Gibbon 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?
Gibbon
Open-source school management and learning platform
VS
Scratch
Programming language to create your own interactive stories, games,
| Feature | Gibbon | Scratch |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Learning & Courses | Learning & Courses |
| License | GPL-3.0 | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | PHP | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 50 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, docker | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 620 | ★ 4,811 |
| First released | 2010 | 2023 |
| 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 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 Gibbon or Scratch better?
Scratch is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Gibbon if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Gibbon and Scratch free and open-source?
Yes. Gibbon is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Scratch under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Gibbon and Scratch with Docker?
Gibbon: yes. Scratch: check the project docs for container support.