Frappe School vs ILIAS
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted learning & courses options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Frappe School | ILIAS |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 88 · Excellent | 79 · Good |
| Category | Learning & Courses | Learning & Courses |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,253 | ★ 506 |
| First released | 2022 | 2000 |
| Replaces | Teachable, Moodle | Moodle, Blackboard |
What are Frappe School and ILIAS?
Frappe School
This open-source learning platform built on the Frappe framework lets organizations deliver structured courses with lessons and quizzes. It tracks learner progress and issues completion certificates.
- Structured courses
- Quizzes and assignments
- Progress tracking
- Completion certificates
ILIAS
ILIAS is a flexible open-source learning management system used by universities, schools, and companies. It provides courses, tests, learning paths, and SCORM support with strong standards compliance.
- Standards-compliant LMS
- SCORM and LTI support
- Tests and learning paths
- Strong access control
Frappe School vs ILIAS: key differences
Frappe School is written in TypeScript, while ILIAS is built with PHP. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Frappe School versus GPL-3.0 for ILIAS. Frappe School is the lighter option, starting around 1,024 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for ILIAS. ILIAS is the more established project (first released 2000), while Frappe School arrived in 2022. Frappe School has the considerably larger community, at 3,253 GitHub stars versus 506.
Why pick each one
Choose Frappe School if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (3.3k GitHub stars)
- Written in TypeScript
Choose ILIAS if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in PHP
Frequently asked questions
Is Frappe School or ILIAS better?
Frappe School is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider ILIAS if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Frappe School and ILIAS free and open-source?
Yes. Frappe School is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and ILIAS under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Frappe School and ILIAS with Docker?
Frappe School: yes. ILIAS: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Frappe School or ILIAS?
Frappe School has the smaller minimum footprint at 1,024 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for ILIAS. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.