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LMS · head to head

Claroline vs iSpring Learn

Claroline logo

Claroline

LMS

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
iSpring Learn logo

iSpring Learn

LMS

Fast LMS for corporate training

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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.; iSpring Learn the smallest published plan is 100 users at $8,286 a year, so there is no entry point for a small team
  • They diverge on capability: Claroline covers Workspaces, iSpring Learn covers Course player.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Claroline and iSpring Learn actually diverge.

Attributes where Claroline and iSpring Learn differ
AttributeClarolineiSpring Learn
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feesubscription
PlatformsWeb, LinuxWeb, IOS, Android
FoundedUnknown2001

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 Claroline

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

Only in iSpring Learn

  • Course player
  • Quiz builder
  • Certifications
  • Mobile app
  • Analytics
  • PowerPoint import
  • SCORM support
  • iSpring Suite

Both cover

  • Learning paths

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 iSpring Learn
  • A public body required to keep learner data on European infrastructure under an open licence it can audit.not iSpring Learn
  • A training provider assembling learning paths from a shared library of reusable resources across many client workspaces rather than duplicating courses.not iSpring Learn
  • 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 iSpring Learn

iSpring Learn

  • employee trainingnot Claroline
  • corporate learning managementnot Claroline
  • staff developmentnot 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.

iSpring Learn

  • The smallest published plan is 100 users at $8,286 a year, so there is no entry point for a small team
  • Per user rates fall steeply with volume, from $6.91 a month at 100 users to $3.97 at 500, so smaller buyers pay nearly twice as much per head
  • Billing is per active user, defined as anyone who logged in at least once in a month, so a single login costs a full seat
  • Plans are sold in fixed user bands rather than by actual headcount

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

iSpring Learn

Free
  • Business 100 users$6.91/user/month
    • 100 users at this rate
    • unlimited learning content
    • reports and analytics
  • Business 300 users$4.46/user/month
    • 300 users at this rate
    • unlimited learning content
    • reports and analytics
  • Business 500 users$3.97/user/month
    • 500 users at this rate
    • unlimited learning content
    • reports and analytics
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • custom pricing
    • dedicated support

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 iSpring Learn if

  • You need course player.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want quiz builder.
iSpring Learn review

Questions people ask

Is Claroline or iSpring Learn better?
Neither clearly leads. Claroline starts at Free and iSpring Learn at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Claroline or iSpring Learn?
Claroline starts at Free and iSpring Learn at Free.
Does Claroline or iSpring Learn run on more platforms?
Claroline runs on Web, Linux. iSpring Learn runs on Web, IOS, Android.
Can I use Claroline for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 iSpring Learn is typically brought in for.
What can Claroline do that iSpring Learn cannot?
Claroline covers Workspaces, Resource model, Quizzes and evaluation, Competency framework. iSpring Learn covers Course player, Quiz builder, Certifications, Mobile app. Both handle Learning paths.

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.

iSpring Learn: Does iSpring Learn offer a free trial?

Yes, iSpring Learn provides a free 30-day trial with no credit card required.

Source
Claroline: Is it still maintained?

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

iSpring Learn: Are there hidden costs in iSpring Learn pricing?

No, iSpring Learn emphasizes transparent pricing with no hidden costs and offers a money-back guarantee.

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.

iSpring Learn: How does iSpring Learn pricing scale with user count?

iSpring Learn uses per-user monthly pricing that decreases as you add more users: 100 users at $6.91/user, 300 users at $4.46/user, or 500 users at $3.97/user per month.

Source
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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