Credly alternative
A Credly alternative with public prices, a free plan and your brand on every credential
Hyperstack has issued verifiable certificates and badges since 2018 for universities, enterprises and certification bodies. Here is how it compares with Credly by Pearson, with every fact dated and sourced.
Short answer · facts checked 24 October 2026
Credly is the largest badge network and suits big IT certification programmes that want reach into its earner base. It sells only through sales calls, on yearly contracts, with the Credly brand around every badge and a Credly account for every earner. Hyperstack is the alternative for organisations that want a published price, a free plan to start, their own domain and brand on every credential, certificates as well as badges, and a monthly contract they can leave. If network reach is what you are buying, stay on Credly. If you are buying credentials your recipients trust and share, Hyperstack costs a fraction, gives you more control, and moves your Credly badges over for free.
- Pricing
- CredlyQuote only. The pricing page is a demo form.HyperstackPublished. Free for 20 recipients a year, then from $11.03 a month.
- Free plan
- CredlyNone, and no self-serve trial.HyperstackYes, 20 recipients a year, no card.
- Contract
- CredlyAnnual contracts. Set-up fees reported by buyers.HyperstackMonthly or yearly. Cancel any time. 14-day refund.
- Brand
- CredlyCredly’s brand and domain around every badge.HyperstackYour domain, your emails, your verification page.
- Migration
- CredlyOnboarding and assistance packages are paid.HyperstackFree at any scale. Hyperstack moves your Credly badges for you, thousands or millions.
- to issue a whole cohort, 100 or a million, instead of about a week of printing and posting
- 2 min
- to verify any credential by link or QR code, with no call to the issuer
- 1 click
- recipient accounts required, and recipients never pay
- 0
- how long every issued credential stays live and verifiable, even after you cancel
- Life
Trusted by universities, enterprises and certification bodies worldwide
Side by side
Hyperstack vs Credly, row by row
Credly: founded 2012. Owned by Pearson since January 2022. Hyperstack: issuing since 2018, independent.
| Feature | Credly | Hyperstack |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing and contract | ||
| Public price list | CredlyNo. credly.com/pricing redirects to a “Schedule a demo” form.↗Source | HyperstackYes. Every plan and tier is on the pricing page. |
| Free plan | CredlyNone. No self-serve trial. | HyperstackFree for up to 20 recipients a year, with almost every feature. |
| Entry price | CredlyBuyers report $2,500 to $3,000 a year for 500 badges, plus set-up. Not published by Credly.↗Source | Hyperstack$11.03 a month for up to 250 recipients a year; $24.51 a month on Premium. |
| Billing unit | CredlyPer badge issued, on an annual contract. | HyperstackPer unique recipient a year. Unlimited credentials per recipient. |
| Contract | CredlyAnnual. Buyers report set-up fees, paid assistance and renewal escalators.↗Source | HyperstackMonthly or yearly, cancel any time. 14-day money-back guarantee. |
| Hidden costs | CredlyWhite-label, set-up and assistance are priced separately.↗Source | HyperstackNo fees for integrations, branding, verification or hosting. Non-profit and education discounts. |
| Credentials after you leave | CredlyBadges stay hosted on credly.com. | HyperstackEvery issued credential stays live and verifiable for life. |
| Brand and recipient experience | ||
| Credential page domain | Credlycredly.com/badges/… on every badge. No hosting on your domain. | HyperstackYour own domain on Premium and Enterprise. |
| White-label | CredlyCredly branding stays on badge pages and emails. | HyperstackBranded pages, emails, theme and logo on Premium and Enterprise at no extra cost. |
| Email sender | CredlyCredly sends on your behalf. | HyperstackYour own email address and SMTP, with custom email content, on Premium and Enterprise. |
| Recipient account | CredlyEarners must create a Credly account to claim a badge. | HyperstackNo account needed. The credential works by link; the free wallet is optional. |
| Wallet and directory | CredlyCredly profile, earner skills wallet, mobile wallet passes. | HyperstackFree wallet at hyperstack.id, public profile, earners directory, Google Wallet pass. |
