Every European digital credentialing platform reviewed
Kraków, Poland
Starter plan stated as free forever with an annual issuing limit of 250 certificates or badges; paid tiers up to 50,000 a year and an Enterprise option on request (paid prices not shown in the text we read)
Demo on request
Best for: Training providers and event teams that issue certificates from a participant list
Certifier is a certificate and badge maker for issuers who work from a spreadsheet. A course organiser uploads a CSV or Excel file, matches its columns to the fields on a template, and the platform sends each participant a personal link to view, download and share the credential. The vendor says no recipient account is needed, and the files come as PDF, PNG or JSON.
The company behind it is Certifier sp. z o.o., whose registered office is in Kraków and whose terms give a court register number and share capital. On its homepage the vendor states that more than 2,000 organisations use it, and names Penn State, Duolingo, The Economist and BAFTA as example issuers. The Starter plan is free with 250 credentials a year, but the paid prices, the hosting region and Open Badges certification are not in the text we read.
What Certifier does well
- Polish company register number and Kraków address given in the terms
- Starter plan stated as free, 250 credentials a year
- Spreadsheet upload from CSV or Excel for bulk sending
- Template library of over 3,000 designs, or upload your own
- Public verification page for each credential
Where Certifier falls short
- Paid plan prices are missing from the text we read
- Data location is not stated
- Every tier has a yearly issuing ceiling
- No employer-facing network is described
Standout feature. Certifier is the one platform here where a first-time issuer can send 250 credentials from a spreadsheet without paying or booking a call.
Oulu, Finland
Basic €220 a year (5,000 badges), Premium €700 a year (15,000 badges), Pro €1280 a year (50,000 badges), Enterprise on quote; prices exclusive of VAT; 60-day free trial
Demo on request
Best for: Schools, associations and companies that want an Open Badges specialist with public prices
Open Badge Factory is a cloud platform dedicated to creating, issuing and managing Open Badges. Its feature list covers badge applications, endorsements from other organisations, meta badges that combine several badges, PDF certificates, a report generator and an API, plus a verified issuer stamp on the higher plans. The same company runs Open Badge Passport, the free wallet where earners keep what they receive.
The imprint names Open Badge Factory Oy in Oulu and the terms follow Finnish law. Basic is €220 a year for up to 5,000 badges, Premium €700 for 15,000 and Pro €1280 for 50,000, with Enterprise on quote and a 60-day free trial. A standard data processing agreement applies from Basic to Pro, but questionnaires from customers are answered only on Enterprise, and the pages we read do not state where data is hosted.
What Open Badge Factory does well
- Yearly prices on the page, beginning at €220
- Finnish contracting entity with its address in the imprint
- Standard data processing agreement for Basic, Premium and Pro
- Two months of free trial
- Specialised in Open Badges, with endorsements and meta badges
Where Open Badge Factory falls short
- A yearly cap on the number of badges per plan
- Verified issuer stamp not offered on Basic
- Hosting region absent from the pages we read
- Security questionnaires for customers only on Enterprise
Standout feature. Open Badge Factory is the only platform here whose whole product is the Open Badges standard, including endorsements and meta badges.
Mannheim, Germany
Essentials €49 a month billed yearly (€588) with 1,200 credentials a year, 1 user seat and 5 templates; higher tier shown as Professional, price not read; 7-day free trial
Demo on request
Best for: German-speaking training providers and associations that want EU hosting and a published entry price
Virtualbadge is a German service for sending digital badges and certificates that recipients open in one click without an account. It includes a designer, CSV bulk upload with email sending, QR codes and validation pages, LinkedIn sharing and Apple and Google Wallet cards. An Organization Hub lets several issuers work under one roof, and the site comes in German and English.
FutureNext GmbH operates it from a technology centre in Mannheim, with a Handelsregister number in the imprint. The privacy notice names Hetzner Online GmbH for hosting in Germany, and Bird B.V. for email in the EU, but also lists US-incorporated processors, Cloudflare, Inc. and Jimo Technologies, Inc. Essentials costs €49 a month billed yearly and includes 1,200 credentials, one user and five templates, and a 7-day trial is offered.
What Virtualbadge does well
- Imprint with Handelsregister number and a Mannheim address
- Hetzner in Germany named as host in the privacy notice
- Entry price of €49 a month on the site
- Credentials can be added to Apple and Google Wallet
- Free Open Badge 2.0 validator
Where Virtualbadge falls short
- Essentials is capped at 1,200 credentials, one seat and five templates
- The Professional price was not in the text we read
- Some listed processors are incorporated in the US
- Open Badges 3.0 is not mentioned in the pages we read
Standout feature. Virtualbadge is the only platform in this category whose privacy notice names a German hosting company.
