This document compares the features available with Canvas Core to those available for individual educators with Canvas Lite.
In addition to offering institutions with Canvas Core, Canvas Plus, and Canvas Next, individual educators can sign up for Canvas Lite. Canvas Lite is a simple, no-cost way for them to build and deliver course content to their learners, without needing an institution to set up a full Canvas license. Canvas Lite has the same easy, familiar Canvas experience educators know, built on a streamlined foundation from day one. Try Canvas for Free.
As part of the Canvas Lite launch, Free-for-Teacher will open for one week from September 30 through October 6, so you can export your course content and bring it into the new experience. Here's how to export and move your content. Note that you’ll no longer have access to your Free-for-Teacher account when the access period ends.
Comparing Feature
The following table compares feature availability in Canvas Lite to Canvas Core. For more information about a Canvas feature, please visit the Canvas Guides.
Feature | Canvas Core | Canvas Lite |
|---|
Course-level Features (Announcements, Assignments, Discussions, Grades, People, Pages, Files, Syllabus, Outcomes, Quizzes, Modules, Conferences, Collaborations, Course Settings) | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Canvas Commons Resources | ✔️ | ✔️ |
New Quizzes LTI | ✔️ | ✔️ ‡ |
Third-party/SSO Authentication | Custom authentication with any available authentication provider | Canvas authentication, Facebook, GitHub, Google, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Twitter |
File Storage | MB set by admin
50 MB user/group* | 500 MB/course
50 MB user/group* |
External Notifications | Email, Slack | Email |
Third-Party External Apps Management (LTIs) | Account/course level | Course level |
User Roles | Student, Teacher, Teaching Assistant (TA), Designer, Observer + Custom Roles | Student, Teacher, Teaching Assistant (TA), Designer, Observer |
Enrollment Limits | Set by license agreement | 5 published courses at any given time, 50 learners per course |
Canvas-Enabled External Tools (LTIs) | Chat, New Quizzes Quizzes tool, Roll Call Attendance, SCORM (Assignments) | ✖️ |
Account-level controls Account Calendars, Account Item Banks for New Quizzes, Account Reporting, Account Settings, Account Statistics, Account User/People Management, Account Course Management, Account LTI Configuration, Deve Key Management, Feature Options (Account/sub account level) | ✔️ | ✖️ |
Admin tools Admin Analytics, Restore Content, View Bounced Emails, View Notifications, View Logging (Course Activity, Grade Change, GraphQL Mutation Activity, Login/logout activity), Theme Management, Roles & Permissions | ✔️ | ✖️ |
Canvas Customer Support/Admin Ticketing System | ✔️ | ✖️^ |
Blueprint Course Templates | ✔️ | ✖️ |
Individual Course Templates | ✔️ | ✖️ |
Custom User Permissions | ✔️ | ✖️ |
Terms Management | ✔️ | ✖️ No terms support, only course/section participation dates |
Canvas for Elementary Dashboard (K-6) | ✔️ | ✖️ |
File Usage Rights Management | ✔️ | ✖️ |
Multiple Grading Periods | ✔️ | ✖️ |
Calendar Course Appointment Scheduler | ✔️ | ✖️ |
Student Information System (SIS) Imports | ✔️ | ✖️ |
IgniteAI Features | ✔️ | ✖️ |
API Access Tokens (manually created in User Settings) | ✔️ | ✖️ |
* Student assignment submissions are not counted toward the user quota. Student group submissions are not counted toward the group quota.
‡ Canvas Lite includes New Quizzes only. Classic Quizzes is not available.
^ Canvas Lite accounts do not have access to Instructure Support. Self-serve help is available through the Instructure Community.
Canvas Feature Options
Canvas includes several optional features that may affect the workflow of common account and/or course activities. The tables below indicate feature option availability in Canvas Lite accounts. For more information about each feature option, visit the Settings chapter in the Canvas Guides for the Admin Guide and Instructor Guide, respectively. You can also review the Canvas Feature Option Summary resource document.
Feature options in Canvas Lite accounts may be turned on at any time.
Account Feature Options | Canvas Core | Canvas Lite |
|---|
Confetti for On-Time Submissions | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Confetti for Valid Links | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Comment Library | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Public Course Index | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Wrap Event Titles in Calendar Month View | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Student Context Card | ✔️ | ✔️ |
New User Tutorial | ✔️ | ✔️ |
New Quizzes Importing | ✔️ | ✔️ * |
Product Tours | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Help for Unpublished Courses | ✔️ | ✔️ |
View Ungraded as Zero View in Gradebook | ✔️ | ✔️ |
LTI 1.3 | ✔️ | ✖️ |
Microsoft Immersive Reader | ✔️ | ✖️ |
Encrypted Sourcedids for Basic Outcomes | ✔️ | ✖️ |
Content Security Policy | ✔️ | ✖️ |
Enable New SIS Integration Settings | ✔️ | ✖️ |
K-12 Specific Features | ✔️ | ✖️ |
Account and Course Level Outcome Mastery Scale Management | ✔️ | ✖️ |
Improved Outcomes Management | ✔️ | ✖️ |
Apply Score to Ungraded | ✔️ | ✖️ |
Rich Content Editor Icon Maker | ✔️ | ✖️ |
Scheduled Page Publication | ✔️ | ✖️ |
Self Service User Merge | ✔️ | ✖️ |
Temporary Enrollments | ✔️ | ✖️ |
Microsoft Group Enrollment Syncing | ✔️ | ✖️ |
Mobile Offline Mode | ✔️ | ✖️ |
*Importing content from other LMS platforms into Canvas Lite may encounter issues; a fix is planned for 2027.
Course Feature Options | Canvas Core | Canvas Lite |
|---|
ePub/HTML Exporting | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Learning Mastery Gradebook | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Student Learning Mastery Gradebook | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Quiz Log Auditing | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Anonymous Grading | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Mastery Paths | ✔️ | ✔️ |
External Collaborations Tool | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Anonymous Instructor Annotations | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Final Grade Override | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Allow Outcome Extra Credit | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Moderated Grading | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Outcome Service Results to Canvas Reporting | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Course Analytics | ✔️ | ✖️ |
Post Grades to SIS | ✔️ | ✖️ |
Restrict Students from Annotating | ✔️ | ✖️ |
Emojis in Submission Comments | ✔️ | ✖️ |
Note(s):
- Importing course content from other LMS platforms into Canvas Lite has a known limitation; a fix is planned for 2027.
- Canvas Lite accounts inactive for six (6) consecutive months may be deleted.
- Free-for-Teacher account credentials do not carry over to Canvas Lite. Educators can create a new Canvas Lite account by visiting instructure.com/try-canvas