Credly Alternative
Looking for a Credly Alternative? TRUE Does More.
Blockchain-secured digital certificates published on your own domain, built by a Swedish company for European compliance. Below is the feature by feature comparison, what changes when you switch, and what migration takes.
TL;DR
TRUE is a European alternative to Credly for organisations that need more than a badge. Credly issues Open Badges hosted on credly.com; TRUE issues full certificates, diplomas, awards, licences and memberships, published at a permanent address on your own domain and anchored to blockchains. TRUE is a Swedish company, eIDAS compliant and GDPR native, with data held in Europe rather than transferred across the Atlantic. Automation works the same way in both: a REST API with five endpoints plus integrations with Canvas, Moodle, Learnster and Salesforce. Most organisations start by issuing new credentials through TRUE and move historical records across over the following two to four weeks.
- Your domain, not a vendor's. Credentials resolve at credentials.yourorg.com, so every share and every verification points at you.
- A blockchain record, not one company's database. Documents are anchored on Ethereum, AVAX, Fantom and Polygon.
- European compliance by default. eIDAS compliant, GDPR native, data hosted in Europe, Cyber Hygiene Certified by OneMore Secure.
What is an alternative to Credly for digital badges and certificates?
TRUE Original is a Swedish alternative to Credly that issues both digital badges and digital certificates, as well as diplomas, licences and memberships. Each TRUE badge links to a full certificate or other TRUE document, which is secured on a public blockchain and can open on the issuer's own domain. Anyone can check a TRUE badge or certificate in TRUE Verify, free and without an account.
A TRUE badge is a small representation of the document. A recipient can add it to a website or an email signature. Click the badge and the full TRUE document opens, with room for the criteria, the issuer and the date. TRUE badges can carry the recipient's name automatically and can be high-resolution images or animated GIFs, as the examples in TRUE's guide to digital badges show.
According to 1EdTech's 2025 Badge Count, published on 11 December 2025, the number of digital badges issued more than quadrupled, from 74.7 million in 2022 to 320.4 million in 2025. 1EdTech publishes the Open Badges specification. 1EdTech's 2025 count covered 24 badge platforms, up from 15 in 2022, and 81% of them offered badges for earning a short-term microcredential.
Great Place To Work issues its employer certifications through TRUE Original. The Swedish Association of Vocational Colleges (YHF) issues membership badges the same way. When a membership lapses, TRUE Original lets the association inactivate the certificate or the badge, and it shows as inactive to everyone who opens it.
How does TRUE compare with Credly?
The two platforms differ in three places that matter: where the credential lives, what secures it, and which regulatory regime it was built for. Credly issues Open Badges from credly.com under United States data hosting. TRUE issues full documents from your own domain, anchored on four blockchains, from a Swedish company operating under EU rules.
| Feature | TRUE Original | Credly |
|---|---|---|
| Custom domain | Your domain (credentials.you.com) | Hosted on credly.com |
| Blockchain security | 4 chains (Ethereum, AVAX, Fantom, Polygon) | Open Badges standard only |
| eIDAS compliant | Yes | Not advertised |
| Certificate design | Animated, fully branded | Template based badges |
| REST API | 5 endpoints | Yes |
| Analytics | Opens, shares and verification traffic | Basic |
| European data hosting | Sweden | United States |
| GDPR | Built in from day one | US first compliance |
| Pricing | Transparent, mid market | Enterprise, quote based |
Want the full picture? Read our detailed TRUE vs Credly comparison, or compare all major credential platforms in our 2026 guide.
Why do organisations switch from Credly to TRUE?
Five reasons come up again and again: the credential URL belongs to the vendor, the platform was built for United States compliance, badges live in one company's database, the design is too small to be worth sharing, and automation sits behind an enterprise sales cycle. Each is covered below.
1. Your brand, not Credly's
Every credential you issue through Credly lives on credly.com. When a recipient shares their badge, when an employer verifies it, when anyone clicks the link, they see Credly's domain and Credly's branding.
With TRUE, your credentials live on your domain. credentials.youruniversity.com. Your brand. Your authority. Every share, every verification and every click reinforces your organisation rather than your vendor's.
For universities, professional associations and certification bodies, this is not cosmetic. It decides whose brand grows every time a graduate posts a credential.
2. Built for Europe
Credly is an American platform built for the US market. TRUE is a Swedish company, founded in Stockholm, built for European compliance from day one.
- eIDAS compliant, meeting EU electronic identification and trust services requirements.
- GDPR native, not retrofitted compliance. European data protection is in the architecture.
