MERLOT vs OER Commons

MERLOT9.4Visit OER Commons9.3Visit

Higher score MERLOT #1 in Open Educational Resource Platforms 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 6 of 6 features Visit MERLOT

vs

OER Commons #2 in Open Educational Resource Platforms 9.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 6 features Visit OER Commons

• MERLOT fits best

  Broad OER discovery, creation, and integration

• OER Commons fits best

  Schools and educators building reusable OER

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature	MERLOT 9.4/10 Visit ↗	OER Commons 9.3/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	9.3
Ranking	#1 in Open Educational Resource Platforms	#2 in Open Educational Resource Platforms
Best for	Broad OER discovery, creation, and integration	Schools and educators building reusable OER
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Free plan	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Browser extension	Cloud
Platforms	Web	Web
Support	Email, Docs	Email, Tickets, Community, Docs
Integrations	4 integrations	5 integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features MERLOT 6/6 · OER Commons 0/6
Open-license filter	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Remix and adaptation	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Authoring tools	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Publishing workflow	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
API access	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Content review	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Specs
Download formats	Common Cartridge, PDF, Zip, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, RTF, TXT, CSV, SAV, SCORM, website, audio, video, image	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Advanced search includes discipline, format, audience, mobile, and license filters Content Builder supports hosted website creation and public publishing APIs, Common Cartridge, and four LMS integrations support reuse	Searches resources by subject, level, and standards Open Author supports creation, adaptation, and sharing Connects with Canvas, Moodle, Blackboard, Schoology, and Google Classroom
Cons	Many discoverable resources are linked externally rather than hosted The platform is web-based, with no listed native desktop or mobile apps Content Builder publishing is narrower than a full learning management system	The platform is web-based Editing depends on each resource’s usage rights Resource formats and access conditions vary across the library
Our verdict	MERLOT is a free, web-based community and repository for discovering, contributing, evaluating, organizing, and creating online teaching and learning materials. It primarily serves higher education educators, learners, researchers, and… Read the review →	OER Commons is a freely accessible online library and collaboration platform for teachers, curriculum specialists, students, and other learners. It supports discovery, creation, adaptation, review, and organization of open educational… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• MERLOT — where it wins

  • Advanced search includes discipline, format, audience, mobile, and license filters
  • Content Builder supports hosted website creation and public publishing
  • APIs, Common Cartridge, and four LMS integrations support reuse

  Where it doesn't

  • Many discoverable resources are linked externally rather than hosted
  • The platform is web-based, with no listed native desktop or mobile apps
  • Content Builder publishing is narrower than a full learning management system

• OER Commons — where it wins

  • Searches resources by subject, level, and standards
  • Open Author supports creation, adaptation, and sharing
  • Connects with Canvas, Moodle, Blackboard, Schoology, and Google Classroom

  Where it doesn't

  • The platform is web-based
  • Editing depends on each resource’s usage rights
  • Resource formats and access conditions vary across the library

• MERLOT9.4/10 · Free plan

  A free OER platform with strong discovery, authoring, review, and LMS integration.

  Visit MERLOTFull verdict →
• OER Commons9.3/10 · Free plan

  A broad, free OER library with creation, remixing, review, and LMS connections.

  Visit OER CommonsFull verdict →