# Tin Canny vs GrassBlade (2026): Prices, LRS Needs and an Alternative

https://cubite.io/blogs/tin-canny-vs-grassblade

**By:** Amir Tadrisi
**Updated:** 2026-11-09

Two LearnDash add-ons for SCORM and xAPI, compared on price, data storage and reports.

Short answer (November 9, 2026): Tin Canny Reporting keeps SCORM and xAPI data in an LRS inside WordPress ($199 the first year, then $249 a year). GrassBlade xAPI Companion ($99 a year) needs GrassBlade's own LRS, from $144 a year, for completion tracking and its reports. Cubite LMS replaces a LearnDash plugin stack for [$290 a month or $2,900 a year](https://cubite.io/pricing), with native SCORM, xAPI and a built-in LRS.

Cubite makes Cubite LMS and publishes this guide. LearnDash, Tin Canny and GrassBlade prices and features come from each vendor's own site, checked on November 9, 2026, and are linked where they appear.

If you sell or assign compliance training on LearnDash, your courses probably arrive as SCORM or xAPI zips from Articulate Storyline or Rise, and LearnDash does not play them on its own. [LearnDash's documentation](https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/scorm-xapi/) says SCORM 1.2 and SCORM 2004 are supported through a third-party add-on, naming GrassBlade xAPI Companion and Tin Canny by Uncanny Owl, and that the xAPI route also needs a Learning Record Store (LRS).

This guide is the head-to-head between those two. For the wider argument, see [LearnDash and SCORM: the add-on tax](https://cubite.io/blogs/learndash-scorm) and [xAPI integration for LearnDash](https://cubite.io/blogs/xapi-integration-learndash-alternative).

## Tin Canny vs GrassBlade at a glance (November 9, 2026)

| Compared on | Tin Canny Reporting | GrassBlade xAPI Companion + GrassBlade LRS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Made by | Uncanny Owl | Next Software Solutions |
| What you install | One WordPress plugin | A WordPress plugin plus an LRS that is not a WordPress plugin |
| Content it plays | SCORM 1.2 and 2004, xAPI and H5P; no multi-SCO or AICC modules | SCORM 1.2 and 2004, xAPI, cmi5, HTML5, H5P and video |
| Where statements are stored | Inside your WordPress site | GrassBlade's cloud (US, EU and UK servers) or your own server |
| Separate LRS needed | No | Not to play SCORM; yes for xAPI, and GrassBlade's own for completion tracking, reports and cmi5 |
| Reports | 4 core reports and front-end Group Leader reports, with CSV and Excel export | 11 admin and Group Leader reports in WordPress (dashboard or front-end page, with GrassBlade's LRS), plus the LRS dashboard with PDF and CSV export |
| Lock Mark Complete until the module is done | Yes, optionally on a score | Yes, with GrassBlade's LRS |
| One site, first year | $199, renews at $249 | $99, plus the LRS from $144 a year |
| Price grows with | Sites | Statements a month, or learners if installed |

## What Tin Canny Reporting does

Tin Canny Reporting for LearnDash is made by Uncanny Owl. You add a SCORM or xAPI zip to a lesson or topic from the editor, and Tin Canny records what the learner does inside it. Its [overview](https://www.uncannyowl.com/knowledge-base/tin-canny-learndash-reporting-overview/) describes "a Learning Record Store built into WordPress" with "no third-party LRS subscription and no data leaving your server", and SCORM statements are converted to xAPI so all content reports together.

- Four core reports: Course, User, Tin Can (the raw statement stream) and xAPI Quiz, with drill-down and CSV or Excel export.
- Group Leaders see only their assigned groups, including on front-end report pages.
- Completion gating: Mark Complete can stay locked until the module reports completion, optionally on a score.
- Time spent is extra: Uncanny Owl's [FAQ](https://www.uncannyowl.com/knowledge-base/frequently-asked-questions/) says Tin Canny "cannot track course time on its own" and relies on the Simple Course Timer in Uncanny Toolkit Pro.
- Limits: no multi-SCO or AICC modules, and the LRS cannot store statements from modules hosted elsewhere, such as Amazon S3, so modules must be uploaded to the WordPress site.
- Server headroom: PHP 7.4 and 256 MB of WordPress memory at minimum, and it can need 512 MB or more to report on large data sets, per its [technical requirements](https://www.uncannyowl.com/knowledge-base/tin-canny-reporting-technical-requirements/).

