Home > LMS Software > PowerDMS > PowerDMS vs Canvas

PowerDMS vs Canvas

Last Updated: November 18th, 2024

Our analysts compared PowerDMS vs Canvas based on data from our 400+ point analysis of LMS Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Overview Pricing Benefits & Features Analyst Ratings Comparison Charts User Ratings Analyst Summary Screenshots

Get Free Demo Demo Request Pricing Pricing

Product Basics

PowerDMS software effectively manages policies, training, and accreditation processes, making it ideal for organizations seeking to streamline these crucial functions. A key strength of PowerDMS lies in its ability to connect policies, training materials, and accreditation requirements, ensuring that employees have easy access to the latest information and resources. The software facilitates efficient employee training by offering features such as course creation, progress tracking, and mobile accessibility. User reviews consistently highlight the platform's user-friendly interface, comprehensive reporting tools, and ability to adapt to evolving organizational needs. With a mid-range pricing structure based on a per-user monthly fee, PowerDMS presents a compelling option for businesses seeking a robust and user-friendly solution for managing their training and development programs.

Canvas helps you create and deliver engaging courses to your students and track their progress in real time. It allows you to post course materials, assignments, quizzes and grades. Students can access these resources, submit their work and communicate with other team members.

You can host discussions through discussion boards and chat rooms, provide personalized feedback using SpeedGrader and track student progress with built-in analytics. Canvas integrates with third-party apps like Zoom, Webex and GoToMeeting, and offers three mobile apps, one each for teachers, students and parents.

User reviews about Canvas praise its smooth interface, real-time collaboration tools and course creation capabilities. Since pricing details aren't mentioned online, you can contact the vendor directly for more information.

$4,000 Annually

Free Trial is available →

Get a free price quote

Tailored to your specific needs

$0 Open-Source

Free Trial is available →

Get a free price quote

Tailored to your specific needs

Small

Medium

Large

Small

Medium

Large

Windows

Mac

Linux

Android

Chromebook

Windows

Mac

Linux

Android

Chromebook

Cloud

On-Premise

Mobile

Cloud

On-Premise

Mobile

Product Assistance

Documentation

In Person

Live Online

Videos

Webinars

Documentation

In Person

Live Online

Videos

Webinars

Phone

Chat

FAQ

Forum

Knowledge Base

24/7 Live Support

Phone

Chat

FAQ

Forum

Knowledge Base

24/7 Live Support

Product Insights

Provide a User-friendly Interface: Provides an intuitive experience that’s suitable for non-technical users. The software doesn’t have unnecessary features, making it simple to use.
Adopt Automation: Configure settings to send out reminders to users when training is required. The system also has the option to automatically score tests and log training.
Leverage Accreditation Support: Training records, lesson plans, certificates and other documents simplify the accreditation process.
Access Flexible Training: Offering online courses enables learners to work through material after hours. This prevents training from taking away from on-the-job training and provides convenience for employees.
Use Blended Learning: Organizations can conduct a blend of online and classroom training. It supports the in-person format by publishing and collecting course registrations.
Try a Free Trial: The product offers a 14-day free trial. Test real-world scenarios to determine if the system is a good fit.

Ensures Continuous Learning: Experience minimal disruptions with a 99.9% uptime. Say goodbye to unexpected crashes and keep your educational ecosystem reliable and accessible at all times.
Enriches Learning with Unlimited File Size: Upload as much audio, visuals and video content as you need to courses. File size is not limited, so you can provide comprehensive and engaging materials without worrying about storage constraints.
Strengthens Collaboration: If you’re looking to create collaborative learning experiences for your team, Canvas is the perfect LMS for you. Based on our analysis, it provides a variety of collaboration tools fully out of the box, such as discussion boards, content sharing, group chat, two-way messaging, and notes and annotations.
Ensures Consistency in Evaluations: Create centralized repositories of questions at account levels. For instance, you can create sub-account question banks to store assessments like basic grammar rules across various courses. This ensures consistency in evaluations across different classes, making it easier to access and administer assessments.
Offers a Flexible Pedagogy: Enable instructors to design classes around their preferred learning methods. That could mean standards-based grading, traditional grading, flipped learning, project-based learning and more.
Streamlines Corporate Training: Use Bridge LMS, Canvas’ corporate training solution, to meet your employee training needs. Create and track training programs, use built-in performance tools, integrate with HR systems and more.
Award-Winning LMS: Canvas ranks among our top 10 LMS software, alongside LMS giants like LearnUpon, Absorb LMS and Moodle. In the SelectHub Awards 2024 for the LMS category, it won best-in-class honors for assessments, collaboration, compliance, user management, gamification, and integrations and extensibility.