| Languages | CredlyLanguage versions of badges. | HyperstackStudio, wallet and public pages in 14 languages. |
| Talent directory and network | CredlyTalent Directory, Credly 360 and TalentMatch let employers search and track earners across the network.↗Source | HyperstackEarners directory and public profiles; no cross-issuer recruiter network. |
| Mobile app | CredlyNative earner app.↗Source | HyperstackMobile web wallet and Google Wallet pass; no native app. |
| Design and issuing | ||
| Certificates | CredlyA certificate maker, badge first. Limited options for diplomas and transcripts. | HyperstackCertificates, diplomas, transcripts and badges in one studio. |
| Template library | CredlyNo template library; an AI template generator.↗Source | HyperstackTemplate library for certificates and badges, plus Canva integration and custom design upload. |
| Custom attributes | CredlyCustom attributes in badge designs are not supported. | HyperstackCustom and dynamic attributes on every plan; animated certificates on Premium. |
| Bulk issuing | CredlyCSV and API. | HyperstackSpreadsheet upload, manual entry and API. Draft, review and publish; duplicate checks before sending. |
| Lifecycle | CredlyReplace, revoke, default expiry. | HyperstackUpdate, expire, renew, suspend and revoke after sending; the link stays the same. Audit log of every change. |
| Pathways and structure | CredlyPathways. | HyperstackPathways, collections and departments on Enterprise. |
| Team roles | CredlyAdmin users, SSO. | HyperstackRole-based access (designer, issuer, billing, marketer, admin), departments and collections on Enterprise; 3 seats on Standard, 7 on Premium. |
| Standards and verification | ||
| Open Badges | CredlyOpen Badges 2.0 and 3.0.↗Source | HyperstackOpen Badges 2.0 on every plan. Signed Open Badges 3.0 (W3C Verifiable Credentials) export on selected plans. |
| Verification | CredlyHosted verification on credly.com. | HyperstackDedicated verification page and QR code for every credential, on your domain, with a verified issuer badge. |
| Tamper evidence | CredlyBlockchain option. | HyperstackIssuer-signed credentials with a fingerprint on the Hedera public ledger, on selected plans. |
| Add to LinkedIn | CredlyYes. | HyperstackYes, from the credential page and the wallet. |
| Portability | CredlyEarners can download PNG, SVG and JSON.↗Source | HyperstackPDF and PNG download, Open Badges JSON, verification page that stays live. |
| Data and integrations | ||
| Insights | CredlyAnalytics, occupation insights and labour-market data.↗Source | HyperstackDelivery, engagement, sharing, social and verification insights, programme marketing insights, exports and monthly reports. |
| LMS and tools | CredlyIntegrations and an API; set-up runs through onboarding. | HyperstackNative Moodle, Canvas, Blackboard, Docebo, LearnDash, Thinkific, Teachable, Kajabi, Zoom, Webex, HubSpot and Google Sheets, plus 5,000+ apps via Zapier. |
| API | CredlyREST API. | HyperstackREST API on every plan, plus an MCP server so AI assistants can issue and manage credentials. |
| AI tools | CredlyAI template generator, suggested skills. | HyperstackAI assistant and MCP server across the studio. |
| Recipient feedback | CredlyCelebrate button. | HyperstackCollect reviews from recipients after they receive a credential, and show a verified issuer badge. |
| Security and support | ||
| Compliance | CredlyISO certifications, GDPR, VPAT, SSO. | HyperstackSOC 2 Type 2, EU and UK GDPR, regular penetration tests, encryption in transit and at rest, SSO on Enterprise. Recipient data is never sold. |
| Support | CredlyEmail and help centre. Reviewers report slow replies; assistance packages are paid.↗Source | HyperstackEmail on every plan, onboarding and training on Premium, 24/7 and a dedicated manager on Enterprise. |
| Migration from Credly | CredlyNot applicable; set-up and assistance are paid. | HyperstackFree, at any scale. Hyperstack’s team moves your templates, recipients and issued credentials for you, whether that is a thousand or millions, on every paid plan, at no charge. |
| Time to first credential | CredlyWeeks: sales call, contract, onboarding. | HyperstackMinutes: sign up and send. |
A tick marks the side that leads on that row. Facts about Credly were read on 24 October 2026 from the pages listed under Sources. Tell us if something has changed and we will correct it.
