Claroline Connect vs ILIAS
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?
Claroline Connect
Open-source LMS for collaborative online courses
VS
ILIAS
Powerful open-source LMS for education and training
| Feature | Claroline Connect | ILIAS |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Learning & Courses | Learning & Courses |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 349 | ★ 498 |
| First released | 2002 | 2000 |
| Replaces | Moodle, Blackboard | Moodle, Blackboard |
Why pick each one
Choose Claroline Connect if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Written in PHP
Choose ILIAS if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in PHP
Frequently asked questions
Is Claroline Connect or ILIAS better?
Neither is universally better. ILIAS has the larger community, while Claroline Connect is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Claroline Connect and ILIAS free and open-source?
Yes. Claroline Connect is licensed under GPL-3.0 and ILIAS under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Claroline Connect and ILIAS with Docker?
Claroline Connect: check the project docs for container support. ILIAS: yes.