Moodle Boost vs Spark Theme

What’s best for your LMS: Moodle Boost or Spark Theme?

Looking for a theme to form the foundation of your Moodle LMS platform? Let’s take a look at a couple of contenders as we compare Moodle Boost with Spark Theme.

What is Moodle Boost?

Moodle Boost is the core theme or standard theme that’s applied to all new Moodle sites (from Moodle 3.9 upwards). It offers a limited set of built-in configuration settings for branding Moodle sites. It’s also the basis for an array of child themes — spin-off versions that have been developed based on the original code. Boost is the bedrock for all UI components within Moodle.

What is the Spark Theme?

Spark Theme is a product we’ve created to rival and provide a more cost-effective alternative to bespoke themes for Moodle LMS, as well as Moodle Workplace and Totara. It delivers high standards of UX, time-saving integrations and a selection of premium add-ons as well as clean and responsive design.

Benefits of Moodle Boost

• Easy navigation within and between courses 
• Simple editing of courses, activities and other key pages 
• Industry-standard Bootstrap presets for configuration 
• File-picker for background images
• More screen space than previous versions of Moodle

Benefits of Spark Theme

• Ultra-modern look and feel
• Optimised for mobile
• Customisable architecture and total control over layout 
• Look, colours and typography all built to be easily editable within the theme settings by your administrators
• Simple integration with Google Analytics and Google fonts
• Suite of add-ons that add extra functionality without the need for custom code
• Regularly updated by our team of in-house experts

Disadvantages of Moodle Boost

• Moodle has a directory of plugins that in its own words “try to fix Boost’s shortcomings”
• Not fully configurable — many things require hard-coded changes
• Restricted, fixed width for content when using desktop
• Does not support submenus on custom menus
• Has a fixed user journey

Disadvantages of Spark Theme

• The Spark Theme is only available to Synergy Learning customers

What extra features are available for Moodle Boost?

Additional features and functionality for Moodle Boost are available as plugins. They include things including: 

• Home page banner images
• More font options
• Customisable page width
• Adding footnotes
• Rounded corners

What extra features are available for Spark Theme?

Premium add-ons for Spark Theme include: 

• More intuitive dashboards, including upcoming courses, stats and achievements, and bookmarked activities
• Custom slides with call-to-action buttons
• FAQ block
• At-a-glance team overviews 
• Featured content, marketing and promotion spots with multiple preset designs
• Overdue respondents block highlighting users with incomplete courses or feedback
• Improved usability for Moodle core features, such as forum announcements and completion tracking

Why would I choose Moodle Boost?

Moodle Boost comes as standard, giving you a quick start and no additional costs for any Moodle LMS site with basic requirements and no need for complex features or functionality.

Why would I choose Spark Theme?

Spark Theme is suitable if you want a comprehensive base layer that delivers on key elements of user interface design, interaction design, information architecture, visual design, functionality, usability, typography and content strategy but also creates the infrastructure to add extra functionality you need.

Where can I learn more about Moodle Boost?

You can find all the documentation relating to Boost on Moodle’s website.

Where can I learn more about Spark Theme?

Learn more about how and why Spark was developed or visit the Spark LMS Theme page to learn more about its features and functionality.

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