Skip to main content
TrustRadius
Canvas

Canvas

Overview

What is Canvas?

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.

Read more
Recent Reviews

TrustRadius Insights

Canvas has proven to be an invaluable tool for various educational institutions and organizations. Users have praised Canvas for its …
Continue reading

Helpful Platform for Students

9 out of 10
January 07, 2022
Canvas has been integrated into one of my businesses as a virtual and in-person learning tool to help students (and professors!) study …
Continue reading

Great LMS

10 out of 10
November 05, 2021
Incentivized
We used it as a Learning Management System--I posted assignments and grades on Canvas, and students could use it to check their daily …
Continue reading
Read all reviews

Awards

Products that are considered exceptional by their customers based on a variety of criteria win TrustRadius awards. Learn more about the types of TrustRadius awards to make the best purchase decision. More about TrustRadius Awards

Popular Features

View all 13 features
  • Assignments (41)
    9.0
    90%
  • Course authoring (41)
    8.9
    89%
  • Mobile friendly (40)
    8.4
    84%
  • Course catalog or library (38)
    7.1
    71%

Reviewer Pros & Cons

View all pros & cons
Return to navigation

Pricing

View all pricing
N/A
Unavailable

What is Canvas?

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.

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee
For the latest information on pricing, visithttps://www.instructure.com/contact-us

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services

Would you like us to let the vendor know that you want pricing?

268 people also want pricing

Alternatives Pricing

Sorry, this product's description is unavailable

What is ProProfs LMS Software?

ProProfs LMS is a learning management system software that is designed to help instructors create and deliver online training courses. The LMS offers both businesses and educational institutions comprehensive training solutions by allowing them to create online courses, complemented by tests,…

Return to navigation

Product Demos

Atomic Apps for Canvas LMS, Webinar recording from #CanvasLive August 2017

YouTube

Starting with BookWidgets in Canvas LMS - Demo for beginners

YouTube

DEMO: Tentacle Insights for Canvas LMS

YouTube

How to Use Video with Your LMS | Powtoon's Canvas LMS Integration

YouTube

Creating demo users in bulk for Canvas LMS

YouTube

Canvas Demo Slam

YouTube
Return to navigation

Features

Learning Management

Features of LMS and LCMS systems, related to designing, administering, and consuming learning content in an educational, corporate, or on-the-job context.

7.6
Avg 8.2
Return to navigation

Product Details

What is Canvas?

Canvas by Instructure is a cloud-based learning management system for every stage and style of education. Available to institutions of all sizes and types, from individual K-12 classrooms to universities to companies with a blended or fully virtual environment.

As the hub of the digital learning environment, Canvas offers complete LMS functionality, including standards-based grade books, course content authoring, customizable student assessments, mobile communication, video learning, and digital badging.

Canvas LMS integrates with an institution's existing SIS and other teaching tools. With over two hundred different LTI tools educators can customize courses and monitor engagement with classes or individual students. Canvas also has mobile apps to keep everyone informed and connected, on the go, on any device.



Canvas Features

Learning Management Features

  • Supported: Course authoring
  • Supported: Course catalog or library
  • Supported: Player/Portal
  • Supported: Learning content
  • Supported: Mobile friendly
  • Supported: Progress tracking & certifications
  • Supported: Assignments
  • Supported: Compliance management
  • Supported: Learning administration
  • Supported: Learning reporting & analytics
  • Supported: eLearning
  • Supported: Assessments
  • Supported: Live online learning
  • Supported: In-person learning
  • Supported: Micro-learning
  • Supported: Video learning
  • Supported: eCommerce
  • Supported: SCORM-compliant
  • Supported: Social learning
  • Supported: Gamification
  • Supported: GDPR Compliant Learning
  • Supported: Single Sign On (SSO) Enabled Learning

Canvas Video

Canvas 101

Canvas Technical Details

Deployment TypesSoftware as a Service (SaaS), Cloud, or Web-Based
Operating SystemsUnspecified
Mobile ApplicationApple iOS, Android, Mobile Web
Supported CountriesGlobal

Frequently Asked Questions

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.