Price on [Uncanny Owl's Tin Canny page](https://www.uncannyowl.com/downloads/tin-canny-reporting/) (November 9, 2026): Single, 1 site, $199 a year (normally $249); Business, 5 sites, $299 (normally $399); Agency, 50 sites, $399 (normally $599); "all renewals are at full price". The All Access Pass adds Toolkit Pro (with the timer), Uncanny Groups, Codes and Continuing Education Credits: $399 the first year for 2 sites, then $499 a year.

## What GrassBlade xAPI Companion and GrassBlade LRS do

GrassBlade, from Next Software Solutions, is two products. [GrassBlade xAPI Companion](https://www.nextsoftwaresolutions.com/grassblade-xapi-companion/) is the WordPress plugin: it uploads and plays HTML5, xAPI, cmi5 and SCORM content in a lesson, topic or quiz. [GrassBlade LRS](https://www.nextsoftwaresolutions.com/grassblade-lrs-experience-api/) stores the data, and its FAQ says it "is not a WordPress plugin": it runs in GrassBlade's cloud or on your own PHP and MySQL server.

Which feature needs which LRS is the detail buyers miss. The companion's own page sorts it like this:

- No LRS: uploading, playing and resuming a SCORM package.
- Any LRS: xAPI packages, quiz responses and WordPress event tracking.
- GrassBlade's own LRS: completion tracking that completes LearnDash lessons automatically, the 11 admin and Group Leader reports, Rich Quiz Reports (cloud LRS, or Premium and up if installed) and cmi5.

The 11 reports include Completions, Gradebook, Progress Snapshot, Quiz, Question, User and three video reports, in the WordPress dashboard or on a front-end page. The LRS adds a real-time statement stream, PDF and CSV report downloads, automated email reports and mobile apps.

Prices on November 9, 2026: the companion is $99 a year for one production and one staging site. GrassBlade Cloud LRS bills by statements a month; its [product page](https://www.nextsoftwaresolutions.com/product/grassblade-cloud-lrs/) lists $144 a year for 5,000, $799 for 25,000 and $1,990 for 100,000; the GrassBlade LRS page lists overage on the 5,000 plan at $7 per 1,000 statements. Installed on your own server, GrassBlade LRS bills by learners: $999 a year for up to 1,000 or $2,999 for up to 5,000 (the $399 plan for 250 learners showed as sold out). There is no free trial.

Size the plan first. GrassBlade's [statement guide](https://www.nextsoftwaresolutions.com/kb/what-is-a-statement-how-many-will-i-use/) says most xAPI, SCORM or cmi5 content sends at least one statement per question answered, plus one each for starting and completing a lesson, and that WordPress events such as logins, page views and enrollments count toward the same monthly total.

## What the add-on stack costs for one LearnDash site

LearnDash's pricing page now redirects to [Liquid Web's LearnDash page](https://www.liquidweb.com/software/learndash/), which on November 9, 2026 listed one site at $350 a year, in a plan that bundles LearnDash with Give, The Events Calendar and Kadence. Here is that price next to each add-on path, at list prices:

| Path, one site | Year one | Year two, if prices hold | Grows with |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| LearnDash + Tin Canny Single | $549 ($350 + $199) | $599 ($350 + $249) | Sites |
| LearnDash + All Access Pass (Tin Canny plus Toolkit Pro's course timer, 2 sites) | $749 ($350 + $399) | $849 ($350 + $499) | Sites |
| LearnDash + GrassBlade companion + Cloud LRS, 5,000 statements a month | $593 ($350 + $99 + $144) | $593 | Statements: 25,000 a month is $799 a year |
| LearnDash + GrassBlade companion + installed LRS, up to 1,000 learners | $1,448 ($350 + $99 + $999) | $1,448 | Learners: up to 5,000 is $2,999 a year |
| Cubite LMS Growth, no add-ons | $2,900 a year, or $290 a month | $2,900 a year | Flat: unlimited courses and learners |

Two honest notes. On list price alone, either WordPress path costs less than Cubite LMS for one site. But the WordPress rows leave out web hosting (Uncanny Owl recommends a WordPress-optimized host), any other plugins and the time spent keeping them updated, while the Cubite LMS Growth price includes the white-label site, blog and custom domain. Compare full bills, not add-on lines.

