ClassroomIO vs Tutor LMS
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted learning & courses options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | ClassroomIO | Tutor LMS |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 81 · Excellent | 73 · Good |
| Category | Learning & Courses | Learning & Courses |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,697 | ★ 126 |
| First released | 2023 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Teachable, Thinkific | Teachable, Thinkific |
What are ClassroomIO and Tutor LMS?
ClassroomIO
ClassroomIO is an open-source education and learning management platform for creating and delivering online courses. It supports unlimited courses, multi-teacher management, student dashboards, forums, and AI-assisted course creation.
- Unlimited course management
- Multi-teacher support
- Student dashboards and forums
- AI-assisted course creation
Tutor LMS
Tutor LMS is an open-source learning management plugin for WordPress that turns a site into a full course platform. It supports course building, quizzes, certificates, and instructor monetization.
- WordPress-based LMS
- Drag-and-drop course builder
- Quizzes and certificates
- Instructor monetization
ClassroomIO vs Tutor LMS: key differences
ClassroomIO is written in TypeScript, while Tutor LMS is built with PHP. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for ClassroomIO versus GPL-3.0 for Tutor LMS. Tutor LMS is the more established project (first released 2019), while ClassroomIO arrived in 2023. ClassroomIO has the considerably larger community, at 1,697 GitHub stars versus 126. ClassroomIO lists first-class Docker deployment; Tutor LMS does not.
Why pick each one
Choose ClassroomIO if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.7k GitHub stars)
- Written in TypeScript
Choose Tutor LMS if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in PHP
Frequently asked questions
Is ClassroomIO or Tutor LMS better?
Neither is universally better. ClassroomIO has the larger community, while Tutor LMS is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are ClassroomIO and Tutor LMS free and open-source?
Yes. ClassroomIO is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Tutor LMS under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run ClassroomIO and Tutor LMS with Docker?
ClassroomIO: yes. Tutor LMS: check the project docs for container support.