What a year costs
The same recipients, priced on both
Hyperstack counts unique recipients a year, and every recipient can receive any number of certificates and badges.
| Recipients a year | Credly | Hyperstack Standard | Hyperstack Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 250 recipients a year | CredlyQuote only. Buyers report $2,500 to $3,000 a year for 500 badges. | Hyperstack Standard$11.03 a month$132 a year, or $113 paid yearly | Hyperstack Premium$24.51 a month$294 a year, or $250 paid yearly |
| 1,000 recipients a year | CredlyBuyers report $4,500 to $5,000 a year, set-up included. | Hyperstack Standard$34.31 a month$412 a year, or $350 paid yearly | Hyperstack Premium$78.43 a month$941 a year, or $800 paid yearly |
| 5,000 recipients a year | CredlyBuyers report $10,000 to $11,000 a year. | Hyperstack Standard$98.40 a month$1,181 a year, or $1,004 paid yearly | Hyperstack Premium$245.10 a month$2,941 a year, or $2,500 paid yearly |
| 10,000 recipients a year | CredlyBuyers report about $20,000 a year. | Hyperstack Standard$127.45 a month$1,529 a year, or $1,300 paid yearly | Hyperstack Premium$343.14 a month$4,118 a year, or $3,500 paid yearly |
Credly does not publish prices. The figures are what buyers have reported to third parties and to Hyperstack, shown as ranges, not quotes. Hyperstack prices are from its pricing page and count unique recipients a year, with unlimited credentials per recipient. Yearly billing saves 15%. Premium includes custom domain, white-label, API, insights and SOC 2 Type 2. See every tier.
Why teams look elsewhere
Why organisations search for a Credly alternative
- 01
You cannot see a price
Credly’s pricing page redirects to a demo form. Every programme starts with a sales call, and the quote arrives on a yearly contract. Buyers report set-up fees and paid assistance on top. Teams that want to try before they commit have no way in.↗Source
- 02
It does not fit small and mid-sized programmes
Reported contracts run from about $2,500 to $20,000 a year. A training team issuing 300 certificates pays enterprise money for a network it does not need.↗Source
- 03
Credly’s brand sits on your credential
Badges live at credly.com, emails come from Credly, and earners must create a Credly account to claim. Your programme builds Credly’s network as much as your own, and there is no hosting on your domain.
- 04
Badge first, certificate second
Credly grew up as a badge network. Organisations that issue certificates, diplomas and transcripts work around a badge-shaped product, with no template library and no custom attributes in badge designs.
- 05
A minimal feature set
The simple interface is easy to use, but it means fewer features: limited design control, no custom attributes, and a certificate maker rather than a design studio.
- 06
Support and admin experience
Reviewers on G2, Capterra and Trustpilot cite high cost, slow support replies and a dated admin interface among the common complaints, alongside praise for sharing and verification.↗Source
To be fair
Where Credly is still the better choice
If these are what you are buying, Credly may be right for you. We would rather you choose well than choose us.
- 01
Network reach
Credly says it has issued over 100 million credentials. Many large IT vendors issue there, so earners in that world already have a Credly account.↗Source
- 02
Talent Directory, Credly 360 and TalentMatch
Employers can search earners across the network, see a 360-degree view of staff skills and match talent to roles, fed by Pearson’s workforce data. No smaller platform matches this.↗Source
- 03
Badge specialism
Credly has mastered one thing: digital badges at enterprise scale, with ISO certifications and VPAT accessibility conformance.
- 04
Native mobile app
Credly has an earner app and mobile wallet passes. Hyperstack’s wallet is mobile web with a Google Wallet pass.
- 05
Pearson behind it
A listed parent is a comfort for procurement teams that rank vendor size above fit.
How to choose
Nine checks before you pick a credentialing platform
Credentials last a lifetime and switching later is hard, so run these checks on every vendor you shortlist. Here is how the two score.
- 01
Reliability and industry experience
Credentials last a lifetime, so the provider has to. Pick one with a track record and a roadmap, not a side project.
- Credly
- Founded 2012, part of Pearson since 2022, over 100 million credentials issued. The most established badge network.
- Hyperstack
- Issuing since 2018. Used by Dell, Stanford Medicine, Qualys, Santa Clara University, NITI Aayog and FIDIC Academy.
- 02
Tamper evidence
A record outside the vendor’s database lets anyone prove a credential unchanged, even if the vendor is gone.
