ClassroomIO vs TAO
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?
ClassroomIO
Open-source education platform for online courses
VS
TAO
Open-source computer-based assessment platform
| Feature | ClassroomIO | TAO |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Learning & Courses | Learning & Courses |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,643 | ★ 138 |
| First released | 2023 | 2010 |
| Replaces | Teachable, Thinkific | ExamSoft, Questionmark |
Why pick each one
Choose ClassroomIO if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.6k GitHub stars)
- Written in TypeScript
Choose TAO if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in PHP
Frequently asked questions
Is ClassroomIO or TAO better?
Neither is universally better. ClassroomIO has the larger community; both share a hard setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are ClassroomIO and TAO free and open-source?
Yes. ClassroomIO is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and TAO under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run ClassroomIO and TAO with Docker?
ClassroomIO: yes. TAO: yes.