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Sakai Reviews
Learning Management Systems (LMS)Sakai is great for learning! We're an open source learning management system that provides creative teachers with innovative tools for student learning. With SakaiPlus, you can use Sakai with your existing enterprise LMS. Check us out!
Who Uses This Software?
Teachers, students, LMS administrators, education staff.
Sakai Reviews 2026: Pros & Cons, Ratings & more
Is Sakai the right solution for you? Read verified Sakai reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice.
Performance Overview
Overall Rating
83%
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Usefulness
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Usability
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Customer Experience
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Likelihood to Recommend
Cost-effective LMS ideal for instructors seeking customizable teaching solutions
Mar 28, 2025
What do you like best?
One of the significant benefits of Sakai is that it is free for educational institutions. It also provides an easy setup for instructors to create and use lesson outlines, quizzes, and activities in groups. The platform is nothing short of a boon for collaborative learning, group projects, which are common in higher education. The menu-driven navigation is easy to understand, making it seamless for both teachers and students to get started.
What do you dislike?
While it does the job, certain features like assignment grading and analytics reporting are not as well-polished as you might find in a paid solution. For situations involving high course enrollments or complex integration with other enterprise systems, this could pose a challenge for administrators.
Solid For Traditional Coursework And Text Based Learning But Lacks Robust Multimedia
Nov 27, 2024
What do you like best?
For standard academic workflows such as posting course materials, scheduling assignments, collecting due student work, and grading it, Sakai keeps pace with the other systems. It has practical tools for creating quizzes, assignments, and entering grades, and teachers who are only looking for a reliable LMS will find it more than adequate.
What do you dislike?
Sakai lacks robust multimedia, videos, and real-time tools, which also makes it unsuitable for online or hybrid classes that rely heavily on video lectures or live sessions. The grade book and discussion board capabilities, although fully functional, seem a bit dated. Updates to the grade book may not be reflected immediately, and understanding threaded discussions is not as intuitive or straightforward as one would like.
Great For Structured Assignments And Collaboration But Lacks Rich Media Support
Oct 22, 2024
What do you like best?
Sakai's strength lies in its powerful collaboration tools, which often result in significant student-staff interaction through discussion forums, group workspaces, and shared resources. It manages assignment uploads, due dates, and grading consistently and transparently.
What do you dislike?
However, Sakai has limited support for rich media, such as video lectures, live webcams, or streaming coverage. This means that Sakai is less well-suited for contemporary e-learning implementations. At times, the user experience has felt clunky: the design is utilitarian rather than intuitive, and navigation can require several clicks to get you where you need to be for basic tasks.
Comprehensive academic LMS offering open-source benefits with some usability trade-offs
Oct 12, 2024
What do you like best?
Sakai is a powerful LMS platform with tools specifically designed for a broad range of academic needs. Because it is open-source, institutions can design tailor-made features, and the system will continue to adapt over time to meet particular teaching needs. Faculty love the group tools, responsive mobile learning design, and web conferencing integrations for teaching in-room and often simultaneously, in remote or hybrid settings.
What do you dislike?
Primarily limited to community-driven development resources. Institutions require processes to function within established timelines, and these timelines may not align well within each community. A few administrative tasks can be time-consuming, especially grading and analytics. The platform is also less modern from a UI perspective and requires specialized technical expertise to get the most out of the tools.
Strong Collaboration Tools Support Groups But Interface Looks Plain And Dated
Oct 7, 2024
What do you like best?
I rely heavily on Sakai for courses that require teamwork. The platform gives me forums, shared workspaces, wikis, and communication tools that help groups stay organized. I use it for corporate training and academic projects, and it supports both surprisingly well.
What do you dislike?
It takes time to get comfortable with the system. Some features are not immediately obvious, so new users often need guidance. The interface looks plain and lacks the visual appeal that many users expect from modern training platforms. I have also found that customization can be challenging unless you have solid technical support.
Open Source LMS Fits Teaching Needs But Setup Requires Technical Skill
Oct 5, 2024
What do you like best?
I picked Sakai because its open-source nature gives me control and saves licensing costs. I use it to build courses, set up assignments, run quizzes, and manage discussions. Once I worked through installation and configuration, the system settled into a dependable rhythm. It handles content delivery smoothly, and I like how predictable it feels when managing weekly instruction.
What do you dislike?
The toughest part was getting everything set up. It requires someone who is comfortable with configuration, server environments, and troubleshooting. Some tasks take more steps than they should, which occasionally slows me down. Once you learn it, it is manageable, but the learning curve is real.
Cost Effective And Community Driven LMS But Setup And Maintenance Are Challenging
Sep 19, 2024
What do you like best?
Since Sakai is an open-source system that can be self-hosted, many institutions have minimized licensing costs and maximized control over data and customizability. This flexibility enables institutions with internal tech teams to customize the LMS experience, from permissions to course structure and integrations.
What do you dislike?
On the downside, Sakai can be challenging to set up and maintain. Naturally, without the assistance of experts or an IT team to implement and troubleshoot, the LMS can be overwhelming. The UI/UX is subpar, and there is no apparent logic to the design. Some tools don’t translate equally well across modules, and features such as media handling or real-time collaboration often feel underdeveloped.
Dependable Open Source LMS For Core Needs But Interface Is Dated And Basic
Sep 15, 2024
What do you like best?
Sakai provides a robust foundation with tools that enable the straightforward and reliable posting of syllabi, assignments, and readings. The interface is easy for educators to use in implementing the structuring of courses themselves, without requiring sophisticated programming skills. Students appreciate that they can view class rosters, receive email announcements, and access materials from their phone or computer.
What do you dislike?