Blackboard Learn by Anthology, Edmodo, and D2L Brightspace are common alternatives for Canvas.

Reviewers rate Assignments highest, with a score of 9.

The most common users of Canvas are from Mid-sized Companies (51-1,000 employees).
Return to navigation

Comparisons

View all alternatives
Return to navigation

Reviews and Ratings

(275)

Community Insights

TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!

Canvas has proven to be an invaluable tool for various educational institutions and organizations. Users have praised Canvas for its user-friendly platform, effectiveness in managing distance courses, and seamless integration with other vendors. It has been widely adopted by universities, community colleges, and high schools as the primary learning management system due to its intuitive interface and ability to bridge the communication gap between instructors and students.

Canvas has been used for a multitude of purposes, including online degree programs, blended courses, and supplementing face-to-face classes in educational institutions. Human Resource services have utilized Canvas for assessing new employee skills and providing information to employees. Student Services have used it to promote clubs and other services, while the library has used Canvas as a platform to provide information about their services and obtain feedback.

Canvas has also been used by administration committees and faculty committees for discussions, dissemination, and data maintenance. It has served as the central hub for organizing assignments, sharing content, managing grades, and supporting hybrid distance learning models. Instructors have utilized Canvas to post announcements, assignments, theory slides, Zoom Meetings, as well as give points and feedback. Canvas has provided a dynamic and student-friendly interface that encourages interaction and engagement among students.

Furthermore, Canvas offers a mobile app that allows students and instructors to access course content on the go. This feature has greatly enhanced the flexibility and accessibility of online learning. Additionally, Canvas has been used by universities as a replacement for other learning management systems due to its frequent updates and robust features. Its versatility supports a variety of course types including online, hybrid, and face-to-face courses.

Overall, Canvas has been widely adopted across various educational institutions due to its ease of use, versatility, and ability to deliver content effectively. It has become an essential tool in delivering quality education regardless of location and promoting student engagement through its range of features such as discussion forums, assignments, embedding Google docs, sharing files, speed grader for assessments process, integrated rubrics, and more.

Frequent updates and evolution: Users have expressed their appreciation for the frequent updates and evolution of Canvas. Some reviewers have mentioned that these regular updates demonstrate the platform's commitment to continuously improving the user experience over time. The consistent release of new features and bug fixes every three weeks ensures that Canvas stays current and addresses user needs.

Efficient mobile grading with Speed Grader: Many users have praised the mobile app for grading assignments, Speed Grader, for its efficiency in reducing grading time by 30-50%. Reviewers find this feature convenient as it allows instructors to grade assignments on the go, making use of any available time. By providing a way to grade assignments while waiting for meetings or commuting, Speed Grader saves users valuable time.

Intuitive WYSIWYG editor: The WYSIWYG editor in Canvas is highly valued by users as it simplifies the process of creating and editing content. This intuitive editor appears in almost every tool within Canvas, allowing users to easily create engaging and visually appealing course materials. Its presence enhances the overall learning experience for students.

Difficulty in navigation: Several users have expressed frustration with the navigation within Canvas, stating that it can be confusing and not user-friendly. They have mentioned difficulty in finding desired features and having to click through multiple options before reaching the required functionality. Some users also find the linear structure of Canvas makes it difficult for students to differentiate between lessons.

Lack of customization options: Many reviewers have mentioned a lack of customization options in Canvas. Users have stated that there is a limited ability to customize colors, profiles, and class pages, making it difficult to personalize their experience. Some users have suggested including more basic color options for personalization and providing more freedom for designing a visually enhanced environment.

Challenges with customer support: A number of users have experienced challenges with customer support in the past. They have mentioned issues such as unanswered complaints via email or phone calls, delayed response times, and a lack of availability. While some users acknowledge that customer support may have improved over time, others still express dissatisfaction with the level of service provided by Canvas.

Note: These three cons were selected based on their frequency of mention throughout the context provided.

