Courses & Communities
Open-source course and community platforms
15 of the 99 course and community platforms in this directory are open source, according to their own sites.
13 of them are free or have a free plan.
Listings checked up to Nov 13, 2026 · Where the facts come from
| Tool | Price | Free plan | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensei LMSWordPress course plugin with a free core and a paid Pro tier | Free plan · from $15/mo | Yes | Web |
| Paid Memberships ProOpen-source WordPress membership plugin with managed hosting | Free plan · from $49/mo | Yes | Web |
| DiscourseOpen-source discussion forum software with hosted plans | Free plan · from $100/mo | Yes | Web, iOS, Android |
| MasterStudy LMSWordPress LMS plugin with a free Starter license and paid yearly tiers | Free plan · from $149/yr | Yes | Web |
| FlarumFree open-source forum software you host yourself | Free | Free | Web |
| CourseLitOpen-source course, download and community platform | Free trial · from $12/mo | Trial only | Web |
| MoodleOpen-source learning platform you host yourself or on MoodleCloud | Free plan | Yes | Web |
| Open edXFree open-source learning platform stewarded by Axim Collaborative | Free | Free | Web |
| NodeBBOpen-source forum software with managed hosting plans | Free plan · from $20/mo | Yes | Web |
| phpBBFree open-source bulletin board software written in PHP | Free | Free | Web |
| MyBBFree open-source forum software with plugins and themes | Free | Free | Web |
| Simple Machines ForumFree open-source community forum software (SMF) | Free | Free | Web |
| LoomioGroup decision-making software for organizations and co-ops | Free trial · from $33/mo | Trial only | Web |
| HyloFree open-source platform for community groups and coordination | Free | Free | Web, iOS, Android |
| bbPressFree, open-source forum plugin for WordPress | Free | Free | Web |
Common questions
Which course and community platforms are open source?
15 of the 99 course and community platforms in this directory are open source, according to their own sites. They are Sensei LMS, Paid Memberships Pro, Discourse, MasterStudy LMS, Flarum, CourseLit, Moodle, Open edX, NodeBB, phpBB, MyBB, Simple Machines Forum, Loomio, Hylo and bbPress.
Which of these course and community platforms are free?
Sensei LMS, Paid Memberships Pro, Discourse, MasterStudy LMS, Flarum, Moodle, Open edX, NodeBB, phpBB, MyBB, Simple Machines Forum, Hylo and bbPress are free or have a free plan.
When was this checked?
Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Nov 12, 2026 to Nov 13, 2026. Vendors change prices and plans without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.
This page is built from the listings. A tool is here because its listing says so, and each listing names the pages it was read from.