Gibbon 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?
Gibbon
Open-source school management and learning platform
VS
RELATE
Courseware package that includes features such as: flexible rules,
| Feature | Gibbon | RELATE |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Learning & Courses | Learning & Courses |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | PHP | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, docker | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 620 | ★ 432 |
| First released | 2010 | 2020 |
| Replaces | PowerSchool, Blackboard | — |
Why pick each one
Choose Gibbon 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 Gibbon or RELATE better?
Neither is universally better. Gibbon has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Gibbon and RELATE free and open-source?
Yes. Gibbon is licensed under GPL-3.0 and RELATE under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Gibbon and RELATE with Docker?
Gibbon: yes. RELATE: check the project docs for container support.