7 self-hosted options
Open-source alternatives to Blackboard Learn
The best open-source alternative to Blackboard Learn is Open edX (AGPL-3.0, 8,209 GitHub stars, Docker image). Moodle stands out for the longest track record (since 2009), and Canvas LMS stands out for its Ruby codebase.
About Blackboard Learn: Anthology's commercial learning management system for universities and schools.
Updated · data from GitHub, refreshed daily
Top picks
- Rank 1:
Open edX
openedx/openedx-platform
The LMS and Studio authoring platform behind edX, deployed with the Docker-based Tutor distribution.
Active · last commit Oct 24, 2026
Learning Management (LMS)PythonDockerStands out for the most GitHub stars.
- Rank 2:
Moodle
moodle/moodle
The world's most widely used open-source learning platform for schools, universities and companies.
Active · last commit Oct 21, 2026
Learning Management (LMS)PHPStands out for the longest track record (since 2009).
- Rank 3:
Canvas LMS
instructure/canvas-lms
Learning management system (LMS) that is revolutionizing the way we educate.
Maintained · last commit Apr 30, 2026
Learning Management (LMS)RubyStands out for its Ruby codebase.
At a glance
Blackboard Learn alternatives compared
Open-source apps come first, then source-available ones and apps whose license appsgit could not verify; within each group, projects with at least 12 commits in the last 12 months come before less active or archived ones, then by GitHub stars.
| App | Stands out for | License | GitHub stars | Commits (12 mo) | Last commit | Docker image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open edX | the most GitHub stars | AGPL-3.0 | 8,209 | 1,272 | Oct 24, 2026 | Yes |
| Moodle | the longest track record (since 2009) | GPL-3.0 | 7,542 | 3,407 | Oct 21, 2026 | No |
| Canvas LMS | its Ruby codebase | AGPL-3.0 | 6,888 | 4,557 | Apr 30, 2026 | No |
| Sakai | its Java codebase | ECL-2.0 | 1,239 | 791 | Oct 24, 2026 | No |
| Chamilo LMS | the most commits in the last 12 months (5,931) | GPL-3.0 | 1,020 | 5,931 | Oct 25, 2026 | No |
| ILIAS | – | GPL-3.0 | 505 | 2,272 | Oct 26, 2026 | No |
| OpenOLAT | – | Apache-2.0 | 448 | 3,674 | Oct 26, 2026 | No |
Full list
All 7 Blackboard Learn alternatives
Open any app for live stats, license details and a deploy option.
- 1
Open edX
The LMS and Studio authoring platform behind edX, deployed with the Docker-based Tutor distribution.
Learning Management (LMS)DockerStands out for the most GitHub stars. Open edX has 8,209 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 1,272 commits in the last year.
- 2
Moodle
The world's most widely used open-source learning platform for schools, universities and companies.
Learning Management (LMS)Stands out for the longest track record (since 2009). Moodle has 7,542 GitHub stars, uses the GPL-3.0 license and had 3,407 commits in the last year.
- 3
Canvas LMS
Learning management system (LMS) that is revolutionizing the way we educate.
Learning Management (LMS)Stands out for its Ruby codebase. Canvas LMS has 6,888 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license and had 4,557 commits in the last year.
- 4
Sakai
Java collaboration and learning environment used by universities for courses, assessments and gradebooks.
Learning Management (LMS)Stands out for its Java codebase. Sakai has 1,239 GitHub stars, uses the ECL-2.0 license and had 791 commits in the last year.
- 5
Chamilo LMS
Create a virtual campus for the provision of online or semi-online training.
Learning Management (LMS)Stands out for the most commits in the last 12 months (5,931). Chamilo LMS has 1,020 GitHub stars, uses the GPL-3.0 license and had 5,931 commits in the last year.
- 6
ILIAS
Learning management system that can cope with anything you throw at it.
Learning Management (LMS)ILIAS has 505 GitHub stars, uses the GPL-3.0 license and had 2,272 commits in the last year.
- 7
OpenOLAT
Learning management system for teaching, education, assessment and communication.
Learning Management (LMS)OpenOLAT has 448 GitHub stars, uses the Apache-2.0 license and had 3,674 commits in the last year.
Is there a free alternative to Blackboard Learn?
Yes. All 7 apps on this page are open source and free to self-host, so you can replace Blackboard Learn without per-user fees. You pay only for the server.
Can I self-host an alternative to Blackboard Learn with Docker?
Yes. 1 of the 7 apps here publish a Docker image, including Open edX, so you can run it on a home server or VPS with Docker Compose.
Which Blackboard Learn alternative is the most actively developed?
Chamilo LMS (GPL-3.0), with 5,931 commits in the last 12 months. Activity is a good sign that bugs and security issues get fixed.
How is this list ranked?
Open-source apps come first, then source-available ones and apps whose license appsgit could not verify; within each group, projects with at least 12 commits in the last 12 months come before less active or archived ones, then by GitHub stars.