ILIAS vs Tsugi
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
Tsugi
Framework for building LTI learning tools
| Feature | ILIAS | Tsugi |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Learning & Courses | Learning & Courses |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 498 | ★ 371 |
| First released | 2000 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Moodle, Blackboard | LTI Marketplace tools |
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 Tsugi if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Written in PHP
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is ILIAS or Tsugi better?
Neither is universally better. ILIAS has the larger community, while Tsugi is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are ILIAS and Tsugi free and open-source?
Yes. ILIAS is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Tsugi under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run ILIAS and Tsugi with Docker?
ILIAS: yes. Tsugi: check the project docs for container support.