- Credly
- Blockchain listed as a feature; verification runs on credly.com.
- Hyperstack
- Issuer-signed credentials with a fingerprint on the low-energy Hedera public ledger, on selected plans.
- 03
Native integrations and API
Zapier-only integrations add cost and a point of failure. Look for direct LMS connectors and an API on the plan you buy.
- Credly
- Integrations and a REST API, set up through onboarding.
- Hyperstack
- Native Moodle, Canvas, Blackboard, Docebo, LearnDash, Thinkific, Teachable, Kajabi, Zoom, Webex, HubSpot and Google Sheets, plus 5,000+ apps via Zapier. REST API on every plan, plus an MCP server so AI assistants can issue and manage credentials.
- 04
Support and service
Credentialing runs all year. Support should answer, and onboarding should not be a paid extra.
- Credly
- Email and help centre; onboarding and assistance packages are paid. Reviewers report slow replies.
- Hyperstack
- Email on every plan, onboarding and training on Premium, 24/7 and a dedicated manager on Enterprise. Migration from your current platform is done for you, free.
- 05
Capabilities that scale
Insights, departments and roles, an earners directory and a real design studio, so you never have to switch again.
- Credly
- Analytics, pathways, Talent Directory, labour-market insights, mobile app. No template library, no custom attributes, limited certificates.
- Hyperstack
- Insights, roles and departments, earners directory, pathways and collections, design studio, audit logs, reviews collection.
- 06
Security and compliance
SOC 2, GDPR, regular penetration tests, and a privacy policy that does not sell recipient data.
- Credly
- ISO certifications, GDPR, VPAT, SSO.
- Hyperstack
- SOC 2 Type 2, EU and UK GDPR, regular penetration tests, encryption in transit and at rest, SSO on Enterprise. Recipient data is never sold.
- 07
Migration support
Export and migration help on the way in, and no lock-in on the way out.
- Credly
- Earners can download PNG, SVG and JSON. Issuer export runs through reports; badges stay hosted on credly.com after you leave.
- Hyperstack
- Free, done for you, at any scale: Hyperstack’s team moves your templates, recipients and issued credentials at no charge, thousands or millions. Export everything to a spreadsheet on every plan; no lock-in.
- 08
Pricing and cost transparency
A public price list and no fees for integrations, branding or verification.
- Credly
- No public price list. Quotes on annual contracts; set-up, assistance and white-label are priced separately.
- Hyperstack
- Every plan and tier is public. No fees for integrations, branding, verification or hosting. Non-profit and education discounts.
- 09
Vision and innovation
A platform that keeps shipping: AI tooling, Open Badges 3.0, decentralised identity.
- Credly
- Open Badges 3.0, AI template generator, Talent Directory, backed by Pearson’s workforce division.
- Hyperstack
- AI assistant and MCP server, signed Open Badges 3.0 export, Hedera anchoring, Google Wallet passes, 14-language studio and wallet.
What you get instead
Everything a credential needs, on your terms
01Your brand
Your domain, your emails, your verification page
Credentials live on your domain and arrive from your own address. The credential page, the verification page and every email carry your logo and theme, and white-labelling is included on Premium at no extra cost, so the trust you build stays with your programme.
- Custom domain and SMTP
- Branded pages, emails and theme
- Verified issuer badge
- White-label included on Premium
02Design studio
Certificates and badges designed, not just generated
A full design studio for certificates, diplomas, transcripts and badges, with a template library, dynamic and custom attributes, QR codes, animated certificates and a Canva integration. Upload the designs you already have and keep issuing. A cohort of 100 or a million goes out in about two minutes.
- Template library, Canva and custom upload
- Dynamic and custom attributes, QR codes
- Animated certificates
- Bulk issuing with draft, review and duplicate checks
03Lifecycle
Control after sending, with an audit trail
Correct a name, set or extend an expiry, renew, suspend during a dispute or revoke for misuse, and the recipient’s link stays the same. Every change is written to an audit log, so you can show who did what and when.
- Update, expire, renew, suspend, revoke
- Same link after every change
- Audit log of every action
- Change requests from recipients
04Proof
Verifiable in one click, provable without us
Every credential has a verification page and QR code. On selected plans it is signed with your organisation’s key and a fingerprint is written to the low-energy Hedera public ledger, so it can be proven unchanged even if Hyperstack disappeared. No paper, no printing, no shipping.