Course Management: Create courses using a WYSIWYG editor. Course elements include documents, videos, presentations, audio files, surveys and more. The system also supports embedding videos and web pages. Divide courses into sections for individual offerings based on different times for a classroom setting. Reorder individual course elements using the drag-and-drop capability.
Tests: Customize tests to describe fields such as timed or untimed pass/fail, graded and open book or close book. Add due dates, number of retakes, images and text boxes, and enable auto grading. Create question banks, set mandatory questions and preview the test before publishing.
Reports: Generate reports to segment on-training and non-training employees. Document the type and amount of training each employee has received, associated costs of training, credit hour summaries and more.
Certifications: Award employees with certifications to designate receipt of job training after completing courses.
Surveys: Gather employee feedback using different question types, such as true/false and multiple choice. Assign surveys directly to individuals or include them in a course for better accessibility.
Content Hub: Connect with publisher sites to access and share content. Import single files or entire folders, bulk import items and edit documents in case of site changes. Get notified via email as content on the publisher site is added or updated.

Course Creation: Create new courses using built-in interactive tools. Add specific details like name, course code, due date, language, grading scheme, modules and sections, description and more.
- Announcements: Share key course information with everyone. Remind students of dates and tasks, point them to valuable resources, celebrate achievements and highlight events. You can include text, multimedia and files.
- Grades: Show grades as points, percentages and complete/incomplete. Filter and arrange Gradebook entries, automatically apply grades for missing/late work, and hide grades until you're ready to release them.
- People: Depending on permissions, add students, teachers, assistants and observers. Create student groups for group assignments, discussions and file sharing.
- Pages: Create interactive content like weekly updates, collaborative wikis or resource lists. Include text, multimedia and links, and allow students to contribute to specific pages.
- Files: Easily insert files into modules, assignments, discussions or pages. Share files with students or lock them until ready for download.
- Quizzes: Use the New Quizzes engine for diverse question types. If unavailable, use Classic Quizzes to achieve your objectives.
- Modules: Organize content by weeks and units. Add files, discussions, assignments, quizzes and more. Set prerequisites or lock modules until specific dates.
- New Analytics: Use the New Analytics tool to monitor who has viewed content and participated in assignments and identify students needing extra support.
Dashboard: View published/unpublished courses, access the calendar and upcoming events, start new courses, view grades, enable notifications and more.
Assignments: Include quizzes, graded discussions and various online submissions (files, images, text, URLs media). Assign to everyone or set different due dates for specific groups. Organize assignments into groups, weigh them by percentage, and enable Peer Review for student feedback.
Gradebook: Easily input and distribute grades using various methods, such as points, percentages, pass/fail, GPA scale and letter grades.
- Use SpeedGrader to assign grades and provide feedback efficiently.
- Automatically create columns in the Gradebook for assignments, discussions, quizzes, surveys and attendance tracking.
- View grades by grading periods, sort by due dates or student names, and apply specific filters for streamlined management.
- Download and grade assignments offline and calculate totals.
- Monitor grades across all courses, notify students of graded assignments and manage grade history.
- Customize grading curves, message students based on assignment status, leave private comments and excuse assignments when necessary.
Rubrics: Set custom or outcome-based assessment criteria to communicate quality expectations. Use rubrics to align learning outcomes, assess submissions in SpeedGrader and support non-scoring assessments for comprehensive grading.
Canvas Catalog: Integrate with Canvas Catalog to streamline course offerings.
- Easily bundle multiple courses into programs and enable registration for community education and professional development.
- Create branded sub-catalog listings for specific departments or organizations.
- Customize page templates for FAQs, contact info and individual course landing pages.
- Set up personalized certificates and automate their distribution.
- Allow students to track their progress with customized dashboards.
- Generate reports on course progress, registrations, revenue and enrollment trends.
- Offer hassle-free self-registration and self-paced courses with automated enrollment, payments and certificate distribution.
- Build, manage and customize courses and programs.
