Chamilo vs Moodle
Self-host pick — both replace Teachable (Online course platform).
Both Chamilo and Moodle self-host as a replacement for Teachable (Online course platform). Pick Chamilo if you want the lighter footprint — 20min docker-compose (PHP + MariaDB), $5-10/mo vps. Pick Moodle if you need educators or training orgs that need quizzes, certificates, gradebooks, and SCORM compliance — 30min docker-compose (PHP + MariaDB/PostgreSQL + Redis) and $10/mo vps for a small course; storage scales with video uploads.
| Chamiloopen-source | Moodleopen-source | |
|---|---|---|
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Setup time | 20min docker-compose (PHP + MariaDB) | 30min docker-compose (PHP + MariaDB/PostgreSQL + Redis) |
| Monthly cost | $5-10/mo VPS. | $10/mo VPS for a small course; storage scales with video uploads. |
| GitHub | chamilo/chamilo-lms | moodle/moodle |
| Replaces | Teachable | Teachable |
Good fit for
Chamilo
Smaller education providers and corporate training teams that want a less complex LMS than Moodle.
Weak at:Smaller plugin ecosystem; international community is largely Spanish/French-speaking — English docs sometimes lag.
Moodle
Educators or training orgs that need quizzes, certificates, gradebooks, and SCORM compliance.
Weak at:UI feels academic; needs theme work to look like Teachable's polished course landing pages.
In a terminal? npx -y github:SolvoHQ/os-alt-cli teachable prints Teachable's self-host options including both —
how the CLI works →
FAQ
Which is easier to self-host, Chamilo or Moodle?
Chamilo: 20min docker-compose (PHP + MariaDB). Moodle: 30min docker-compose (PHP + MariaDB/PostgreSQL + Redis).
What does each cost to run?
Chamilo: $5-10/mo VPS.. Moodle: $10/mo VPS for a small course; storage scales with video uploads.. Both projects are free and open source.
Do Chamilo and Moodle replace the same SaaS?
Yes — both are open-source alternatives to Teachable.