Open edX 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?
Open edX
Scalable open-source platform for online courses
VS
Scratch
Programming language to create your own interactive stories, games,
| Feature | Open edX | Scratch |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Learning & Courses | Learning & Courses |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | Python | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 8,192 MB | 50 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, bare-metal | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 8,156 | ★ 4,811 |
| First released | 2013 | 2023 |
| Replaces | 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
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 Open edX or Scratch better?
Neither is universally better. Open edX 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 Open edX and Scratch free and open-source?
Yes. Open edX is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Scratch under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Open edX and Scratch with Docker?
Open edX: yes. Scratch: check the project docs for container support.