Classroom.io

Best Self Hosted Alternatives to Classroom.io

A curated collection of the 1 best self hosted alternatives to Classroom.io.

Cloud-based learning management system for creating and delivering instructor-led and cohort-based courses, assignments, assessments, and resources within classroom-style workspaces. Supports enrollment, progress tracking, and collaboration for educators and training teams.

Alternatives List

#1
Schoco

Schoco

Web-based IDE for Java 8 focused on teaching: teacher-managed assignments, JUnit auto-testing, isolated execution via Docker workers, and Gitea-backed projects.

Schoco is a web-based integrated development environment designed specifically for teaching Java (Java 8) at school. It provides teacher-managed assignments, per-student branches, and automated JUnit-based testing while running user code in isolated worker containers.

Key Features

  • Web-based IDE tailored to Java 8 with editing, compile, run and test capabilities suited for classroom use
  • Teacher and student roles with assignments: teachers create assignments, pupils receive per-student branches and submit solutions
  • Automated evaluation using JUnit tests with visible pass-percent results for teachers
  • Isolated execution using short-lived Docker worker containers for each compile/run/test action to improve security
  • Projects stored in Git repositories via an integrated Gitea instance; each project uses a UUID-based repo and student work uses branches
  • Lightweight metadata storage using SQLite for users, courses, projects and assignment info
  • Live output streamed to the browser via WebSocket connections, requiring reverse-proxy support for websockets
  • Frontend localization (English/German) and configurable runtime limits (e.g., execution time, number of workers)
  • Deployable via Docker Compose with an included Nginx gateway and recommended reverse-proxy configuration

Use Cases

  • Teachers assigning, auto-testing and reviewing Java programming homework in classroom or remote teaching scenarios
  • Students practicing Java programming without needing local JRE installs or complex toolchains
  • Demonstrations and live code comparisons in class by opening student submissions and projecting them for discussion

Limitations and Considerations

  • Language support is focused on Java 8; many JVM features (file IO, networking, spawning processes, UI) are restricted by the Java security manager
  • Requires Docker/Docker Compose and an appropriate reverse-proxy configuration to handle WebSocket traffic securely
  • Uses SQLite for metadata which may not suit very large multi-tenant deployments without modification
  • Some administrator setup steps (Gitea user creation, filesystem permissions, nproc considerations) are required on first start

Schoco is a focused classroom tool that streamlines assignment distribution, isolated code execution and automated testing for Java teaching. It prioritizes safety and easy classroom workflows over features needed for professional software development.

35stars
4forks

Why choose an open source alternative?

  • Data ownership: Keep your data on your own servers
  • No vendor lock-in: Freedom to switch or modify at any time
  • Cost savings: Reduce or eliminate subscription fees
  • Transparency: Audit the code and know exactly what's running