## Which one to pick if you stay on WordPress

Pick Tin Canny Reporting if you run one or a few LearnDash sites, want SCORM and xAPI in one plugin with no separate LRS bill, want the data on your own server, and your Group Leaders need front-end reports without a separate LRS. If customers ask for time spent, add Toolkit Pro or the All Access Pass, and check your host's memory.

Pick GrassBlade if you need cmi5 (Tin Canny's documentation lists SCORM 1.2, SCORM 2004 and xAPI, not cmi5), video tracking, an LRS that other tools such as Gravity Forms or Zapier can write to, or room to change WordPress LMS plugins: it also works with LifterLMS, LearnPress, Tutor LMS, WP Courseware, MasterStudy and Sensei. Budget for GrassBlade's LRS from day one.

Pick neither if you only need a Storyline or Captivate module to play and do not need the data inside it: LearnDash's documentation points to a free plugin, Topic Progression Using Storyline/Captivate for LearnDash, for that case.

## When it makes sense to leave the plugin stack

Both add-ons do what they promise. The case for leaving is the stack around them, and it is strongest for training businesses and employers that sell or assign compliance courses:

- Renewals and updates multiply: LearnDash, the SCORM add-on, often Toolkit Pro and, with GrassBlade, an LRS, each with its own license and release schedule, on top of WordPress and PHP.
- Costs move with usage: statement-based LRS plans charge overage, and Tin Canny's data grows inside your WordPress site.
- Evidence sits in several places: when an employer or an auditor asks who completed what and when, the answer spans LearnDash, the add-on's reports and your checkout.

If that sounds familiar, our guide to [LearnDash for compliance training](https://cubite.io/blogs/learndash-compliance-training) goes deeper on that use case.

## An alternative to Tin Canny and GrassBlade: Cubite LMS

Cubite LMS replaces a LearnDash plugin stack for $290 a month or $2,900 a year, with native SCORM, xAPI and a built-in LRS. SCORM 1.2, SCORM 2004 and xAPI packages, such as Storyline or Rise exports, are uploaded as zip files of up to 500 MB each and play natively. xAPI statements go to the built-in LRS, SCORM progress is recorded per learner, and a certificate is issued when the learner meets the course's completion rule, such as passing the final quiz at the pass mark. See the [SCORM, xAPI and built-in LRS page](https://cubite.io/scorm-xapi-lms).

- Certificates that expire and can be checked: validity per course, from 1 to 120 months, printed on the PDF; a public verification page on your own domain, linked by a QR code on the PDF, that shows a lapsed certificate as expired; and an expiry report with a CSV.
- Groups for employers: seat caps, and a group leader who sees only their own group's learners (status, progress percent, completion date, credits, certificate code, date and PDF) and exports a per-group CSV.
- Records that outlast the learner: when a learner leaves a site or closes their account, their enrollments, progress and certificates are kept for the site's retention period, 6 years by default and configurable per site.
- Quizzes, credits, exports and checkout: quizzes with a pass mark and an attempts limit, continuing-education credits in your own units (Cubite is not an accrediting body), CSV exports of roster, enrollments, progress, gradebook and certificates, and Stripe checkout on your own Stripe account.

Two limits, stated plainly. Cubite LMS does not play cmi5, and its LRS is not general-purpose: it stores statements sent by packages played inside Cubite, does not import statements from other systems and has no public Statements API for other tools. If you need either, GrassBlade is the better fit. Cubite keeps the records; you and the employers you train stay responsible for compliance. Growth also includes the white-label site, blog and custom domain and "14-report analytics and psychometrics". See [Cubite LMS pricing](https://cubite.io/pricing).

## Leaving LearnDash without losing learner records

Start with what the WordPress export can carry. LearnDash's WordPress export (WXR) carries course content only; learners, enrollments, progress, quiz scores and certificates live in the database. Cubite moves the whole LearnDash site, including learners, enrollments, progress, quiz attempts and groups, with earned certificates re-issued, as a migration it runs for you from that database export. The migration is included at no extra cost with every paid Cubite LMS plan: Growth at $290 a month or $2,900 a year, Perpetual, or Enterprise.

