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Head-to-head · Open Educational Resource Platforms

MERLOT vs SkillsCommons

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 7 checks side by side
Higher score MERLOT #1 in Open Educational Resource Platforms 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 6 of 6 features Visit MERLOT
SkillsCommons #7 in Open Educational Resource Platforms 8.6/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 6 features Visit SkillsCommons

MERLOT leads on 0 checks, SkillsCommons on 0, and 7 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 7 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreMERLOT · 9.4/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresMERLOT · 6 of 6

MERLOT scores higher on our rubric for open educational resource platforms: 9.4 against 8.6 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #7.

MERLOT is the better fit for broad OER discovery, creation, and integration. SkillsCommons is the better fit for workforce-development OER repositories.

  • MERLOT fits best

    Broad OER discovery, creation, and integration

  • SkillsCommons fits best

    Workforce-development OER repositories

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Side by side

Feature MERLOT 9.4/10 Visit ↗ SkillsCommons 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 8.6
Ranking #1 in Open Educational Resource Platforms #7 in Open Educational Resource Platforms
Best for Broad OER discovery, creation, and integration Workforce-development OER repositories
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, Docs
Integrations 4 integrations 5 integrations
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features MERLOT 6/6 · SkillsCommons 4/6
Open-license filter ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Remix and adaptation ✓ ✓
Authoring tools ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Publishing workflow ✓ ✓
API access ✓ ✓
Content review ✓ ✓
Specs
Download formats Common Cartridge, PDF, Zip, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, RTF, TXT, CSV, SAV, SCORM, website, audio, video, image zip, imscc, doc, docx, pdf, mp4, mov, ogm, webm, flv, avi, mp3, ogg, flac, wav
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
  • Free access to searchable workforce-development OER
  • Supports reuse, revision, remixing, and derivative works
  • APIs, harvesting, LMS packages, and bulk submission workflows
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
  • It is a repository, not a learning management system
  • Its focus is narrower than a general-purpose OER platform
  • Expert review and curation apply to selected resources
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 →

SkillsCommons is a free online repository for open educational resources and program-support materials focused on job-driven workforce development. It serves educators, students, industry partners, institutions, and organizations that need…

Read the review →
  1. MERLOTOpen Educational Resource Platforms 9.4Free plan
  2. SkillsCommonsOpen Educational Resource Platforms 8.6Free plan

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

  • SkillsCommons — where it wins

    • Free access to searchable workforce-development OER
    • Supports reuse, revision, remixing, and derivative works
    • APIs, harvesting, LMS packages, and bulk submission workflows

    Where it doesn't

    • It is a repository, not a learning management system
    • Its focus is narrower than a general-purpose OER platform
    • Expert review and curation apply to selected resources

More comparisons

All open educational resource platforms comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update