Users of Canvas have provided several recommendations based on their experience with the platform. The most common recommendations include: getting familiar with Canvas before submitting assignments, taking the time to navigate and figure out the features of Canvas before the semester starts, using Canvas for collaborative work, considering Canvas for higher education settings, appreciating its user-friendly interface, and valuing its seamless experience. Overall, users express that Canvas is a simple yet full-featured solution for online learning, which they find more user-friendly than Google Classroom.

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-25 of 83)
Companies can't remove reviews or game the system. Here's why
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
I have had the opportunity to use canvas as both a student and a professor, providing unique insight to its features and nuances. This product helps to streamline the online learning experience and allow for easy structuring of course materials. It also serves as a platform to submit and complete assignments, communicate with other students, and access internal and external course links.
  • Course management
  • Efficient grading
  • Communication between students and faculty
  • Navigation
  • Building a new course
  • Adding narrated lectures and videos
Canvas is a great choice to integrate online learning, course management, and communication. I find ti very useful as a place to house our course materials and assignments for my in-person course, it is fairly easy to navigate. Fully virtual classes are more difficult to manage, sometimes to video elements do not upload and play as they should. When I add in a narrated video or Kaltura video they can be glitchy.
Nicolas Hanhan | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Canvas is used to offer online and hybrid courses for students. It is used across the whole organization.
  • Creating different course sections with effective course design.
  • Creating assessments and learning measures tools.
  • Work on third-party application integration especially browsers compatibility.
  • Make more cost affordable for schools and Universities especially for those interested to switch from higher-cost LMS
Canvas essential tool to create courses for both instructor-led and self-paced. In the self-paced model, students complete the required reading and media materials available from within Canvas. After completing the required assessments with a passing grade, a certificate is automatically created.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Canvas has been integrated into one of my businesses as a virtual and in-person learning tool to help students (and professors!) study more efficiently. It has enabled students of all ages to make significant progress in terms of computer access and independence. It also facilitates fantastic collaboration among teachers and disciplines. We use Canvas in ITI (information technology instrument). It was a collaboration between Amazon Web Services and ITI to learn cloud computing and Amazon Web Services, which is very useful for planning and teaching online classes. We also use the integrated system, which allows us to keep track of studies and student ratings, which is ideal for keeping our study system current.
  • Provides internal communication
  • Course assignment, and you can know your degree
  • Zoom integration and can be used to schedule and store them
  • The speed grader could be improved.
  • [It] streamlined the setup process.
I used Canvas in my IC design class, and we had a quiz every week, which forced me to study and become more conscious of the topic. The second one is that I utilize it in ITI to take the AWS/reStart program with Amazon web services and create all of our labs, quizzes, and training on Canvas.
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I am a student so I use it all the time. Teachers use it to post announcements, [assignments], theory, slides, Zoom Meetings[,] and more. It is very handy to have a quick overview of what you're supposed to do with the agenda. It can also be used to give out points and feedback. It has Feedpulse integration so students can leave the result of their feedback in an input field with the date of the day of the feedback. The Teachers then have the option to give it points.
  • Being a means of giving feedback and points to assignments[.]
  • Being [the] main hub for students where they can find all their stuff for school (assignments, points, slides, feedback)
  • [Assignments] are dated and the agenda gives a quick daily/weekly/monthly overview for the deadlines across all courses[.]
  • It has Zoom integration and can be used to schedule and store them[.]
  • It has [its] own video [platforms] like Microsoft Teams and Zoom, but it isn't that great (it doesn't like being used on Firefox for example). It has disconnection issues and the mic and camera sometimes [have] issues[.]
  • When looking at points in the [assignment] overviews it only shows the total amount of points on the [assignment] but it doesn't show the given amount, you have to go to the [assignment] page to see these points[.]
  • When an announcement is posted it takes a bit too many clicks to get there. The amount of announcements doesn't always update right. I could have already read an announcement but Canvas will still show it as being unread until I go to the page again.
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[.]
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
We use it to [communicate] and plan most of the things in terms of tasks and deadlines. The only problems we stumble across are human errors. Canvas itself has almost no problems in my [experience]. Canvas has a lot of [possibility] you can use it for, [besides] that you can implement a lot of external things to make canvas even more [useful].
  • Hardly no bugs or problems[.]
  • Easy navigation on desktop[.]
  • Clean design[.]
  • The navigation is very easy and clear[.]
  • Many possibility's to implement third party features[.]
  • Great design[.]
If you have a school you can let teachers easily create new deadlines which [automatically] get shown in the calendar. Teachers can also [temporarily] hide deadlines [until] they've given the explanation about the tasks. [Besides] that the teacher can also choose what should be uploaded, should it be a link, file, pdf, link,...
November 05, 2021

