The Battle: Accredible vs. Credly

When you first glance at Accredible and Credly, you might think they're cut from the same cloth. They’re both popular among small businesses in the digital credentialing world. And they are both known for being on the pricier side. But the closer you look, the more differentiates you notice.

Each section of the article is dedicated to a different feature. As a result, we compared Accredible and Credly in detail. We hope to give you the groundwork to pick the right software platform for your needs.

Accredible vs. Credly - a quick overview of all features

In a hurry? Listed below are all the key features of both digital credentialing platforms – Accredible and Credly. We also compared our tool – Certifier, to give you the big picture of what it has to offer.

Please note: Certifier is a cost-effective alternative to Accredible and Credly. It also offers a forever-free plan, so you can see what it's all about before you commit. See more about Certifier.

#1 Ease of use

A user-friendly interface is the backbone of every software solution. No different in the case of credentials. After all, it’s a command center through which you manage the whole credentialing program. Check to see if it makes your job easier, not more complicated.

Accredible

Accredible is the one with many tabs and options (which is great if you love having control over every aspect of your digital credentials). But it might take a few tries and maybe a quick peek at the tutorial to issue your perfect badge.

Source: Accredible guide

Accredible users might spend some time exploring the tool and looking for particular features, but after all, Accredible is still considered intuitive with a clean and simple interface.

The main Accredible dashboard is structured in a way most potential users should find familiar. Especially those who have recent experience with such digital credential platforms.

Credly

For some, the Credly badge features might be overwhelming since the tool offers 360-degree digital credentialing. A further complicating factor is that the tool consists of two components that at first seem to be split into separate digital tools:

• Credly Acclaim (creating, managing, and tracking digital certificates and digital badges)

• Credly digital credential network to connect certificate issuers and recipients

And to be honest, it’s clearly visible that the second purpose is the primary focus of this software.

Note: Buying both tools is necessary to provide you with the full Credly digital badging platform experience.

Source: Credly support

Overall, it has an intuitive user interface – you've got clear labels and intuitive navigation that guide you through the credentialing process. But, as with Accredible, it took us some time to find essential features, e.g., how to create your own badge design.

Accredible vs. Credly - which one is easier to use?

Credly and Accredible both allow you to create digital badges easily, but their dashboards require some time to get used to. The difference is that Accredible provides a demo so you can test it out before making any commitments. Credly, instead – doesn’t provide any free insight into their tool. Literally, you don’t know what you’re buying (you can see Credly dashboard only through their support center). Not fair enough.

#2 Customization options

Badge designer tools have no right to exist without customizable credentials. You must have a choice (at least about your credential name). You want to make sure it reflects your unique style and message, right? 

Accredible

Accredible is good if you're the type who loves experimenting with every detail. You can play around with a wide range of features for customization, from the look of your badges to the specifics of data fields.

Source: G2

Accredible offers 12 different backgrounds to start with (and just a few certificate custom templates). Not many, but you can customize them by adding text, images, icons, and ribbons. You can also upload your own design.

Credly

Truth needs to be told. Credly's built-in editor isn't its strongest point. It provides quite limited features but might be a good choice for those who do their job without too many frills.

While it's easier to navigate, it doesn't offer the same level of depth and personalization as Accredible.

Source: Credly

Credly's badge creation tool still has a lot of potential to improve. No template library is provided, and only basic elements are available to create custom badge designs within the tool.

Accredible vs. Credly - which one provides more customization options?

Accredible gives more freedom when it comes to customizing your own designs. Credly keeps it simple with basic features. So, if you really want to get creative with your badge designs, Accredible might be the better pick here.

Want to have no limitations? The Certifier credential platform is the best one to create your own badges and online certificates however you want to. And it provides hundreds of templates! Customize every credential detail. Enjoy for free!

#3 Digital credential management

Digital credential management has many aspects to handle – generation, distribution, and tracking. You need a command center that's efficient and easy to navigate so that you can “steer” your credentialing program in the right direction without any unnecessary hassle.

Accredible

Let’s talk about what makes the Accredible platform tick. Setting custom attributes allows you to generate credentials in bulk – just by uploading the spreadsheet with recipients' details.

And, for Accredible's users who want to peek behind the curtain to see how recipients interact with their digital certificates and badges, the digital credentials platform provides a complex reporting dashboard.

Source: Accredible Help Center

Accredible’s analytics gives you a clear picture of your credential program – from the number of credentials you've issued to how they're being used and shared. It's a handy tool for getting the full story behind your credentials (though some of the cooler insights are reserved for the premium plan).

Accredible's digital credential management capabilities

• Credential issuance automation – simplifies the process of distributing credentials via email address

• Customer engagement tracking – allows issuers to monitor how recipients interact with their credentials

• Digital Wallet Cards – provides a mobile-friendly way for recipients to store and display their credentials

• Spotlight Directory – the hub with people who got your credentials to find and verify them easily

One-click sharing is another Accredible feature that helps you manage credentials more efficiently.

Source: Accredible Help Center

Your recipients can add achievements to their social media profiles via the dashboard. Thanks to that, you can boost your credential program visibility without much effort.

Credly

Credly platform focuses on the essentials of credential management – issuing and sharing. Its goal is to get the job done with minimal distractions. 

