Instructure strives to regularly improve the overall functionality of the Canvas Badges and add new and useful features for users. Below is a comparison chart of features and functionality for Canvas Badges (free) and Canvas Credentials (available with paid subscription upgrade).

Canvas Badges offers free LTI versions 1.1 and 1.3 for Canvas LMS users that can be upgraded with a Canvas Credentials membership to include additional features such as Canvas Credentials Pathways.

Badging data may be housed in the Canvas Credentials server of your choice (Australia, Canada, Europe or the U.S.).

In Canvas Badges, module completion is the sole trigger for automatic badge awards. In contrast, Credentials allows badges to be awarded based on module completion, assignments, or course grades. Additionally, Credentials enables the requirement for learners to submit evidence to earn a badge.

With Canvas Badges, the LTI integration must be installed for course-by-course. Moreover, instructors must be manually added as owners of issuers.

Canvas Credentials allows LTI installation at the account level. This provides administrators the ability to control which issuers instructors can access and set additional deployment preferences. With Credentials, canvas LMS admins can restrict instructors from awarding their own badges by managing issuer access.