Moodle

What is Moodle

Moodle is an open-source Learning Management System (LMS) designed to help educators create effective online courses grounded in pedagogical best practices. The core Moodle LMS software is free to download, install and modify under an open-source license, which makes it attractive to schools, universities, nonprofit organisations and businesses that need control over data, customization and hosting. Moodle scales from single-teacher installations to large deployments supporting hundreds of thousands of learners.

Moodle is maintained by Moodle HQ and a global community of contributors. That community provides plugins, translations, documentation and support resources; Moodle sites are used in many languages and geographies. For up-to-date usage numbers and community statistics, see the Moodle statistics collected on the official Moodle site: the Moodle statistics page.

The platform is modular: the LMS core provides course structures, roles and permissions, gradebooks, activity modules and communication tools, while additional functionality is available through official and third-party plugins. Administrators can host Moodle on their own servers or choose hosted services such as MoodleCloud or commercial Moodle Certified Service Providers for managed hosting and support.

Moodle features

Moodle includes a broad set of features aimed at course design, assessment, learner engagement and administration. Key areas covered by the platform include content delivery, activity types, assessment and grading, analytics and integrations. Moodle’s modular architecture makes it possible to deploy a minimal footprint for small sites or a highly customized environment for enterprise-scale learning.

Typical feature categories in Moodle include:

• Course and content management: flexible course formats, sections, resource types (files, pages, URLs) and support for multimedia.
• Activity and assessment modules: Quiz, Assignment, forums, workshops, lessons, SCORM/AICC import and interactive activities.
• Communication and collaboration: forums, messaging, announcements, group activities and peer assessment tools.
• User management and roles: fine-grained permissions, cohorts, enrolment methods (manual, self-enrol, cohort sync, external database, SSO) and bulk user management tools.
• Reporting and analytics: gradebook, completion tracking, activity completion rules, logs and third-party analytics integrations.

Administrators and developers can extend Moodle through plugins (authentication, enrolment, activities, blocks, themes) and integrate it with other systems via LTI, web services, and existing data services. Official and community plugins are listed on the Moodle plugins directory and are continuously updated by contributors.

What does Moodle do?

Moodle provides the technical framework to design online courses, deliver learning materials, run assessments, track progress and report outcomes. Instructors use Moodle to sequence content, attach activities and set completion criteria; students use Moodle to access resources, submit work, participate in forums and take quizzes.

From an administrative perspective, Moodle supports centralized management of users, courses, roles and enrolment workflows. Institutions can automate onboarding with cohort enrolment, schedule courses, apply custom branding and set site-wide policies. Moodle’s permissions system allows institutions to design hierarchies of managers, teachers, non-editing teachers, learners and guests to match organisational structures.

For organisations that need integrations with student information systems (SIS), human resources systems or external content providers, Moodle supports standards such as LTI (Learning Tools Interoperability), SCORM, xAPI (via plugins) and REST/SOAP web services. These integrations enable single-sign on, grade passback and synchronized user/course provisioning.

Moodle pricing

Moodle offers flexible pricing options tailored to different deployment and support needs. The core Moodle LMS software itself is open-source and available at no cost to download and run on your own infrastructure. For organisations that prefer not to self-host, Moodle HQ and certified partners offer managed hosting, support and commercial products such as MoodleCloud and Moodle Workplace with subscription-based pricing.

• Free Plan: The open-source Moodle LMS download is free to install and use on your own servers; no licensing fees for the core software.
• Hosted (MoodleCloud) plans: MoodleCloud and partner-hosted options provide managed hosting, backups and support for a monthly or yearly fee; these plans typically vary by user count, storage and support level and offer both monthly and annual billing with discounts for yearly commitments.
• Enterprise / Moodle Workplace: For large organisations and corporate training, Moodle Workplace provides additional features for workplace learning, hierarchical tenancy, compliance, advanced reporting and SSO through subscription or enterprise licensing agreements with Moodle or certified partners.

Because hosting, support levels and enterprise options differ widely, check the specific hosting and product pages for current costs and feature comparisons. See the MoodleCloud hosting plans on the official Moodle site for details about hosted tiers and billing options: the MoodleCloud hosting plans. For Moodle Workplace features and enterprise arrangements, consult the Moodle Workplace product page. Visit their official pricing page for the most current information.

How much is Moodle per month

Moodle's core LMS is free to self-host; managed hosting starts at paid monthly rates depending on provider and user counts. Monthly costs for managed MoodleCloud or partner-hosted instances depend on the number of active users, storage, availability SLAs and included support. Organisations should compare monthly vs annual billing on the hosting provider pages to find the best fit.

How much is Moodle per year

Self-hosted Moodle has no annual license fee for the core software; hosted and enterprise subscriptions typically include annual billing discounts. Annual cost for hosted options varies by provider and can include lower effective monthly rates when paid yearly. For Moodle Workplace and enterprise support contracts, annual pricing is usually quoted based on user volume and required integrations.