Vilnius, Lithuania
Personal issuer free; Starting issuer €110 a year; Advanced issuer €550 a year; Institution issuer €950 a year; more than 5,000 users or API use on request
Demo on request
Best for: Youth programmes, schools and community groups that build badge pathways and quests
Awero, the new name of Badgecraft, is a badge platform built around activities. An earner takes on a quest, uploads evidence in several formats and collects badges as milestones are reached, while organisers see progress through teams, branches, statistics and reports. A free Badge Wallet app for earners comes with every plan, and the interface exists in English, Lithuanian, German, Estonian, Spanish, Dutch, French and further languages.
The contracting party is Awero, VšĮ of Vilnius, with a company code and address in the terms and Lithuanian law. The team says it has supported learning recognition for 15 years. The Personal issuer plan is free for 100 badges, and paid plans cost €110, €550 and €950 a year, capped at 500, 2,500 and 5,000 people. The rebrand from Badgecraft is not finished, technical support is paid on the free plan, and the API is available only on request.
What Awero (Badgecraft) does well
- Personal issuer tier at no cost
- Yearly prices of €110, €550 and €950 on the page
- Lithuanian entity named with its code and address
- Quests where earners upload evidence
- Interface offered in many languages
Where Awero (Badgecraft) falls short
- Name change from Badgecraft is still going on
- Paid tiers limit people to 500, 2,500 or 5,000
- The API needs a separate agreement
- Hosting region is not given in the pages we read
Standout feature. Awero is the only platform here that treats a badge as the outcome of a quest with uploaded evidence, not a certificate mailed afterwards.
not stated on the pages we read (courts in Ljubljana), Slovenia
Free €0 for up to 10 credentials a year; Business €1 per credential for 10 to 2000 credentials; Enterprise on request; stated to be in public preview
Demo on request
Best for: Universities and vocational providers that must issue European Digital Credentials
Velocert is a platform for issuing European Digital Credentials, which the vendor describes as original digital versions of documents such as diplomas and micro-credentials. An institution builds a template, issues attendance, skill, membership or degree credentials, and sends them to Europass. The pricing table also lists an archive of issued credentials, extension of validity, bring-your-own eSeal, API documentation and an optional on-premises install.
Netis, d.o.o. provides the service under Slovenian law, with the courts of Ljubljana having jurisdiction. The Free plan covers 10 credentials a year and Business costs €1 per credential between 10 and 2000, with Enterprise on request. The pricing page says Velocert is in public preview, and the pages we read show no city, register entry or hosting location, and no Open Badges or earner wallet.
What Velocert does well
- Slovenian company named in the terms
- European Digital Credentials with delivery to Europass
- Ten credentials a year at no charge
- A flat €1 per credential on the Business plan
- Choice of on-premises install and your own eSeal
Where Velocert falls short
- The service is marked as a public preview
- Open Badges and wallets are not described in the text we read
- City and hosting location are not stated
- Business ends at 2000 credentials a year
Standout feature. Velocert is the only platform here designed for European Digital Credentials from the start, with Europass delivery and your own eSeal.
Paris, France
Essentials Pack starting at $1.50 per recipient a year (shown against $2.50 as a limited-time web offer), minimum 200 recipients; White Label Pack as annual plan plus add-ons
Demo on request
Best for: Universities and training bodies that want branded, white label credentials with a French contracting entity
BCdiploma is a software service for issuing certificates, badges and micro-credentials for higher education, training providers, awarding bodies and product certification. It offers learning pathways with stackable credentials, attached certified files, print-ready certificates, an API with connectors, analytics on adoption and a 100% white label option in which the domain and emails carry the issuer name. The vendor states a Gold Award from the 1EdTech Learning Impact conference in 2023.
The operator is BCdiploma SAS, with a Paris RCS number, share capital of €800,000, an address on rue de Lyon and a data protection officer appointed with the CNIL. Essentials starts at $1.50 per recipient a year, shown against $2.50 as a limited-time web offer, with at least 200 recipients. The site is hosted by Microsoft Ireland in Dublin, and the privacy policy mentions EU to US transfer mechanisms. The footer name Alumnforce is not explained.
What BCdiploma does well
- SAS with an RCS number and Paris address in the legal notices
- A starting price per recipient on the site
- Domain and emails in the issuer name with the White Label Pack
- Data protection officer registered with the CNIL
- Print-ready certificates and an API
Where BCdiploma falls short
- Dollar pricing for a French company
- Essentials requires at least 200 recipients
- Hosted through a US group subsidiary, with transfer clauses
- No price shown for the White Label Pack
Standout feature. BCdiploma is the only platform here where the white label option puts the issuer's own domain and emails on every credential.
Poole, Dorset, United Kingdom
5 free credentials on sign-up without a credit card; subscription calculator shows £1.50 average price per credential at 50 credentials a year (£75 a year excluding tax); custom quote above 1000 credentials a year
Demo on request
Best for: Bootcamps and small institutions that issue modest numbers of credentials
VerifyEd is a credential platform that records each credential on the XRPL blockchain. Beside its institution offer it has products for bootcamps and students, a Lifelong Learning Ledger in which a learner gathers credentials from several providers, and a Blockchain as a Service option. The vendor reviews new institutions by hand to check that they are legitimate.