- Data stays in Europe, so there is no transatlantic transfer to justify to your DPO.
- Cyber Hygiene Certified by OneMore Secure. Working toward ISO 27001.
If your organisation operates under EU regulations, a European built platform removes compliance questions before they reach your legal team.
3. Blockchain, not just badges
Credly issues Open Badges. These are useful for representing skills and micro credentials, but they are stored in a centralised database. The integrity of the badge depends on Credly's infrastructure staying intact.
TRUE writes every document to four blockchains: Ethereum, AVAX, Fantom and Polygon. That record is permanent, immutable and independently verifiable. Nobody can alter a credential after issuance, including the issuer and including TRUE.
For credentials where forgery has real consequences, such as professional certifications, medical training and government documents, blockchain verification provides guarantees that database storage cannot match.
The Swedish Companies Registration Office (Bolagsverket) ran a blockchain pilot with TRUE. A national government agency trusting the platform with official records sets the integrity standard the rest of the product is held to.
4. Design people want to share
Credly badges are small icons. They work, but few recipients are eager to post one. TRUE credentials are full, animated, interactive documents sized to match the achievement.
The result shows up in the numbers: TRUE issuers have generated more than 100 million marketing impressions from shared credentials, on LinkedIn profiles, websites and email signatures, all pointing back to the issuer's domain.
“A clear advantage of our new digital certificates is how easily they can be added as a reference to LinkedIn or a digital CV. The ease of use and verifiability creates trust!”
When credentials look prestigious, recipients treat them as prestigious. They share them. They display them. Your brand travels with every share.
5. A small API and real automation
TRUE's REST API has five endpoints. Connect it to your LMS, CRM, HR system or training management platform and issue certificates automatically when a course completes. No manual work, no clicking through one credential at a time.
Integrations with Canvas LMS, Moodle, Learnster and Salesforce are available out of the box or through the API.
Automating credentialing at scale does not require an enterprise sales cycle before you can start.
How do you switch from Credly to TRUE Original?
Organisations switch from Credly to TRUE Original by issuing new TRUE documents from the recipient data they already hold: recipient list, metadata and issue dates. TRUE can have a new organisation up and running in a couple of days when needed. Onboarding takes one hour.
- Send TRUE your content. A draft of what the certificate says and which fields change per recipient, or your own design as a PDF. TRUE can also implement InDesign or Illustrator files as they are, or add an animation.
- TRUE builds your templates. Each design is built in TRUE's system, ready for bulk issuing and secured. You can have several templates for different certificates, diplomas, licences, memberships and awards, and a document can come with a badge.
- One hour of onboarding. The API connection is built in parallel, through the REST API with five endpoints or the integrations with Canvas LMS, Moodle, Learnster and Salesforce.
- Issue to one cohort first. Upload a participant list in the TRUE dashboard, send a structured email or switch the API on, then check issuing, verification and the recipient experience end to end.
- Reissue past credentials in waves. TRUE can reissue historical credentials as blockchain-secured documents, which can open on your own domain, so recipients have everything in one place.
- Tell recipients where their credentials now live. A recipient can add a TRUE document to the education or certification section of a LinkedIn profile, and anyone can check it in TRUE Verify, free and without an account.
How widely are digital credentials issued, and how often are they checked?
Issuance has grown far faster than verification. Tens of millions of Open Badges are in circulation, yet only about half of large employers check every academic credential they are shown, and close to a fifth of UK adults report qualification lying in their own circle. A credential is only worth what a verifier can confirm in seconds.
- 74,780,775 Open Badges had been issued globally by 26,285 issuers, up 73% on the previous count. Published by 1EdTech and Credential Engine on 16 February 2023.
- 45% of large employers have uncovered a false qualification claim, and only 52% verify all academic credentials. Verification falls to 37% at medium sized organisations and 29% at small ones. Source: Prospects Luminate, November 2025, from a YouGov survey of 526 HR decision makers.
- 18% of UK adults say they have lied on a CV or job application in the last 12 months, or know someone who has. Published by Cifas on 3 February 2025, from an Opinion Matters survey of 2,000 UK people.
That gap is the argument for issuing on a domain a verifier recognises, against a record they can check without asking anyone's permission.
Which organisations switch to TRUE?
Mostly issuers whose credential carries professional or legal weight: universities, professional associations, corporate learning teams, public sector bodies and certifying bodies. The common thread is that somebody outside the organisation needs to confirm the credential is real.
Universities and higher education
Karolinska Institutet (medical training), Yrkeshogskoleförbundet (vocational education), FEI (business education since 1888). Institutions that want diplomas on their own domain with blockchain security.