However, Credly seems to be more focused on building credential networks than on generating and distributing credentials. According to Cupsera data, almost 41% of users struggle with data import which is the essence of credential automation.

The platform also comes with one more trick – metadata mapping, which adds more depth to the credentials. Unfortunately, this process seems to be troublesome and does not appear to work as it should as well.

Credly’s digital credential management capabilities

• Credential issuance – streamlines the issuance process for digital badges and digital certificates

• Social media integration – Facilitates easy sharing of credentials on social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter

• Metadata mapping – Adds context to credentials by skills tags

• Labor market insights – Provides data to connect learners with job opportunities

• User profiles – Allows recipients to manage and showcase their credentials in one place

Luckily, there is Credly’s analytics dashboard which provides users with quite detailed information about their credential program.

Source: Credly support

Credly’s users can check real-time stats on how many badges they’ve issued and track when people accept them. It also gives insight into the traffic the badges are bringing to the website.

Accredible vs. Credly - which is better for digital credential management?

Based on the reviews, Accredible seems to be the better credential management solution. In this matter, Credly provides limited options or those that don't work well 100%.

#4 Integration capabilities

To use the full potential of digital credential management tools, it should work seamlessly with other respective platforms that your company uses. Find out what Credly and Accredible have to offer when it comes to integration options.

Accredible

Accredible works well with a bunch of tools. It’s great for educational institutions – it integrates smoothly with popular Learning Management Systems (LMS). For those who need a more tailored approach, Accredible's API opens the door to custom advanced integrations.

Here’s a breakdown of Accredible’s integrations

• LMS – Moodle, Canvas, LearnDash, Skilljar

• WordPress and Academy theme

• Zoom

• Zapier

• Custom Integration via API

Credly

Credly's integration is focused on e-learning environments and collaborative learning platforms.

Here’s a breakdown of Credly’s integrations

• LMS – Moodle, Canvas, Alpine, Bridge, and more

• E-learning platforms – Learner Community, Matrix, NEO, Open edX

• Analytics – Octopus, Watershed

• Zapier

• Custom Integration via API

Accredible vs. Credly - which one provides better integrations?

Accredible takes the lead over Credly by offering a more diversified range of tools to be integrated with. Credly's integrations are more focused on eLearning spaces. This makes Accredible a more versatile player, especially if you're running a business that steps outside the learning box.

#5 Security and privacy

Data associated with digital credentials is sensitive, and no one wants it to leak. As such, we believe that safety precautions are extremely important to keep in mind when evaluating digital credential management platforms. How do they look in Accredible and Credly?

Accredible

Accredible really takes its safety game seriously for customer satisfaction. They're GDPR compliant, they provide blockchain verification, and they've got the ISO 27001 certification, so you know they're not messing around.

For added security, they store all their data in a SOC 2-certified data center. And when it comes to who gets access to what, they're pretty strict. They use a role-based access system, so only the right people can get the data they need for their job.

As they say, they're constantly on the lookout for any security weak spots with frequent automated tests. And they don't just check everything themselves – they also get external experts to audit their systems every year.

Credly

What about Credly? Much like Accredible, it also raises the bar in the security department. They've got the ISO 27001 certification as well, which is pretty much the gold standard in information security.

On the privacy front, Credly is GDPR compliant. They also regularly run penetration tests and vulnerability scans (at least, we believe so).

Accredible vs. Credly - which one is safer?

Between Accredible and Credly safety, it's a tight race. Both digital credentialing platforms cover a variety of features in high security. So, we believe that they are equally committed to keeping your credentials safe and sound.

Accredible and Credly pricing plans

Both tools don't provide much information about their prices. You have to contact their sales team to get to know what the exact numbers look like (but they are both rather expensive options).

Accredible pricing

Accredible is at least more transparent about its plan details and the pricing starting point. The price for the basic plan starts at $996 per year. It means that the tool for 250 unique recipients will cost you $83 per month. For customizable plan costs, you have to talk to sales.

Note: The Accredible’s basic plan doesn’t cover such options as advanced analytics, integrations, and branding.

Source: Accredible

Credly pricing

Credly’s pricing is so shrouded in mystery that we had to write a dedicated article on it. You can check it out here – get to know more about how much Credly credential costs. Spoiler: Credly's cheapest enterprise plan costs more than twice as much as Accredible.

Final decision

We don’t choose a badge provider for you, but at least we can make your choice slightly easier.

• Accredible has a little edge with its demo option, while Credly lacks a free trial, making both user-friendly but with a learning curve.

• Accredible offers greater customization freedom, whereas Credly's simpler approach.

• Accredible provides a comprehensive platform with management features like bulk generation and detailed analytics, while Credly focuses more on credential networks.

• Accredible leads with diverse integrations across various respective platforms, while Credly's integration platforms are primarily e-learning-focused.

• Both platforms are on par with privacy and offer high-security standards.

What if there's a better choice?

If any of these solution providers fit your needs, there is one that makes this whole magic – Certifier. It’s Credly and Accredible alternative that is much more affordable and much more user-friendly. You can create, generate, distribute, and track from a single dashboard – see on your own for free!