Virtualbadge
Mannheim certificate and badge tool, hosted at Hetzner in Germany, from EUR 49 a month
Quick Overview
| Company | FutureNext GmbH |
|---|---|
| Category | Digital Credentialing Platforms |
| Headquarters | Mannheim, Germany |
| Founded | Not stated |
| EU Presence | Yes - Germany (EU) |
| Data Location | Hetzner Online GmbH, EU (Germany), as listed in the privacy notice |
| Open Source | No |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes |
| Self-Hosting | No |
| Main Features | Badge and certificate designer, CSV bulk upload, email sending, QR codes and validation pages, LinkedIn sharing, Apple and Google Wallet cards, organisation hub, 4,000+ app integrations |
| Pricing | 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 |
| Best For | German-speaking training providers and associations that want EU hosting and a published entry price |
| Replaces | Credly |
Detailed Review
Virtualbadge is a service of FutureNext GmbH, whose imprint gives Mafinex Technologiezentrum, Julius-Hatry-Straße 1, 68163 Mannheim, and Handelsregister number HRB 736146 at the Mannheim court. The terms name the registered office as place of jurisdiction.
Virtualbadge sends digital badges and certificates that recipients open in one click without creating an account. The site is available in German and English.
Issuing with Virtualbadge
Virtualbadge includes a designer for badges and certificates, CSV bulk upload with email sending, QR codes and validation pages. LinkedIn and social sharing are listed in the Essentials plan.
Virtualbadge also offers wallet cards for Apple and Google Wallet, a copy-proof validation process and an Organization Hub for several issuers.
Hosting and processors at Virtualbadge
The privacy notice lists Hetzner Online GmbH for hosting and server infrastructure in Germany and Bird B.V. for email delivery in the EU. It also lists Jimo Technologies, Inc. for scalable cloud infrastructure in the EU, and Stripe Payments Europe Limited for payments.
The same list names Cloudflare, Inc. and states that transfers are safeguarded by the EU-US Data Privacy Framework.
Virtualbadge as a European alternative to Credly
Virtualbadge is a German GmbH with a public entry price of €49 a month, where Credly lists no price in the text we read. Virtualbadge handles certificates and badges for issuers and does not describe a talent marketplace.
Virtualbadge offers free tools such as an Open Badge 2.0 validator and a certificate maker on its resource menu.
Limitations to Consider
Essentials includes 1,200 credentials a year, one user seat and five templates, so larger teams move to a higher tier whose price we did not read. Some processors in the privacy notice are US-incorporated companies (Cloudflare, Inc.; Jimo Technologies, Inc.). The pages read do not mention Open Badges 3.0.
Who Should Use Virtualbadge
Small and mid-size training providers that want a German contracting entity, EU hosting and a monthly price to start.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Handelsregister number and Mannheim address in the imprint
- Hosting listed at Hetzner in Germany
- Essentials price published at €49 a month
- Wallet cards for Apple and Google Wallet
- Free Open Badge 2.0 validator
Cons
- Essentials limited to 1,200 credentials, one seat and five templates
- Higher tier price not read
- US-incorporated processors in the list
- Open Badges 3.0 not mentioned in the pages we read
Alternatives to Virtualbadge
Other European digital credentialing platforms worth comparing before you decide:
See all European digital credentialing platforms or compare them directly against Credly on our alternatives page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Virtualbadge is operated by FutureNext GmbH in Mannheim, Germany, and it issues digital badges and certificates with validation pages.
The privacy notice lists Hetzner Online GmbH for hosting and server infrastructure, with data location EU (Germany).
Essentials costs €49 a month billed yearly (€588) and includes 1,200 credentials a year, one user seat and five templates.