# Canvas LMS (Instructure) vs Moodle

| Attribute | Canvas LMS (Instructure) | Moodle |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 48.2 (60% (medium)) | 45.5 (44% (low)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | 0 | 100 |
| adoption.dependent_repos | 22 | 26 |
| adoption.github_stars | 6,866 | 7,486 |
| content.faq | `[{"answer":"An LMS enabling educators to manage courses, grade students, and communicate with learners while providing data analytics and integration with third-party applications. Used across K-12, higher education, and workforce training sectors worldwide. It is indexed under LMS & Training Software.","source":"https://www.instructure.com/press-release/instructure-announces-pricing-initial-public-offering","question":"What is Canvas LMS (Instructure)?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed browser-based access to Canvas LMS (Instructure). That is the extent of what we could verify from public sources, so it may well offer desktop or mobile clients we have not indexed.","source":"https://www.instructure.com/press-release/instructure-announces-pricing-initial-public-offering","question":"What platforms does Canvas LMS (Instructure) support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Canvas LMS (Instructure) can be deployed cloud / SaaS and self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://www.instructure.com/press-release/instructure-announces-pricing-initial-public-offering","question":"Can Canvas LMS (Instructure) be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Canvas LMS (Instructure) is published under the AGPL-3.0 licence, a copyleft licence, so check its terms before embedding it in a closed-source product. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.","source":"https://github.com/instructure/canvas-lms","question":"Is Canvas LMS (Instructure) open source?","confidence":0.95},{"answer":"Canvas LMS (Instructure) is available worldwide. Its primary market is the United States. The vendor is headquartered in the United States.","source":"https://www.instructure.com/press-release/instructure-announces-pricing-initial-public-offering","question":"Where is Canvas LMS (Instructure) available?","confidence":0.75}]` | `[{"answer":"Open source learning management system supporting millions of courses deployed globally across hundreds of thousands of sites. It is indexed under LMS & Training Software.","source":"https://moodle.org","question":"What is Moodle?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Moodle is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. It is released under the GPL-3.0 licence. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://moodle.org","question":"Is Moodle free to use?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Moodle supports the web, iOS and Android. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://moodle.org","question":"What platforms does Moodle support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Moodle can be deployed self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://moodle.org","question":"Can Moodle be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Moodle is published under the GPL-3.0 licence, a copyleft licence, so check its terms before embedding it in a closed-source product. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.","source":"https://github.com/moodle/moodle","question":"Is Moodle open source?","confidence":0.95}]` |
| deployment.options | `{"self_hosted":true}` | `{"cloud":true,"self_hosted":true}` |
| description.long | Canvas is a learning management platform used by educational institutions worldwide to deliver, manage, and coordinate learning experiences. It provides tools for content synchronization, course templating, and bilingual support to help educators and learners work together effectively. | A free, publicly available system that allows schools, universities, and organizations to set up customized digital learning spaces for educators, administrators, and learners. |
| features.capabilities | `{"analytics":true,"accessibility":"partial","platform_type":"lms","self_hostable":true,"learning_paths":true,"native_authoring":true,"extended_enterprise":true}` | `{"platform_type":"lms","self_hostable":true}` |
| integrations.count | 1,000 | - |
| integrations.list | `[{"name":"Elevate Data Sync","native":true}]` | - |
| language.primary | Ruby | PHP |
| license.spdx | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| market.availability | `{"hqCountry":"US","primaryMarkets":["US"],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` | `{"primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| platform.support | `{"web":true}` | `{"ios":true,"web":true,"android":true}` |
| pricing | - | `{"type":"open_source","summary":"Free and open source","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://moodle.org","retrievedAt":"2026-08-13T09:31:24.618Z"}` |
| pricing.free_tier | - | yes |
| pricing.model | commercial | open_source |
| pricing.price_level | - | free |
| pricing.transparent | - | yes |
| reliability.status_page | yes | yes |
| security.disclosure_policy | yes | yes |
| security.scorecard | 6.1 | 3.4 |
| security.trust_center | - | https://moodle.org/security/ |
| security.vulnerabilities | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=npm&package_name=%40instructure%2Fcanvas-media&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` | `{"count":100,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=packagist&package_name=moodle%2Fmoodle&per_page=100","last_12m":19,"max_severity":"HIGH"}` |

## Capabilities (LMS & Training Software)

| Capability | Canvas LMS (Instructure) | Moodle |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Core** |  |  |
| Platform type | LMS | LMS |
| **Standards** |  |  |
| Content-standard support | - | - |
| LTI support | - | - |
| **Content** |  |  |
| Native course authoring | ✓ | - |
| Off-the-shelf content library | - | - |
| **Training** |  |  |
| Compliance training tracking | - | - |
| **Delivery** |  |  |
| Virtual classroom / ILT | - | - |
| Learning paths | ✓ | - |
| Gamification | - | - |
| **Segment** |  |  |
| Extended enterprise | ✓ | - |
| **Admin** |  |  |
| SSO / SCIM | - | - |
| **Accessibility** |  |  |
| Accessibility | Partial | - |
| **Deployment** |  |  |
| Self-hostable | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Analytics** |  |  |
| Learning analytics / reporting | ✓ | - |

*Source: vioscaleAI. Generated 2026-10-16T10:18:52.005Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*