Chamilo

Free, open-source LMS focused on ease of use for schools, universities and training.

Open sourceSelf-hostableOnline course platforms

Verified facts: 3 of 3
Alternatives ranked: 5
Approved reviews: 0
Visits sent from here: 0

About Chamilo

Chamilo is an open-source learning management system developed by an international community and the Chamilo Association. It covers courses with documents and learning paths, SCORM support, exercises and exams, assignments, forums, attendance, gradebooks, certificates and skills tracking, plus video-conference integrations. Its main selling point is that it is simpler for teachers and administrators than Moodle while still being free and self-hostable, and it is widely used in Spanish- and French-speaking countries. The trade-offs are a smaller plugin ecosystem and fewer hosting partners than Moodle, and its interface, while straightforward, is not as modern as hosted SaaS products. The software is free under the GPL; official partners sell hosting, support and customisation. It runs in the browser on your own server. Chamilo suits schools, universities, NGOs and companies wanting an easy, free LMS they control.

Best for: Schools and organisations that want a free, easy self-hosted LMS.

What works

Free and open source under the GPL
Easier for teachers than Moodle
SCORM, exams, certificates and skills built in

Why people leave

Smaller plugin ecosystem than Moodle
Fewer hosting and support partners
Interface looks dated next to SaaS tools

Top Chamilo alternatives

See all 5

1
Moodle
Larger ecosystem of plugins, partners and documentation.
66.5
2
ILIAS
Another mature open-source LMS, strong on assessment and compliance.
62.6
3
Open edX
Better for very large online courses and MOOCs.
59.6
4
TalentLMS
Hosted corporate LMS with a free plan and nothing to install.
57.2
5
Google Classroom
Simpler, free option for schools on Google Workspace.
55.3

Why people left Chamilo

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Chamilo: common questions

Is Chamilo free?

Yes. Chamilo is free, open-source software that you can host yourself.

Is Chamilo open source?

Yes. The source code is on GitHub at chamilo/chamilo-lms. You can also run it on your own server.

What platforms does Chamilo run on?

Chamilo is available for Web and Self-hosted.

What are the best alternatives to Chamilo?

The highest-ranked Chamilo alternatives right now are Moodle, ILIAS and Open edX. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 5 Chamilo alternatives

Chamilo facts

3 of 3 verified

License: GPL-3.0; Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab); “License: GPL-3.0 (GNU General Public License v3.0).”
Learners: 41M+ worldwide; Checked Oct 25, 2026chamilo.org(opens source in a new tab); “free and Open Source e-learning platform used by 41M+ learners worldwide.”
Price: Free; Checked Oct 25, 2026chamilo.org(opens source in a new tab); “Chamilo LMS is a free and Open Source e-learning platform used by 41M+ learners worldwide.”