SpeedGrader: Quickly grade student submissions in one place with SpeedGrader. Use a simple point scale or detailed rubrics to assign grades, and accept various document formats and URLs to mark up assignments directly for feedback. Sort submissions by student, hide names for anonymous grading and track your progress. Easily view submission details, handle resubmissions and manage moderated assignments.
Intelligent Insights: Enhance teaching and learning effectiveness with Intelligent Insights, a premium analytics solution tailored for admins.
- Use AI and analytics to gather actionable data.
- Leverage conversational AI for quick ad hoc data requests and pre-built analytics for tracking goals such as course effectiveness and student success.
- Customize insights to pinpoint best practices, optimize LTI usage and address learning needs.
- Build custom dashboards and automate SQL queries to streamline data management and improve learner support.
- Identify courses that need improvement, notify instructors promptly and foster continuous improvement across teams.
Roll Call Attendance: Manage attendance in courses using the Attendance (Roll Call) tool, an external LTI app suitable for both online and face-to-face classes. Enabled at the account level, users can access it across all courses within your Canvas account.
Discussions: Communicate about course topics anytime. Create graded or casual discussions for idea exchange and problem-solving. Use threaded discussions for detailed topics and focused discussions for short exchanges.
Assessments: Administer assessments in the form of assignments, quizzes and discussions.
Assignments
- Allow students to submit assignments online through text entry, file uploads, media recordings, external tools, URLs or Canvas pages.
- Assign to individual students, groups or sections.
- Include a due date for Not Graded assignments, without providing points or grades.
Discussions
- Grade student responses to discussion topics.
- Assign to individual students, groups or sections.
Quizzes
- Conduct surveys or assess student comprehension of course content through quizzes.
- Assign to individual students or sections, but not to groups.
Collaboration: Teachers can communicate with individual students, groups or the entire class through messaging, audio notes, video and more. Students can work together via chat groups, video and other messaging tools.
Mobile App: Provide equal access to curriculum and instruction with native mobile apps for students, teachers and parents on iOS and Android devices.
Canvas Student: Enables students to access courses anytime, anywhere. They can:
- View grades and course content.
- Submit assignments.
- Keep track of coursework with a to-do list and calendar.
- Send and receive messages.
- Post to discussions, take quizzes and watch videos.
- Receive notifications for new grades and course updates.
Canvas Teacher: Helps teachers manage their courses anywhere, both in and out of the classroom. This app offers quick access to three main tasks:
- Browse submissions and give feedback to students with the enhanced mobile SpeedGrader.
- Send announcements and messages (like "Message Students Who..."), and join course discussions quickly.
- Change due dates, publish assignments and correct misspellings directly from your phone.
Canvas Parent: Allows parents to see their child's educational details easily at a glance. They can:
- View assignment descriptions and due dates
- Set reminders for assignments
- View assignment and course grades
- View course announcements
Outcomes: Set and track learning goals. Focus on skills and activities, not just grades. Assess progress using the Learning Mastery Gradebook. Import existing outcomes and align them with course rubrics.
SIS Imports: Upload and integrate data from SIS using CSV files or through the Canvas API. Manage users, accounts, courses, enrollments, logins and more. Use IMS Enterprise Specification XML zip files or Banner Grade Exchange Results XML for automated imports.
Canvas Studio: Create, deliver and organize video content in various formats within your media library using Canvas Studio.
- Upload videos directly from devices or integrate them from YouTube into courses.
- Monitor student engagement by tracking views, duration and interactions.
- Connect with platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Hangouts.
- Engage students with interactive video quizzes, real-time feedback and integrated Gradebook.
- Provide personalized feedback using SpeedGrader and customize learning paths with MasteryPaths.
- Encourage student participation through video creation and peer feedback.
- Integrate instruction, assessment and additional learning opportunities directly into the video experience.
Conferences: Integrate with BigBlueButton to host lectures, office hours and group meetings. Broadcast audio/video, share slides, and demonstrate applications and resources.
ePortfolios: Create ePortfolios to display and discuss your students’ submissions and experiences. Allow them to collect and document educational projects, assignments and more. Keep ePortfolios private or share them with peers, instructors and future employers.
Video Assessments: Create engaging video quizzes where students answer questions as they watch. Give instant feedback and automatically submit grades to the Gradebook. Review videos and provide comments. Use SpeedGrader to apply rubrics and offer quick, personalized feedback.

