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LMS · head to head

Claroline vs Cornerstone OnDemand

Claroline logo

Claroline

LMS

Open source French-language learning platform, now developed as Claroline Connect

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 Claroline has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Claroline two products share the name and the abandoned original, last released in December 2021, dominates search results, so institutions regularly install unmaintained software believing it is current.; 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 Claroline and Cornerstone OnDemand actually diverge.

Attributes where Claroline and Cornerstone OnDemand differ
AttributeClarolineCornerstone OnDemand
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, 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 Claroline

  • Workspaces
  • Resource model
  • Learning paths
  • Quizzes and evaluation
  • Competency framework
  • Planning and events
  • Self-hosting
  • SaaS option

Only in Cornerstone OnDemand

Nothing recorded that Claroline does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Claroline

  • A French or Belgian training organisation that needs a francophone platform where the interface and support are French-first rather than translated.not Cornerstone OnDemand
  • A public body required to keep learner data on European infrastructure under an open licence it can audit.not Cornerstone OnDemand
  • A training provider assembling learning paths from a shared library of reusable resources across many client workspaces rather than duplicating courses.not Cornerstone OnDemand
  • An institution already running the abandoned Claroline 13 line that needs to plan a migration onto the maintained Connect codebase before its dependencies become unsupportable.not Cornerstone OnDemand

Cornerstone OnDemand

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

Where each one falls short

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

Claroline

  • Two products share the name and the abandoned original, last released in December 2021, dominates search results, so institutions regularly install unmaintained software believing it is current.
  • The community is small compared with Moodle, so plugin choice, third-party integrations and the pool of people who can administer it in production are all thin.
  • Documentation and community discussion are French-first and English coverage is partial and inconsistent, which raises the effort for any non-francophone team.
  • The commercial hosting is offered by a small operator rather than a large partner network, so an institution depending on paid support has concentrated supplier risk.
  • The workspace and resource model is different enough from a conventional course-based LMS that staff moving from Moodle or Canvas have to relearn how content is organised, and migrations do not map cleanly.

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

Claroline

Free
  • Claroline ConnectFree
    • GPL licence, no fee
    • Full source on GitHub
    • You provide Symfony and PHP hosting and operations
  • Hosted distribution$undefined/year
    • Managed hosting, maintenance and updates
    • Support from the commercial operator
    • Quoted by user count

Cornerstone OnDemand

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Cornerstone OnDemand review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Claroline if

  • You need workspaces.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Linux.
  • You also want resource model.
Claroline review

Choose Cornerstone OnDemand if

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

Cornerstone OnDemand review

Questions people ask

Is Claroline or Cornerstone OnDemand better?
Neither clearly leads. Claroline 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, Claroline or Cornerstone OnDemand?
Claroline has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Claroline and On request for Cornerstone OnDemand.
Does Claroline or Cornerstone OnDemand run on more platforms?
Claroline runs on Web, Linux. Cornerstone OnDemand runs on Web.
Can I use Claroline for free?
Yes. Claroline has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Cornerstone OnDemand starts at On request.
What is Claroline best used for?
Claroline is most often used for a french or belgian training organisation that needs a francophone platform where the interface and support are french-first rather than translated., a public body required to keep learner data on european infrastructure under an open licence it can audit., a training provider assembling learning paths from a shared library of reusable resources across many client workspaces rather than duplicating courses., an institution already running the abandoned claroline 13 line that needs to plan a migration onto the maintained connect codebase before its dependencies become unsupportable.. Of those, a french or belgian training organisation that needs a francophone platform where the interface and support are french-first rather than translated. and a public body required to keep learner data on european infrastructure under an open licence it can audit. are not what Cornerstone OnDemand is typically brought in for.
What can Claroline do that Cornerstone OnDemand cannot?
Claroline covers Workspaces, Resource model, Learning paths, Quizzes and evaluation.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Claroline: Which Claroline should I install?

Claroline Connect, the Symfony and React codebase currently on version 15. The original PHP Claroline stopped at 13.1.3 in December 2021 and should not be deployed.

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
Claroline: Is it still maintained?

Yes. Point releases in the 15.0 line continued into 2026 with active commits on GitHub.

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
Claroline: Is it free?

The software is GPL and free. Hosted distribution with maintenance and support is a paid service from the commercial operator.

Claroline: Does it work in English?

The interface has English, but documentation and community support are French-first, so a non-francophone team will hit gaps.

Claroline: How big is the ecosystem compared to Moodle?

Much smaller. If you need a wide plugin market or an easy administrator hiring pool, Moodle is the safer open source choice.

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