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LMS · head to head

Chamilo vs Cornerstone OnDemand

Chamilo logo

Chamilo

LMS

Open source learning management system with no licence fee and a Latin American and francophone user base

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Cornerstone OnDemand logo

Cornerstone OnDemand

LMS

The Intelligence Platform for Workforce Readiness

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Chamilo has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Chamilo version 3.0 has been in beta since 2024 while production deployments stay on the 1.11 branch, so anyone planning a multi-year deployment is choosing between an ageing stable line and an unfinished rewrite.; Cornerstone OnDemand no published pricing available; pricing varies by organization size and specific needs.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Chamilo and Cornerstone OnDemand actually diverge.

Attributes where Chamilo and Cornerstone OnDemand differ
AttributeChamiloCornerstone OnDemand
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Self-hosted, LinuxWeb

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (LMS).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Chamilo

  • Course and learning paths
  • Assessments
  • Gradebook and certificates
  • Attendance tracking
  • Sessions and multi-tenancy
  • Wide interface translation
  • Plugins
  • Low hosting requirements

Only in Cornerstone OnDemand

Nothing recorded that Chamilo does not also cover.

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Chamilo

  • A Latin American university that needs an LMS with no per-student licence fee and Spanish-language support from people in a compatible time zonenot Cornerstone OnDemand
  • A ministry or NGO delivering vocational training over poor connectivity, where a lightweight PHP application on cheap hosting beats a heavyweight platformnot Cornerstone OnDemand
  • A francophone institution in West Africa or Belgium where French interface and documentation quality decides adoption more than feature countnot Cornerstone OnDemand
  • An organisation that requires the LMS to run entirely on its own infrastructure with no data leaving the countrynot Cornerstone OnDemand

Cornerstone OnDemand

  • Reskilling workforces weeks faster with targeted learning pathsnot Chamilo
  • Ensuring compliance training completion across enterprise locationsnot Chamilo
  • Identifying and developing high-potential successor candidatesnot Chamilo
  • Onboarding seasonal and contract staff efficientlynot Chamilo

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Chamilo

  • Version 3.0 has been in beta since 2024 while production deployments stay on the 1.11 branch, so anyone planning a multi-year deployment is choosing between an ageing stable line and an unfinished rewrite.
  • Governance moved to BeezNest Belgium, a commercial company that also sells Chamilo hosting and services, which concentrates roadmap decisions in a vendor with a direct commercial interest in the support market.
  • The English-language community and documentation are noticeably thinner than the Spanish and French, so an anglophone institution will find fewer answers, fewer contributors and fewer consultants than the project size implies.
  • No licence fee is not no cost: hosting, upgrades, security patching, backups and integration work all fall on the institution or a paid partner, and that ongoing labour usually exceeds what a small institution would have paid for a hosted commercial LMS.
  • The third-party plugin ecosystem is small compared with Moodle, so integrations with proctoring, publisher content and student information systems often have to be commissioned rather than installed.

Cornerstone OnDemand

  • No published pricing available; pricing varies by organization size and specific needs.
  • Cost estimation requires a personalized demo and direct sales consultation.

Pricing, plan by plan

Chamilo

Free
  • Self-hostedFree
    • GNU GPL licence, no per-learner fee
    • Full source code
    • Community support in Spanish, French and English
  • Hosting and support from partners$undefined/year
    • Managed hosting, upgrades and support sold by BeezNest and other official providers
    • Priced per deployment, quoted

Cornerstone OnDemand

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Cornerstone OnDemand review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Chamilo if

  • You need course and learning paths.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Self-hosted, Linux.
  • You also want assessments.
Chamilo review

Choose Cornerstone OnDemand if

Nothing in the data separates Cornerstone OnDemand from Chamilo on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Cornerstone OnDemand review

Questions people ask

Is Chamilo or Cornerstone OnDemand better?
Neither clearly leads. Chamilo starts at Free and Cornerstone OnDemand at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Chamilo or Cornerstone OnDemand?
Chamilo has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Chamilo and On request for Cornerstone OnDemand.
Does Chamilo or Cornerstone OnDemand run on more platforms?
Chamilo runs on Web, Self-hosted, Linux. Cornerstone OnDemand runs on Web.
Can I use Chamilo for free?
Yes. Chamilo has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Cornerstone OnDemand starts at On request.
What is Chamilo best used for?
Chamilo is most often used for a latin american university that needs an lms with no per-student licence fee and spanish-language support from people in a compatible time zone, a ministry or ngo delivering vocational training over poor connectivity, where a lightweight php application on cheap hosting beats a heavyweight platform, a francophone institution in west africa or belgium where french interface and documentation quality decides adoption more than feature count, an organisation that requires the lms to run entirely on its own infrastructure with no data leaving the country. Of those, a latin american university that needs an lms with no per-student licence fee and spanish-language support from people in a compatible time zone and a ministry or ngo delivering vocational training over poor connectivity, where a lightweight php application on cheap hosting beats a heavyweight platform are not what Cornerstone OnDemand is typically brought in for.
What can Chamilo do that Cornerstone OnDemand cannot?
Chamilo covers Course and learning paths, Assessments, Gradebook and certificates, Attendance tracking.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Chamilo: Who owns and maintains Chamilo now?

The project has been governed by BeezNest Belgium since January 2026. The code remains under the GNU GPL, but roadmap stewardship sits with a commercial company that also sells Chamilo services.

Cornerstone OnDemand: How much does Cornerstone OnDemand cost?

Cornerstone OnDemand does not publish pricing online. Each organization receives custom pricing based on company size and specific requirements. Contact Cornerstone OnDemand to request a personalized demo and pricing estimate.

Source
Chamilo: Is Chamilo 3 ready for production?

No. The 3.0 line has been in beta since 2024 and production installations remain on the 1.11 branch. Plan on 1.11 and treat the 3.0 migration as a future project.

Cornerstone OnDemand: What is Cornerstone OnDemand's pricing model?

Cornerstone OnDemand uses a custom, quote-based pricing model. Pricing depends on organization size, the number of users, and specific feature requirements. Interested organizations are directed to request a free personalized demo to receive an estimate.

Source
Chamilo: Is there a licence fee?

No. Chamilo is GPL software with no per-learner charge. Costs are hosting, support and whatever integration work you commission.

Chamilo: Where is it strongest?

Spanish-speaking Latin America, Spain, francophone West Africa and Belgium. Support and documentation quality in Spanish and French exceed the English.

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