- Open Badges 2.0 on every plan
- Signed Open Badges 3.0 on selected plans
- Hedera ledger record on selected plans
- Verified issuer badge
05Recipients
A wallet, a profile and one-click sharing, no account required
Recipients open their credential from a link, add it to LinkedIn in one click, save a Google Wallet pass, and keep every credential in a free wallet with a public profile and an earners directory. The studio and wallet speak 14 languages. Every share is organic marketing for your programme.
- No recipient account needed
- Free wallet, public profile, earners directory
- LinkedIn, social and Google Wallet
- 14 languages
06Insights
See what your credentials do once they leave
Delivery, opens, views, shares, social performance and verification checks, per credential group and over time, with programme marketing insights, exports and monthly reports. Collect reviews from recipients after they receive a credential.
- Delivery, engagement and verification insights
- Social and programme marketing insights
- Exports and monthly reports
- Recipient reviews collection
07Team and integrations
Roles, departments and the tools you already run
Role-based access for designers, issuers, billing, marketers and admins, with departments, collections and pathways on Enterprise. Connect Moodle, Canvas, Blackboard, Docebo, LearnDash, Thinkific, Teachable, Kajabi, Zoom, Webex, HubSpot and Google Sheets natively, or 5,000+ apps through Zapier. A REST API on every plan, and an MCP server so AI assistants can issue and manage credentials for you.
- Role-based access, departments, collections, pathways
- Native LMS, webinar and CRM connectors
- REST API on every plan
- MCP server for AI assistants
Moving from Credly? Hyperstack migrates your templates, recipients and credentials for you, free. Thousands or millions.
Book a free migration callHow to switch
Moving from Credly without losing a credential
Most programmes move in an afternoon, and Hyperstack does the work for you at no charge on any paid plan. Credentials already issued stay where they are until you decide otherwise.
- 1
Export what you have
Download your badge templates’ metadata and your issued-badge reports from Credly’s issuer dashboard. Keep the badge images: Hyperstack accepts your existing artwork as a custom design.
- 2
Rebuild templates in the studio
Recreate each badge or certificate from the template library, or upload your existing design. Map criteria, skills, expiry and alignment fields to the credential group’s attributes.
- 3
Import recipients and issue
Upload the recipient spreadsheet and issue in bulk. Credentials sit in review until you publish, so a test cohort costs nothing.
- 4
Decide what to do with history
Credly keeps old badges hosted after you leave. Many teams re-issue the last two or three years so every earner has one wallet; each person counts once a year, so a 3,000-person back-catalogue fits one 3,000-recipient tier.
- 5
Tell your earners
One email from your own address, with a link to the new credential and an Add to LinkedIn button. No new account is needed.
- 6
Or let us do all of it, free
Send us your Credly exports and designs and Hyperstack’s team rebuilds the templates, imports the recipients and re-issues the credentials for you, at no charge, on any paid plan. A thousand credentials or millions: the size of the back-catalogue does not change the price. Enterprise adds a dedicated customer success manager.
Customers
Trusted by teams who issue at scale
Hyperstack has made awarding certifications so easy that we were able to reward over 20,000 users in under 10 minutes. Moreover, our users received customized personal emails.
“At Miller Center, we run several different programs a year and Hyperstack makes it possible to send program certificates in a fraction of the time that it used to.”
“Hyperstack is very user-friendly and easy to maneuver! I like that I can easily send certificates to my learners without writing dozens of personalized emails. It has made my job more efficient!”
Other options
Other Credly alternatives worth a look
No single platform suits everyone. The whole market, who each one fits, and how it charges.
