LMS · head to head
Chamilo vs Moodle
Chamilo
LMS
Open source learning management system with no licence fee and a Latin American and francophone user base
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- 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.; Moodle self-hosted deployment requires significant IT resources and technical expertise
- They diverge on capability: Chamilo covers Course and learning paths, Moodle covers Course management.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Chamilo and Moodle actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Moodle
- Course management
- Quiz builder
- Forums
- Assignments
- Gradebook
- Badges
- Competencies
- Mobile app
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 Moodle
- A ministry or NGO delivering vocational training over poor connectivity, where a lightweight PHP application on cheap hosting beats a heavyweight platformnot Moodle
- A francophone institution in West Africa or Belgium where French interface and documentation quality decides adoption more than feature countnot Moodle
- An organisation that requires the LMS to run entirely on its own infrastructure with no data leaving the countrynot Moodle
Moodle
- Online learningnot Chamilo
- Blended learningnot Chamilo
- Corporate trainingnot Chamilo
- Compliance trainingnot 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.
Moodle
- Self-hosted deployment requires significant IT resources and technical expertise
- Managed hosting has higher costs for large institutions compared to self-hosting
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
Moodle
Free- Self-HostedFree
- Full feature access
- MoodleCloud Starter$200/year
- 50 users
- Managed hosting
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.
Choose Moodle if
- You need course management.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want quiz builder.
Questions people ask
- Is Chamilo or Moodle better?
- Neither clearly leads. Chamilo starts at Free and Moodle at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Chamilo or Moodle?
- Chamilo starts at Free and Moodle at Free.
- Does Chamilo or Moodle run on more platforms?
- Chamilo runs on Web, Self-hosted, Linux. Moodle runs on Web.
- Can I use Chamilo for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- 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 Moodle is typically brought in for.
- What can Chamilo do that Moodle cannot?
- Chamilo covers Course and learning paths, Assessments, Gradebook and certificates, Attendance tracking. Moodle covers Course management, Quiz builder, Forums, Assignments.
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.
Moodle: Is Moodle free or paid?
Moodle is free and open-source software. However, self-hosting requires IT resources and server infrastructure. Managed cloud hosting through MoodleCloud starts at $200/year for 50 users.
SourceChamilo: 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.
Moodle: What languages does Moodle support?
Moodle is available in over 160 languages, making it accessible to educators and learners worldwide.
SourceChamilo: 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.
Moodle: Is Moodle suitable for corporations and enterprises?
Yes, Moodle is suitable for K-12, higher education, vocational training, and corporate learning. Moodle Workplace is the enterprise edition with multi-tenancy and compliance tooling.
SourceChamilo: 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.
Moodle: What learning standards does Moodle support?
Moodle supports various e-learning standards including SCORM and Tin Can API for compatibility with other educational systems.
SourceRelated pages
Other head to heads
- Chamilo vs Docebo
- Chamilo vs TalentLMS
- Chamilo vs Sakai
- Chamilo vs Claroline
- Chamilo vs Totara
- Chamilo vs Canvas
- Chamilo vs LearnDash
- Chamilo vs Schoox
- Chamilo vs Skilljar
- Chamilo vs CYPHER Learning
- Chamilo vs LearnUpon
- Chamilo vs Pear Deck
- Chamilo vs Seesaw
- Chamilo vs Weet
- Chamilo vs Whatfix
- Chamilo vs Schoology
- Chamilo vs Google Classroom
- Chamilo vs Edmodo
- Chamilo vs ClassDojo
- Chamilo vs LearnWorlds
- Chamilo vs Absorb LMS
- Moodle vs Docebo
- Moodle vs TalentLMS
- Moodle vs Sakai
- Moodle vs Claroline
- Moodle vs Totara
- Moodle vs Canvas
- Moodle vs LearnDash
- Moodle vs Schoox
- Moodle vs Skilljar
- Moodle vs CYPHER Learning
- Moodle vs LearnUpon
- Moodle vs Pear Deck
- Moodle vs Seesaw
- Moodle vs Weet
- Moodle vs Whatfix
- Moodle vs Schoology
- Moodle vs Google Classroom
- Moodle vs Edmodo
- Moodle vs ClassDojo
- Moodle vs LearnWorlds
- Moodle vs Absorb LMS