Canvas LMS vs. Clever

Canvas by Instructure is a versatile, cloud-based learning management system (LMS) designed to transform online learning across every stage of education. Since its launch in 2011, Canvas has become the foundational hub for digital classrooms, empowering institutions to deliver high-quality instruction from K-12 to Corporate Training. Trusted by millions worldwide, Canvas remains the #1 educational software and the core of the Instructure ecosystem.

Clever was born of co-founder Dan Carroll’s frustration as a school tech director in Denver. His plans to use technology to save teachers time and personalize learning were stymied by countless CSV files and forgotten passwords. Dan recalls, “I wanted to be an innovator, but I got stuck being a human API.” Software has the potential to empower teachers and create new ways to learn. But one thing must happen first. Everyone must be able to log in—quickly and securely. To solve Dan’s problem, we built a single sign-on portal that now helps 95,000 of U.S.