That said, Sakai feels dated when measured against newer platforms. The user interface is relatively basic and can seem bland or uninspiring. For students, the gradebook section can be cumbersome, as there is no automatic overall grade calculation, requiring manual summing of scores to estimate final grades.
Practical Open Source Option For Dependable Work But System Feels Plain
May 28, 2024
What do you like best?
Sakai has turned out to be a dependable system for my daily teaching. I like that it covers the basics without trying to do too much. It supports quizzes, assignments, grading, and lecture content in a straightforward way. Being open source means we keep costs down, which matters for our institution.
What do you dislike?
The system feels plain compared to newer platforms. Some features require more steps than necessary, which slows me down occasionally. While the tools work, they lack the smoother flow and updated look that a modern LMS would offer. Users who expect a polished interface may feel underwhelmed.
Cost Saving LMS Covers Essential Features But Updates And Visuals Are Slow
May 25, 2024
What do you like best?
I appreciate Sakai because it gives my institution the main LMS functions without high subscription fees. I use it for assignments, grading, collaboration, and content delivery, and it supports these tasks well. The open-source community offers guidance, which adds value for long-term use.
What do you dislike?
Updates arrive slowly, and visual changes are rare. Some features feel older compared with commercial competitors. I sometimes wish navigation felt smoother, especially for new users. While the platform works, it could benefit from more modern design choices to help students and instructors feel comfortable from day one.
Reliable Platform With Decent Collaboration Tools But Needs UX And Media Improvements
May 25, 2024
What do you like best?
Sakai is an open-source platform that allows institutions to modify it to meet their specific requirements. And for institutions concerned about retaining control, privacy, and long-term sustainability, this is a significant advantage.
What do you dislike?
That being said, Sakai’s pain points are evident, especially when it comes to user experience and contemporary learning demands. The interface is dated and not intuitive or user-friendly; functions are divided between different modules, which may not feel like they belong together. Multimedia support is limited, and it is challenging to manage videos or interactive modules.
Helpful And Flexible For Academic Programs But Interface Design Is Outdated
May 18, 2024
What do you like best?
I have been using Sakai to manage courses for several terms. I like being able to organize content, build assignments, and communicate with students in one place. The gradebook is easy to work with, and the structure helps me keep track of weekly tasks and evaluations.
What do you dislike?
The biggest drawback for me is the outdated interface. Students often notice it as well and wish it looked more modern. Everything functions, but the design feels like it belongs to an older era of LMS software. If appearance and visual flow are priorities, Sakai may feel a bit behind.
Versatile and intuitive LMS that supports mobile and hybrid learning
Feb 11, 2024
What do you like best?
Sakai is a very flexible tool that can be adapted for hybrid learning situations. It allows teachers to naturally structure courses, while students find it easy to navigate through with its mobile-friendly design. Rich interactions are supported by the system's discussion forums, quizzes, and collaborative assignments. The flexibility of academic programs can make them quite fluid, as they often adapt to changing institutions.
What do you dislike?
Sakai's Gradebook and reporting functions are less user-friendly than we'd like. Data exports need to be adjusted/troubleshooted manually by the admins. Moreover, feature updates are not always consistent because development is community-based, and it can impact the overall user experience in some cases.
Reliable LMS with strong collaboration features for faculty and students
Apr 28, 2022
What do you like best?
Sakai is perfect for group-based learning and group projects. Project sites for students and administrators are just a few clicks away, fostering engagement and collaborative learning for faculty. Its assessment testing tools and gradebook allow for thorough assessment management. It also provides the flexibility of working with third-party vendors for accessibility improvements. Moreover, it integrates with web conferencing tools to facilitate online teaching sessions.
What do you dislike?
Occasionally, friction is encountered with the open-source model, as not all updates or requested features are implemented immediately. The gap between the platforms can make it difficult for new administrators to use. Specific tools, such as content embedding and reporting, may not be as refined as their commercial alternatives, which can result in extra time and hassle.
Open-source LMS with flexible tools for collaborative higher education environments
Mar 12, 2022
What do you like best?
You get well-designed tools to build collaboration between learners within Sakai. Due to its open-source nature, educational institutions can request new features and modify the system to meet their own needs. It accommodates everything from tests and grade tracking to group projects and forum discussions. The integration with the web conferencing tool makes it even more valuable for remote or hybrid classrooms. It also makes the app mobile-responsive and more efficient on smaller devices.
What do you dislike?
Occasionally, the open-source model can prove problematic. Many of the feature updates and bug fixes depend on contributions from the community, which may not align with every institution’s timing or needs. Plus, some administrative tools (like the Gradebook) are counterintuitive, and exporting data to Excel is a pain and takes more work to keep it efficiently managed.
Useful LMS but could enhance and simplify its grading capabilities
Mar 27, 2020
What do you like best?
Ease of use, the menu on the left for easy navigation, intuitiveness, and ability to create customized lessons
What do you dislike?
The Gradebook tool and interface is cumbersome and does not translate well into Excel
Works like Blackboard, but it's open-source
Apr 24, 2018
What do you like best?
1) The cost (free) 2) It's open-source, so we can request new features and changes 3) Excellent Test and Gradebook tools 4) Almost all tools are group-aware 5) Working with an outside vendor to improve accessibility (massive updates have been applied) 6) Integrates with our web conferencing tool (BigBlueButton), which is also open-source 7) Project sites can be created for faculty, student, and administrator groups 8) Improved responsive design and performance on mobile devices
What do you dislike?
It can be a pro and a con: It's an open-source product, so that means the community gets to decide what gets added or fixed, which may be or not be what you want worked on first! Different universities created different tools, so the community is updating tools so they function in a similar manner. The community is working on simplifying the software download instructions. This product really is open-source, but there is not a lot of marketing done to let folks know about it!