Virtualbadge.io vs Open Badge Factory: A comparison with sources

Open Badge Factory and Virtualbadge.io both issue digital credentials based on open standards. Open Badge Factory comes from Oulu, Finland, and specializes in Open Badges and complete badge systems.¹² Virtualbadge.io comes from Mannheim, issues certificates and badges and is used by more than 1,000 organizations.³

This page draws on Open Badge Factory’s website, pricing page and help center and on our own product documentation.

Part 1How Open Badge Factory works

Badges and badge systems

Open Badge Factory, or OBF, is a cloud platform that organizations use to create, issue and manage Open Badges.¹ Badges can be multilingual and aligned with the ESCO and CASE competency frameworks.¹⁴ OBF adds badge applications, milestone badges that combine several smaller badges, and endorsements that let organizations recognize each other’s badges.⁴⁵ OBF says more than 900 organizations use it.⁶

Recipients and Open Badge Passport

Recipients do not need an account in Open Badge Factory.⁴ Through an access link sent by email, they can view all badges issued to their address.⁷ To share on social media, they use a free Open Badge Passport account, OBF’s companion service.⁸⁹ If their email address is saved there, new badges arrive in the Passport automatically.⁹

Standards and portability

Since September 30, 2025, Open Badge Factory has issued all badges as Open Badges 3.0.¹⁰

Integrations

OBF builds its own Moodle plugin, which can connect one OBF account to several Moodle sites.¹¹¹² The Premium plan includes the Moodle plugin; the API with OAuth and the LTI services come with the Pro plan.⁴ Zapier connects Open Badge Factory to other applications without code.¹¹ Single sign-on through SAML 2.0 or Shibboleth is a paid add-on on the Pro plan.⁴

PDF and verification

On the Pro plan, Open Badge Factory delivers badges as an image and as a PDF by default; the Basic and Premium plans have no PDF badges.¹³⁴ The Pro plan also includes blockchain verification, activated on request.⁴ From the Premium plan up, the badge view shows an “Issuer verified by Open Badge Factory” stamp. The pricing page does not mention a custom domain for badges or verification pages.⁴

Sub-organizations

Sub-organizations let internal units such as teams, offices, departments or faculties issue badges under their own name.⁵ The Premium plan allows at most two sub-organizations as a paid add-on; the Pro plan allows more, with advanced management.⁴⁵ Organizations can also share badges and badge applications with each other in OBF.⁴

Pricing

Open Badge Factory publishes yearly prices: Basic costs €220 (card only, 10 badge classes, 5,000 badges a year), Premium €700 by card or €740 by invoice (15,000 badges), Pro €1,280 by card or €1,320 by invoice (50,000 badges, extendable); Enterprise is on request. Prices exclude VAT, and OBF offers a 60-day free trial.⁴

Company, hosting and privacy

The provider is Open Badge Factory Oy, based in Oulu, Finland.² According to Open Badge Passport, both services are hosted in Finland by a professional operator.⁹ OBF describes itself as GDPR compliant and offers a standard data processing agreement that Basic, Premium and Pro customers accept.¹⁴⁴

Summary of Open Badge Factory

• Low, public yearly prices from €220; 60-day free trial.⁴
• Badge applications, milestone badges, endorsements and badge sharing between organizations.⁴
• No OBF account for recipients; sharing through Open Badge Passport.⁴⁸
• Open Badges 3.0 since September 2025.¹⁰
• Moodle plugin; API and LTI on the Pro plan.⁴¹¹
• PDF badges and blockchain verification on the Pro plan; based and hosted in Finland.⁴⁹

Part 2Virtualbadge.io vs Open Badge Factory for certificates that get checked

Use case 1: A university issues badges from Moodle

TakeawayBoth handle this well. For badge-only programs with many badges, Open Badge Factory is the cheaper start.

Use case 2: An employer checks a certificate

TakeawayWith Virtualbadge.io, verification happens where the certificate comes from, and the verifier leaves with proof.

Use case 3: Test centers issue under your brand

Takeawaytelc has connected more than 3,000 authorized issuers to Virtualbadge.io this way.¹⁹

Virtualbadge.io vs Open Badge Factory: Feature comparison

Status as documented publicly in November 2026. “Not documented” means we could not find the capability in the vendor’s public materials. Where a capability depends on the plan, the cell names the plan.

For plan details, see Virtualbadge.io pricing and Open Badge Factory’s pricing page.

Key Virtualbadge.io features not documented for Open Badge Factory

• Verification on your websiteChecks run on your domain, embedded in your website and under your brand (Professional plan).
• Sealed PDF certificatesA digital seal inside the PDF keeps the proof with the document wherever it goes (add-on to the Professional plan).
• Sealed verification receiptsVerifiers can download a sealed receipt that documents each check.
• Organization HubTest centers, authorized issuers or units issue on your behalf while you control templates and rights centrally (Professional plan).
• Fake verification page monitoring with AI Fraud ProtectFinds lookalike verification pages and copies of your certificates and supports takedown requests.
• Certificates as PDF, including multi-pageBesides badges, Virtualbadge.io issues certificates as PDFs, including multi-page documents, ready to download and print.

Pricing model comparison

• Open Badge FactoryYearly licenses: Basic €220 (card only; 10 badge classes, 5,000 badges a year), Premium €700 by card or €740 by invoice (15,000 badges), Pro €1,280 by card or €1,320 by invoice (50,000 badges), Enterprise on request; excluding VAT; 60-day free trial.⁴
• Virtualbadge.ioEssentials €49 and Advanced €99 per month billed yearly, with 1,200 or 3,000 credits a year; one credit covers one credential sent. Professional, with verification on your own domain, signed PDFs and the Organization Hub, on request. 7-day free trial.¹⁵
• What it meansFor badge programs with many badges, Open Badge Factory is clearly cheaper. For certificates that others rely on, compare the plans that contain the capabilities you need: PDF badges come with Open Badge Factory’s Pro plan; verification on your own domain and signed PDFs with Virtualbadge.io’s Professional plan.

Open Badge Factory vs Virtualbadge.io: Which should you choose?

Open Badge Factory and Virtualbadge.io solve related jobs with a different focus: OBF builds badge systems, Virtualbadge.io secures certificates that get checked. The right choice depends on the job your credential does:

Switching from Open Badge Factory to Virtualbadge.io

You can plan the switch in five steps:

1. Take stock. Ask Open Badge Factory which data you can export and how long credentials you already issued stay accessible.
2. Bring your templates. Upload your current certificate design or build templates in the editor, including multi-page documents.
3. Connect your data. Import recipients by CSV or connect your LMS, CRM or exam system through the API, webhooks, Zapier or LMS connectors.
4. Move verification. Embed the validation page in your website (Professional plan) and link it wherever employers check today.
5. Run in parallel. Issue new credentials with Virtualbadge.io while existing ones keep running at Open Badge Factory for as long as your contract allows.

TakeawayYou can test the whole flow in the 7-day trial with your own design and real data.

Frequently asked questions about Open Badge Factory and Virtualbadge.io

Information about Open Badge Factory comes from the public sources listed below, as of Nov 14, 2026. Product capabilities change; we review this page every quarter. Open Badge Factory is a registered trademark of its owner. Virtualbadge.io is not affiliated with Open Badge Factory. Found something out of date? Contact us and we will correct it.