How much is Moodle in general

Moodle pricing ranges from $0 for the self-hosted open-source LMS to commercial monthly or yearly hosting and enterprise subscriptions. The total cost of ownership includes hosting infrastructure, technical administration, custom development, plugin licensing (if applicable), migrations and training. Organisations should budget for operational costs such as server hosting, backups, support staff, and training resources when estimating a multi-year deployment cost.

Visit their official pricing page for the most current information.

What is Moodle used for

Moodle is used to create structured online courses and learning pathways across a wide range of education and training contexts. In K–12 and higher education, educators use Moodle to publish syllabi, distribute readings, run online assessments and facilitate discussion. In corporate contexts, organisations use Moodle for onboarding, compliance training, professional development and blended learning programs.

Moodle supports different pedagogical approaches including flipped classroom models, competency-based education, blended learning and fully online courses. Features like conditional activity release, mastery paths (in newer releases), and competency frameworks allow course designers to implement adaptive learning sequences and competency tracking.

Beyond course delivery, Moodle is used for assessment and accreditation workflows: secure quizzes with question banks, timed assessments, rubric-based grading and grade export options for integration with institutional grade reporting systems. Administrators also use Moodle for reporting on participation, completion rates and learning outcomes to support accreditation or compliance needs.

Pros and cons of Moodle

Advantages:

• Flexibility and control: as open-source software, Moodle allows deep customisation of UI, workflows and integrations. Organisations retain control of data, hosting and custom code.
• Feature-rich core: built-in activity types, gradebook, course formats and reporting are sufficient for many use cases without additional purchases.
• Large community and ecosystem: thousands of plugins, translations and global community support resources reduce vendor lock-in and provide shared solutions.

Limitations:

• Technical overhead for self-hosting: running and maintaining a production-grade Moodle instance requires server administration, backups, security and upgrades.
• UI and initial configuration: out-of-the-box Moodle can feel complex; administrators and teachers often need training and configuration to deliver an optimal learner experience.
• Plugin management and compatibility: third-party plugins vary in quality and must be tested across Moodle core upgrades; maintaining a plugin ecosystem can be time-consuming for large deployments.

Evaluation tips:

• For small instructors or institutions without IT resources, evaluate managed hosting or MoodleCloud options to reduce operational complexity.
• For large organisations, plan for staged rollouts, user training, and a governance model to manage plugins, themes and custom development.
• Always review accessibility and mobile responsiveness of chosen themes and plugins to ensure compliance with institutional policies.

Moodle free trial

Moodle’s open-source software can be downloaded and run immediately; this effectively serves as an immediate “free trial” if you have a web host and technical capacity to install it. The Moodle download repository provides packaged releases and instructions to install on a local or remote server for testing purposes.

For hosted trials, MoodleCloud and some Moodle Certified Service Providers offer time-limited demo environments so organisations can evaluate hosted performance, integrations and the teacher/student experience without committing to a contract. These demo environments are especially useful for testing LTI integrations, authentication methods and data import workflows.

To experiment with Moodle without installing software, explore the demo sites, public sandboxes and hosted trials listed by Moodle HQ or contact a Moodle Certified Service Provider for a guided demonstration.

Is Moodle free

Yes, the Moodle core LMS is free and open-source to download and self-host. There are no licensing fees for the core software, but organisations typically incur operational costs for hosting, administration, support and optional paid services such as managed hosting or commercial plugins.

Moodle API

Moodle exposes web service APIs that allow external systems to interact with core functions such as user management, course enrolment, gradebook operations and activity retrieval. The web services support REST, SOAP and XML-RPC protocols depending on configuration, and administrators can enable specific functions for integration use.

Developers can also create plugins using Moodle’s internal APIs, which include well-documented hooks and services for extending activities, authentication methods, enrolment handlers and more. The developer documentation and API references are available in the official Moodle developer docs: see the Moodle developer documentation.

For integrations requiring industry standards, Moodle supports LTI (Learning Tools Interoperability) for connecting external tools and content, and SCORM/xAPI for importing and tracking interactive learning objects. Organisations planning integrations should review API authentication, rate limits and security best practices documented by Moodle.

10 Moodle alternatives

Paid alternatives to Moodle

• Canvas — Cloud-native LMS popular in higher education with modern UI, robust LTI support, gradebook features and institutional admin controls.
• Blackboard Learn — Enterprise LMS with a long history in higher education and corporate training, focusing on learning analytics, proctoring and integrations.
• D2L Brightspace — Feature-rich commercial LMS that emphasises adaptive learning, analytics and accessibility; used in K–12 and post-secondary institutions.
• Schoology — LMS with social learning features and strong K–12 adoption, integrated gradebook and parent access features.
• Google Classroom — Lightweight, cloud-first classroom workflow for K–12 and educators integrated with Google Workspace tools; best for simple assignment workflows.
• TalentLMS — Cloud-based, user-friendly LMS aimed at corporate training, with rapid course creation, e-commerce and reporting features.
• Cornerstone OnDemand — Enterprise talent and learning platform with strong HR integrations, compliance features and global support.

