Comparison
Badgr (Parchment Digital Badges) vs POK: full comparison 2026
POK - Proof of Knowledge offers a 100% free and unlimited plan to issue verifiable digital credentials and microcredentials. No setup fee, no contractual commitments, and no lock-in. Parchment Digital Badges (the former Badgr and Canvas Credentials, renamed by Instructure in October 2025) has changed owner and name more than once, which created institutional uncertainty about service continuity. For universities and companies seeking a stable platform with blockchain technology and no barriers to entry, POK is a solid and verifiable alternative.Get started freeIn summary
Badgr, now Parchment Digital Badges (formerly Canvas Credentials, renamed by Instructure in October 2025), is no longer an independent platform. POK offers institutional stability, an unlimited free plan, NFT credentials on public blockchain, ISO 27001, SOC 2, and 1EdTech certifications. Parchment Digital Badges has had no free issuer plan since January 2026.
Comparison
Feature comparison
Features | POK | badgr |
|---|---|---|
| Free Web2 certificate issuance | Yes | No |
| No setup fee | Yes | No |
| No minimum annual commitment | Yes | No |
| No lock-in: full freedom to exit at any time | Yes | No |
| NFT Certificates on public blockchain | Yes | No |
| ELM (European Learning Model / Europass) | Yes | No |
| 1EdTech Data Privacy Certification | Yes | Yes |
| ISO 27001 Certification | Yes | No |
| SOC 2 Certification | Yes | No |
| Employability Tracking | Yes | No |
| White Label Export to Google Wallet and Apple Wallet | Yes | No |
| Customizable Banners for AdTech | Yes | No |
| LTI Integration: Moodle, Blackboard, D2L, Brightspace | Yes | Yes |
| Learning Paths with Advanced Analytics | Yes | No |
| Open Badges 3.0 certified by 1EdTech | Yes | Yes |
| Included with Canvas LMS licensing | No | Yes |
Global Recognition and Exponential Growth
Badgr lost prominence as an independent platform following successive acquisitions. Instructure now sells it as Parchment Digital Badges (formerly Canvas Credentials), oriented to Canvas LMS and the English-speaking market.
POK has been recognized as Top 100 EdTech in Latin America by HolonIQ 2024, 2025 and 2026, is certified by 1EdTech, and has grown to over 1,100 institutions in 19 countries (universities, governments, and enterprises in Latin America, North America, Central America, Europe, and Asia) issuing over 1.5 million credentials. POK ranks among the highest-rated on G2, Capterra, and SourceForge globally. POK was named SourceForge Top Performer Fall 2026.
POK has been recognized as Top 100 EdTech in Latin America by HolonIQ 2024, 2025 and 2026, is certified by 1EdTech, and has grown to over 1,100 institutions in 19 countries (universities, governments, and enterprises in Latin America, North America, Central America, Europe, and Asia) issuing over 1.5 million credentials. POK ranks among the highest-rated on G2, Capterra, and SourceForge globally. POK was named SourceForge Top Performer Fall 2026.
Security and Cutting-Edge Technology
POK holds ISO 27001 and SOC 2 certifications, independently audited standards covering data protection, access management, and incident response. POK is also certified by 1EdTech as an Open Badges 3.0 and CLR 2.0 Issuer and complies with GDPR.
Parchment Digital Badges (formerly Badgr) also holds an active 1EdTech Open Badges 3.0 Issuer certification. For institutions managing sensitive academic data or participating in public procurement processes with security requirements, POK's ISO 27001 and SOC 2 certifications are a decisive point.
Parchment Digital Badges (formerly Badgr) also holds an active 1EdTech Open Badges 3.0 Issuer certification. For institutions managing sensitive academic data or participating in public procurement processes with security requirements, POK's ISO 27001 and SOC 2 certifications are a decisive point.
Customization and User Experience
POK offers comprehensive white label customization: custom domain, branded email, sending from your own SMTP domain, fully customizable display pages with banners, brand colors, and multimedia content, white label export to Google Wallet and Apple Wallet, recipient wallet compatible with Open Badges 3.0 and ELM/Europass, customizable AdTech banners for remarketing campaigns, and integrated employability tracking.
Parchment Digital Badges (formerly Badgr) offers limited customization to logos and basic templates, with partial custom domain only on specific plans, no Google Wallet or Apple Wallet export, no AdTech banners, and no employability tracking.
Parchment Digital Badges (formerly Badgr) offers limited customization to logos and basic templates, with partial custom domain only on specific plans, no Google Wallet or Apple Wallet export, no AdTech banners, and no employability tracking.
Pricing Model and Accessibility
Parchment Digital Badges (formerly Badgr) has had no free issuer plan since January 2026, when Instructure ended it. Institutions needing SSO, advanced analytics, custom domain, or full integrations must use its paid plans.
POK publishes its pricing transparently: 100% free and unlimited plan for Web2 credentials with no user limits or expiration, and pay-per-credential with no lock-in or setup fee for NFT on blockchain. No surprises, no negotiations, and no minimum commitments.
POK publishes its pricing transparently: 100% free and unlimited plan for Web2 credentials with no user limits or expiration, and pay-per-credential with no lock-in or setup fee for NFT on blockchain. No surprises, no negotiations, and no minimum commitments.
Credential Permanence and Ownership
POK's paid plans register each credential on public blockchain, as a hash on Ethereum (Blockchain Verify) or as an NFT on Polygon and LACNet (NFT Ownership), with decentralized cryptographic validation, permanently verifiable without depending on any platform as an intermediary.
