Canvas LMS vs do•doc
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?
Canvas LMS
Open-source learning management system by Instructure
VS
do•doc
Documentation tool for creativity
| Feature | Canvas LMS | do•doc |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Learning & Courses | Learning & Courses |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0-only |
| Language | Ruby | Vue |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,763 | ★ 72 |
| First released | 2011 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Blackboard, Moodle | — |
Why pick each one
Choose Canvas LMS if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 6.8k GitHub stars
- Written in Ruby
Choose do•doc if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0-only license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in Vue
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Canvas LMS or do•doc better?
Neither is universally better. Canvas LMS has the larger community, while do•doc is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Canvas LMS and do•doc free and open-source?
Yes. Canvas LMS is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and do•doc under AGPL-3.0-only. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Canvas LMS and do•doc with Docker?
Canvas LMS: yes. do•doc: check the project docs for container support.