Moodle vs Scratch
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?
Moodle
World's most popular open-source learning platform
VS
Scratch
Programming language to create your own interactive stories, games,
| Feature | Moodle | Scratch |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Learning & Courses | Learning & Courses |
| License | GPL-3.0 | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | PHP | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 50 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, kubernetes | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,315 | ★ 4,811 |
| First released | 2002 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Canvas, Blackboard | — |
Why pick each one
Choose Moodle if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 7.3k GitHub stars
Choose Scratch if…
- Released under the BSD-3-Clause license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (4.8k GitHub stars)
- Written in JavaScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Moodle or Scratch better?
Neither is universally better. Moodle has the larger community, while Scratch is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Moodle and Scratch free and open-source?
Yes. Moodle is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Scratch under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Moodle and Scratch with Docker?
Moodle: yes. Scratch: check the project docs for container support.