Great LMS

Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We used it as a Learning Management System--I posted assignments and grades on Canvas, and students could use it to check their daily assignments, future assignments and assessments, and their grades. We used it across the whole school, so it was a uniform way for students and teachers to keep track of assignments and progress.
  • Serves as online gradebook
  • Helps students keep track of daily assignment
  • Helps students keep track of grades
  • Full school calendar/events
  • Teachers seeing student grades in other classes
Canvas is really the premier Learning Management System in my opinion. I assume it is a more expensive option, although I'm not involved in any decision-making/financial planning at my school. But in terms of its ability to allow students and teachers to track assignments and grades, it's a fantastic platform.
Score 1 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
In my experience, this program is needlessly time consuming and clunky to navigate. I feel the interface is dated and the navigation is illogical. Considering how easy programs like Google Classroom or Microsoft Teams are to set up I am amazed this product is still being used at all. A recent district mandate is requiring that we shift to the Canvas Platform, and setting up my classes, even with the availability of a pre-made template as a starting point, has been nothing short of a nightmare. It is 3am and I have been trying to work around glitches that cause content added to one class to populate in another class casing me to have to go in and out of each class changing these overrides and saving my progress over and over again. That is after spending several hours trying to get it to stop changing ALL of my Quick Button links every time I changed one causing every link to go to the same (internal Canvas) page. School starts Monday, it is Sunday, and I am exhausted and livid. Would NOT recommend.
  • Gets school districts to purchase a license to a subpar and redundant program.
  • Causes over worked educations to become more overworked, free of charge.
  • Hoodwinks people into thinking that a platform with all the design savvy of a 2001 blog builder site is worth their time.
  • Improve interface and user friendliness
  • Streamline the set up process
  • Make it less cumbersome to copy course content into a second course, and more importantly, don’t cause changes made in said second course to duplicate I’m the first course.
  • Pay the teachers who wasted countless hours of their unpaid time working on your program and getting nowhere.
I feel it is never appropriate. I believe it is a waste of time. Prior to being strong armed into using Canvas, I use Microsoft Teams to manage the digital aspects of my classes, and it took less that five minutes to set up six classes. I have been trying to sort out ONE of my courses for 9 hours and it is now 3:20 am, with the first day of school closing in fast. I have yet to get a single class ready for publication with Canvas.
Chris Wilkey | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I am using it as a learning management system to teach four courses at Ball State University. All professors will be required to use Canvas starting in the fall semester, but I adopted it early to test and create my courses for the last two semesters. I am also taking a class where we are using it as our learning environment.
  • User experience
  • Organization and ability to create a course
  • I love the modules function
  • It's compatibility with Banner
  • The speed grader could be improved
  • Extra credit assignment feature would be nice
It is well suited for online-only classes and as a supplement to on-campus courses. It would not be appropriate for a class that is very hands-on and doesn't have a need for online resources or discussions. Distance education would be the key market, but it does a nice job overall for teaching.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Canvas is actually being used by my school. Before we moved to Canvas, we have been used Moodle for years and although it is free, it costs a lot to maintain. So we were looking at different options. Canvas came to our sight very quickly and soo we decided to move to canvas. It has been great so far.
  • Great customer support
  • Very clear instructions
  • Powerful features
  • It came with a cost
  • Some of the functions/features can be hard to find
  • Navigation can be more clear.
If you are in a school or have a lots of students to manage. And you need to have a full curriculum represented online, to have the ability to track students' assignments and their grades, Canvas can be a great tool to use. It was easy to be onboard with their customer support. And the productivities can be improved significantly.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We work with Canvas in our learning platform with the objective of facilitating academic teaching, which is extremely practical for planning and teaching online classes. We also take advantage of the integrated system that allows us to keep track of studies and student evaluations, which is optimal for keeping our study system up to date.
