ILIAS vs RELATE
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?
ILIAS
Powerful open-source LMS for education and training
VS
RELATE
Courseware package that includes features such as: flexible rules,
| Feature | ILIAS | RELATE |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Learning & Courses | Learning & Courses |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | PHP | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 498 | ★ 432 |
| First released | 2000 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Moodle, Blackboard | — |
Why pick each one
Choose ILIAS if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in PHP
Choose RELATE if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Written in Python
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is ILIAS or RELATE better?
Neither is universally better. ILIAS has the larger community, while RELATE is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are ILIAS and RELATE free and open-source?
Yes. ILIAS is licensed under GPL-3.0 and RELATE under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run ILIAS and RELATE with Docker?
ILIAS: yes. RELATE: check the project docs for container support.