This isn't yesterday’s Blackboard—it's a bold, reimagined platform built to empower today's faculty and students and fuel the future of learning. We’re moving faster than ever, outpacing Canvas and other LMS providers—and we’re not just keeping up, we’re setting the pace with flexible, inclusive, and future-ready experiences!
Top 10 ways Blackboard outpaces Canvas
You need more than just an LMS—you need a partner that understands education. Here's why institutions continue to choose Blackboard over Canvas when it comes to flexibility, innovation, and long-term value.
- 1Intuitive for faculty, effortless for students
- 2More than 2x the rate of innovation in the last four years
- 3Accessibility that’s built in—not tacked on
- 4First to market with AI and next-GEN tools
- 5Analytics that spot challenges before they grow
- 6Flexible for any learning model
- 7Seamless updates with minimal disruption
- 8Proven reliability at any scale
- 9A true partner—not just a vendor
- 10More value from the investment you already made
Leading the way with AI innovations built for higher education
Blackboard isn’t just adopting AI—we’re at the forefront of how higher education uses it responsibly and effectively. With first-to-market AI tools to save time, personalize learning, and surface actionable insights, we’re helping institutions deliver better experiences for today—and stay ahead for tomorrow.
Industry recognition for Blackboard’s market-leading position
Our unmatched pace of innovation hasn’t gone unnoticed. Check out a few of our latest awards and accolades:
A true partner—not just a vendor
“Our faculty now have a voice in the LMS development process. We can see the status and feedback of our suggestions. The Anthology Idea Exchange has made us feel valued and heard as customers.”
—Eric LePage, Executive Director, Teaching and Technology Center, Bridgewater State University | Read the Case Study >
Built on your ideas. Powered by your voice.
Since July 2024, the Anthology Idea Exchange has delivered 466 customer-requested ideas across our product suite—and we’re just getting started! What this means for you:
Hundreds of new, user-requested features released every year
Direct influence on product roadmaps via office hours, focus groups, and user groups
Early access to major product developments via technical previews
Game-changing features in Blackboard
Set your learners up for success. Blackboard continually delivers features Canvas doesn’t match, creating an easy-to-use learning environment that fosters unparalleled engagement.
AI Design Assistant and AI Conversation
- As of July 2025, Blackboard AI tools have been used on 2.8 million occasions, across 760+ global institutions—and 96% of instructors agree this functionality saves them valuable time.
- Early adopters like Wichita State University are already seeing the impact.
Read the Case Study >
Full suite of native alternative content formats, including: Braille, BeeLine Reader, Audio, and more
Blackboard Exclusive
Canonical data model for institutional reporting
Blackboard Exclusive
Direct integration with Anthology® Reach CRM
Blackboard Exclusive
NEW! Flexible Grading, Mastery Gradebook, and Learning Outcomes
NEW! 360° Immersive Video
Read about our all-new Anthology Virtual Assistant (AVA) in Blackboard to enhance the instructor experience!
More in our core
With Blackboard, the features you need aren’t add-ons; they’re already included in your core package.
- NEW! Learning Outcomes Management
- NEW! Content Designer with AI Suggestions
- NEW! Anthology Virtual Assistant (AVA)
- Advanced AI Engagement & Assessment Tools
- AI Design Assistant
- Modern Mobile Apps (Student & Instructor)
- Course Conversion Tool
- Lifelong Student Portfolio
- Content Accessibility Checker
- 24 x 7 Admin Support
- Core Implementation, Training & Project Management
- LMS Reporting
From the campus to the classroom—hear why Blackboard makes teaching and learning better for everyone
“We launched a comprehensive campus-wide search that involved demos and Q&As from three vendors: Blackboard (Ultra), D2L Brightspace, and Instructure Canvas. After gathering feedback from our faculty and students, we found that Ultra was the clear favorite . . . Ultra offered a sleeker, faster, and more user-friendly interface that enhanced the online learning experience.”
—Eric LePage, Executive Director, Teaching and Technology Center, Bridgewater State University | Read the Case Study >
“I used Canvas for four and a half years and it always seemed to have functionality issues and was unorganized. I’ve only been using Blackboard for a week, and I already can tell a clear difference between the two. I feel confident about it helping me get through school with its user-friendly design!”
—Rachel Caulfield, Student, Milwaukee Area Technical College
Why leading institutions continue to choose Blackboard
With market-leading AI features, built-in accessibility, an intuitive experience across all devices, and much more, it’s clear why top institutions continue to choose Blackboard year after year.
“I came to South Texas College from a Canvas school and planned to adopt it here too. But Blackboard really listens to us and is releasing new features which make a huge difference. Now when I look at a Canvas course, it makes me appreciate the many features available only in [Blackboard] Ultra. Blackboard has completely changed my opinion.”
—Rachel Sale, PhD, Dean of the Digital Learning Department, South Texas College
Case Study
"The clear favorite": Why Bridgewater State University chose Blackboard to enhance the online learning experience
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Case Study
Learn how digital transformation drives learner engagement and retention at Grand Valley State University
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Case Study
There's no place like home: Why Sacred Heart University chose Blackboard over the competition twice
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Find out how Blackboard’s newest innovations are redefining what’s possible in learning.