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LMS · head to head

Claroline vs Tovuti LMS

Claroline logo

Claroline

LMS

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Tovuti LMS logo

Tovuti LMS

LMS

Learning management with interactive content authoring built in rather than bought separately

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Claroline has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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.; Tovuti LMS the bundled authoring saving only exists if you do not already own an authoring suite, and organisations that do are paying a premium for a capability their designers will not adopt.
  • They diverge on capability: Claroline covers Workspaces, Tovuti LMS covers Built-in interactive authoring.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Claroline and Tovuti LMS actually diverge.

Attributes where Claroline and Tovuti LMS differ
AttributeClarolineTovuti LMS
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, LinuxWeb, iOS, Android

Identical on both: 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 Tovuti LMS

  • Built-in interactive authoring
  • Virtual classroom
  • Checklists and observations
  • Ecommerce and membership
  • Certification management
  • Multiple learner portals

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

Tovuti LMS

  • A training team that would otherwise buy both a learning platform and per seat authoring licencesnot Claroline
  • Associations selling continuing education to members and needing commerce, delivery and certificates togethernot Claroline
  • Organisations needing assessor sign off for practical competence alongside online modulesnot Claroline
  • Replacing a legacy system where course content must be rebuilt anyway, so built in authoring is used from day onenot 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.

Tovuti LMS

  • The bundled authoring saving only exists if you do not already own an authoring suite, and organisations that do are paying a premium for a capability their designers will not adopt.
  • The built in editor is convenient rather than equal to a dedicated authoring tool, so complex simulations and software training content still need an external product.
  • Reporting is serviceable for completion and certification and shallow for skills analytics, so data heavy learning teams add a separate analytics layer.
  • Permissions and hierarchy modelling are lighter than enterprise competitors, which shows up in organisations with many semi autonomous business units.
  • Support and professional services capacity is smaller than at the large vendors, so complex implementations depend more on the customer having a capable internal owner.

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

Tovuti LMS

On request
  • Tovuti LMS$undefined/year
    • Quoted by learner volume and modules
    • Annual contracts with implementation fee
    • Interactive authoring included rather than licensed separately

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 Tovuti LMS if

  • You need built-in interactive authoring.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want virtual classroom.
Tovuti LMS review

Questions people ask

Is Claroline or Tovuti LMS better?
Neither clearly leads. Claroline starts at Free and Tovuti LMS at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Claroline or Tovuti LMS?
Claroline has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Claroline and On request for Tovuti LMS.
Does Claroline or Tovuti LMS run on more platforms?
Claroline runs on Web, Linux. Tovuti LMS runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Claroline for free?
Yes. Claroline has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Tovuti LMS starts at On request.
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 Tovuti LMS is typically brought in for.
What can Claroline do that Tovuti LMS cannot?
Claroline covers Workspaces, Resource model, Learning paths, Quizzes and evaluation. Tovuti LMS covers Built-in interactive authoring, Virtual classroom, Checklists and observations, Ecommerce and membership.

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.

Tovuti LMS: Do we still need an authoring tool?

For most standard modules, no, the built in editor covers it. For software simulations and complex interactions you will still want a dedicated authoring product.

Claroline: Is it still maintained?

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

Tovuti LMS: How is it priced?

Quoted by learner volume and the modules taken, with an implementation fee. It is not published, so compare it against per active user competitors using your own population model.

Claroline: Is it free?

The software is GPL and free. Hosted distribution with maintenance and support is a paid service from the commercial operator.

Tovuti LMS: Is it suitable for external customer training?

Yes. It supports separately branded portals and ecommerce, which is why associations and training providers use it as often as internal learning and development teams.

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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