Canvas LMS
Learning management system (LMS) that is revolutionizing the way we educate.
- Learning Management (LMS)
- Ruby
- AGPL-3.0
- Maintained
GitHub stats
- GitHub stars
- 6,862
- Forks
- 3,036
- Open issues
- 423
- Commits, last 12 months
- 4,416
- Last commit
- Apr 30, 2026
- Latest release
- No releases
- Created
- Feb 1, 2011
- License
- AGPL-3.0Open source
Data from the GitHub API, refreshed daily.
About Canvas LMS
Learning management system (LMS) that is revolutionizing the way we educate. Canvas LMS is open source under the AGPL-3.0 license and written mainly in Ruby, so you can read the code, run it on your own hardware and keep full control of your data.
The project has 6,862 stars and 3,036 forks on GitHub, with 4,416 commits over the last year. It installs natively rather than through an official Docker image, so plan for a short manual setup.
Topics
- instructure
- canvas-lms
- gerrit-mirror
Open-source alternative to
Canvas LMS can replace these commercial products. Compare every option on each page.
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What is Canvas LMS?
Canvas LMS is a free, open-source app you can host on your own server, listed in our Learning Management (LMS) category. Learning management system (LMS) that is revolutionizing the way we educate. The source code lives at github.com/instructure/canvas-lms, where it has 6,862 stars.
Is Canvas LMS free and open source?
Yes. Canvas LMS is open-source software released under the AGPL-3.0 license, so you can self-host it at no cost. You only pay for the server it runs on, and some projects also offer an optional paid cloud plan.
Can I run Canvas LMS with Docker?
Canvas LMS does not list an official Docker image. It installs natively (Ruby), so follow the install steps in its README or look for a community-maintained container.
What are the best alternatives to Canvas LMS?
Popular self-hosted alternatives to Canvas LMS include Open edX, Moodle and Frappe LMS. Canvas LMS itself is a self-hosted alternative to Blackboard Learn.
Is Canvas LMS actively maintained?
The most recent commit to Canvas LMS was on Apr 30, 2026 with 4,416 commits in the past twelve months. Check the open issues on GitHub to gauge how quickly maintainers respond.