Digitools vs Open edX
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?
Digitools
Simple and useful tools for the classroom
VS
Open edX
Scalable open-source platform for online courses
| Feature | Digitools | Open edX |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Learning & Courses | Learning & Courses |
| License | GPL-3.0-only | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 50 MB | 8,192 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | docker, kubernetes, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | — | ★ 8,156 |
| First released | 2023 | 2013 |
| Replaces | — | Coursera, Canvas |
Why pick each one
Choose Digitools if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0-only license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Tiny footprint — runs in 50 MB RAM
Choose Open edX if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 8.2k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is Digitools or Open edX better?
Neither is universally better. Open edX has the larger community, while Digitools is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Digitools and Open edX free and open-source?
Yes. Digitools is licensed under GPL-3.0-only and Open edX under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Digitools and Open edX with Docker?
Digitools: check the project docs for container support. Open edX: yes.