eXeLearning vs Moodle
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?
eXeLearning
Open-source tool for authoring educational web content
VS
Moodle
World's most popular open-source learning platform
| Feature | eXeLearning | Moodle |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Learning & Courses | Learning & Courses |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, bare-metal, kubernetes |
| GitHub stars | ★ 138 | ★ 7,315 |
| First released | 2004 | 2002 |
| Replaces | Articulate, Adobe Captivate | Canvas, Blackboard |
Why pick each one
Choose eXeLearning if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in JavaScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Choose Moodle if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 7.3k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is eXeLearning or Moodle better?
Neither is universally better. Moodle has the larger community, while eXeLearning is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are eXeLearning and Moodle free and open-source?
Yes. eXeLearning is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Moodle under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run eXeLearning and Moodle with Docker?
eXeLearning: check the project docs for container support. Moodle: yes.