| Platform | Best for | Pricing model | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accredible | Best forLarge universities and associations that want professional services | Pricing model$45 a month for 50 recipients on a 12-month term, then quotes | Worth knowingSpotlight directory, pathways, Apple Wallet. API, branding and white-label are add-ons. |
| Sertifier | Best forSmall teams that want a free start and native integrations | Pricing modelFree up to 250 recipients a year, then per recipient | Worth knowingISO 27001. Lets issuers run ads on credential pages. Branding and support have been priced as extras. |
| Certifier | Best forTemplate-first certificate programmes | Pricing modelFree plan, then per credential | Worth knowingModern interface and a large template library. Integrations run through Zapier and API; organisation verification is an add-on. |
| CertifyMe | Best forTraining companies that want a student showcase directory | Pricing modelQuote only | Worth knowingWell reviewed on G2. Ads on credentials. Integrations through Zapier; reviewers mention a long set-up. |
| BadgeCert | Best forAssociations and certification bodies in North America | Pricing modelQuote only, no free tier | Worth knowingNo earner login, blockchain recording, micro-credential pathways, LMS and AMS integrations. |
| BCdiploma | Best forEuropean institutions that want a white-labelled blockchain credential | Pricing modelFrom about $1.50 per recipient a year, white-label on quote | Worth knowingFully branded, animated certificates, NFT option. Credential view is lighter than most. |
| Parchment | Best forRegistrars that already send transcripts through Parchment | Pricing modelQuote only | Worth knowingDecades in academic records, SIS and LMS integrations. Digital badges are a newer line; heavy for small teams. |
| Canvas Credentials (Badgr) | Best forInstitutions already on Canvas | Pricing modelFree issuer tier closed at the end of 2025 | Worth knowingOpen-standards roots and pathways. Badges first; limited integrations outside Canvas. |
| Virtualbadge.io | Best forSmall teams that want a good design studio | Pricing modelMonthly plans; card needed for the trial | Worth knowingClean interface. Few integrations and no team roles. |
| CredSure (Cert-ID) | Best forOrganisations that pair credentials with recruitment | Pricing modelFrom about €920 a year for 1,000 credits, branding extra | Worth knowingBlockchain, audit logs and detailed roles. Issuing flow is complex; Zapier and API only. |
| Certopus | Best forTeams that want W3C decentralised identifiers | Pricing modelMonthly plans per credential | Worth knowingFounded 2023. Modern interface, Moodle, Canvas and Zoom. No SOC 2 yet. |
| TruScholar | Best forIndian institutions that need NAD and ABC alignment | Pricing modelFrom about $25 a month for 1,000 credentials | Worth knowingBlockchain credentials aligned with NEP-2020. Few public reviews. |
| NetCredential | Best forPay-as-you-go certificate issuing | Pricing modelPer credential, cents each, 100 free | Worth knowingSimple editor, REST API; Zapier listed as coming soon. |
| GiveMyCertificate | Best forEvent certificates | Pricing modelMonthly plans per credential | Worth knowingY Combinator W21. No API, integrations, suspend or revoke; no SOC 2 or GDPR statement. |
| SimpleCert | Best forSmall senders who want certificates in 12 languages | Pricing modelFree 10 a month, then monthly credit plans | Worth knowingDrag-and-drop builder, API and Zapier. Certificates only. |
Also compared: Hyperstack vs Accredible.
FAQ
Credly questions, answered
Weighing up a move? Book a 20-minute demo and bring your Credly invoice.
Read every questionIt depends on what you buy Credly for. If you want published pricing, a free plan, your own domain and brand on every credential, certificates as well as badges, and a contract you can leave, Hyperstack is the strongest alternative. For large university programmes with professional services, look at Accredible. For a free start on a small programme, Sertifier and Certifier both have free tiers. If network reach into IT certification earners is the point, Credly itself is still the right choice.
Credly does not publish prices. Its pricing page redirects to a demo request form, and quotes come on annual contracts. Buyers have reported figures from about $2,500 to $3,000 a year for 500 badges up to about $20,000 a year for 10,000, often with a set-up fee on top. Treat these as reports, not quotes.
No. Credly has no free plan and no self-serve trial; every programme starts with a sales conversation. Hyperstack is free for up to 20 recipients a year with no card and almost every feature, and paid plans start at $11.03 a month.
For most programmes, by a wide margin. Hyperstack’s Standard plan covers 1,000 recipients a year for $34.31 a month, about $412 a year, and Premium covers the same for $78.43 a month with white-label and API included. Buyers report Credly contracts of $4,500 to $5,000 a year at 1,000 badges. Hyperstack counts unique recipients, so one person can receive any number of certificates and badges at no extra cost.