VerifyEd Ltd is based in Poole, Dorset, and English law and courts govern the terms, so it sits outside the EU. New accounts get five free credentials without a credit card, and the calculator shows an average of £1.50 per credential at 50 a year, £75 excluding tax. Pay-as-you-go is marked as coming soon and larger volumes need a quote. A public blockchain calls for a privacy review, and hosting location and Open Badges are not stated.
What VerifyEd does well
- Company address in Dorset published in the terms
- Five free credentials at sign-up, no card needed
- Price per credential displayed in pounds
- Credentials recorded on the XRPL blockchain
- A ledger that follows the learner across providers
Where VerifyEd falls short
- British entity outside the EU
- A custom quote above 1000 credentials a year
- Data location is not stated
- Pay-as-you-go is not available yet
Standout feature. VerifyEd is the only platform here that publishes a per-credential average from a calculator and anchors every credential on XRPL.
Oulu, Finland
Free for badge earners; organisation environments are mentioned in the terms but their prices are not shown on the pages we read
Demo on request
Best for: Learners who want one free place to keep badges from many issuers
Open Badge Passport is the earner side of the Open Badges world. A person opens an account, receives badges from any issuer that follows the standard, stores them and shares them as they choose. A Gallery lists badges one can apply for, organisations can have their own environment or space, and apps for iOS and Android were announced in January 2021.
Open Badge Factory Oy runs it from Oulu under Finnish law, and the privacy notice names that company as controller. The site states 1EdTech certification and support for Open Badges 2.0 and 3.0, and offers English, Finnish, French, Japanese and Portuguese. It is free for earners, while organisation prices are not shown. Its news stops in January 2021, the privacy notice is dated 2021, and the service cannot issue badges, which is the job of its sister Open Badge Factory.
What Open Badge Passport does well
- No charge for earners
- Finnish controller and address in the privacy notice
- Vendor statement of 1EdTech certification and Open Badges 2.0 and 3.0
- iOS and Android apps announced
- Public gallery of badges to apply for
Where Open Badge Passport falls short
- A wallet for earners, not a platform for issuers
- News on the site ends in January 2021
- Hosting location is not stated
- No analytics or employer functions are described
Standout feature. Open Badge Passport is the only free wallet in this category, and any issuer using the Open Badges standard can send badges to it.
Stockholm, Sweden
Plans start from €100 a month with a yearly contract; above that priced by volume, flows and hosting; per-document pricing above 8,000 documents a year; no fixed price list
Demo on request
Best for: Associations and training firms that want certificates anchored on a blockchain and a custom setup
TRUE Original issues certificates, diplomas, licences and agreements that stay verifiable after they are sent. During onboarding, which the vendor puts at about one hour, TRUE builds a template from the issuer's text or PDF design and prepares bulk issuing; the issuer then uploads a participant list or switches on the API. Each document gets a blockchain anchor and a page on the issuer's own domain. The same vendor sells TRUE Sign, Verify, Wallet, Vault and Upskill.
True Value Software AB is registered on Valhallavägen in Stockholm and the conditions follow Swedish law. Plans start from €100 a month on a yearly contract, and above that the price depends on volume, flows and hosting, with per-document pricing above 8,000 documents a year. There is no fixed price list or free plan, Open Badges and hosting are not mentioned, and the link to the GATE name in the footer is unexplained.
What TRUE Original does well
- Stockholm address in the conditions of a Swedish company
- Entry price of €100 a month in euros
- Blockchain anchor for each document
- Document page on the issuer's domain
- API link built during onboarding
Where TRUE Original falls short
- No fixed price list
- No free plan is described
- Open Badges are not mentioned in the pages we read
- Data location is not stated
Standout feature. TRUE Original is the only platform here that builds your template and API flow for you as part of onboarding.
York, United Kingdom
Subscription page exists, prices not shown in the text we read
Demo on request
Best for: UK colleges and training providers already using MyKnowledgeMap tools
Openbadges.me is a badge service that issues verified, portable credentials which earners can show on LinkedIn, online and on social media. The site has a developer section, a subscription page and a help centre, with support from Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 17:00 UK time. The maker also sells the MyProgress ePortfolio.
MyKnowledgeMap Ltd of York is the legal entity, with a Companies House number given in the maker's privacy policy, and it says it has built learning technology for over 20 years.
The same York address appears on the Openbadges.me contact page. The case against it is thin public detail: the pages we read have no prices, no hosting location and no standards statement, and legal pages specific to Openbadges.me were not found. As a UK company it sits outside the EU.
What Openbadges.me does well
- Companies House number in the maker's privacy policy
- Portable badges verified and shareable on LinkedIn
- Support hours stated in UK time
- A section for developers
- Made by the maker of the MyProgress ePortfolio
Where Openbadges.me falls short
- Prices absent from the text we read
- Hosting location is not stated
- British entity outside the EU
- No legal pages of its own for Openbadges.me were found
Standout feature. Openbadges.me is the only badge service here that comes from an ePortfolio maker, which suits colleges already on that stack.
