with each-other and with their teachers.
  • Easy messaging portal within each virtual classroom.
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Microsoft
  • Allows my team to communicate and set up smaller teams to share information appropriately.
  • Allows me to send out and connect to clients over Face To Face communications.
  • Allows me to coordinate between other MS products.
  • Allows my team to share documents internally and with our clients.
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Cons
Instructure
  • Their integration with Big Blue Button was a bust for distance learning. Would be great to see them collaborate with Zoom or Google Meets.
  • Their "feature request" process is slow and cumbersome at times because it relies on user "up votes" to get ideas addressed by the developers.
  • They seem to have a lot of turn-over with their staff. We get a new Customer Success Manager far more frequently than with other vendors.
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Microsoft
  • Microsoft Teams does rely on internet quality, so If you are needing information on found in Teams and your internet is down or choppy, you wont be able to access those files unlike if they were stored directly on your computer or network.
  • Some of the user interface of Microsoft Teams is not user friendly, it can take a long time to figure out how to use some tool even if you are using the help or troubleshooting.
  • Some of the Microsoft Teams features are limited to anyone using the free version vs. paid. With the paid, you have more storage, more video time, more tools. It would be nice to see the free version have the same features and ability.
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Likelihood to Renew
Instructure
The other LMS tools have fallen behind. One reason is they are not able to update their systems, features, toolsets in a timely manner. While other LMS providers release bug fixes and new features several times a year, schools struggle to install and implement them in a timely manner. It is not uncommon for a school to take 6 months to a year to fully install and implement new releases on other LMS platforms. With Canvas, those features are released every 3 weeks, and there is nothing for a school to do other than choose to turn them on once released. This has allowed Instructure to innovate faster, and get new features and tools to customers quicker. Other factors include great pricing, customer support, and the innovative way in which LTI is implemented in the tool.
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Microsoft
Microsoft Teams is included with our Office 365 subscription and we have no intention of migrating off of Office 365 and Microsoft products. Since Microsoft Teams is included for free with our Office 365 subscription, and since we enjoy all the features, benefits, and functionality, there is no question that our team will continue to use the product
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Usability
Instructure
The functions in Canvas are well integrated and consistent across the application, and mostly intuitive. Overall navigation and setup is streamlined through integrated features and navigation. The feedback we've gotten from our program participants is that it is easy to learn to use. It also integrates well with third party software like Google Docs and Blackboard Collaborate web conferencing software
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Microsoft
Microsoft Team is quite simple to use, once you understand how it works. However, I find that explaining its use to a new user requires more software expertise than comparable software. Efficient use of the software is also not fast. Moreover, adding components requires a learning curve which also complicates its use for a person unfamiliar with the environment.
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Reliability and Availability
Instructure
No answers on this topic
Microsoft
Rare, but outages do happen
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Performance
Instructure
No answers on this topic
Microsoft
Sometimes about once a week I get a message that says "Sorry, there seems to be something wrong". But it goes away in a few minutes.
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Support Rating
Instructure
I do not personally use Canvas support since we have a central office that helps us. However, our central office always has the answers we need and are always able to solve our issues - so I would assume that get great support from the Canvas team on their end. They also offer great training, which uses materials directly from Canvas
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Microsoft
The overall support provided by Microsoft for Microsoft Teams has been quite good but there is still some room for improvements. Microsoft needs to proactively work on fixing the open bugs in order to provide a seamless experience to the users. But over the service and experience provided by the Microsoft team have been quite satisfactory.
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In-Person Training
Instructure
The training sessions were broken down into several days as well as different levels depending upon the knowledge of the user
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Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Online Training
Instructure
The online tutorials and videos are very clear and addressed the issues/questions that I had about using the system.
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Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
Instructure
Once you purchase and sign the contract there is nothing to install or hardware to buy. You can almost immediately start using it and have courses up and going within weeks. We signed in December and had pilot courses online ready to go for the start of school in January
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Microsoft
I find everything I need for my day-to-day work.
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Alternatives Considered
Instructure
Canvas is more secure, has a cleaner design, and has more features. For the features, they have in common canvas still stacks up against [Smart school] by going for the extra mile. Besidfor e that, [the] canvas looks a lot more [professional] than [Smart school]. I didn't make the decision myself to get canvas instead of [Smart school] but I'm happy they did.
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Microsoft
We chose primarily because of the promised integration with the Microsoft Business Suite - which it mostly delivers on. That does give Teams an obvious advantage over competitors. IMHO Teams has a richer, more mature feature set, and the experience is more reliable and stable. Although like any of there there is room for imporvement.
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Contract Terms and Pricing Model
Instructure
No answers on this topic
Microsoft
Honestly, this tool is worth every penny. Yes, it's not free and you pay for the quality of services and the license. But the ROI and the benefits are all there. Also, the renewal, negotiation, and contract terms are all very well explained by our Microsoft account manager, and she's a charm.
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Scalability
Instructure
No answers on this topic
Microsoft
It does not appear to have a limit to how many teams and employees we can have using it
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Professional Services
Instructure
No answers on this topic
Microsoft
I used Skype for Business to take calls, hold conferences, and provide remote assistance to users. Microsoft Teams, on the other hand, is superior to Skype for Business in my opinion. My job entails a lot of screen sharing.
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Return on Investment
Instructure
  • Canvas has helped us provide a more robust online component to our courses.
  • Canvas has helped us better adapt to a rapidly changing educational landscape.
  • Canvas has reduced the time that we have to spend training faculty on how to use our learning management system.
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Microsoft
  • I'm not sure I can point to a specific ROI, but it has improved our ability to communicate and work more effectively together.
  • It's also nice to have records of every interaction, photo, and document that has been shared. Less chance of something completely disappearing.
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ScreenShots