Canvas LMS vs Gibbon
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted learning & courses options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Canvas LMS | Gibbon |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 75 · Good | 76 · Good |
| Category | Learning & Courses | Learning & Courses |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Ruby | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal, docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,835 | ★ 633 |
| First released | 2011 | 2010 |
| Replaces | Blackboard, Moodle | PowerSchool, Blackboard |
What are Canvas LMS and Gibbon?
Canvas LMS
Canvas LMS is the open-source edition of the Canvas learning management system used by many universities and schools. It offers course management, assignments, gradebooks, and rich integrations.
- Full university LMS
- SpeedGrader assessment
- LTI integrations
- Open REST API
Gibbon
Gibbon is a free, open-source school management and learning platform built for teachers and schools. It combines a virtual learning environment with timetabling, attendance, and student records.
- School management plus VLE
- Timetabling and attendance
- Student records
- Free for schools
Canvas LMS vs Gibbon: key differences
Canvas LMS is written in Ruby, while Gibbon is built with PHP. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Canvas LMS versus GPL-3.0 for Gibbon. Gibbon is the lighter option, starting around 1,024 MB of RAM against 4,096 MB for Canvas LMS. Canvas LMS has the considerably larger community, at 6,835 GitHub stars versus 633.
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 Gibbon if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in PHP
Frequently asked questions
Is Canvas LMS or Gibbon better?
Neither is universally better. Canvas LMS has the larger community, while Gibbon is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Canvas LMS and Gibbon free and open-source?
Yes. Canvas LMS is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Gibbon under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Canvas LMS and Gibbon with Docker?
Canvas LMS: yes. Gibbon: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Canvas LMS or Gibbon?
Gibbon has the smaller minimum footprint at 1,024 MB of RAM, compared to about 4,096 MB for Canvas LMS. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.