The Moodle Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Moodle in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Moodle
The Insider’s Guide
Open-source learning platform you host yourself or on MoodleCloud
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among course and community platforms, read from Moodle’s own pages.
Made by Moodle · checked Nov 13, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Moodle’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Moodle’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 66 of the 98 other course and community platforms we grade
Moodle is an open-source learning management system released under the GPL-3.0 license. Institutions and companies download it to run on their own web server, or use MoodleCloud, a hosted version with a free trial. A plugin marketplace, an official mobile app and a custom enterprise service for larger organizations sit around the core software.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Moodle, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Self-hosting needs a web server with PHP, a database and upkeep.
- 1
Best for a free LMS you run yourself
Self-hosting needs a server with PHP and a database, and paid hosting prices are not listed.
- 2
There is a free plan
Moodle LMS is free to download and run on your own server; hosting, maintenance and support are your own cost.
- 3
It runs on Web
Web.
- 4
Self-hosted open source
The full LMS is a free download under GPL-3.0, with total control over customization and source code on GitHub.
- 5
MoodleCloud
A hosted option for teachers and small teams with unlimited courses and activities and no server maintenance.
- 6
Plugin marketplace
Thousands of plugins and themes extend a site, available through the Moodle Marketplace.
- 7
A 2.4 GPA, above 66 of 98
That is against the other course and community platforms we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Your call
You could make the core of Moodle for yourself: online courses.
Moodle at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- MoodleCloud: free 28-day trial, no credit card required
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Moodle
- Category
- Courses & Communities
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for a free LMS you run yourself
Moodle is a free open-source LMS you download and run on your own server, or try on MoodleCloud for 28 days. Self-hosting needs a server with PHP and a database, and paid hosting prices are not listed.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Free to download, but only useful if you host it yourself, so it sits in the middle. MoodleCloud's paid prices are not on the downloads page. |
| Free plan and trial | B | Moodle LMS is free to run with no limit stated. MoodleCloud has a 28-day trial with no card. |
| Features | B | Self-hosted LMS, MoodleCloud, a plugin marketplace and an official mobile app. The listing shows no gap in the core job. |
| Ease of use | D | Self-hosting needs a web server with PHP, a database and upkeep. No store rating is on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web plus an official mobile app, whose platforms the page does not list, and a plugin marketplace. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Moodle is for
- Fits if you have IT staff who can run a server
- Works for schools that want a free, extendable LMS
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you can't host and update a server, as that is your job
- Tight if you want MoodleCloud, as the trial is 28 days and paid prices are not listed
- Watch out: Moodle Solutions, the enterprise service, is quoted case by case
- Watch out: the page does not list the mobile app's platforms
Good to know
Good for
- Schools and universities with IT staff to host their own LMS
- Organizations that want to modify the source code
- Small teams that want a hosted trial before committing
Worth knowing
- Self-hosting requires your own web server with PHP and a database, plus upkeep and security updates.
- MoodleCloud's paid prices are not listed on the downloads page; the trial runs 28 days.
- The enterprise Moodle Solutions service is quoted individually.
- The vendor's page mentions an official mobile app but does not list its platforms.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
1
plan
Moodle has a free plan.
Free to download, but only useful if you host it yourself, so it sits in the middle.
Moodle LMS (self-hosted)
$0
Free open-source download. You host it yourself; it needs a web server with PHP and a database.
The free plan
Moodle LMS is free to download and run on your own server; hosting, maintenance and support are your own cost.
Trying it first
MoodleCloud: free 28-day trial, no credit card required
Read from download.moodle.org on Nov 13, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Open-source learning platform you host yourself or on MoodleCloud. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, self-hostable, online courses.
Self-hosted LMS, MoodleCloud, a plugin marketplace and an official mobile app.
- Self-hosted open source
- The full LMS is a free download under GPL-3.0, with total control over customization and source code on GitHub.
- MoodleCloud
- A hosted option for teachers and small teams with unlimited courses and activities and no server maintenance.
- Plugin marketplace
- Thousands of plugins and themes extend a site, available through the Moodle Marketplace.
- Official mobile app
- Students can reach course materials from the Moodle app, including offline.
- Enterprise service
- Moodle Solutions offers unlimited users, bespoke branding, custom theme and feature development and full-service support.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
Moodle is made by Moodle.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
66/98
Other course and community platforms it is graded above
Moodle's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 66 of the 98 other course and community platforms we grade, and level with 16.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 71 of 98) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 99 course and community platforms we grade, cut by the letter each got. Moodle’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 17 of 98
- BFree plan and trialAbove 71 of 98
- BFeaturesAbove 56 of 98
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 98
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 25 of 98
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Your call
You could make the core of Moodle for yourself: online courses.
What you would give up is listed below. Whether that is worth the price is your call. Moodle is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.
What you could make
- Online courses: an app builder makes this well.
- It runs in a browser, which is where something home-made would run too.
What you could not
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Moodle’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Canvas LMS, Open edX, TalentLMS and LearnDash
The 4 tools Moodle is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.6GPA
Canvas LMS
Free plan
Instructure's LMS for schools, universities and training programs.
- Moodle is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Canvas LMS also covers reports.
- 2.2GPA
Open edX
Free
Free open-source learning platform stewarded by Axim Collaborative.
- Open edX also covers reports.
- 2.2GPA
TalentLMS
Free plan · from $119/mo
Cloud LMS for employee, partner and customer training.
- Moodle is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- TalentLMS also covers reports.
- 2.0GPA
LearnDash
Free trial · from $350/yr
WordPress plugin for building and selling online courses.
- Moodle has a free plan. LearnDash does not, though it has a free trial.
- Moodle is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
11
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Moodle free?
Moodle has a free plan. Moodle LMS is free to download and run on your own server; hosting, maintenance and support are your own cost.
How much does Moodle cost?
Moodle lists one plan. Moodle LMS (self-hosted): $0.
What platforms does Moodle work on?
Moodle is available on Web.
Does Moodle have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Moodle is listed for Web.
Does Moodle have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Moodle is listed for Web.
Is Moodle open source?
Yes. Moodle is open source, according to its own site.
Does Moodle have a free trial?
Yes. MoodleCloud: free 28-day trial, no credit card required.
Who makes Moodle?
Moodle is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to Moodle?
The closest alternatives to Moodle in our directory are Canvas LMS, Open edX, TalentLMS and LearnDash.
How does Moodle compare with other course and community platforms?
Moodle's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 66 of the 98 other course and community platforms we grade, and level with 16.
Could I make my own version of Moodle?
You could make the core of Moodle for yourself: online courses. What you would give up is listed below.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Moodle’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Moodle's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Moodle. Prices change, so check moodle.org before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Moodle, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/moodle
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Moodle: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/moodle
Know someone choosing between course and community platforms?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/moodle/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded course and community platforms after Moodle, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Courses & Communities Insider's GuideEvery one of the 99 course and community platforms we grade, compared
- Hylo Insider's GuideFree open-source platform for community groups and coordination3.2 GPA
- Academy LMS Insider's GuideWordPress LMS plugin with a free core and Pro licenses by site count2.8 GPA
- Circle Insider's GuideCommunity platform with courses, events, payments and branded apps2.8 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Moodle’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Moodle is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Moodle. Prices and plans change: check moodle.org before you buy.