SAP SuccessFactors Learning

Best Self Hosted Alternatives to SAP SuccessFactors Learning

A curated collection of the 6 best self hosted alternatives to SAP SuccessFactors Learning.

Cloud learning management system for enterprises to deliver, manage, and track employee training, compliance, certifications, and development programs. Features course/catalog management, assignments, reporting, and integrations with HR systems and external content providers.

Alternatives List

#1
Moodle

Moodle

Moodle is an open-source LMS written in PHP that enables institutions and organisations to create, deliver, and assess online courses with extensible plugins and integrations.

Moodle screenshot

Moodle is a free, open-source learning management system (LMS) used to create personalised online courses, activities, and assessments. It is developed and maintained by the Moodle community and distributed under the GPL; the project repository and community hub provide source code, documentation, and demo instances for evaluation. (github.com)

Key Features

  • Comprehensive course creation tools and activity types (quizzes, assignments, forums, workshops, lessons).
  • Extensible plugin ecosystem (thousands of community plugins to extend functionality).
  • Built-in Gradebook, competency frameworks, learning plans, and reporting tools.
  • Accessibility support and mobile learning via the Moodle mobile app; WCAG compliance features are emphasised.
  • Integrations: video conferencing, external content repositories, and configurable AI connector plugins (AI features available via plugins/integrations; some demo sites do not enable AI by default). (moodle.com)

Use Cases

  • Universities and schools delivering blended or fully online courses with assessment and competency tracking. (moodle.org)
  • Corporate and workplace training (learning catalogues, automated recertification, multi-tenant workplace deployments). (moodle.com)
  • Public-sector and non-profit training programs requiring multilingual support and accessibility compliance. (moodle.com)

Limitations and Considerations

  • Deployment and upgrades can require careful planning (documented upgrade procedures and notes in the project repository). (github.com)
  • Customisation and large-scale performance tuning (caching, session handling, clustering) may require additional services such as Redis and careful infrastructure design. (docs.moodle.org)

Moodle provides a full-featured, community-driven LMS suitable for education and corporate training, with extensive plugin and integration options and official demo sites for evaluation. (github.com)

6.8kstars
7.3kforks
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#2
Chamilo LMS

Chamilo LMS

Chamilo LMS is an open-source learning management system for delivering online courses, managing users, and tracking learning activities with an accessible, easy-to-use interface.

Chamilo LMS screenshot

Chamilo LMS is an open-source e-learning platform (LMS) designed to create, deliver, and manage online training and educational courses. It emphasizes ease of use and accessibility, and is commonly used by schools, universities, NGOs, and enterprises for structured learning programs.

Key Features

  • Course creation and management for structured online learning
  • User and role management for learners, teachers, and administrators
  • Assessments and quizzes for evaluating learner progress
  • Learning progress tracking and reporting features
  • Web-based interface designed with usability and accessibility in mind

Use Cases

  • Delivering online courses for schools, universities, and training centers
  • Corporate training programs with structured learning paths and evaluations
  • NGO and public-sector training initiatives requiring an accessible LMS

Limitations and Considerations

  • Chamilo 2.x is still in development; many deployments rely on the stable 1.11.x branch for production use

Chamilo LMS is a mature LMS project with a strong focus on practical course delivery and accessibility. It is suitable for organizations seeking a traditional, full-featured learning platform they can run and manage on their own infrastructure.

915stars
531forks
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#3
ILIAS

ILIAS

ILIAS is a PHP-based open-source learning management system for creating courses, assessments, wikis, forums, calendars and extensible training platforms.

ILIAS screenshot

ILIAS is an open-source, web-based Learning Management System written in PHP. It provides tools to create and manage courses, assessments, collaborative spaces and user groups, and is extensible via plugins and configuration. The project is community-driven and used in education and corporate training environments.

Key Features

  • Course and learning content management with support for modular course structures and content repositories
  • Assessment and quiz engine for tests, assignments, and automated grading workflows
  • Collaboration tools including wikis, forums, group spaces and calendaring
  • Granular user, group and role management with permission controls
  • Plugin/extension architecture to add custom functionality and integrations
  • Multilingual interface and extensive documentation for administrators and instructors
  • Runs on modern PHP runtimes and supports common relational databases for persistence

Use Cases

  • Deploying a university or college LMS to deliver courses, quizzes and student collaboration spaces
  • Running corporate training and compliance programs with centralized user and content management
  • Building structured e-learning offerings with assessments, documentation and group-based activities

Limitations and Considerations

  • Installation and configuration can be complex for non-PHP administrators and requires a supported PHP runtime (modern PHP versions) and a relational database; careful planning for hosting and dependencies is needed
  • The system is feature-rich and can present a steep administrative learning curve for customizing workflows and permissions

ILIAS is a mature, feature-complete LMS suitable for institutions that need a self-hosted, extensible platform for structured learning and assessment. It emphasizes flexibility and control for administrators and integrators.

