SHSelfHostIndex

OpenOLAT 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?
OP OpenOLAT Web-based learning management system for institutions VS RE RELATE Courseware package that includes features such as: flexible rules,
FeatureOpenOLATRELATE
CategoryLearning & CoursesLearning & Courses
LicenseApache-2.0MIT
LanguageJavaPython
Setup difficultyHardMedium
Min. RAM4,096 MB512 MB
Deploymentdocker, bare-metalbare-metal
GitHub stars★ 434★ 432
First released20112020
ReplacesMoodle, Blackboard—

Why pick each one

Choose OpenOLAT if…

  • Released under the Apache-2.0 license
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • Written in Java
OpenOLAT details

Choose RELATE if…

  • Released under the MIT license
  • Written in Python
  • Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
RELATE details

Frequently asked questions

Is OpenOLAT or RELATE better?

Neither is universally better. OpenOLAT 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 OpenOLAT and RELATE free and open-source?

Yes. OpenOLAT is licensed under Apache-2.0 and RELATE under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run OpenOLAT and RELATE with Docker?

OpenOLAT: yes. RELATE: check the project docs for container support.

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