Product Ranking

#60

among all
LMS Software

#10

among all
LMS Software

Find out who the leaders are

Analyst Rating Summary

we're gathering data

100

Show More Show More

Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

PowerDMS

Canvas

+ Add Product + Add Product

we're gathering data

N/A

we're gathering data

N/A

we're gathering data

N/A

100%

we're gathering data

N/A

we're gathering data

N/A

we're gathering data

N/A

80%

20%

we're gathering data

N/A

we're gathering data

N/A

we're gathering data

N/A

100%

we're gathering data

N/A

we're gathering data

N/A

we're gathering data

N/A

83%

17%

we're gathering data

N/A

we're gathering data

N/A

we're gathering data

N/A

87%

13%

we're gathering data

N/A

we're gathering data

N/A

we're gathering data

N/A

80%

20%

we're gathering data

N/A

we're gathering data

N/A

we're gathering data

N/A

54%

46%

we're gathering data

N/A

we're gathering data

N/A

we're gathering data

N/A

88%

12%

we're gathering data

N/A

we're gathering data

N/A

we're gathering data

N/A

73%

27%

we're gathering data

N/A

we're gathering data

N/A

we're gathering data

N/A

100%

we're gathering data

N/A

we're gathering data

N/A

we're gathering data

N/A

100%

Analyst Ratings for Technical Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

we're gathering data

N/A

we're gathering data

N/A

we're gathering data

N/A

79%

21%

User Sentiment Summary

96%

of users recommend this product

PowerDMS has a 'excellent' User Satisfaction Rating of 96% when considering 835 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

91%

of users recommend this product

Canvas has a 'excellent' User Satisfaction Rating of 91% when considering 5849 user reviews from 5 recognized software review sites.

n/a

5.0 (11)

4.7 (107)

4.4 (1482)

4.76 (291)

n/a

4.8 (290)

4.6 (3998)

n/a

4.5 (77)

4.9 (147)

4.5 (281)

Awards

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Centralized Document Management: PowerDMS excels at keeping documents organized and accessible, eliminating the need to search through emails or shared drives. It acts as a single source of truth for policies, procedures, and other critical documents, ensuring everyone has access to the latest versions.

Streamlined Training and Compliance: The platform simplifies assigning, tracking, and reporting on training activities. Automated reminders and notifications help ensure that employees complete required training on time, reducing the risk of non-compliance.

Efficient Collaboration and Communication: PowerDMS facilitates collaboration by allowing users to share documents, provide feedback, and track changes. Discussion forums and messaging features enable clear communication and knowledge sharing among team members.

Enhanced Security and Control: The platform offers robust security features to protect sensitive information. Role-based access controls ensure that only authorized individuals can view or edit documents, while audit trails provide a record of all activity.

User-Friendly Interface: According to 60% of users who mentioned this pro, Canvas offers an intuitive and navigable interface, and is easy to use for both instructors and students.

Mobile Accessibility: The Canvas mobile app, praised by 72% of users, offers a responsive design and on-the-go access on various devices.

Best-In-Class Integration Capabilities: 55% of users said Canvas integrates well with a wide range of third-party tools and services, and helps create a customized learning environment.

Effective Communication and Collaboration Features: 45% of users appreciate Canvas’ communication tools, specifically discussion boards, announcements and email.

Personalized Course Design: Canvas offers flexible course designs, allowing instructors to create personalized learning experiences for their students, said 40% of users.

Limited LMS Functionality: PowerDMS is primarily a policy management system, so its features for delivering and tracking training content are less robust than dedicated learning management systems (LMS). For example, it may lack advanced features like SCORM compliance, gamification, or detailed learning analytics.