  • This tool has a responsive web design, its adaptation to all devices facilitates access to the platform.
  • It has a dashboard, which presents a detailed list of our recent activity and academic history.
  • It gives educators the ability to create content to evaluate and upload grades to the system, allowing students and representatives to monitor grades and teaching methods.
  • Canvas is a software that is easy to access and operate through the web or application, but it should be taken into account that in order to create course content from scratch, training is needed since this area is not easy to do by yourself and the platform does not offer tutoring in this regard.
  • The user must have a stable internet connection as the system does not have auto-save, a slight fluctuation in the connection automatically generates the loss of information.
  • It offers few options to customize profiles, which makes it difficult to identify students at times.
  • Unfortunately, this software has a very bad customer service, since complaints, via email or phone call, have not been answered within three days, which hinders and hinders the smooth and continuous learning process.
This e-Learning tool is being highly implemented as a study method by universities and schools, as it is effective and easy to access for both students and teachers, offering multiple options for teaching and grading outside the classroom.
Brett Flitton | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We have used Canvas as an education platform. It was integrated with the employees job training and education for the continuing learning program. Canvas is a great platform to combine and aggregate all the learning activities, information and courses. Canvas is used across the local schools in the area and have used it on a number of occasions for that as well.
  • Canvas is great for keeping all the learning and education tasks, info, assignments, etc in one place
  • The discussion options are helpful
  • The messaging system with instructors and students/employees is great
  • The grading options work well
  • It's a little difficult at first to use
  • For some reason my log in has trouble working at times. Not sure if its a server issue or something else.
  • The video and recording tool could be better
Canvas is an excellent tool for education, classes, assignments and communication. I would definitely recommend it. It has a bit of a learning curve to it so getting everything set up can take some time.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Canvas has been integrated into one of my companies as a virtual and in person learning platform to streamline learning for students (and teaching for teachers!). Not only does Canvas streamline learning across disciplines, classrooms and settings but also has allowed for students with differing computer access skills to learn how to access information and files within similar electronic organizational structures. It has allowed for bounds of progress in computer access and independence for students of all ages. It also allows for wonderful collaboration between teachers and disciplines.
  • 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.
  • Canvas is challenging to use when creating your classroom as a new user (Must know basic editing and get acquainted with the Canvas page editing page, many will need training to get set up).
  • Does not always save students' work adequately (no built in auto-save feature) unless using an external PDF annotator or word processor program.
  • Canvas should create template classrooms or class pages that make getting started easier for teachers and new users.
Canvas has been an excellent resource for schools looking to consolidate learning platforms. Canvas has also been great for students that are learning about electronic file structures/organization by allowing teachers to model an organized structure of electronic filing. Canvas has also been wonderful during the remote learning periods (not only to access content- but also for consolidation of ZOOM/virtual meeting links).
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use Canvas across our organization - it is the standard learning management system and the only one supported at our institution. It is used by every academic department and is critical for achieving our goal of providing a modern, accessible, and flexible educational environment for our students, faculty, and staff.
