Open Badge Passport

Open Badge Passport is a free service for receiving, organizing, and sharing Open Badges. Users can create micro-portfolios, add evidence to badges, seek endorsements from community members, and find badges to apply for in its Gallery. They can also build a CV around their badges and share them on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. Badges following the Open Badges standard can be added, including by uploading files from a computer; imported files must be PNG or PDF, and links must be badge assertion URLs. Open Badge Factory badges transfer automatically when the issuer’s email address is saved in the Passport account settings. The product says it is certified by 1EdTech and follows Open Badges versions 2.0 and 3.0. It is open source and available on the web, Android, and iOS. The maker is based in Oulu, Finland, and says the services comply with GDPR. Its FAQ says services are hosted in Finland, protected by firewalls, backed up daily, and use SSL-encrypted browser connections.

Open Badge Passport offers badge organization, sharing, and portfolio tools at no cost for personal use. Its file and link requirements matter when bringing badges in from outside the service.

Open Badge Passport suits people who earn Open Badges and want to collect, present, and share them. It may also suit users building a CV or micro-portfolio around their badges.

Overview

Open Badge Passport is a personal hub for people who earn Open Badges and want to keep their credentials in one place. It is best for individuals assembling badges into a shareable record; its main appeal is free badge management, while outside badges must meet specific import requirements.

Key features

Passport accepts badges that follow the Open Badges standard, including files uploaded from a computer. File imports must be PNG or PDF, and imported links must be badge assertion URLs. That makes it suitable for collecting standards-based credentials, but not for importing arbitrary documents or web links. Badges issued through Open Badge Factory transfer automatically once the earner saves the issuing email address in Passport settings.

Micro-portfolios let users group badges, attach evidence and have community members endorse them. The Gallery adds a way to discover badges and apply for them. These features help users give credentials context, rather than simply storing a collection. Users can also share badges on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook, or create a CV organized around their badges.

The product says it is 1EdTech-certified and follows Open Badges versions 2.0 and 3.0. Its FAQ describes the software as open source. The maker says Passport complies with GDPR; it also says the service is hosted in Finland, protected by firewalls, backed up daily and uses SSL-encrypted browser connections.

Pricing

Personal use costs nothing. It includes digital badges and public verification, but no digital certificates. With no paid personal tier or free-trial period to weigh, it is a straightforward choice for individual earners who need badge storage, portfolios and sharing without a subscription. The free plan is for personal use, not a branded organization instance.

Open Badge Factory Pro and Enterprise customers can purchase a dedicated Passport instance with its own login page and organization branding. That option is for organizations seeking a branded Passport presence; it is separate from the free personal plan, and its price is custom pricing.

Platforms

Passport is available on the web, Android and iOS. That gives earners browser and mobile access to their badge collection.

Who it's for

Choose Passport if you earn standards-based badges from multiple issuers and want to organize them, add evidence, seek endorsements and present them through social sharing or a badge-based CV. It is less suited to organizations that need a standalone branded instance without qualifying Open Badge Factory Pro or Enterprise access, or to users whose credentials cannot be supplied as supported badge files or assertion URLs.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Personal use is free, with digital badges and public verification included, so individual earners can build a shareable badge record without a paid plan.
• Pro: Micro-portfolios, evidence, community endorsements and a badge Gallery give users ways to add context and discover credentials.
• Pro: Open Badges 2.0 and 3.0 support and automatic transfer from Open Badge Factory make it a natural fit for standards-based badges, especially for Factory users.
• Con: Computer imports accept only PNG or PDF, and link imports only badge assertion URLs, which narrows how outside credentials can be brought in.
• Con: The personal plan offers badges but not digital certificates, and organization branding requires a dedicated instance purchased by Open Badge Factory Pro or Enterprise customers.

Alternatives

For more credentialing options, browse the Credentialing Software directory. Awero is another free-plan option across web and mobile, with a paid custom-look platform setup for organizations. CanCred Factory is worth considering if its free plan, free trial or API access better matches your needs. POK offers a free Web2 plan with unlimited digital credentials and no user caps, plus a pay-as-you-go blockchain verification option.

Blockcerts is a free alternative across web and mobile, though issuing certificates may incur blockchain transaction fees. National Academic Depository is another free option. Open Badge Factory is the issuer-side choice to consider if you need badge creation and applications; its Basic plan costs €220 a year and includes 10 badge classes and 5,000 badges per year. Credly uses custom pricing discussed with sales, with badge purchases expiring at the end of the contract year. CertSeal may suit certificate workflows that need API or self-hosted access; its free plan allows 100 certificates per year, one batch, one organization member and one workspace.

Verdict

Open Badge Passport is a strong fit for individual earners who want a free, standards-based place to collect and present badges, with portfolios and a badge-focused CV adding useful context. Look elsewhere if you need digital certificates, broad file and link importing, or an organization-branded instance without the required Open Badge Factory plan.