Usability Challenges: Some users find the interface to be clunky and unintuitive, particularly when creating and managing training courses. Navigating the platform and finding specific information can be time-consuming, especially for new users.

Customer Support Concerns: There have been reports of slow response times and difficulty reaching customer support, which can be frustrating for users who need assistance with technical issues or have questions about the platform.

Technical Glitches and Bugs: Nearly 40% of users report experiencing technical issues, such as system crashes, data loss and bugs.

Steep Learning Curve for Complex Features: According to 30% of users, while the overall interface is user-friendly, more advanced features have a steep learning curve.

Rigid Due Date Policies: Some users mentioned that Canvas's rigid due date rules can be challenging for students who submit work late due to technical issues or other reasons.

PowerDMS is a popular choice for businesses looking for a user-friendly and feature-rich learning management system (LMS). Users appreciate its intuitive interface, robust functionality, and responsive customer support. PowerDMS simplifies policy and training management, allowing for efficient distribution of critical information and seamless tracking of employee progress. However, some users note that the software can be pricey and may require some initial setup effort. PowerDMS stands out from the competition with its emphasis on compliance and accreditation management. This makes it a top pick for organizations in heavily regulated industries such as healthcare, public safety, and education. Its ability to streamline document control, automate workflows, and ensure adherence to industry standards is a major draw for these users. While PowerDMS may require a larger investment compared to some other LMS options, its comprehensive features and focus on compliance make it a worthwhile choice for organizations seeking a powerful and reliable solution to manage their learning and compliance needs.

Canvas is an eLearning solution used for online, in-person and hybrid learning in a variety of educational settings. Users praise its smooth interface, mobile accessibility and integration capabilities, while also highlighting some technical and usability challenges that may require attention.Users found the system easy to use and navigate, and were happy with its vast suite of features, especially the grading, assignments and assessment tools. Most reported that it’s budget-friendly and had positive experiences with customer service.On the downside, users said they encountered bugs and glitches in the program. They requested a more flexible due date policy and more ease of use in advanced features.All things considered, Canvas is a versatile LMS that provides a modern platform and industry-specific features to make learning more engaging and personalized. It may require some initial investment in training and customization, but it delivers a positive overall experience for both instructors and students.

Screenshots

Top Alternatives in LMS Software

Absorb LMS

Adobe Learning Manager

Blackboard Learn

Brainier

Brightspace

Canvas

Cornerstone LMS

Docebo

LearnUpon

Litmos

Moodle

Schoology

Seismic Learning

SkyPrep

Spoke LMS

TalentLMS

Thinkific

Tovuti

Trainual

WorkRamp

Related Categories

Assessment Software

Certification Tracking Software

Computer Based Training Software

Corporate LMS

Course Creation Software

Deep Learning Software

E-Learning Software

Educational Software

Elearning Authoring Tools

Enterprise LMS

Healthcare LMS

Hospitality LMS

LMS For Manufacturing

LMS For Nonprofits

LMS For Retail

LMS For Schools

Online Course Platforms

Online Learning Platforms

Online Training Software

Social Learning Platforms

Training Management System Software

Tutoring Software

Virtual Classroom Software

Assessment Software

Certification Tracking Software

Computer Based Training Software

Corporate LMS

Course Creation Software

Deep Learning Software

E-Learning Software

Educational Software

Elearning Authoring Tools

Enterprise LMS

Healthcare LMS

Hospitality LMS

LMS For Manufacturing

LMS For Nonprofits

LMS For Retail

LMS For Schools

Online Course Platforms

Online Learning Platforms

Online Training Software

Social Learning Platforms

Training Management System Software

Tutoring Software

Virtual Classroom Software

Compare other software products using the SelectHub platform

FAQ

How can I do a in-depth comparison of PowerDMS and Canvas? Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

What are the top-rated propducts for LMS Software? Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

Which LMS Software is rated the highest by users? Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

Is there a requirement template for LMS Software? Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

WE DISTILL IT INTO REAL REQUIREMENTS, COMPARISON REPORTS, PRICE GUIDES and more...

SelectHub Products Reporting and Analytics

Build Your Requirements

SelectHub Products Cost and Pricing Guide

Get Your Free Comparison Report

Table settings

Expand all details

Expand all scores

Collapsed view

Priority order