5 platforms for issuing Open Badges

An up-to-date list of platforms WAO knows and recommends

Four years ago we published a blog post which listed 10 platforms for issuing Open Badges. This stemmed from the demise of a particular platform and the emergence of several others.

Today, we’re in a similar situation with uncertainty surrounding another platform after it’s acquisition. As a result, it’s time for an updated list based on the badge platforms page at Badge Wiki.

In this post we outline five platforms with which WAO is familiar, and how they differentiate themselves from one another. As the ecosystem develops, it’s less about the ‘best’ platform and more about which one better suits you and your organisation.

For example, the grid below which is based on an original by Serge Ravet shows the different kinds of recognition your organisation might be engaged in when issuing badges. Any badging system can be used for conformance, whereas the platforms we recommend can be used for a greater or less extent for inclusion, empowerment, and enabling.

The list below is in alphabetical order. The location of each platforms servers for any paid hosting options is in brackets. We’ve also made some notes on why we’d recommend that particular platform to clients.

• Badgecraft (EU) — a multilingual badging platform with a free tier and a Badge Wallet app for smartphones. Includes a way to issue badges as PDFs. Continuing the Cities of Learning work in Europe and useful for projects with multiple stakeholders.
• Moodle (Oceania/EU) — a Learning Management System (LMS) that has had Open Badges as a core feature for over a decade. Open Source. Useful if you need to not only issue badges but run courses that lead to them being earned.
• Navigatr (UK) — a platform that helps map learning and connect people with jobs. Includes an AI badge creator and auto-tagging with Lightcast data to build on work that began with the RSA. Particularly useful if you want to create pathways to help people into a job or onto their next one.
• Open Badge Factory (EU) — a badging platform with a companion portfolio-style site called Open Badge Passport. Makes third-party endorsement badges straightforward and includes a ‘subway map’ style pathways tool. Useful for bespoke and more advanced badge systems.
• Participate (US) — a Community of Practice (CoP) platform which also issues badges. New, more fully-featured v2.0 platform coming soon. Allows auto-issuing based on triggers. Useful for communities using open recognition in addition to more traditional forms of badging.

It’s also worth mentioning that the people behind all of these platforms have been involved in Open Badges from the beginning. If you’d like to find out more about badges and how they work, please join us at badges.community!

We Are Open Co-op (WAO) are experts in Open Badges, Verifiable Credentials, and Open Recognition. Get in touch if we can help you and your organisation in any of these areas! hello@weareopen.coop