  • Learning management - Even as the educational landscape rapidly shifts due to current events, Canvas is a great LMS for providing a consistent learning environment for students.
  • Mobile accessibility - Students can access their courses on Canvas from a variety of devices, including their smartphones.
  • Rich content - Instructors have the ability to create dynamic and engaging content for their courses.
  • Support - Response times for tickets and other support requests have increased over the last year.
Canvas is a great tool for any educational institution. If faculty members at your institution are interested in improving the online component of their courses or expanding remote learning opportunities, Canvas is a worthwhile investment. However, it is important to have faculty support before making a decision on which learning management system to use.
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Canvas is used by the entire school I am taking classes at. It provides an online instruction module, attendance, grading and file distribution point for users. It seems to be closer to a "one stop shop" for online education than others that are currently available. I am familiar with Canvas, Google Classroom and Skyward.
  • Provides internal communication, not requiring an outside message or email system.
  • Includes a file sharing structure for instructional materials within the system.
  • Provides a grading platform that is viewable by students and instructors alike.
  • Getting used to the platform takes a little effort. Not quite plug and play.
  • File names used to be truncated - but that is fixed now.
As a school or organization-wide online education tool. Instruction, grading, file storage and sharing and attendance are all part of the system and seem to work pretty seamlessly from both the instructor and student sides of the table. It keeps a solid timeline of communication and dates and times when assignments are turned in.
Devarajulu Ravichandran | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Canvas is used across the school as our primary learning management system. We have integrated it with our student information system and setup a templated course shell for every course taught in a semester. Most faculty use it to deliver course materials, schedule, assignments and grading. We have also integrated it with Zoom for video conferencing and that has helped tremendously with student engagement and remote course delivery during the pandemic.
  • Syllabus management
  • Course assignment
  • Grading
  • Canvas app
  • Assignments can be improved
  • Backend integration and reporting
  • Delivery of course materials, schedule, assignments and grading.
  • Integrated it with Zoom for video conferencing and that has helped tremendously with student engagement and remote course delivery during the pandemic.
Patrick Woessner | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Canvas is our LMS for students in grades 5-12 (approximately 1,000 students and 150 faculty). It is the central hub for organizing assignments, sharing content, managing grades, and our current hybrid distance learning model. It is considered an essential technology tool/core application for our institution and students, faculty, and parents rely on it for structuring our academic program.
  • Many popular third-party educational apps have LTIs that integrate with Canvas.
  • The gradebook has a Mastery Learning option for recording progress against a set of academic standards.
  • The UI is very intuitive and even non-tech savvy users can use it effectively with minimal training.
  • 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.
[Canvas is] a terrific LMS for K-12 and Higher Education. It's rare to find a tool that works for 10 year old's as well as college students. To make it cost effective, through, requires training teachers and setting expectations for use. It has SO many features but if organizations don't use them, they would be better suited to a cheaper, more basic learning management system.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Canvas [is being used] across the organization. We are able to streamline certain course delivery for all of the stakeholders.
  • Simple design interface.
  • Basic analytics for organization and courses.
  • The simple function for each module within the system.
  • The should be a possibility of having at least three basic colors for customization.
  • More local service support for Malaysia.
  • Pricing is still quite expensive for now although not as expensive as BB.
It is best suited as it is able to cater for diverse age group of users. The simplicity of design somehow makes [the] user feel less overwhelm[ed] than other platforms.
So far, after being a basic user since 8 years ago using a free version, the platform has technologically progress[ed] but the likeablity remains even though there are more functions now.

