Canvas LMS
Learning management system (LMS) that is revolutionizing the way we educate.
Best self-hosted Learning and Courses software in 2026
Tools and software to help with education and learning.
We track 16 open-source, self-hosted Learning and Courses apps. 12 of them had commits in the last 90 days, 2 can run with Docker, and the most common licenses are AGPL-3.0 (6), GPL-3.0 (4), GPL-2.0 (3). The most-used languages are PHP, Python, Nodejs. Below are the top picks by GitHub stars, followed by every app ranked by stars weighted by maintenance health.
Alternatives to Kahoot!Alternatives to TeachableAlternatives to ThinkificAlternatives to KajabiAlternatives to Google ClassroomAlternatives to Blackboard
Top 5 by GitHub stars
| # | App | Stars | Health | Last activity | License | Language | Docker |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canvas LMS | 6.9k | Maintained | 2026-04-30 | AGPL-3.0 | Ruby | – |
| 2 | Chamilo LMS | 1k | Active | 2026-11-10 | GPL-3.0 | PHP | – |
| 3 | Gibbon | 638 | Active | 2026-11-09 | GPL-3.0 | PHP | – |
| 4 | ILIAS | 507 | Active | 2026-11-09 | GPL-3.0 | PHP | – |
| 5 | OpenOLAT | 449 | Active | 2026-11-09 | Apache-2.0 | Java | – |
- Canvas LMS — Learning management system (LMS) that is revolutionizing the way we educate.
- Chamilo LMS — Create a virtual campus for the provision of online or semi-online training.
- Gibbon — Flexible school management platform designed to make life better for teachers, students, parents and leaders.
- ILIAS — Learning management system that can cope with anything you throw at it.
- OpenOLAT — Learning management system for teaching, education, assessment and communication.
Head-to-head comparisons
Canvas LMS vs Chamilo LMSCanvas LMS vs GibbonCanvas LMS vs ILIASChamilo LMS vs GibbonChamilo LMS vs ILIASGibbon vs ILIAS
All 16 self-hosted Learning and Courses apps
Ranked by GitHub stars weighted by maintenance health.
Chamilo LMS
Create a virtual campus for the provision of online or semi-online training.
Gibbon
Flexible school management platform designed to make life better for teachers, students, parents and leaders.
ILIAS
Learning management system that can cope with anything you throw at it.
OpenOLAT
Learning management system for teaching, education, assessment and communication.
RELATE
Courseware package that includes features such as: flexible rules, statistics, multi-course support, class calendar.
INGInious
Intelligent grader that allows secured and automated testing of code made by students.
Open eClass
Advanced e-learning solution that can enhance the teaching and learning process.
RosarioSIS
Student Information System for school management. Features students demographics, grades, scheduling, attendance, student billing, discipline & food service modules.
Helium
Color-coded student planner for classes, homework, grades, and notes with smart notifications and multi-device sync.
Digibunch
Create bunches of links to share with your learners or colleagues.
Digiscreen
Interactive whiteboard/wallpaper for the classroom, in person or remotely (documentation in French).
Digitools
Set of simple tools to accompany the animation of courses in person or remotely (documentation in French).
edX
Online learning platform that powers the edX.org website.
Moodle
Learning and courses platform with one of the largest communities worldwide.
QST
Online assessment software. From a quick quiz on your phone to large scale, high stakes, proctored desktop testing, easy, secure and economical.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best self-hosted Learning and Courses software in 2026?
By GitHub stars, the most popular self-hosted Learning and Courses apps are Canvas LMS (6,908 stars), Chamilo LMS (1,021 stars), Gibbon (638 stars). Popularity is only one signal: also check maintenance health, license and whether it fits your setup.
How many self-hosted Learning and Courses apps are actively maintained?
12 of the 16 apps listed had commits in the last 90 days and 1 more in the last 12 months; for 3 we have no repository activity data.
Which self-hosted Learning and Courses apps can I run with Docker?
2 of the 16 apps can run with Docker.
Which licenses do self-hosted Learning and Courses apps use?
The most common licenses in this category are AGPL-3.0 (6 apps), GPL-3.0 (4 apps), GPL-2.0 (3 apps).
How much does it cost to self-host Learning and Courses software?
The software itself is free to download. Based on our rough hardware estimates, the cheapest suitable VPS plan starts at about $3.5/month (median $5/month across apps in this category). Several light apps can share one server.
Figures from GitHub and Docker Hub as of 2026-11-15; hosting costs are rough estimates.