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LMS · head to head

Claroline vs TalentLMS

Claroline logo

Claroline

LMS

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
TalentLMS logo

TalentLMS

LMS

Cloud LMS built for training success

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.; TalentLMS the free plan is capped at 5 users and 10 courses
  • They diverge on capability: Claroline covers Workspaces, TalentLMS covers Course creation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Claroline and TalentLMS actually diverge.

Attributes where Claroline and TalentLMS differ
AttributeClarolineTalentLMS
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feesubscription
PlatformsWeb, LinuxWeb, IOS, Android
FoundedUnknown2012

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 TalentLMS

  • Course creation
  • Gamification
  • Mobile learning
  • Certifications
  • Reporting
  • Video conferencing
  • E-commerce
  • SCORM 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 TalentLMS
  • A public body required to keep learner data on European infrastructure under an open licence it can audit.not TalentLMS
  • A training provider assembling learning paths from a shared library of reusable resources across many client workspaces rather than duplicating courses.not TalentLMS
  • 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 TalentLMS

TalentLMS

  • Delivering employee onboarding and compliance trainingnot Claroline
  • Running separate branded training portals for customers or partnersnot Claroline
  • Authoring courses and tracking completion across teamsnot 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.

TalentLMS

  • The free plan is capped at 5 users and 10 courses
  • Custom domain and single sign on are excluded from the free plan and start at the Core tier
  • Core at $119 per month allows only 1 branch portal; Grow allows 3 and Pro allows 15
  • Learning paths are capped at 5 on Grow and are unlimited only from Pro upward
  • AI credits on Core are a one time allocation of 5,000 rather than a monthly refill
  • Enterprise pricing is custom with no published rate and targets 1,000+ users
  • The advertised annual rates require paying for a year up front

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

TalentLMS

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 5 users
    • Unlimited email support
    • Up to 10 courses
  • Core$119/month
    • 1-40 users
    • 1 branch
    • Unlimited courses
  • Grow$229/month
    • 1-70 users
    • 3 branches
    • Starter onboarding
  • Pro$449/month
    • 1-100 users
    • 15 branches
    • Premium AI credits

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 TalentLMS if

  • You need course creation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want gamification.
TalentLMS review

Questions people ask

Is Claroline or TalentLMS better?
Neither clearly leads. Claroline starts at Free and TalentLMS at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Claroline or TalentLMS?
Claroline starts at Free and TalentLMS at Free.
Does Claroline or TalentLMS run on more platforms?
Claroline runs on Web, Linux. TalentLMS 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 TalentLMS is typically brought in for.
What can Claroline do that TalentLMS cannot?
Claroline covers Workspaces, Resource model, Learning paths, Quizzes and evaluation. TalentLMS covers Course creation, Gamification, Mobile learning, Certifications.

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.

TalentLMS: What is the minimum starting price for TalentLMS?

The Core plan starts at $119 per month for 1-40 users. A free plan is available for up to 5 users with basic features.

Source
Claroline: Is it still maintained?

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

TalentLMS: Is there a free version of TalentLMS?

Yes, TalentLMS offers a free plan supporting up to 5 users, up to 10 courses, unlimited email support, and access to test AI features.

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.

TalentLMS: Do paid plans include API access?

API access is included in all paid plans starting from the Core tier ($119/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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