Frappe School vs Tutor LMS
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 | Tutor LMS |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 88 · Excellent | 73 · Good |
| Category | Learning & Courses | Learning & Courses |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,253 | ★ 126 |
| First released | 2022 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Teachable, Moodle | Teachable, Thinkific |
What are Frappe School and Tutor LMS?
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
Tutor LMS
Tutor LMS is an open-source learning management plugin for WordPress that turns a site into a full course platform. It supports course building, quizzes, certificates, and instructor monetization.
- WordPress-based LMS
- Drag-and-drop course builder
- Quizzes and certificates
- Instructor monetization
Frappe School vs Tutor LMS: key differences
Frappe School is written in TypeScript, while Tutor LMS is built with PHP. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Frappe School versus GPL-3.0 for Tutor LMS. Tutor LMS is the more established project (first released 2019), while Frappe School arrived in 2022. Frappe School has the considerably larger community, at 3,253 GitHub stars versus 126. Frappe School lists first-class Docker deployment; Tutor LMS does not.
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 Tutor LMS if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in PHP
Frequently asked questions
Is Frappe School or Tutor LMS better?
Neither is universally better. Frappe School has the larger community, while Tutor LMS is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Frappe School and Tutor LMS free and open-source?
Yes. Frappe School is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Tutor LMS under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Frappe School and Tutor LMS with Docker?
Frappe School: yes. Tutor LMS: check the project docs for container support.