> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://bigbluebutton.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Overview

> BigBlueButton Essentials is our core version of BigBlueButton

As the creators of BigBlueButton, in addition to managing the open source releases that are freely available to anyone in the world, we've also provide hosting for two flavors of BigBlueButton.

* **BigBlueButton Essentials**: the essential capabilities to use BigBlueButton with limitations (see table below)
* **BigBlueButton Enhanced**: Our Enhanced version many value added capabilities to ensure you have the highest learning outcomes.

If you are a sucstomer of Instructure using Canvas, or Powerschool using Schoology, you'll find BigBlueButton Essentials embedded into your product.

You'll also find BigBlueButton Enhanced embedded into Canvas, Schoology, and Moodle Cloud.

## Canvas by Instructure

Every Instructure customer has access to a free, built-in version of BigBlueButton Essentials.  BigBlueButton Essentials is limited to 5 concurrent sessions, recordings expire after 7 days, and recordings are not downloadable.

The table below summarizes the differences between essentials and enhanced.

| Feature                                                                                                            | Essentials | Enhanced     |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ---------- | ------------ |
| Max simultaneous virtual classes                                                                                   | 5          | Purchased    |
| Students can see each other's webcams in a session                                                                 | -          | Yes          |
| How long do recordings last?                                                                                       | 7 days     | Permanent    |
| Recordings are downloadable as video files                                                                         | -          | Yes          |
| Recording links are sharable                                                                                       | -          | Configurable |
| Ability for teacher to invite a guest into a session                                                               | -          | Yes          |
| Automatically share recordings with Canvas Studio                                                                  | -          | Yes          |
| Analytics from session available later in recordings                                                               | -          | Yes          |
| Enterprise Learning Analytics Dashboard (ELAD) available, as upgrade, for insight across all your virtual classes. | -          | Yes          |
| Custom defaults (\*)                                                                                               | -          | Yes          |

(\*) See [Account customization](/docs/help/premium/overview-of-premium-features#account-customization) for the full list of configurable defaults.

For a detailed walk-through of each Enhanced feature, see the [Overview of BigBlueButton Enhanced](/docs/help/premium/overview-of-premium-features).

## Schoology by PowerSchool

Every Schoology customer has access to a free, built-in version of BigBlueButton Essentials.  BigBlueButton Essentials is limited to recordings expire after 7 days and recordings are not downloadable.

The table below summarizes the differences between essentials and enhanced.

| Feature                                                                                                            | Essentials | Enhanced     |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ---------- | ------------ |
| Students can see each other's webcams in a session                                                                 | -          | Yes          |
| How long do recordings last?                                                                                       | 7 days     | Permanent    |
| Recordings are downloadable as video files                                                                         | -          | Yes          |
| Recording links are sharable                                                                                       | -          | Configurable |
| Ability for teacher to invite a guest into a session                                                               | -          | Yes          |
| Analytics from session available later in recordings                                                               | -          | Yes          |
| Enterprise Learning Analytics Dashboard (ELAD) available, as upgrade, for insight across all your virtual classes. | -          | Yes          |
| Custom defaults (\*)                                                                                               | -          | Yes          |

(\*) See [Account customization](/docs/help/premium/overview-of-premium-features#account-customization) for the full list of configurable defaults.

For a detailed walk-through of each Enhanced feature, see the [Overview of BigBlueButton Enhanced](/docs/help/premium/overview-of-premium-features).