Scratch vs TAO
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?
Scratch
Programming language to create your own interactive stories, games,
VS
TAO
Open-source computer-based assessment platform
| Feature | Scratch | TAO |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Learning & Courses | Learning & Courses |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 50 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,811 | ★ 138 |
| First released | 2023 | 2010 |
| Replaces | — | ExamSoft, Questionmark |
Why pick each one
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
Choose TAO if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in PHP
Frequently asked questions
Is Scratch or TAO better?
Scratch is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider TAO if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Scratch and TAO free and open-source?
Yes. Scratch is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and TAO under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Scratch and TAO with Docker?
Scratch: check the project docs for container support. TAO: yes.