Chamilo 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 | Chamilo | Gibbon |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 82 · Excellent | 76 · Good |
| Category | Learning & Courses | Learning & Courses |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal, docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,005 | ★ 633 |
| First released | 2010 | 2010 |
| Replaces | Moodle, Blackboard | PowerSchool, Blackboard |
What are Chamilo and Gibbon?
Chamilo
Chamilo is an open-source e-learning and course management system focused on ease of use and accessibility. It is popular for corporate training and education in many languages.
- Easy course authoring
- Built-in collaboration tools
- Many languages
- Corporate training focus
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
Chamilo vs Gibbon: key differences
Both projects are written in PHP.
Why pick each one
Choose Chamilo if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1k GitHub stars)
- Written in PHP
Choose Gibbon if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in PHP
Frequently asked questions
Is Chamilo or Gibbon better?
Neither is universally better. Chamilo has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Chamilo and Gibbon free and open-source?
Yes. Chamilo is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Gibbon under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Chamilo and Gibbon with Docker?
Chamilo: yes. Gibbon: yes.