LMS · head to head
Chamilo vs Nearpod
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.; Nearpod free plan limited to 40 student joins per lesson, restricting larger classroom use
- They diverge on capability: Chamilo covers Course and learning paths, Nearpod covers Interactive slides.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Chamilo and Nearpod 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 Nearpod
- Interactive slides
- Virtual reality
- Gamification
- Polls
- Open-ended questions
- Draw It
- Collaborate board
- Reports
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 Nearpod
- A ministry or NGO delivering vocational training over poor connectivity, where a lightweight PHP application on cheap hosting beats a heavyweight platformnot Nearpod
- A francophone institution in West Africa or Belgium where French interface and documentation quality decides adoption more than feature countnot Nearpod
- An organisation that requires the LMS to run entirely on its own infrastructure with no data leaving the countrynot Nearpod
Nearpod
- Interactive lessonsnot Chamilo
- Formative assessmentnot Chamilo
- Student engagementnot Chamilo
- Virtual learningnot 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.
Nearpod
- Free plan limited to 40 student joins per lesson, restricting larger classroom use
- Paid plans require annual commitment with limited monthly flexibility
- Advanced collaboration features restricted to district/school level plans
- VR features depend on student device compatibility
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
Nearpod
Free- SilverFree
- 300 MB storage
- 40 student joins per lesson
- 22,000+ library resources
- Gold$159/year
- 1 GB storage
- 75 student joins per lesson
- AI Question Generator
- Platinum$397/year
- 5 GB storage
- 90 student joins per lesson
- Student notes capability
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 Nearpod if
- You need interactive slides.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android, Chromebook.
- You also want virtual reality.
Questions people ask
- Is Chamilo or Nearpod better?
- Neither clearly leads. Chamilo starts at Free and Nearpod at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Chamilo or Nearpod?
- Chamilo starts at Free and Nearpod at Free.
- Does Chamilo or Nearpod run on more platforms?
- Chamilo runs on Web, Self-hosted, Linux. Nearpod runs on Web, iOS, Android, Chromebook.
- 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 Nearpod is typically brought in for.
- What can Chamilo do that Nearpod cannot?
- Chamilo covers Course and learning paths, Assessments, Gradebook and certificates, Attendance tracking. Nearpod covers Interactive slides, Virtual reality, Gamification, Polls.
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.
Nearpod: What is included in Nearpod's free plan?
The free Silver plan includes 300 MB storage, 40 student joins per lesson, and access to core features with 22,000+ library resources.
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.
Nearpod: Can I import existing presentations into Nearpod?
Yes, you can upload PowerPoints, Google Slides, and PDFs to make them interactive with Nearpod's tools.
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.
Nearpod: Does Nearpod integrate with learning management systems?
Yes, Nearpod integrates with Canvas, Google Classroom, Schoology, Blackboard, and other LMS platforms with single sign-on and rostering support.
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.
Related pages
Other head to heads
- Chamilo vs Moodle
- 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 Edpuzzle
- Chamilo vs Schoology
- Chamilo vs ClassDojo
- Chamilo vs Echo360
- Chamilo vs Google Classroom
- Chamilo vs Edmodo
- Chamilo vs LearnWorlds
- Chamilo vs Padlet
- Chamilo vs Cornerstone OnDemand
- Chamilo vs D2L Brightspace
- Chamilo vs Degreed
- Nearpod vs Moodle
- Nearpod vs Docebo
- Nearpod vs TalentLMS
- Nearpod vs Sakai
- Nearpod vs Claroline
- Nearpod vs Totara
- Nearpod vs Canvas
- Nearpod vs LearnDash
- Nearpod vs Schoox
- Nearpod vs Skilljar
- Nearpod vs CYPHER Learning
- Nearpod vs LearnUpon
- Nearpod vs Pear Deck
- Nearpod vs Seesaw
- Nearpod vs Weet
- Nearpod vs Whatfix
- Nearpod vs Edpuzzle
- Nearpod vs Schoology
- Nearpod vs ClassDojo
- Nearpod vs Echo360
- Nearpod vs Google Classroom
- Nearpod vs Edmodo
- Nearpod vs LearnWorlds
- Nearpod vs Padlet
- Nearpod vs Cornerstone OnDemand
- Nearpod vs D2L Brightspace
- Nearpod vs Degreed