SHSelfHostIndex

Adapt Authoring Tool vs eXeLearning

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted learning & courses options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

Not the right match-up?
AD Adapt Authoring Tool Build responsive HTML5 e-learning courses VS EX eXeLearning Open-source tool for authoring educational web content
FeatureAdapt Authoring TooleXeLearning
CategoryLearning & CoursesLearning & Courses
LicenseGPL-3.0GPL-2.0
LanguageJavaScriptJavaScript
Setup difficultyMediumEasy
Min. RAM1,024 MB256 MB
Deploymentdocker, bare-metalbinary, source
GitHub stars★ 558★ 138
First released20142004
ReplacesArticulate Rise, Adobe CaptivateArticulate, Adobe Captivate

Why pick each one

Choose Adapt Authoring Tool if…

  • Released under the GPL-3.0 license
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • Written in JavaScript
Adapt Authoring Tool details

Choose eXeLearning if…

  • Released under the GPL-2.0 license
  • Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
  • Written in JavaScript
  • Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
eXeLearning details

Frequently asked questions

Is Adapt Authoring Tool or eXeLearning better?

Neither is universally better. Adapt Authoring Tool has the larger community, while eXeLearning is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.

Are Adapt Authoring Tool and eXeLearning free and open-source?

Yes. Adapt Authoring Tool is licensed under GPL-3.0 and eXeLearning under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Adapt Authoring Tool and eXeLearning with Docker?

Adapt Authoring Tool: yes. eXeLearning: check the project docs for container support.

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