Cubite works from a copy, so the live LearnDash site is not touched, and you review the record counts and sign off before launch. WordPress passwords do not move: learners sign in from an invite or an emailed sign-in link, and certificates are re-issued with the original completion date. See [how the LearnDash migration works](https://cubite.io/blogs/migrate-from-learndash-to-cubite) or start with the [LearnDash migration assessment](https://cubite.io/learndash-migration).

Whatever you decide, keep your own copy of the statement history before you switch either add-on off: Tin Canny's Tin Can Report exports filtered statements to CSV, and GrassBlade LRS offers CSV downloads. Our guide to [exporting LearnDash xAPI history](https://cubite.io/blogs/export-learndash-xapi-history) walks through it.

Vendor prices were checked on each vendor's own site on November 9, 2026, and may change. Confirm current pricing with each vendor.

## Tin Canny vs GrassBlade: common questions

### Is Tin Canny or GrassBlade better for LearnDash?

It depends on where you want the data. Tin Canny Reporting is one plugin with an LRS built into WordPress: $199 the first year, then $249 a year for one site. GrassBlade xAPI Companion is $99 a year but needs GrassBlade's own LRS, from $144 a year, for completion tracking and reports; in return it plays cmi5 and accepts statements from other tools. Prices were checked on November 9, 2026.

### Does Tin Canny need an external LRS?

No. Uncanny Owl says Tin Canny stores statements in a Learning Record Store built into WordPress. That LRS is local to the site: it cannot store statements from modules hosted elsewhere, such as Amazon S3, so modules must be uploaded to the WordPress site itself.

### Does GrassBlade work without an LRS?

Partly. GrassBlade xAPI Companion uploads, plays and resumes SCORM packages without an LRS. xAPI packages need an LRS, and LearnDash completion tracking, the 11 reports and cmi5 need GrassBlade's own: from $144 a year in its cloud, or $999 a year installed on your server for up to 1,000 learners. Rich Quiz Reports need the cloud LRS or the installed Premium plan ($2,999 a year for up to 5,000 learners) or above (November 9, 2026).

### How much do Tin Canny and GrassBlade cost with LearnDash?

For one site on November 9, 2026: LearnDash $350 a year (bundled with Give, The Events Calendar and Kadence), Tin Canny Reporting $199 the first year and then $249, GrassBlade xAPI Companion $99 a year and GrassBlade Cloud LRS from $144 a year for 5,000 statements a month. That is $549 in year one for LearnDash with Tin Canny and $593 with GrassBlade, before hosting.

### Which one supports cmi5?

GrassBlade. GrassBlade xAPI Companion added cmi5 in version 4.0, and cmi5 tracking needs GrassBlade's own LRS. Tin Canny's documentation lists SCORM 1.2, SCORM 2004 and xAPI (Tin Can) modules, not cmi5. Cubite LMS does not play cmi5 either.

### What is an alternative to Tin Canny and GrassBlade?

On LearnDash, these are the two add-ons LearnDash's own documentation names. To drop the add-on layer, Cubite LMS replaces a LearnDash plugin stack for $290 a month or $2,900 a year, with native SCORM, xAPI and a built-in LRS: Storyline or Rise packages upload as zip files of up to 500 MB each and play natively. It does not play cmi5.

### Can I move my LearnDash site and learner records to Cubite LMS?

Yes. LearnDash's WordPress export (WXR) carries course content only; learners, enrollments, progress, quiz scores and certificates live in the database. Cubite moves the whole LearnDash site, including learners, enrollments, progress, quiz attempts and groups, with earned certificates re-issued, as a migration it runs for you from that database export. The migration is included at no extra cost with every paid Cubite LMS plan: Growth at $290 a month or $2,900 a year, Perpetual, or Enterprise.

## Running Storyline or Rise courses on LearnDash?

Book a 30-minute call. Bring a SCORM or xAPI package and your plugin list, and we will walk through how it runs on Cubite LMS.

[Book a call](https://cubite.io/go/book?src=tin-canny-vs-grassblade)