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LMS · head to head

Claroline vs Moodle

Claroline logo

Claroline

LMS

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Moodle logo

Moodle

LMS

Open-source LMS designed by educators for educators

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.; Moodle self-hosted deployment requires significant IT resources and technical expertise
  • They diverge on capability: Claroline covers Workspaces, Moodle covers Course management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Claroline and Moodle actually diverge.

Attributes where Claroline and Moodle differ
AttributeClarolineMoodle
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feeUnknown
PlatformsWeb, LinuxWeb
FoundedUnknown2002

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

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.

Claroline

  • A French or Belgian training organisation that needs a francophone platform where the interface and support are French-first rather than translated.not Moodle
  • A public body required to keep learner data on European infrastructure under an open licence it can audit.not Moodle
  • A training provider assembling learning paths from a shared library of reusable resources across many client workspaces rather than duplicating courses.not Moodle
  • 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 Moodle

Moodle

  • Online learningnot Claroline
  • Blended learningnot Claroline
  • Corporate trainingnot Claroline
  • Compliance trainingnot 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.

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

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

Moodle

Free
  • Self-HostedFree
    • Full feature access
  • MoodleCloud Starter$200/year
    • 50 users
    • Managed hosting

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 Moodle if

  • You need course management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want quiz builder.
Moodle review

Questions people ask

Is Claroline or Moodle better?
Neither clearly leads. Claroline 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, Claroline or Moodle?
Claroline starts at Free and Moodle at Free.
Does Claroline or Moodle run on more platforms?
Claroline runs on Web, Linux. Moodle runs on Web.
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 Moodle is typically brought in for.
What can Claroline do that Moodle cannot?
Claroline covers Workspaces, Resource model, Learning paths, Quizzes and evaluation. Moodle covers Course management, Quiz builder, Forums, Assignments.

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.

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.

Source
Claroline: Is it still maintained?

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

Moodle: What languages does Moodle support?

Moodle is available in over 160 languages, making it accessible to educators and learners worldwide.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Source
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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