Shay Kotian | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Canvas is used by most universities. At times Moodles can be used as an alternative. Depending on the requirements of the department. It houses courses in a structured and easy to manage format. Allowing students to proactively do their assignments and access course material with ease. Teachers can create and manage course modules efficiently and with ease. An extremely efficient platform that bridges the communication gap between instructors and students. Its integration with third-party tools makes it easy for the administrator to keep the platform up-to-date with the university requirements. A well thought out idea that is helping millions of students all across the world and improving how education is delivered.
  • Simple and user friendly user interface.
  • Third-party solution integration.
  • Ease of course management.
  • Inbuilt discussion forum.
  • Lack of inbuilt video conferencing tools.
  • Quizzes should have proctoring and browser locked capability.
  • Mobile app can get have glitches.
  • Notifications are missed at times.
Canvas is typically used in schools and universities to provide a seamless course management platform to both students and teachers. Helps in bridging the online education gap between instructors and students. Suited for universities and schools who are looking to move their curriculum online with capabilities for attendance, quizzes, assignments, and notifications to be provided all online.
Ashley Milton | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
At my institution, we use Canvas across the entire campus. We used a different platform when I was a student, so Canvas was an adjustment for me to switch to as a staff member. A colleague of mine suggested Canvas to our central Distance Learning office a few years ago, and the agreed to look into it as an alternative platform. It took a while to implement, but has been great! With the new switch to remote learning due to social distancing, Canvas has been more valuable than ever. We are utilizing it for classes and coursework, as well as organization and information sharing. We are engaging students through video, and sharing resources with constituents. I am certain that we would have a myriad of issues with any other provider during this time. I'm very thankful we have Canvas!
  • Canvas allows users to personalize pages and ensure institution brand is kept true. Our Canvas pages look just like everything else our institution creates.
  • Canvas allows for multiple users to full sites, that have different permissions. This allows us to assign teachers, teaching assistants, and other student users. Everyone has access in a different capacity, to make different changes, so management is easy!
  • Canvas allows students to share documents within their classes, so no need for outside document-sharing platforms. Students in the past were using Google-Docs to create "group work" material that could be edited in real time. Now, Canvas allows students to access that material directly from the site. This makes remote group work run much smoother!
  • I use the Canvas App as a part-time graduate student, and the functionality in the Discussion Board posts is a little off. I have to post discussion board posts often, so I find myself entering the information from my phone sometimes. After one or two sentences, the text lags behind. I'll be 3-4 sentences into a thought, and the text is still finishing the first line. This requires me to stop and let the text catch up, which often breaks my train of thought. I've noticed the same thing on my iPad - so I think it's strictly an App issue.
  • Canvas has so much to offer, that it can be overwhelming. When I was first assigned as a TA of a course, I had no idea where to start. It's not that Canvas is not user-friendly, but it definitely has a level of understanding that must be done before you can even begin. I wouldn't just assign a student to start using it and assume they could "figure it out", which means that we have to allow for training to be done when we expect anyone to use it. This just means a little more time and energy on the user, which is sometimes not always possible.
  • Using the People tab within a course is kind of pointless for me. This may be a setting at my institution, but when I look at the "people" in my class, I can't actually contact them. I can pull up their profile, see what sites they are enrolled in, their bio and their "links" - but there is no secure "send message" button from this landing page. I think that is a missed opportunity. I know there are other ways to send messages, but it seems that it would be pretty useful to add a contact button on the people tab.
Canvas is well suited for large institutions managing a lot of different courses. As a staff member, I'm currently starting to use the Organization feature as a way to engage current students. We will enroll all students in the Organization and share important information and resources with them during this time of remote learning. This is the best way for us to reach all of our students in a platform we know they have to be accessing (instead of social media or just emailing them). This has made the idea of "engagement" much easier in these difficult quarantine/social distancing times.

