ILIAS

Open-source LMS from Germany for universities, companies and public authorities.

Open sourceSelf-hostableOnline course platforms

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

About ILIAS

ILIAS is one of the oldest open-source learning management systems, developed since the late 1990s and now guided by the ILIAS open source e-Learning e.V. association. It is especially common in German-speaking universities, companies and public administration. ILIAS goes beyond courses into a broad toolkit: tests and assessments with many question types, learning modules, SCORM, wikis, blogs, portfolios, surveys, groups and detailed role-based permissions, with a strong emphasis on data protection and standards. Anyone can download and run it free of charge, and service providers offer hosting, customisation and training. Its breadth means a steep learning curve for administrators, and its interface and community resources are less familiar outside Europe. It runs in the browser on your own server. ILIAS suits organisations that need a feature-rich, privacy-conscious LMS under their own control.

Best for: European universities and public bodies that need a privacy-conscious, self-hosted LMS.

What works

Free and open source, run on your own servers
Strong testing, assessment and compliance tools
Broad toolkit including wikis, portfolios and surveys

Why people leave

Steep learning curve for administrators
Community and documentation are Europe-centred
Interface is less modern than SaaS options

Top ILIAS alternatives

See all 5

1
Moodle
The most widely used open-source LMS, with more plugins and partners worldwide.
66.5
2
Chamilo
Simpler open-source LMS that is quicker for teachers to learn.
62.6
3
Open edX
Better for large-scale online courses with many learners.
59.6
4
Canvas LMS
Modern hosted LMS if self-hosting is no longer a requirement.
57.2
5
Sakai
Community-governed open-source LMS from the university world.
55.3

Why people left ILIAS

In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.

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ILIAS: common questions

Is ILIAS free?

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

Is ILIAS open source?

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

What platforms does ILIAS run on?

ILIAS is available for Web and Self-hosted.

What are the best alternatives to ILIAS?

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

See all 5 ILIAS alternatives

ILIAS 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).”
Price: Free of cost; Checked Oct 25, 2026ilias.de(opens source in a new tab); “Anyone can use ILIAS - free of cost - and also take part in shaping its further development.”
Audience: Universities, enterprise, schools, public authorities; Checked Oct 25, 2026ilias.de(opens source in a new tab); “Learn more The Open Source LMS for Universities, Enterprise, Schools and Public Authorities”