Professional associations
SSF (Sweden's security authority, founded over 80 years ago), Great Place To Work, Almega Utbildningsföretagen. Organisations whose certifications define professional standing.
Corporate learning teams
Skanska, Dale Carnegie Sweden, AW Academy. Companies that want branded, shareable training certificates rather than generic badges.
Government and public sector
Bolagsverket (Swedish Companies Registration Office), Södertälje Kommun. Organisations that need government grade document integrity.
Certifying bodies
Safe Cert Group, OneMore Secure, Branschutbildarna. Organisations where certificate authenticity is the product.
How much has TRUE issued so far?
More than 900,000 documents for over 200 organisations in more than 15 countries, secured across four blockchain networks.
900,000+
documents issued
200+
issuing organisations
15+
countries with customers
100M+
marketing impressions from shared credentials
€9.5M+
marketing value generated for issuers
4
blockchain networks securing documents
What do teams ask when comparing TRUE with Credly?
Five questions come up in almost every evaluation: badges versus documents, migration, GDPR, price and bulk issuing. Short answers below, and our 2026 guide to the best digital credential platforms covers the wider market.
Is TRUE a Credly alternative for Open Badges?
TRUE goes beyond Open Badges. Credly focuses on the Open Badges standard, while TRUE issues full digital certificates, diplomas, awards and licences, all secured by blockchain. If you need more than a badge icon for a skill, TRUE issues credentials that match the weight of the achievement.
Can I migrate existing credentials from Credly to TRUE?
Yes. TRUE can reissue historical credentials as blockchain-secured documents on your own domain. Most organisations start by issuing new credentials through TRUE and migrate historical records over time. The transition typically takes two to four weeks.
Is TRUE GDPR compliant?
TRUE is a Swedish company built for European compliance from day one: GDPR native architecture, eIDAS compliant, data hosted in Europe, Cyber Hygiene Certified. No transatlantic data transfer to justify.
How does TRUE pricing compare to Credly?
TRUE prices transparently for the mid market, so organisations of any size can start without an enterprise contract. There is no contact sales wall in front of the price. Many organisations find TRUE delivers more value at a lower cost once the marketing return from shared credentials is counted.
Does TRUE support bulk and automated issuing like Credly?
Yes. Use the REST API (5 endpoints) to automate issuance from your LMS, CRM or training platform, or upload spreadsheets for bulk issuing through the dashboard. Integrations cover Canvas, Moodle, Learnster and Salesforce among others. Most organisations automate their whole credentialing workflow within days of setup.
What else do people ask about Credly alternatives?
Does TRUE Original issue both digital badges and certificates?
Yes. TRUE Original issues digital badges and digital certificates, as well as diplomas, licences, memberships and awards, and each TRUE badge links to the full blockchain-secured TRUE document behind it. Anyone can check a TRUE badge or certificate in TRUE Verify without an account, and the check is free.
Are Credly badges worth anything?
A Credly badge, like any digital badge, is worth what a stranger can check about it. A badge backed by a verifiable record from a known issuer tells an employer something a line on a CV cannot. A TRUE Original badge links to a blockchain-secured TRUE document that anyone can check in TRUE Verify, free and without an account.
Is there a cheaper Credly alternative for micro-credentials?
TRUE Original issues micro-credentials as digital badges and certificates, each secured on a public blockchain. TRUE tailors the price to each organisation: plans start from €100 a month on a yearly contract, and above 8,000 documents a year TRUE can price per document. Credly does not publish a price.
What does TRUE Original cost?
TRUE tailors the price to each organisation: plans start from €100 a month on a yearly contract, and above 8,000 documents a year TRUE can price per document. The TRUE pricing page asks what you need to issue and how many.
What is a blockchain digital credential and how does it work?
A blockchain digital credential is a certificate, diploma or badge whose fingerprint is anchored on a public blockchain when it is issued. Anyone can then confirm that it has not changed. TRUE Original anchors a fingerprint of every document it issues on a public blockchain (TRUE uses several, among them Ethereum and Polygon), and anyone can check it in TRUE Verify, free and without an account.
What do TRUE customers say?
“Our alumni now have nice looking Diplomas in an accessible format, but we also see great marketing value! Thanks for a great product!”
“It was great to see that my document was secured, it adds more value to the process and feels like better and more modern proof of certification.”
Ready to switch?
See how TRUE compares with Credly for your own use case. Start free and try the platform, or book a demo and we will walk you through the difference.