Open-source learning management systems (LMS) let schools, universities and companies run courses, assignments and training on infrastructure they control. The main options in the Stackora catalog are Moodle, Canvas LMS and openedx-platform. All three are self-hosted web apps, and each is aimed at a somewhat different audience.

The short answer: choose Moodle for a general-purpose, personalised e-learning environment across education and training, Canvas LMS for running courses, assignments and grading in a web-based setup, and openedx-platform for building and delivering online courses at large scale, including course authoring.

Moodle

Moodle is an open-source learning management system that lets educators, administrators and learners build personalised e-learning environments in one integrated platform. It is published under the GPL-3.0 license and has about 7,486 stars on GitHub. It sits in the Web Apps category, and its publisher page is moodle.

Moodle fits institutions that want one platform for many roles: teachers building courses, administrators managing the system, and learners following their own paths. Its focus on personalisation makes it a common starting point for schools and universities.

Canvas LMS

Canvas LMS is an open-source learning management system from Instructure. It is designed for running courses, assignments and grading in web-based e-learning. It is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and has about 6,873 stars. It is listed under Web Apps, and the publisher is instructure.

Canvas suits teams whose core workflow is the course cycle: publish material, collect assignments, grade and give feedback. If that workflow is your main need, Canvas keeps the focus there.

openedx-platform

openedx-platform is an open-source LMS and course authoring platform for building and delivering online courses at any scale. It is licensed under AGPL-3.0, has about 8,200 stars, and is published by openedx. It is also in the Web Apps category.

Because it bundles course authoring with delivery and is described as scaling to any size, openedx-platform is worth evaluating for organisations that publish many courses, including MOOC-style programmes, and that want to author content inside the same system.

How to choose

Start with the audience and workflow rather than the star count, which only signals community interest.

  • Broad institutional use: if you need one platform for schools, universities or mixed training, compare Moodle first.
  • Course and grading focus: if assignments, grading and course delivery are the priority, Canvas LMS keeps the workflow direct.
  • Large course catalogues: if you must author and deliver many courses at scale, evaluate openedx-platform.

Check the license before you commit. Moodle is GPL-3.0, while Canvas LMS and openedx-platform are AGPL-3.0. Both licenses are copyleft, so review what they require if you plan to modify and distribute the software, especially when it is offered over a network. Also confirm the hosting, maintenance and support you will need, since all three are self-hosted and the operational work falls on your team.

For related tooling, the catalog's Self-hosted web apps page lists other browser-based applications you can run on your own servers.

Recommendation

For most schools and universities, shortlist Moodle and Canvas LMS and test each with a real course and real grading before deciding. For companies or providers building large course libraries, openedx-platform deserves the closest look, because its authoring and delivery are designed to work together. Pilot the shortlisted platform with a small group, measure how it handles your actual workflow, and only then plan a full rollout.