Compare / Open edX vs Canvas LMS
Open edX vs Canvas LMS
Pick Open edX if you want Studio and a large-course stack. Pick Canvas LMS if you want the Instructure classroom. Moodle remains the published Teachable path.
Facts checked 22 Oct 2026. License, language, and GitHub activity come from the catalog or the project's own repo. "Not in the catalog row" means the public catalog dump does not store that number.
Open edX in the catalog Canvas LMS in the catalog Start on Railway
How they compare
| Open edX | Canvas LMS | |
|---|---|---|
| License | AGPL-3.0 (catalog) source | AGPL-3.0 (catalog) source |
| Language | Python (catalog) | Ruby (catalog) |
| GitHub activity | 8,205 stars in the catalog source | 6,882 stars in the catalog source |
| Self-host | Named on /stacks/moodle-lms. LMS plus Studio. | Same stack. Instructure classroom. Not Canva. |
| Best for | Large courses and Studio. | The Canvas product you already run. |
Self-hosting and resource needs
Neither is the default lander. The published Teachable path is Moodle — /compare/moodle-vs-openedx. Open edX is openedx/openedx-platform. Canvas LMS is instructure/canvas-lms.
FAQ
- Why not Moodle?
- Moodle is the published Teachable replacement — /compare/moodle-vs-openedx.
- Is this Canva?
- No. /replace/canva is the design tool.
- Are these free?
- Both catalog rows are AGPL-3.0. You pay hosting.
- How do I deploy Open edX?
- Follow openedx.org self-host docs. Start at /stacks/moodle-lms unless you already know Studio.
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