LMS · head to head
Claroline vs Read the Docs
Claroline
LMS
Open source French-language learning platform, now developed as Claroline Connect
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Read the Docs
Documentation
Documentation hosting with versioning built for open source
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
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.; Read the Docs build configuration is finicky, and build failures on dependency changes are a common frustration
- They diverge on capability: Claroline covers Workspaces, Read the Docs covers Build on commit.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Claroline and Read the Docs actually diverge.
| Attribute | Claroline | Read the Docs |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Open source, no licence fee | Free for open source; paid business plans for private documentation |
| Platforms | Web, Linux | Web, Cloud |
| Category | LMS | Documentation |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).
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 Read the Docs
- Build on commit
- Version by branch and tag
- Pull request previews
- Free for open source
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 Read the Docs
- A public body required to keep learner data on European infrastructure under an open licence it can audit.not Read the Docs
- A training provider assembling learning paths from a shared library of reusable resources across many client workspaces rather than duplicating courses.not Read the Docs
- 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 Read the Docs
Read the Docs
- Open-source projects needing free hosted versioned documentationnot Claroline
- Teams wanting docs rebuilt automatically on every commitnot Claroline
- Reviewing documentation changes in a pull request before mergenot 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.
Read the Docs
- Build configuration is finicky, and build failures on dependency changes are a common frustration
- Default themes are recognisable and dated, so sites look alike unless customised
- Private documentation requires a paid business plan
- Build times on large projects are slow enough to interrupt a review cycle
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
Read the Docs
Free- FreeFree
- Core functionality
- Public projects
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.
Choose Read the Docs if
- You need build on commit.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Cloud.
- You also want version by branch and tag.
Questions people ask
- Is Claroline or Read the Docs better?
- Neither clearly leads. Claroline starts at Free and Read the Docs at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Claroline or Read the Docs?
- Claroline starts at Free and Read the Docs at Free.
- Does Claroline or Read the Docs run on more platforms?
- Claroline runs on Web, Linux. Read the Docs runs on Web, Cloud.
- 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 Read the Docs is typically brought in for.
- What can Claroline do that Read the Docs cannot?
- Claroline covers Workspaces, Resource model, Learning paths, Quizzes and evaluation. Read the Docs covers Build on commit, Version by branch and tag, Pull request previews, Free for open source.
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.
Read the Docs: Is Read the Docs free?
Free for open-source public projects. Private documentation requires a paid business plan.
Claroline: Is it still maintained?
Yes. Point releases in the 15.0 line continued into 2026 with active commits on GitHub.
Read the Docs: What does it build from?
Most commonly Sphinx or MkDocs sources kept in your repository.
Claroline: Is it free?
The software is GPL and free. Hosted distribution with maintenance and support is a paid service from the commercial operator.
Read the Docs: How does versioning work?
It maps branches and tags to documentation versions, so several releases are served side by side without manual work.
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.
Related pages
More on Read the Docs
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