LMS · head to head
Claroline vs Screencastify
Claroline
LMS
Open source French-language learning platform, now developed as Claroline Connect
- 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.; Screencastify limited to Chrome browser only, cannot record on Firefox, Safari, or Edge
- They diverge on capability: Claroline covers Workspaces, Screencastify covers Screen recording.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Claroline and Screencastify actually diverge.
| Attribute | Claroline | Screencastify |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Open source, no licence fee | freemium |
| Platforms | Web, Linux | Chrome Browser |
| Founded | Unknown | 2013 |
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 Screencastify
- Screen recording
- Video editing
- Drawing tools
- Google Drive export
- Chrome support
- Edge support
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 Screencastify
- A public body required to keep learner data on European infrastructure under an open licence it can audit.not Screencastify
- A training provider assembling learning paths from a shared library of reusable resources across many client workspaces rather than duplicating courses.not Screencastify
- 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 Screencastify
Screencastify
- Recording lessons for flipped classroom instruction without external toolsnot Claroline
- Creating product demos and explainer videos for sales teamsnot Claroline
- Documenting technical processes for customer support tutorialsnot Claroline
- Collecting and grading video assignments from students with rubricsnot Claroline
- Adding interactive assessments to video content to measure understandingnot 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.
Screencastify
- Limited to Chrome browser only, cannot record on Firefox, Safari, or Edge
- Free version watermark appears on all videos and requires upgrade to remove
- Free tier limited to 10 videos total before requiring paid plan
- Maximum 1080p resolution at 30fps, no support for higher framerates or 4K
- No free educator license for educational institutions
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
Screencastify
Free- FreeFree
- Up to 10 videos
- 30-minute recording limit
- Browser tab, full screen, and webcam recording
- Starter$7/month
- Unlimited videos
- 60-minute recording limit
- Basic editing
- Pro$10/month
- Unlimited videos
- 180-minute recording limit
- AI video enhancements
- Enterprise & EDU$null/month
- Custom pricing
- Central admin controls
- LMS integrations
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 Screencastify if
- You need screen recording.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Chrome Browser.
- You also want video editing.
Questions people ask
- Is Claroline or Screencastify better?
- Neither clearly leads. Claroline starts at Free and Screencastify at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Claroline or Screencastify?
- Claroline starts at Free and Screencastify at Free.
- Does Claroline or Screencastify run on more platforms?
- Claroline runs on Web, Linux. Screencastify runs on Chrome Browser.
- 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 Screencastify is typically brought in for.
- What can Claroline do that Screencastify cannot?
- Claroline covers Workspaces, Resource model, Learning paths, Quizzes and evaluation. Screencastify covers Screen recording, Video editing, Drawing tools, Google Drive export.
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.
Screencastify: What's the free tier limit?
Free plan allows 10 total videos up to 30 minutes each, with watermark. After 10 videos, you must upgrade.
SourceClaroline: Is it still maintained?
Yes. Point releases in the 15.0 line continued into 2026 with active commits on GitHub.
Screencastify: Is Screencastify limited to Chrome?
Yes. Screencastify is exclusively a Chrome extension and does not work on other browsers like Firefox, Safari, or Edge.
SourceClaroline: Is it free?
The software is GPL and free. Hosted distribution with maintenance and support is a paid service from the commercial operator.
Screencastify: What's the maximum video quality?
Maximum resolution is 1080p at 30 frames per second. Videos can only be exported to MP4, audio to MP3, or as GIF.
SourceClaroline: 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.
Screencastify: Does Screencastify work for educational use?
Screencastify lacks a free educator license for schools or non-profits, unlike some competitors who offer discounted or free plans for educational institutions.
SourceClaroline: 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 Screencastify
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