Open source alternatives to Moodle

• Open edX — Open-source platform originally developed by edX, focused on large-scale MOOCs and complex course workflows with strong content authoring features.
• Chamilo — Lightweight open-source LMS with a focus on ease of use, quick setup and essential course management features.
• ILIAS — Open-source LMS used in Europe with feature parity for courses, assessments and collaboration and strong security and compliance features.
• Sakai — Community-driven open-source LMS often used in higher education, providing course tools, assessment and collaboration modules.
• Oppia — Open-source platform focused on interactive learning activities and exploratory learning experiences with an emphasis on formative feedback.

Frequently asked questions about Moodle

What is Moodle used for?

Moodle is used for creating, delivering and managing online courses and learning programs. Educators use it to publish course content, run assessments and track learner progress, while organisations use it for training, compliance and blended learning. It supports a wide range of pedagogical approaches and integrates with other systems through standards like LTI.

How much does Moodle cost per user?

Moodle's core LMS is free to self-host; hosted solutions charge per user or by site features. Self-hosting has no per-user license cost but operational expenses apply; managed hosting or Moodle Workplace pricing depends on user count, support level and feature needs. For hosted pricing, review the MoodleCloud hosting plans on the official site.

Does Moodle have an API?

Yes, Moodle provides web service APIs and developer APIs for integrations and plugin development. The platform supports REST, SOAP and XML-RPC web services and standard integration protocols such as LTI and SCORM. Developers can find API references and developer guides on the Moodle developer documentation.

Can Moodle integrate with student information systems?

Yes, Moodle supports integrations with student information systems and external databases. Common approaches include web services, LDAP/SSO authentication, CSV or scheduled syncs and custom plugins; many institutions use SSO (SAML/OAuth) and SIS connectors for automated user and course provisioning.

Is there a hosted version of Moodle?

Yes, MoodleCloud and Moodle Certified Service Providers offer hosted Moodle services. Managed hosting plans vary by user capacity, storage and SLAs and can be billed monthly or annually. Organisations seeking hosted deployments should compare provider features and support levels on the MoodleCloud hosting plans page.

Why choose Moodle over other LMSs?

Moodle is chosen for its openness, flexibility and large ecosystem. Institutions that require data ownership, deep customization and control often prefer Moodle; it also benefits from a global community that contributes plugins, translations and support. The trade-offs include the need for technical administration when self-hosting and the potential complexity of configuration.

When should an organisation self-host Moodle vs use a hosted service?

Self-hosting is appropriate when an organisation needs full control over infrastructure and customisation. Hosted services are preferable when organisations want to minimise IT overhead, need guaranteed uptime and want hands-off maintenance. Evaluate internal technical capacity, compliance requirements and total cost of ownership when choosing.

Where can I find Moodle plugins and themes?

Moodle plugins and themes are listed in the official Moodle plugins directory. The directory includes community and official plugins for activities, enrolment, authentication, reports and more; each plugin page includes compatibility notes and installation instructions. Browse the directory on the Moodle site to find validated extensions.

How secure is Moodle?

Moodle can be secured to enterprise standards with proper configuration and hosting. Security depends on server configuration, patching practices, HTTPS, strong authentication (SSO, two-factor), backups and access controls. Organisations requiring compliance should adopt hardened hosting, regular updates and follow Moodle security advisories and best practices.

Does Moodle offer training and certification?

Yes, Moodle provides training resources through Moodle Academy and partner training services. Moodle Academy and certified partners offer courses for administrators, teachers, designers and developers; larger organisations can engage Moodle Certified Service Providers for tailored training and onboarding.

Moodle careers

Moodle HQ and the broader Moodle community occasionally recruit for roles in software development, product management, education, support and community services. Career opportunities can be found on the Moodle company site and on community channels; remote and regionally distributed roles are common because Moodle serves a global user base.

If you are interested in contributing to Moodle as an open-source project, there are community contributions, translation projects and plugin development opportunities that can build experience relevant to paid roles. For official vacancies and job descriptions, see the Moodle company careers section on the Moodle website.

Moodle affiliate

Moodle does not operate a conventional affiliate marketing program for the open-source LMS itself, but Moodle HQ and Moodle partners sometimes have partner or referral programs for hosting, training and enterprise services. Organisations seeking partnership or reseller opportunities should contact Moodle HQ or explore the Moodle Certified Service Provider network for details on becoming a partner.

Where to find Moodle reviews

Independent reviews, case studies and user feedback for Moodle are available on education technology review sites, academic technology blogs and community forums. You can also find user testimonials and case studies published by Moodle Certified Service Providers and institutions using Moodle. For community discussion, consult the Moodle community forums and the Moodle statistics page for usage context.