What happened to free Badgr
Badgr was an open badge issuing platform made by Concentric Sky. Instructure, the maker of Canvas LMS, acquired it in 2022. It was renamed Canvas Badges, then Canvas Credentials, and is now called Parchment Digital Badges.
Instructure first stopped accepting new free issuer accounts, then removed free issuing entirely. According to its release notes, from January 5, 2026:
- Free-tier issuer accounts no longer have the Issuers menu or the tools to create and award badges, in both the standalone platform and the Canvas LTI.
- Canvas LTI integrations tied to free-tier issuer accounts no longer function.
- Issuer APIs for free-tier accounts are deactivated.
- The deadline to export issuer data was January 4, 2026. After January 5, the issuer tools in a free account are not accessible.
Paid Parchment Digital Badges customers are unaffected. We could not find published pricing for the paid product; Instructure handles it through its sales team.
Source: Instructure Community, “Parchment Award Digital Badges Release Notes (2026-01-05)”, posted December 19, 2025. Checked November 2026.
What still works for your existing badges
Nothing you already awarded became void. Per the same release notes:
- Learners keep free access to the badges they earned through Backpack.
- Badges previously issued by free-tier accounts remain valid and publicly viewable.
- Public issuer and badge award pages remain accessible, so anyone can still verify them.
What you lost is the ability to create and award new badges from that account. That is the part to replace.
Moving a program to Incredify
There is no automatic import. You rebuild each badge by hand.
- 1Sign up free with a work email. Sign-in is a one-time code sent to your inbox. Set up your organization and you can start on the Free plan.
- 2Recreate each badge. Upload your existing artwork (it must be a square PNG) or redesign it in the browser designer, then re-enter the name, description, and criteria.
- 3Decide whether to re-issue. Old badges stay valid where they are, so most programs simply issue new awards going forward. If you want past earners on the new platform, you need your own record of who earned what, because the Badgr export window has closed. Put that record in a CSV and upload it; the bulk tab has a downloadable CSV template with the exact column headers. Past earners receive new badges, with new issue dates.
- 4Invite colleagues. Add co-instructors or staff by email and choose a role. Use sub-organizations to separate departments or programs.
- 5Optional: set up pathways. A pathway awards a badge automatically once a learner has met its requirements.
You can issue to one person, to several hand-entered addresses, or to a class list by CSV. The help docs cover each step.
What's different from Badgr
Be sure these fit your program before you move:
What Incredify does not have
- No Canvas LTI integration or any LMS plug-in. Issuance is by hand, by CSV, or through the Enterprise API.
- No importer for Badgr data.
- No learner backpack or account. Each badge has its own public page instead.
- It is a young product from a small company, with no SOC 2 report. See the security page for the current state.
What you get
- Open Badges 3.0 credentials as W3C Verifiable Credentials, signed with Ed25519 and tied to your organization by did:web.
- Public verification, and recipients need no account.
- An Add to LinkedIn button on every badge page.
- A badge designer in the browser, or upload your own square PNG.
- Pathways, sub-organizations for departments, and colleague invitations.
- No per-badge fees and no setup fee.
New to the standard? Read what Open Badges 3.0 are.
What it costs
| Plan | Price | Badges issued | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 100 badges / year | Every feature except API and SSO |
| Starter | $29/mo or $276/yr | 2,500 badges / year | Every feature except API and SSO |
| Pro | $79/mo or $756/yr | 15,000 badges / year | Every feature except API and SSO |
| Enterprise | $249/mo or $2,388/yr | Unlimited | Adds API access and SSO |
Annual plans can be paid by invoice. Ask through the contact page.
Frequently asked questions
- Are my old Badgr badges still valid?
- Yes. Per Instructure's release notes, badges previously issued by free-tier accounts remain valid and publicly viewable, and public issuer and badge award pages stay accessible for verification. Learners keep free access to the badges they earned through Backpack.
- Can I import my Badgr badges into Incredify?
- No. There is no importer. You recreate each badge by hand and, if you want past earners on the new platform, upload a CSV of your own records. The window to export issuer data from Badgr closed on January 4, 2026.
- Does Incredify work inside Canvas?
- No. Incredify has no Canvas LTI integration and no LMS plug-in. You issue by hand, by CSV class list, or, on the Enterprise plan, through the API. Recipients get an email and a public badge page, so nothing is needed inside Canvas for them to receive a badge.
- Is it really free?
- The Free plan includes 100 badges issued per year and every feature except API access and SSO. There are no per-badge fees and no setup fee. If you need more, paid plans start at $29 a month.
- Do recipients need an account?
- No. Each badge has its own public page where the recipient can view it and use Add to LinkedIn. Incredify has no learner backpack, so recipients keep their badge through that page link, a download, or their LinkedIn profile.
- What if I need more than 100 badges a year?
- Starter covers 2,500 a year ($29 a month, or $276 billed yearly), Pro covers 15,000 ($79 a month, or $756 yearly), and Enterprise is unlimited ($249 a month, or $2,388 yearly) and adds API and SSO. Annual plans can be paid by invoice: ask through the contact page.
- Are badges issued by Incredify Open Badges 3.0?
- Yes. Each one is a W3C Verifiable Credential signed with an Ed25519 key, and your organization is identified by a did:web address. Anyone can verify a badge on its public page without an account.