Moodle and Google Classroom are two of the leading learning managements systems out there. Whilst Moodle has been popular for a long time, Google Classroom has seen a dramatic increase in users of the past five years.
But what are the differences between these two learning tools, and how are they similar to each other? And can you use both of them in tandem to get an even better experience? Well, we’re going to look at some of the main information about both Moodle and Google Classroom, then give you our verdict.
Moodle vs Google Classroom
The main difference between Moodle and Google Classroom is that whilst Google Classroom works really well for individual teachers, Moodle is best used throughout the entire school system.
You can create entire courses with Moodle, and whilst you can collaborate with others in Google Classroom, it’s not as extensive. And whilst Google Classroom is based on the cloud, Moodle is deployed both on the cloud but also on-premise too.
But these are not the only differences between Moodle and Google Classroom. No, there are a few other things to mention which might help you make a choice between the two. So, let’s look at each of them a little bit closer.
Moodle

Been around since: 2002 | Worldwide users: 80+ million
Moodle has been around for a long time, and it’s one of the most used learning management systems in the world. It provides a whole internal system for your education institution.
In most cases, Moodle doesn’t actually cost an institution that much. The base version can support 100 users, but the increase version can support up to 500 users. The prices vary based on where you’re located, and can cost as little as a few hundred dollars.
If you’re thinking of using Moodle in collaboration then this isn’t a bad idea at all. However, for most people there are other softwares that integrate with Moodle better than Classrooms – one example is Mahara, which is a portfolio framework.
Pros
Pros
Google Classroom

Been around since: 2014 | Worldwide users: 100 million
Whilst Moodle has been around a lot longer than Google Classroom, they actually have a similar amount of users. Until 2020, Google was behind Moodle, but recently a lot of teachers have been looking at tools to help them teach online. And as Classroom is free, it’s no surprise that a lot of teachers have become interested in it.
Google Classroom is part of G Suite’s full range of different tools and features that you can use. Essentially, Google Classrooms is great for creating a social media connection between the teacher and the students in the class.
You can post about that specific class, and it gives you an easy place to have students submit their work or practice exams. If you’re not sure how to get to grips with Classroom, then there’s a good troubleshooting help section which can be used to resolve any of your issues.
Google Classroom is said to be the best software to use if you’re just getting started with e-learning, and I think that this is true. But for those looking for something more in depth, a full LMS like Moodle will likely be necessary.
Pros
Cons
Conclusion
All in all, it’s clear to see the difference between these two different forms of learning systems. Whilst Moodle is the more comprehensive of the two, Google Classrooms also has its place as a useful tool for teachers too. It works well with laptops or Chromebooks (check here for the best laptops for teachers).
But all in all, it’s easiest to use the one that your education system is already using. If you school has been using Moodle for a decade already, then there’s no reason to switch from this. But getting Google Classroom for individual use could be a good idea.