Both platforms issue digital credentials at scale. The difference is whose brand is on them, whether your recipients can share without creating an account, and what happens to your learners' data.
Trusted by 2,300+ leading universities, associations, and technology companies
Credly requires recipients to create an account before they can view or share their credential — suppressing sharing by up to 75%.
Accredible's One-Click Acceptance removes that barrier, enabling learners to easily share their credentials — boosting program visibility and referrals.
See how Asana turned credentials into a 6x lead conversion engine
Credly's credential experience centers Credly — their brand, their domain, their design.
Accredible gives you full control: branded credential pages, emails, directories, and wallet cards — all with your colors, fonts, and logo. Every credential share builds your identity, not a third-party platform's.
See how Gies College of Business hit a 78% LinkedIn share rate with branded digital credentials
Credly stops at issuance.
Accredible helps you grow — with Spotlight for program discoverability, Recommendations to drive re-enrollment, Pathways to track structured learning, and Email Campaigns to re-engage learners at exactly the right moment.
See how Maven Analytics boosted retention and LTV, & increased LinkedIn sharing by 250%
To accept a Credly credential, recipients must agree to Pearson's terms — making Pearson, not your organization, the GDPR data controller for your learners' data.
Accredible is a data processor. We handle your learners' data on your behalf, under your control, and never for our own purposes.
See how Accredible safeguards your data
"They stopped responding" is what we often hear from organizations leaving Credly.
Accredible's Connect and Growth plans include a dedicated Customer Success Manager and specialized onboarding — so your program gets the strategic support it needs to grow, not just launch.
See how IISE's lean team issued 13,000+ credentials — without going it alone
Credentials issued
185M+
110M+ (self-reported)
Pricing model
Per recipient — unlimited credentials per person
Per earner — onboarding packages separate ($1K–$15K)
One-click credential acceptance — no login required
X
Account creation required
One-click sharing on social
Account creation required first
Social platforms supported
LinkedIn, X, Facebook, Slack, TikTok, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, BlueSky, SMS + more
LinkedIn, Facebook, X, generic link only
White-labeling / brand control
Full — custom domain, branded pages, emails, no Accredible branding
X
Credly brand on all credentials; no custom URL
Custom badge attributes per recipient
Automated per-recipient customization
X
Every badge identical
Credential formats
Badges, certificates, wallet cards — full design control
Badge-primary; limited certificate options
Native integrations
48+ — LMS, CRM, HRIS, API
~29
Spotlight directory
White-labeled, custom URL, private option
Credly-branded; no custom URL
Learning pathways
Visual, dependencies, capstone auto-issue, analytics
Stacked sequences; no dependencies
Branded email campaigns
Fully configurable
X
No issuer-controlled equivalent
Recommendations engine
X
Analytics
Real-time program analytics — engagement, sharing, and job market performance
Limited
Job Market Insights
Earner workforce outcomes for issuers
Employer-facing skill demand data (Pearson/IDatafy)
Expiration management
Prominent bar + credential face marking
Small indicator only
Language support — UX
36 languages
English only
Language support — email templates
36 languages
9 languages
Multi-timezone support
Limited
Physical credentials
Certificates, plaques, shelf sitters — worldwide shipping
X
Earner wallet
Apple Wallet + Google Wallet
Badge Wallet + Skills Wallet
Blockchain verification
Open Badge 3.0 certified
1EdTech certified
Security certifications
SOC 3, SOC 2 Type 2, CSA Star, TX-RAMP
ISO 27001 + ISO 27701
GDPR data role
Data processor — earner data never used for our purposes
Pearson is the data controller for earner data
Data access post-contract
Issuer retains full access
Dashboard access lost; unclaimed badges expire
Dedicated Customer Success / onboarding
Included on Connect and Growth plans
Enterprise tier only; onboarding packages separate
Certificate verification via QR code
X
"The requirement for signing in and creating an account to capture your credentials and post them just sinks sharing rates. I think we were down to maybe 20% to 25% with Credly as far as credentials being shared.”
Paul Voisard
A Partner at The Maker Group
Your recipients' existing LinkedIn shares stay live after migration — confirmed across multiple migrations — with no broken links. We also work to reissue non-expired credentials retroactively at no additional cost — ask your rep about what's included for your program.
Less involved than most teams expect. For programs migrating from Credly, our dedicated migration script imports your templates and credentials directly — no manual rebuilding. Migrations are typically complete within 48 hours, with the right files and alignment. A named Implementation Manager is with you from day one through launch, and Customer Success is included on Connect and Growth plans for ongoing support after you're live. If you want to see exactly what the process looks like, the 5-step migration guide walks through every step.
Accredible has 48+ integrations across LMS, CRM, HRIS, and more — including Salesforce, Workday, Canvas, Docebo, and Zapier for custom workflows. If you're currently on Credly and have integrations built, our team will map those during onboarding, so nothing breaks when you switch. For more complex or custom setups, our Managed Integration Service can handle the scoping, build, and maintenance for you — no engineering time required.
Two things make the all-in comparison look different than the headline number. First, Credly's onboarding packages are separate one-time fees (up to $15,000) on top of the subscription. Accredible's implementation, Customer Success, and training are included. Second, for high-volume programs, Credly's per-badge pricing in certain contract structures compounds at scale in ways that Accredible's per-recipient model doesn't. We're happy to run the actual numbers for your program before you decide.
Your credentials remain accessible to recipients regardless of your subscription status. Your learners own their records — that doesn't change if you change plans or move on. With Credly, dashboard access is lost when a contract ends, and unclaimed badges expire — worth confirming with any platform before you sign.
Accredible is a data processor — we handle your learners' data on your behalf, under your control, and never for our own purposes. DPA documentation is available on request. Credly's terms designate Pearson as the GDPR data controller for earner data — meaning Pearson, not your organization, controls how your learners' data is used. For EU programs, regulated industries, or privacy-sensitive learner populations, that distinction is worth reviewing carefully before signing.
We've put together everything you need — a vendor evaluation guide and a business case template you can take straight to leadership in our Digital Credential Buyer's Toolkit. Our team can also walk you through a cost comparison and migration timeline built specifically for your program. Talk to our team →
Walk through the comparison for your specific program — we'll show you exactly how the pricing model, integrations, and post-issuance tools compare. If your Credly renewal is coming up, now is the right time.
Book a demo
Accredible is the world’s leading digital credential platform, enabling education and training leaders to increase learner engagement and drive program growth.
Accredible is the world’s leading digital credential platform, enabling education and training leaders to increase learner engagement and drive program growth.
