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Canvas LMS
Modern open-source learning management system by Instructure
Canvas LMS is a feature-rich, modern learning management system built with Ruby and JavaScript, designed for educational institutions and corporate training environments.
Overview
Overview
Canvas LMS is a comprehensive learning management system developed and maintained by Instructure Inc. Released under the AGPLv3 license, it provides educational institutions, corporations, and training organizations with a robust platform for delivering online and blended learning experiences.
Technical Foundation
Built primarily with Ruby and JavaScript, Canvas offers a modern architecture that supports scalable deployments from small classrooms to enterprise-wide implementations. The platform's extensive codebase reflects years of refinement in educational technology, with substantial investments in both backend infrastructure and frontend user experience.
Deployment & Community
Canvas provides both quick-start options for evaluation and production-grade deployment guidance through comprehensive wiki documentation. The active community of over 6,200 GitHub stars and 2,700+ forks demonstrates significant adoption and ongoing development. Organizations can self-host Canvas to maintain full control over their learning environment, data sovereignty, and customization requirements while benefiting from continuous improvements from Instructure and the broader community.
Highlights
Full-featured LMS with course management, assignments, and grading tools
Modern Ruby and JavaScript architecture for scalable deployments
Self-hosted deployment with complete data control and customization
Active development backed by Instructure Inc. and community contributors
Pros
- Mature, battle-tested platform used by major educational institutions
- Comprehensive feature set covering all core LMS requirements
- AGPLv3 license allows self-hosting and modification
- Strong community support with thousands of active contributors
Considerations
- Complex installation and configuration requiring technical expertise
- Large codebase may present steep learning curve for customization
- Self-hosting requires significant infrastructure and maintenance resources
- AGPLv3 license requires sharing modifications if distributed
Managed products teams compare with
When teams consider Canvas LMS, these hosted platforms usually appear on the same shortlist.
Looking for a hosted option? These are the services engineering teams benchmark against before choosing open source.
Fit guide
Great for
- Educational institutions seeking full control over their LMS infrastructure
- Organizations with technical teams capable of managing Ruby/JavaScript applications
- Enterprises requiring data sovereignty and on-premises deployment
- Institutions wanting to customize and extend LMS functionality
Not ideal when
- Small organizations without dedicated IT infrastructure teams
- Projects requiring simple, lightweight course delivery tools
- Teams seeking managed SaaS solutions without maintenance overhead
- Organizations uncomfortable with AGPLv3 copyleft requirements
How teams use it
University Course Management
Deploy a self-hosted LMS for thousands of students with complete control over data, integrations, and custom features tailored to institutional needs.
Corporate Training Platform
Build an internal learning environment for employee onboarding and professional development with customized branding and compliance features.
K-12 District Implementation
Provide a unified learning platform across multiple schools with centralized administration and student data privacy controls.
Custom LMS Development
Fork and extend Canvas to create specialized learning platforms with unique workflows and integrations for niche educational markets.
Tech snapshot
Ruby52%
JavaScript24%
TypeScript20%
HTML2%
SCSS1%
Handlebars1%
Frequently asked questions
What license does Canvas LMS use?
Canvas LMS is released under the AGPLv3 license, which allows free use, modification, and distribution but requires sharing modifications if you distribute the software or provide it as a network service.
What technical skills are needed to deploy Canvas?
Deploying Canvas requires experience with Ruby applications, database administration, web server configuration, and general DevOps practices. The project provides both quick-start and production deployment documentation.
Is Canvas LMS the same as the commercial Canvas product?
Canvas LMS is the open-source version maintained by Instructure Inc., the same company that offers Canvas as a commercial SaaS product. The open-source version can be self-hosted and customized.
What are the primary programming languages used?
Canvas is built primarily with Ruby for the backend and JavaScript/TypeScript for the frontend, with additional components in HTML, SCSS, and other web technologies.
Can I get commercial support for Canvas LMS?
While the open-source version is community-supported, Instructure Inc. offers commercial Canvas hosting and support services. Self-hosters can also seek support from the community or third-party consultants.
Project at a glance
Active- Stars
- 6,399
- Watchers
- 6,399
- Forks
- 2,837
LicenseAGPL-3.0
Repo age14 years old
Last commit14 hours ago
Self-hostingSupported
Primary languageRuby
Last synced 12 hours ago