Badgr does not issue credentials on blockchain. Its credentials are Open Badges verifiable through the platform, meaning their validity is tied to the continuity of the service. Badgr went from Concentric Sky to Instructure, then from Canvas Credentials to Parchment Digital Badges, which illustrates exactly the institutional risk of relying on platforms without blockchain backing for credential permanence.
With POK's paid plans, no ownership change, merger, or platform shutdown can affect the validity of an already-issued credential.
Badgr does not issue credentials on blockchain. Its credentials are Open Badges verifiable through the platform, meaning their validity is tied to the continuity of the service. Badgr went from Concentric Sky to Instructure, then from Canvas Credentials to Parchment Digital Badges, which illustrates exactly the institutional risk of relying on platforms without blockchain backing for credential permanence.
With POK's paid plans, no ownership change, merger, or platform shutdown can affect the validity of an already-issued credential.
Conclusion: Why Choose POK?
For institutions seeking a stable digital credentials platform with blockchain technology, globally recognized security certifications, and no contractual barriers, POK is the alternative to Badgr (Parchment Digital Badges). No setup fee, no lock-in, with NFT credentials on public blockchain, ISO 27001, SOC 2, and 1EdTech certifications, ELM/Europass compatibility, and comprehensive white label customization.
Join over 1,100 institutions in 19 countries already issuing verifiable digital credentials and microcredentials with POK.
Join over 1,100 institutions in 19 countries already issuing verifiable digital credentials and microcredentials with POK.
For more information on how POK can transform your institution's digital credential issuance and management, contact us for a personalized demo.
Frequently asked questions
The main differences are:
(1) Platform stability: POK operates independently with 1,100+ active institutions in 19 countries; Badgr changed hands when Instructure bought Concentric Sky in 2022 and has been renamed twice since; it is now sold as Parchment Digital Badges.
(2) Blockchain: POK's paid plans register each credential on public blockchain, as a hash on Ethereum (Blockchain Verify) or as an NFT on Polygon and LACNet (NFT Ownership), with decentralized cryptographic validation and permanent verification; Badgr does not issue credentials on blockchain.
(3) Security: POK holds ISO 27001, SOC 2, and 1EdTech certifications.
(4) Pricing: POK offers a 100% free and unlimited plan with no setup fee or lock-in; Parchment Digital Badges (formerly Badgr) has had no free issuer plan since January 2026.
(5) Standards: POK is compatible with ELM/Europass and certified by 1EdTech as an Open Badges 3.0 and CLR 2.0 Issuer; Parchment Digital Badges holds an Open Badges 3.0 Issuer certification as well.
(1) Platform stability: POK operates independently with 1,100+ active institutions in 19 countries; Badgr changed hands when Instructure bought Concentric Sky in 2022 and has been renamed twice since; it is now sold as Parchment Digital Badges.
(2) Blockchain: POK's paid plans register each credential on public blockchain, as a hash on Ethereum (Blockchain Verify) or as an NFT on Polygon and LACNet (NFT Ownership), with decentralized cryptographic validation and permanent verification; Badgr does not issue credentials on blockchain.
(3) Security: POK holds ISO 27001, SOC 2, and 1EdTech certifications.
(4) Pricing: POK offers a 100% free and unlimited plan with no setup fee or lock-in; Parchment Digital Badges (formerly Badgr) has had no free issuer plan since January 2026.
(5) Standards: POK is compatible with ELM/Europass and certified by 1EdTech as an Open Badges 3.0 and CLR 2.0 Issuer; Parchment Digital Badges holds an Open Badges 3.0 Issuer certification as well.
POK is the alternative to Badgr (now Parchment Digital Badges) for institutions that prioritize provider stability, blockchain technology, and internationally recognized security certifications. No annual contracts, no lock-in, and a blockchain architecture that guarantees credential permanence regardless of any platform's future. More than 1,100 institutions in 19 countries already issue verifiable digital credentials with POK.
No. Badgr was built by Concentric Sky, which Instructure acquired in April 2022, and was sold inside Canvas as Canvas Credentials. In October 2025 Instructure renamed it Parchment Digital Badges. It no longer operates as an independent platform. POK operates independently with an active presence in 19 countries and over 1,100 institutions, with a stable business model and its own product roadmap.
With POK's paid plans, yes. Blockchain Verify anchors each batch on Ethereum, and NFT Ownership credentials are registered on Polygon or LACNet and are permanently verifiable through any blockchain explorer, without intermediaries and without depending on any platform continuing to operate. Badgr's history (one acquisition and two rebrands on the way to Parchment Digital Badges) illustrates exactly why blockchain permanence is a critical institutional decision. With NFT Ownership, the credential belongs to the holder forever.
POK is architected specifically to ensure credential permanence independent of platform survival:
With NFT Ownership, the credential belongs to the recipient permanently, not to the platform.
- NFT Ownership credentials are registered on Polygon or LACNet and remain verifiable through any blockchain explorer even if POK ceases to operate. With Blockchain Verify, the recipient keeps a Blockcerts file whose proof can be checked against the root anchored on Ethereum
- Credentials are built on open standards (Open Badges 3.0, W3C Verifiable Credentials), ensuring portability and verifiability across any compatible system
- In the unlikely event of blockchain deprecation, POK can migrate credentials to another network while maintaining full traceability and metadata
With NFT Ownership, the credential belongs to the recipient permanently, not to the platform.
Start recognizing achievements with POK!
Join over 1,100 institutions already issuing verifiable digital credentials with POK. Free plan, no commitment.
