specification: API Commons Plans
specificationVersion: '0.1'
schema: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/interface-research/main/schema/api-commons.yml#/$defs/Plans
provider: Badgr
providerId: badgr
created: '2026-07-05'
modified: '2026-07-05'
reconciled: false
tags:
- Digital Badges
- Open Badges
- Micro-Credentials
- Open Source
- Plans
description: >-
  Badgr has two very different consumption models. The core server is open
  source (badgr-server, GNU AGPL-3.0) and free to self-host, giving you the full
  v2 API with no vendor fee. The hosted service - historically Badgr Free and
  Badgr Pro, now operated by Instructure as Canvas Credentials / Parchment
  Digital Badges - has moved from a freemium model toward enterprise pricing.
  Under Instructure's transition, new free issuer accounts ended in mid-2025 and
  free badge issuing was retired at the end of 2025, with former free issuers
  converted to read-only Backpacks; ongoing issuing now requires a paid
  institutional subscription. Paid pricing is not publicly listed and is quoted
  by sales based on institution size, learner count, credential volume, and
  add-ons. The API itself carries no separate fee - access is governed by your
  plan and OAuth2 scopes.
notes: >-
  Exact hosted pricing is not published; contact Instructure/Parchment sales for
  a quote. Self-hosting the open-source badgr-server is the only reliably free
  path to the full API. Verify current tier names and cutover dates during
  reconciliation - the product has been rebranded Badgr -> Canvas Credentials ->
  Parchment Digital Badges.
sources:
- https://badgr.com
- https://api.badgr.io/docs/v2/
- https://github.com/concentricsky/badgr-server
- https://support.badgr.com/en/knowledge/comparing-badgr-free-and-badgr-pro
plans:
- id: badgr-open-source
  name: Open Source (Self-Hosted)
  type: free
  description: >-
    The full badgr-server, GNU AGPL-3.0 licensed and self-hostable via Docker.
    Includes Issuers, BadgeClasses, Assertions, the Backpack, Collections, the
    OAuth2 provider, and the complete v2 REST API. Costs are limited to your own
    infrastructure with no Badgr license fee.
  entries:
  - label: Self-Hosted Usage
    name: self_hosted_usage
    type: usage
    metric: badges
    limit: -1
    timeFrame: month
    geo: global
    unit: 1
    price: free (self-hosted; you provide infrastructure)
    userMultiplied: false
  elements:
  - name: Full v2 REST API
  - name: Open Badges 2.0 / 2.1 Compliance
  - name: OAuth2 Provider
  - name: Backpack and Collections
- id: badgr-free
  name: Badgr Free / Canvas Badges Basic (legacy)
  type: free
  description: >-
    The historical free hosted tier for simple badge issuing and a learner
    Backpack. Under Instructure's transition, new free issuer accounts ended in
    mid-2025 and free issuing was retired at the end of 2025, with former free
    issuers converted to read-only Backpacks. Retained here for lineage.
  entries:
  - label: Free Issuing (retired)
    name: free_issuing
    type: usage
    metric: badges
    limit: -1
    timeFrame: month
    geo: global
    unit: 1
    price: $0 (legacy; free issuing retired end of 2025)
    userMultiplied: false
  elements:
  - name: Basic Badge Issuing
  - name: Learner Backpack
- id: badgr-pro
  name: Badgr Pro / Canvas Credentials (paid)
  type: paid
  description: >-
    The paid hosted tier - branded Badgr Pro and now Canvas Credentials /
    Parchment Digital Badges. Adds custom branding, pathways and stackable
    learning, learner records, LMS/SSO integrations, analytics, and API access
    at scale. Pricing is quoted by sales and not publicly listed.
  entries:
  - label: Subscription
    name: pro_subscription
    type: flat
    metric: subscription
    limit: -1
    timeFrame: year
    geo: global
    unit: 1
    price: contact sales (quoted by institution size and volume)
    userMultiplied: false
  elements:
  - name: Custom Branding
  - name: Learning Pathways
  - name: Learner Records
  - name: LMS and SSO Integrations
  - name: Analytics
  - name: API Access at Scale
- id: badgr-enterprise
  name: Enterprise / Institutional
  type: enterprise
  description: >-
    Custom institutional agreements for large deployments - district, university,
    and enterprise scale - with SSO, security review, SLAs, dedicated support,
    and negotiated credential volume. Contact Instructure / Parchment.
  entries:
  - label: Enterprise Agreement
    name: enterprise
    type: flat
    metric: contract
    limit: -1
    timeFrame: year
    geo: global
    unit: 1
    price: contact sales
    userMultiplied: false
  elements:
  - name: SSO and SAML
  - name: SLAs and Dedicated Support
  - name: Negotiated Credential Volume
  - name: Security and Compliance Review
maintainers:
- FN: Kin Lane
  email: kin@apievangelist.com