{"category":{"slug":"self-hosted-lms","label":"Self-hosted learning management systems"},"methodology_url":"https://www.orbator.io/ai-index/methodology","license":"Free to use with attribution to orbator.io","date":"2026-08-16","engine":null,"available_dates":["2026-09-06","2026-09-05","2026-08-16","2026-08-15","2026-08-09","2026-08-08","2026-08-07","2026-07-29","2026-07-26","2026-07-25","2026-07-22","2026-07-21","2026-07-02","2026-07-01","2026-06-23","2026-06-17","2026-06-16"],"policy":{"quotable_engines":["anthropic","openai","gemini"],"max_excerpt_chars":400,"full_text_public":false,"customer_runs_public":false,"full_text_retention":"retained at least 24 months, then operator review","notes":["Only Index category runs are archived publicly — customer scans never appear.","The quotable unit is a short excerpt of at most 400 characters, never the full answer.","Engines outside the verbatim allowlist are recorded as having answered, with the excerpt withheld under their terms.","Prompt intent is published; the prompt text itself is not."]},"status":"ok","count":7,"limit":50,"truncated":false,"engines":[{"engine":"anthropic","count":7,"withheld":false,"answers":[{"engine":"anthropic","answered_on":"2026-08-16","prompt_intent":"best_in_category","excerpt":"# Best Self-Hosted LMS for 500 Employees\n\nFor a corporate training program at your scale, here are the top contenders based on current 2026 evaluations:\n\n## Top Recommendations\n\n**Moodle** remains the most widely deployed option. Moodle is the most widely deployed open-source LMS in the world, with over 400 million users across 240+ countries. For corporate use specifically: access to source code","excerpt_withheld":false,"withheld_reason":null,"highlights":[{"start":180,"end":186,"name":"Moodle"},{"start":230,"end":236,"name":"Moodle"}]},{"engine":"anthropic","answered_on":"2026-08-16","prompt_intent":"best_in_category","excerpt":"For a university that must keep student data fully on-premise, several mature open-source LMS platforms fit the bill — each with different trade-offs in scale, complexity, and IT overhead.\n\n## Top picks\n\n**1. Moodle — the safe, general-purpose default**\nMoodle is still the most widely deployed self-hosted LMS. Moodle remains the most popular and widely deployed self hosted LMS, with over 2,000 plu","excerpt_withheld":false,"withheld_reason":null,"highlights":[{"start":209,"end":215,"name":"Moodle"},{"start":254,"end":260,"name":"Moodle"},{"start":312,"end":318,"name":"Moodle"}]},{"engine":"anthropic","answered_on":"2026-08-16","prompt_intent":"recommendation","excerpt":"Since you specifically want to avoid ongoing platform commissions (as opposed to just a monthly SaaS fee), self-hosted options make sense — you pay a one-time license or nothing at all (open source), and only lose a small percentage to your payment processor (Stripe/PayPal), not the LMS vendor. Here's how the main options break down:\n\n## WordPress-based LMS plugins\nIf you already have or don't min","excerpt_withheld":false,"withheld_reason":null,"highlights":[{"start":260,"end":266,"name":"Stripe"},{"start":267,"end":273,"name":"PayPal"},{"start":340,"end":349,"name":"WordPress"}]},{"engine":"anthropic","answered_on":"2026-08-16","prompt_intent":"recommendation","excerpt":"## Short answer: **Moodle** — with important caveats about \"tight budget\" cutting both ways\n\n**Moodle** is the clear leader among genuinely open-source LMS options for K-12 at scale. It's the world's leading open-source LMS, used by over 300 million learners globally to deliver flexible, scalable online education and training. Cost-wise, Moodle wins on cost at every scale — at 5,000 users, you sav","excerpt_withheld":false,"withheld_reason":null,"highlights":[{"start":19,"end":25,"name":"Moodle"},{"start":95,"end":101,"name":"Moodle"},{"start":340,"end":346,"name":"Moodle"}]},{"engine":"anthropic","answered_on":"2026-08-16","prompt_intent":"alternatives","excerpt":"## Open-Source LMS Alternatives to Expensive Enterprise Platforms\n\nIf you're looking to move away from costly enterprise LMS licenses (e.g., Cornerstone, Docebo, D2L Brightspace, SAP SuccessFactors), several mature open-source platforms offer comparable functionality with no licensing fees. Here's a breakdown:\n\n### Top Picks\n\n**1. Moodle** — The most established option\nMoodle is the most trusted o","excerpt_withheld":false,"withheld_reason":null,"highlights":[{"start":141,"end":152,"name":"Cornerstone"},{"start":154,"end":160,"name":"Docebo"},{"start":162,"end":177,"name":"D2L Brightspace"},{"start":179,"end":197,"name":"SAP SuccessFactors"},{"start":333,"end":339,"name":"Moodle"},{"start":372,"end":378,"name":"Moodle"}]},{"engine":"anthropic","answered_on":"2026-08-16","prompt_intent":"comparison","excerpt":"Here's a practical breakdown for an independent instructor weighing a self-hosted LMS (e.g., WordPress + LifterLMS/Tutor LMS/LearnDash, or Moodle) against a hosted course platform (Teachable, Thinkific, Kajabi, etc.).\n\n## Cost Comparison\n\n**Hosted platforms** charge predictable monthly/annual subscriptions, but costs scale with features and revenue:\n\n- Teachable starts at $29/mo and Thinkific at $","excerpt_withheld":false,"withheld_reason":null,"highlights":[{"start":93,"end":102,"name":"WordPress"},{"start":105,"end":114,"name":"LifterLMS"},{"start":115,"end":124,"name":"Tutor LMS"},{"start":125,"end":134,"name":"LearnDash"},{"start":139,"end":145,"name":"Moodle"},{"start":181,"end":190,"name":"Teachable"},{"start":192,"end":201,"name":"Thinkific"},{"start":203,"end":209,"name":"Kajabi"},{"start":355,"end":364,"name":"Teachable"},{"start":386,"end":395,"name":"Thinkific"}]},{"engine":"anthropic","answered_on":"2026-08-16","prompt_intent":"problem_solving","excerpt":"# Setting Up a Self-Hosted LMS with SCORM Support & Progress Tracking\n\n## Step 1: Choose Your Platform\n\n**Moodle** is the most common recommendation — it's the most widely deployed open-source LMS in the world, with over 400 million users across 240+ countries, and is the go-to self-hosted learning platform for organizations that need deep customization and a battle-tested feature set. It comes wi","excerpt_withheld":false,"withheld_reason":null,"highlights":[{"start":106,"end":112,"name":"Moodle"}]}]}]}