H5P 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?
H5P
Create and share interactive HTML5 learning content
VS
Open edX
Scalable open-source platform for online courses
| Feature | H5P | Open edX |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Learning & Courses | Learning & Courses |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 8,192 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, kubernetes, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 147 | ★ 8,156 |
| First released | 2013 | 2013 |
| Replaces | Articulate Storyline | Coursera, Canvas |
Why pick each one
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 H5P or Open edX better?
Neither is universally better. Open edX has the larger community, while H5P is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are H5P and Open edX free and open-source?
Yes. H5P is licensed under MIT and Open edX under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run H5P and Open edX with Docker?
H5P: check the project docs for container support. Open edX: yes.