Moodle

Open-source LMS with no licensing fee, deep customization, thousands of plugins and optional managed MoodleCloud hosting.

Learning Management SystemsResearch profile

Visit website

Research-based score

4.7

Research-based score

Features and capabilities4.9

Moodle LMS is one of the most extensible learning platforms available, with courses, quizzes, gradebooks, competencies, reporting, forums, assignments, mobile access and thousands of plugins. Moodle 5.x also has a core AI subsystem and a growing Marketplace of AI/provider integrations.

Usability and implementation4.1

G2 currently rates Moodle 4.1/5 from 448 reviews and Capterra rates it 4.3/5 from 3,389, with Capterra ease of use at 4.1 and customer service at 4.0. Flexibility is widely praised, but interface complexity and administration overhead are recurring criticisms.

Pricing and value transparency4.8

Moodle LMS has no software licensing fee when self-hosted. MoodleCloud provides transparent annual hosted tiers, but displayed USD reference prices vary because subscriptions are actually billed annually in AUD. Current official pages show Starter around $160–$170 USD/year and scale to 750 users.

Integrations, security and trust4.8

Moodle's open-source ecosystem is exceptionally extensible, with more than 1,700 Marketplace plugins/integrations and support for LTI, APIs and AI providers. Core Moodle follows security-by-design principles; MoodleCloud uses AWS, SSL, regional hosting and penetration testing, but MoodleCloud itself explicitly says its sites are not ISO-certified.

Scored by Surabhi Singh

Quick facts

Vendor: Moodle Pty Ltd
Pricing model: free
Plan pricing: $0 self-hosted; MoodleCloud displays about $160/yr for Starter Vendor source checked; not a hands-on review
Free plan: Yes — check limits
Free trial: Yes — check eligibility
Last verified: Not yet verified

About Moodle

Moodle is an open-source learning-management system used by educational institutions, businesses and governments. The core Moodle LMS can be downloaded and self-hosted without software licensing fees, giving organizations complete control over hosting and customization. MoodleCloud provides a managed SaaS option for smaller deployments, while Certified Partners and Moodle Solutions support larger and more customized environments.

Best for

Education providers and organizations that value open-source control, deep customization, a huge plugin ecosystem and the option to choose between self-hosting, managed MoodleCloud or partner-hosted enterprise deployments.

Moodle pros and cons

Pros

Moodle LMS has no software licensing fee when self-hosted.
Extremely customizable open-source platform.
More than 1,700 plugins and integrations in the current Moodle Marketplace.
Transparent MoodleCloud tiers for organizations that do not want to self-host.
Strong assessments, gradebook, course management, mobile and standards support.
Core AI subsystem now supports multiple AI providers and plugin-based extensions.

Cons

−Self-hosting requires infrastructure, security and technical expertise.
−MoodleCloud is capped at 750 active users on standard self-service plans.
−MoodleCloud does not allow arbitrary custom plugin installation.
−The interface and administration can feel complex or dated compared with simpler SaaS LMS products.
−MoodleCloud explicitly states that its sites are not ISO-certified, even though underlying providers such as AWS may hold certifications.

Features

AI subsystem and providers

Supported Moodle versions/configurations · Provider/plugin availability and model costs vary.

Marketplace extensibility

Best suited to self-hosted/partner-hosted Moodle · MoodleCloud restricts arbitrary plugin installation.

Open-source LMS

Self-hosted Moodle LMS · Customer is responsible for infrastructure, upgrades, security and operations.

Course, assessment and grading tools

Moodle LMS / MoodleCloud · MoodleCloud has preset user/storage limits.

Platforms

Windows/Linux serverAndroidWebiOS

Integrations

Google Drive / Dropbox Moodle Marketplace AI providers LTI / APIs / web services

Pricing

Moodle LMS Self-Hosted

Free

USD 0.00/month with annual billing

Free/open-source software with no Moodle licensing fee. Organizations pay their own hosting, infrastructure, administration and support costs.

MoodleCloud Starter

USD 160.00per month, billed annually

Current standard-plans page displays about $160 USD/year for 50 users and 1 GB storage; MoodleCloud bills annually in AUD, so displayed USD reference amounts can vary with the official page/currency conversion.

MoodleCloud Mini

USD 270.00per month, billed annually

Current standard-plans page displays about $270 USD/year for 100 users and 2.5 GB storage; billed annually in AUD.

MoodleCloud Small

USD 490.00per month, billed annually

Current standard-plans page displays about $490 USD/year for 200 users and 5 GB storage; billed annually in AUD.

MoodleCloud Medium

USD 1,180.00per month, billed annually

Current standard-plans page displays about $1,180 USD/year for 500 users and 20 GB storage; billed annually in AUD. Custom domain is available as an add-on.

MoodleCloud Standard

USD 2,090.00per month, billed annually

Current standard-plans page displays about $2,090 USD/year for 750 users and 50 GB storage; billed annually in AUD. Custom domain is included.

Official pricing / availability source · Checked 6 October 2026. Confirm current taxes, regional terms and allowances. A listed plan is not necessarily the cheapest option.

Editorial verification: Not yet verified. Check the vendor's site for current pricing.

Alternatives to Moodle

TalentLMS

Easy-to-deploy cloud LMS for employee, partner and customer training with AI course creation, skills, automations, reporting and broad integrations.

LearnUpon

Corporate LMS for employee, customer and association learning with strong implementation support, AI-assisted creation, skills, integrations and enterprise-grade security.

360Learning

Collaborative learning platform combining LMS/LXP capabilities, AI-assisted course creation, peer expertise, skills and enterprise integrations.

Docebo

Enterprise AI-powered learning platform for employee, customer and partner training with automation, skills intelligence, analytics and 400+ integrations.

Moodle — frequently asked questions

Is Moodle free?

Yes. Moodle LMS is open-source software with no licensing fee when you download and self-host it. You still need to pay for your own hosting, administration and support.

How much does MoodleCloud cost?

Official MoodleCloud pages currently display Starter at roughly $160–$170 USD/year, with Mini, Small, Medium and Standard tiers scaling to 750 users. All MoodleCloud subscriptions are actually billed annually in Australian dollars, so displayed USD reference prices can vary.

Does MoodleCloud offer a free trial?

Yes. MoodleCloud currently offers a 28-day free trial for the Starter experience with no credit card required.

Can I install custom plugins on MoodleCloud?

No. Standard MoodleCloud sites use a curated set of plugins and do not allow arbitrary plugin installation. Self-hosted Moodle and partner-hosted solutions offer much more customization.

How many integrations does Moodle support?

The Moodle Marketplace currently contains more than 1,700 plugins and integrations, and Moodle also supports standards such as LTI and web services/APIs.

Does Moodle support AI?

Yes. Moodle 4.5/5.x introduced a core AI subsystem, and the Marketplace includes providers for OpenAI-compatible APIs, Anthropic Claude, Gemini, Mistral, Amazon Bedrock and others.

Is MoodleCloud ISO certified?

MoodleCloud's own support documentation says MoodleCloud sites are not accredited with ISO certifications, although underlying service providers such as AWS may hold certifications.

Can I get a MoodleCloud refund?

MoodleCloud says it does not provide prorated refunds for unused or unwanted subscriptions due to change of mind or unsuitability. Unexpected renewal charges can be discussed with the MoodleCloud team.