In a way that's less appropriate, Canvas is not built to just be a file sharing platform. We thought a lot about whether using the Organization function would be best for one of our Student Organizations as we try to transition from DropBox. We keep all historic data from past members, bylaws, meeting notes, etc. We were waned by our central Online Distance Learning Office that Canvas might not be the best fit for that. However, we ultimately decided it's functionality to reach students outweighed our need to store historic documents.
April 22, 2020

Canvas Review

Liza Bondurant | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Canvas is a learning management system. It houses everything for all of my courses. This includes my face-to-face, hybrid, and online classes. Canvas helps me organize my course into modules. In each module, I have information pages, discussions, assignments, and assessments. Canvas also includes a calendar and gradebook. Moreover, Canvas has a messaging system so I can message students in my courses.
  • User friendly: I found it easy to figure out how to use Canvas
  • Variety; there are a variety of types of assignments an instructor can create
  • Organized: the tools help you organize your course
  • Sometimes messages are delayed
  • It does not have it’s own video conferencing tool
  • Would be nice if there was a way to message groups of students based on a risk factor
Canvas is an excellent learning management system. It is user-friendly. It helps you organize your courses. It offers a wide variety of types of assignments, such as information pages, discussions, assignments, assessments, and projects. It allows you to create a rubric to grade assignments. The Canvas Commons has resources to help you set up your courses.
Score 6 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Our whole organization utilizes Canvas for student classes. It helps students understand what assignments they have, their grades, etc.
  • Assigning work
  • Sending messages
  • Displaying grades
  • Differentiating for particular students
  • Setting up groups for the teacher's side of things
  • Not intuitive
Canvas is great overall for students who all learn the same way and complete the same work. It has different tabs that are listed. Teachers need real training to use it though, and it isn't intuitive to figure out problems. Also, when teachers want to assign different work to particular students, it is incredibly challenging.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I use Canvas for a graduate program I am enrolled in. All of my classes and professors work through Canvas to support online learning. It's a useful platform. Most importantly, as someone who has never done online learning before, I find the platform easy to use. It allows me to access all of my school work in one place.
  • Organization.
  • Communication with professors.
  • Hosting online materials.
  • If you send a message to a teacher, there is no record of the message until they write you back.
  • The Zoom features are confusing.
  • Not all of the teachers are as tech savvy as the students. This is user error, but more training would be helpful.
Canvas is well suited to host online learning. All of the materials are in one place and it's easy to navigate. Also, the app works quite well too. It's not as equipped as using a desktop, obviously. But, if you're trying to do homework or reading while you have extra time, it works great.
Victoria L. | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Canvas is being used by all faculty and students at Kansas State University. It is used to organize classes in an online platform. It allows students to download and upload assignments, and it allows professors to grade assignments as well as organize grades in a timely manner. To conclude, it gives faculty and students alike remote access to the class material.
  • It organizes students' grades in a timely manner.
  • It gives students notifications about upcoming assignments.
  • The notification feature could be improved upon as the professor has to put the due date as "midnight" otherwise the assignment will be automatically erased from the platform.
  • The audio recording feature has its technical issues. I have never been able to use it correctly.
Canvas is well suited for remote access to a class that could be online or in person. It is great for giving online exams and allowing students to also turn in assignments remotely. It is less appropriate for art or design classes that have large files which may/may not be able to upload properly to the platform.
February 18, 2020

Canvas

Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
At Northwest, Nazarene Canvas is used as our learning management system. I use this at NNU as a student. I previously used Canvas from the admin side, where I was putting in classes and helping teachers create content. Canvas allows teachers to publish their courses online in a user-friendly platform. Students can then engage with the course material and each other throughout the class. Canvas also allows students to submit homework online and for teachers to publish grades so that students can see it.
  • Ease of student use
  • Completed assignment tracking
  • Journal function
Canvas is specifically a learning management system, and I would see it working best for schools. A company might find it helpful that the company was building large amounts of training materials for its employees. However, my experience is using Canvas in a school and as a student myself. Canvas allows the teacher to ad students to have a clear understanding of where the course is headed and what's involved.
Joshua Welsh | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Canvas is the default LMS we use at CWU (our university).
  • Canvas is extremely flexible. I think that is both its greatest strength and perhaps a bit of a weakness.
  • Canvas is getting better at allowing instructors to duplicate individual assignments. That's a big improvement.
  • Canvas integrates well with Crocodoc for online paper commenting and grading.
  • Canvas has great import functions.
  • It would be great if we could deal with multiple assignments at a time.
  • Better visibility of how students see a course would also be helpful.
  • Searching for rubrics is really bad. The rubrics from the current course should default to the top. As it now works, the user has to search through every course ever taught to find a rubric.
Canvas is great for creating online classes. We also use it for two other purposes: communicating with program advisees, and internal department communication. For communicating with students, the program is very helpful, but it would be nice if the list of users could integrate more easily with PeopleSoft.
Return to navigation