Yes. Export your templates and issued-badge reports from Credly, rebuild or upload the designs in the Hyperstack studio, import recipients by spreadsheet and issue in bulk. Badges already on Credly stay hosted there, so old links keep working while you move. Or let Hyperstack do it: migration from Credly is free on every paid plan, and the team moves templates, recipients and issued credentials for you.
No. Migration from Credly is free on every paid plan. Hyperstack’s team rebuilds your badge and certificate templates, imports your recipients, re-issues the credentials you choose and helps you word the email to earners. There is no set-up fee, no onboarding fee and no migration fee, and it applies at any scale: a thousand credentials or millions.
Yes. Every plan issues Open Badges 2.0, so badges work in any compliant wallet. Selected plans also export a signed Open Badges 3.0 credential, the W3C Verifiable Credentials format Credly supports too. Hyperstack can additionally record a fingerprint of each credential on the Hedera public ledger.
No. A credential works from its link and QR code, and anyone can verify it without signing in. Recipients can claim a free wallet at hyperstack.id if they want every credential in one place, a public profile, a Google Wallet pass and one-click sharing to LinkedIn. Credly, by contrast, asks earners to create an account to claim a badge.
Yes. The design studio builds certificates, diplomas, transcripts and badges from a template library or your own artwork, with dynamic and custom attributes, QR codes and animated certificates. Credly is badge-first, with a certificate maker and no template library.
About two minutes once the design and the recipient sheet are ready, whether you issue 100 credentials or a million. Credentials are generated in draft, reviewed, then published and emailed in bulk.
They stay live and verifiable for life at no cost. You lose the ability to issue new credentials or edit existing ones until you subscribe again. There are no hosting fees.
No. Recipient data is handled under EU and UK GDPR with consent, transparency and the right to be forgotten, and it is never sold. Hyperstack is SOC 2 Type 2 audited and runs regular penetration tests.
Yes. Hyperstack offers discounts for non-profit organisations and educational institutions, up to 80% for eligible organisations. Contact the team to check eligibility.
Pearson. The acquisition was announced on 30 January 2022, and Credly joined Pearson’s Workforce Skills division alongside Faethm. Credly was founded in 2012.
Hyperstack is SOC 2 Type 2 audited, meets EU and UK GDPR, runs regular penetration tests and encrypts data in transit and at rest. On selected plans each credential is signed with your organisation’s key and anchored on the Hedera public ledger. Customers include Dell, Stanford Medicine, Qualys, Santa Clara University and FIDIC Academy.
Sources and method
How this page was written
Hyperstack wrote this page, so read it as one side of a comparison. Facts about Credly come from its own pricing and product pages, its help centre and public review sites, read on 24 October 2026. Where a figure is reported by buyers rather than published by Credly, the page says so. Prices for Hyperstack are those on the pricing page the day the site was built.
Something out of date? Tell us and we will correct it.
- 1Credly pricing pageredirects to a demo request form at info.credly.com/pricingwww.credly.com/pricing
- 2Credly product featuresinfo.credly.com/acclaim-product-features
- 3Credly supports Open Badge 3.0learn.credly.com/blog/credly-supports-open-badge-3.0
- 4Announcing Credly’s acquisition by Pearson30 January 2022learn.credly.com/blog/announcing-credly-acquisition-by-pearson
- 5Pearson: 100 million credentials issued through Credlywww.prnewswire.com/news-releases/with-100-million-digital-credentials-issued-through-credly-pearson-fosters-a-future-proof-workforce-for-enterprises-in-the-ai-era-and-beyond-302343746.html
- 6Can I download my badge image?support.credly.com/hc/en-us/articles/360020965172-Can-I-download-my-badge-image
- 7Credly reviews on G2www.g2.com/products/credly/reviews
- 8Credly reviews on Capterrawww.capterra.com/p/10009775/Credly/
- 9Credly reviews on Trustpilotwww.trustpilot.com/review/credly.com
- 10Buyer-reported Credly pricinga competitor’s compilation of user reports; figures are indicative onlycertifier.io/blog/credly-pricing-is-credly-worth-it
- 11Credly contract data on Vendrwww.vendr.com/marketplace/credly
- 12Hyperstack’s review of 17 credentialing platformsbuyer-reported Credly prices, feature notes, and the nine buying criteriathehyperstack.com/blog/digital-credential-management-platforms
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