Docebo
Enterprise, AI-powered LMS for personalized learning at scale.
Open edX
Scalable, modular platform for creating and delivering online courses
A Python‑Django based learning management system that powers Open edX Studio for content authoring and the LMS for course delivery, deployable via Docker Tutor or on bare metal.
Overview
Overview
The Open edX Platform is a modular monolith written in Python and JavaScript, using Django for the backend and React micro‑frontends for the UI. It provides two core services: the CMS (Studio) for rich course authoring and the LMS for delivering learning experiences at any scale.
Who Should Use It
Ideal for universities, enterprises, and non‑profits that need a customizable, high‑capacity online learning environment and have the technical resources to manage Linux servers or Docker containers. Developers can extend the platform with new IDAs or replace micro‑frontends to match branding and functionality.
Deployment Options
The recommended path is Tutor, a Docker‑based distribution that simplifies installation, development, and upgrades. Advanced users may install the platform directly on Ubuntu 24.04, configuring MySQL, MongoDB, and Memcached manually, though this requires deep system‑administration expertise.
Highlights
Modular monolith with independent deployable applications (IDAs)
Integrated CMS (Studio) for rich content authoring
Full‑featured LMS delivering courses at any scale
Extensible front‑ends via React micro‑frontends
Pros
- Highly extensible via Django and React
- Supports massive learner populations
- Rich authoring tools in Studio
- Active community and maintained status
Considerations
- Complex self‑deployment; requires deep sysadmin expertise
- Heavy dependency stack (MySQL, Mongo, Memcached)
- Limited official support for bare‑metal installations
- Easiest setup relies on Docker/Tutor
Managed products teams compare with
When teams consider Open edX, 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
- Universities building custom online learning portals
- Enterprises needing scalable LMS with brandable UI
- Developers extending the platform with new features
- Organizations comfortable managing Linux servers or Docker
Not ideal when
- Small teams lacking DevOps resources
- Projects requiring quick, out‑of‑the‑box SaaS
- Environments where proprietary licensing is mandatory
- Deployments that cannot accommodate Python 3.11 and Ubuntu 24.04
How teams use it
University launches a multi‑faculty online degree program
Provides faculty with Studio to create courses and learners with LMS to enroll, scaling to thousands of concurrent users.
Corporate training platform for compliance courses
Delivers mandatory training at enterprise scale while allowing HR to author content via Studio.
Research lab builds a custom interactive learning module
Extends the monolith with a new IDA and React MFE, integrating specialized assessment tools.
Non‑profit offers free MOOCs worldwide
Hosts open courses on a globally distributed infrastructure, leveraging Tutor for rapid deployment and updates.
Tech snapshot
Python73%
JavaScript16%
HTML7%
SCSS3%
CSS1%
Shell1%
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to use Tutor to run Open edX?
Tutor provides the simplest Docker‑based deployment, but you can also install the platform directly on Ubuntu if you have the required expertise.
What languages and frameworks does the platform use?
The backend is Python 3.11 with Django; the front‑ends are built with ReactJS and managed as micro‑frontends.
Which databases are required?
MySQL 8.0 for core data, MongoDB 7.x for certain services, and Memcached for caching.
Is the platform actively maintained?
Yes, the repository shows a maintained status badge and continuous integration testing.
Can I customize the UI?
Yes, you can develop or replace micro‑frontends and modify Django templates to match your branding.
Project at a glance
Active- Stars
- 7,984
- Watchers
- 7,984
- Forks
- 4,218
LicenseAGPL-3.0
Repo age12 years old
Last commit17 hours ago
Primary languagePython
Last synced 12 hours ago