Blackboard and Moodle are software applications designed for educators worldwide. Moodle is an open-source application written in PHP while Blackboard is proprietary software.

Comparison chart

Blackboard versus Moodle comparison chart
Edit this comparison chartBlackboardMoodle
  • current rating is 2.87/5
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
(23 ratings)
  • current rating is 3.03/5
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
(29 ratings)
Permissions Fixed roles Can customize permissions
Learner-generated content Limited, but tools such as wiki available as optional extras Learners can be assigned roles to create / edit content. Built-in wiki module
Stated educational philosophy Focused on helping institutions at all levels drive learner achievement by creating personalized and engaging learning experiences, the kind that when achieved on a wide scale can bring about big and measurable change in learning outcomes. Social constructivist
Cost Annual fees Free, minimal support
Licensing Proprietary Open source

About the Author

Nick Jasuja

Nick Jasuja has over 15 years of technology industry experience, including at Amazon in Seattle. He is an expert at building websites, developing software programs in PHP and JavaScript, maintaining MySQL and PostgreSQL databases, and running Linux servers for serving high-traffic websites. He has a bachelor's degree in Computer Science & Engineering.

Share this comparison via:

If you read this far, you should follow us:

"Blackboard vs Moodle." Diffen.com. Diffen LLC, n.d. Web. 5 Sep 2025. < >