Open edX
LMS & course platformsOpen-source platform behind edX-style online courses
- Stars
- ★ 8.2k
- Licence
- AGPL-3.0
- Updated
Alternative to Canvas LMS, Blackboard
Free alternatives to Canvas LMS
Last updated · 8 options
Quick answer: Open edX has the most stars on its repository of the 8 options here (★ 8.2k), followed by Moodle (★ 7.5k). Stars show popularity, not fit, so check formats, platforms and licence for your own work.
Instructure's commercial LMS widely used in higher ed and schools. Here are 8 free options, most-starred first.
Moodle
LMS & course platformsThe widely deployed open-source LMS
- Stars
- ★ 7.5k
- Licence
- GPL-3.0
- Updated
Alternative to Google Classroom, Canvas LMS
Canvas LMS (open source)
LMS & course platformsInstructure's open-source Canvas code you can self-host
- Stars
- ★ 6.9k
- Licence
- AGPL-3.0
- Updated
Alternative to Canvas LMS, Google Classroom
Sakai
LMS & course platformsOpen-source academic collaboration and LMS
- Stars
- ★ 1.2k
- Licence
- ECL-2.0
- Updated
Alternative to Blackboard, Canvas LMS
ILIAS
LMS & course platformsMature open-source LMS from higher education
- Stars
- ★ 504
- Licence
- GPL-3.0
- Updated
Alternative to Blackboard, Canvas LMS
LearnPress
LMS & course platformsFree WordPress LMS plugin
- Stars
- ★ 275
- Licence
- GPL-2.0
- Updated
Alternative to Google Classroom, Canvas LMS
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ATutor
LMS & course platformsAccessible open-source LCMS
- Stars
- ★ 180
- Licence
- GPL-2.0
- Updated
Alternative to Blackboard, Canvas LMS
Tutor LMS (WordPress)
LMS & course platformsWordPress plugin LMS with free and paid tiers
- Licence
- Proprietary
- Status
- Freemium
Alternative to Canvas LMS, Google Classroom
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FAQ
Is there a free alternative to Canvas LMS?
Yes. TeacherAlts lists 8 options: Open edX, Moodle, Canvas LMS (open source), Sakai, ILIAS, LearnPress, ATutor and Tutor LMS (WordPress).
Which Canvas LMS alternatives are open source?
Open edX (AGPL-3.0), Moodle (GPL-3.0), Canvas LMS (open source) (AGPL-3.0), Sakai (ECL-2.0), ILIAS (GPL-3.0), LearnPress (GPL-2.0) and ATutor (GPL-2.0). The others are free or freemium but not open source.
Which Canvas LMS alternatives run in a web browser?
Open edX, Moodle, Canvas LMS (open source), Sakai, ILIAS, LearnPress, ATutor and Tutor LMS (WordPress) (all of them).
Related categories: LMS & course platforms
Edtech features change with school year pricing. Always confirm the free-tier limits on the vendor's pricing page before you rely on a tool for a whole class.