Forma LMS vs Scratch

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?
FeatureForma LMSScratch
CategoryLearning & CoursesLearning & Courses
LicenseGPL-2.0BSD-3-Clause
LanguagePHPJavaScript
Setup difficultyMediumEasy
Min. RAM1,024 MB50 MB
Deploymentbare-metal, sourcebare-metal
GitHub stars★ 38★ 4,811
First released20122023
ReplacesTalentLMS, Docebo

Why pick each one

Choose Forma LMS if…

  • Released under the GPL-2.0 license
  • Written in PHP
Forma LMS details

Choose Scratch if…

  • Released under the BSD-3-Clause license
  • Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
  • Active community (4.8k GitHub stars)
  • Written in JavaScript
Scratch details

Frequently asked questions

Is Forma LMS or Scratch better?

Scratch is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Forma LMS if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are Forma LMS and Scratch free and open-source?

Yes. Forma LMS is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Scratch under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Forma LMS and Scratch with Docker?

Forma LMS: check the project docs for container support. Scratch: check the project docs for container support.

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