458stars
395forks
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#4
OpenOlat

OpenOlat

Open-source Java LMS for course authoring, assessments and institutional learning management with SCORM/QTI support and REST API.

OpenOlat screenshot

OpenOLAT is a modular, Java-based learning management system for creating, delivering and assessing online courses. It provides tools for course authoring, assessments and administrative workflows suited for universities and enterprises.

Key Features

  • Modular course authoring with flexible course elements (content pages, tests, assignments, forums and groups)
  • Assessment engine with support for QTI/e-assessments and integrated exam workflows
  • SCORM import and content packaging support for standardized learning content
  • Role- and group-based user management, permissions and attendance/rollcall features
  • REST API for integrations and automation, plus options for JNDI/DB configuration
  • Responsive, themable web UI and a scalable Java/Tomcat architecture optimized for institutional deployments
  • Support for common relational databases (PostgreSQL recommended; MySQL supported)

Use Cases

  • University or college learning platform for course delivery, assessments and student administration
  • Corporate training and compliance programs with SCORM/QTI content and structured assessment workflows
  • Blended learning setups combining online content, scheduled events and collaborative group work

Limitations and Considerations

  • Production deployments expect Java application servers (Tomcat) and a proper RDBMS; PostgreSQL is the recommended database
  • MySQL is supported but not recommended for new installations; Oracle support is experimental
  • As a comprehensive enterprise LMS, setup and customization require Java/Maven experience and operational resources

OpenOLAT is a mature, feature-rich LMS suitable for institutions that need a customizable, standards-compliant platform for teaching, assessment and learning administration. It emphasizes modularity and integration options for existing IT landscapes.

407stars
169forks
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#5
Open eClass

Open eClass

Open eClass is a PHP-based Learning Management System (LMS) for creating and administering online courses, assessments, multimedia content and communication tools for institutions.

Open eClass screenshot

Open eClass is an open-source Learning Management System developed by the Greek Academic Network (GUnet) for creating, managing and delivering online courses. It provides course organization, content hosting, assessments and communication tools aimed at academic and training organizations.

Key Features

  • Create and manage unlimited electronic courses with role-based user management (teachers, students, admins)
  • Course content authoring and storage: HTML e-books, multimedia, file uploads and structured learning paths
  • Assessment tools: automated quizzes, questionnaires, assignments submission and grading workflows
  • Communication and collaboration: forums, messaging, chat and synchronous teleconference support
  • Attendance, surveys, performance reports and usage statistics for monitoring learner progress
  • Multi-language UI and accessibility-focused responsive design with mobile app support
  • Compatibility with common e-learning standards and centralized user/group management
  • Deployable on a PHP 8.1+ stack with MySQL/MariaDB; available Docker artifacts for containerized installs

Use Cases

  • Universities and colleges hosting asynchronous courses and blended-learning programs
  • Professional training centers and corporate learning teams delivering structured curricula and assessments
  • Adult education and continuing education providers publishing multimedia course materials and tracking progress

Limitations and Considerations

  • Documentation and community resources are historically centered around the Greek-speaking ecosystem; English resources exist but may be less extensive
  • As a PHP/MySQL application, large-scale deployments may require tuning (caching, DB scaling, web server) for high concurrency

Open eClass is a mature, feature-rich LMS focused on practical course management and institutional needs. It is well suited to organizations that need a customizable, standards-aware platform built on a traditional PHP stack.

147stars
63forks
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#6
edX (Open edX)

edX (Open edX)

Open edX is a scalable, modular LMS for delivering MOOCs and online programs with video, assessments, discussions, instructor tools, and extensible integrations.

edX (Open edX) screenshot

Open edX is an open-source online learning platform originating from edX, used to deliver MOOCs and structured online programs. It provides course authoring, learner-facing course delivery, assessments, and operational tools, and can be extended via plugins and integrations.

Key Features

  • Web-based course authoring (Studio) and course delivery (LMS)
  • Video-based learning experiences with sequencing and progress tracking
  • Problem types and graded assessments (e.g., quizzes, assignments, exams) with configurable grading
  • Discussion forums and course communication features
  • User enrollment flows and course runs for repeated offerings
  • Extensible architecture: pluggable components (e.g., XBlocks) and REST APIs for integrations
  • Support for multiple sites/brands and theming in typical deployments

Use Cases

  • Universities delivering large-scale online courses and professional certificates
  • Enterprises running internal training programs with custom integrations
  • Training providers offering cohorts, recurring course runs, and assessments

Limitations and Considerations

  • Large, multi-service architecture can require significant operational expertise (deployment, upgrades, maintenance)
  • Customization often involves plugins/theming and careful version compatibility across components

Open edX is best suited for organizations needing a robust, extensible learning platform with proven large-scale course delivery capabilities. Its modular ecosystem enables deep customization, while the platform’s breadth supports end-to-end online course operations.

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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