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Open edX
Open-source platform powering online learning
As of 30 August 2026, Open edX is free to use. Open edX is the open-source learning platform that powers edX. Softwr lists it under Education. Open edX is made by Axim Collaborative, launched in 2012, available on Web, iOS, Android.
Overview
What Open edX does
Open edX is the open-source learning platform that powers edX.org and courses from top universities. Organizations and institutions use Open edX to create engaging, scalable online learning experiences with features like interactive videos, adaptive learning paths, and comprehensive learner analytics.
What people use it for
- MOOC creation
- Corporate training
- Blended learning
- Degree programs
Related searches
The honest half
Where it falls short
Concrete and checkable, so you can decide whether any of them matter to you. This is the half of a review a vendor will not write about Open edX.
- No license fees for software but requires separate spending on hosting, infrastructure, and maintenance
- Customization and support from third-party providers requires additional investment
Cross-shopped
What people choose instead of Open edX
Each pairing was judged by two reviewers asking whether a buyer would genuinely weigh the two against each other. The ones that failed were deleted rather than published.
- Open edXvsBlackboard
Blackboard: Comprehensive learning platform for educational institutions
- Open edXvsCodecademy
Codecademy: Learn to code interactively for free
- Open edXvsKhan Academy
Khan Academy: Free world-class education for anyone, anywhere
Pricing
What Open edX costs
Taken from the vendor's own pricing page. Prices move, so check before you buy.
Self-Hosted
Free
- Full platform
- Community support
- All features
Managed Hosting
On request
- Hosted solution
- Support
- Maintenance
Capabilities
Features
Course authoring
Interactive videos
Assessments
Discussions
Certificates
Analytics
Mobile apps
xBlocks
LTI tools
Integration with LTI tools
SSO
Integration with SSO
Third-party apps
Integration with Third-party apps
Analytics platforms
Integration with Analytics platforms
Answered, with sources
Questions people ask
Each answer names the page it came from, so you can check it rather than take our word for it.
How much does Open edX cost?
Open edX software itself is completely free with no license fees. Organizations must cover their own hosting, infrastructure, maintenance, and customization costs.
SourceAre there hosting options for Open edX?
Open edX offers three deployment options: self-hosted (organizations deploy independently), managed providers (third-party companies offer cost-effective managed services), and a free sandbox for testing.
SourceWhat does free mean for Open edX?
There are no license fees to use the Open edX software. Organizations can download and deploy it independently or use managed hosting providers for a fee.
SourceBehind it
Who makes Open edX
- Company
- Axim Collaborative
- Based in
- Cambridge, Massachusetts
Keep looking
Where to go from Open edX
- Open edX alternativesEvery product people weigh against it
- Open edX pricingPlans, floors and what the tiers exclude
- Open edX badgesWhich rules it meets, and the figure behind each
- All Education softwareThe full category
- Best Education softwareThe shortlist, and how it was cut
Best Education software for
Compare Open edX with
- Blackboard
- Codecademy
- DataCamp
- Khan Academy
- Stellarium
- Anki
- 360Learning
- Pluralsight
- Rosetta Stone
- Articulate 360
- Memrise
- Quizizz
- Skyward
- Udemy
- UltraCamp
- Aeries Student Information System
- Brilliant
- Articulate 360
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Softwr does not host reviews and shows no star rating for Open edX, because a rating we did not collect is not ours to publish. What is here is the pricing and platform detail from the vendor’s own pages, limitations we could state concretely, and alternatives a reviewer confirmed people weigh against it. Tell us if any of it is wrong.
More on Open edX
Open edX alternatives
What people switch to, and what they give up
Open edX pricing
Every tier, and where the cost actually lands
Compare Open edX
Put it head to head with anything we hold
Open edX badge
Its rating, and an embed for your own site
Best Education software alternatives
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Free with a Pro subscription
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Free with a Premium subscription
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Free citizen-science checklist app from Cornell Lab of Ornithology for logging bird sightings
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Open source, no licence fee except a paid iOS app