5 Open Source Alternatives to Skool

A list of 5 carefully selected open-source alternatives to Skool.

Adrian
Created by
Adrian
Mar 9, 2025Updated6 min read

The open-source alternatives are ranked based on our custom ranking system and score. This system takes into account various factors to determine the best alternatives.

If you’re looking for alternative features or workflows, here is a prepared detailed list of Skool open-source alternatives — each with its own distinctive strengths and key features.

#1
Discourse logo

Discourse

43,432
8,466

Discourse is an open source platform for community discussion designed to foster engagement and collaboration. It offers an intuitive interface that supports real-time chat, robust moderation, and extensive customization to meet diverse community needs.

Discourse screenshot

Key Features

  • 100% open source forum software with free self-hosting option
  • Managed hosting plans starting at $20 per month
  • Modern discussion experience with seamless transition between chat and long-form posts
  • Advanced moderation tools and built-in spam protection
  • Customizable themes and extensive API integration
  • AI enhancements for topic summarization and toxicity detection
  • Seamless single sign-on and popular social login integrations
  • Mobile-first design for optimal performance on any device

Discourse enables communities to connect and collaborate with thoughtful, uninterrupted conversations. Its features include just-in-time loading, integrated real-time chat, AI-powered tools for summarizing topics and detecting toxicity, and a fully customizable design with comprehensive API support. Whether you choose free self-hosting or managed hosting starting at $20 per month, Discourse adapts to both small groups and large enterprises.

ClassroomIO is an open source education platform designed to streamline course management for educators and companies. It offers a simple, intuitive interface that supports training, onboarding, and certifications with powerful customization and AI support. This platform serves as an elegant alternative to Moodle, EdX, Thinkific, and Teachable.

ClassroomIO screenshot

Key Features

  • 100% open source & no-code setup
  • Customizable LMS and dashboard
  • AI Course Builder with advanced features
  • Team management and collaborative forums
  • Automated video transcription and lesson PDFs
  • Flexible plans for personal, scaling, and enterprise needs

ClassroomIO transforms how educators deliver online learning by combining robust course management tools with full dashboard customization and AI-powered course building. The platform supports unlimited courses, collaborative team management, and automated features like video transcription and downloadable lesson PDFs, ensuring an adaptable learning environment that caters to both small classes and large institutions.

#3
Flarum logo

Flarum

15,629
1,605

Flarum is a modern, fast, and free community forum software designed to build vibrant online communities. It brings simplicity and flexibility to forum management with a highly extensible core and a rich ecosystem of extensions.

Flarum screenshot

Key Features

  • Modern, responsive design
  • Highly extensible via a vast ecosystem of extensions
  • Flexible groups and permissions management
  • Supports both markdown and WYSIWYG editors
  • Customizable appearance with themes and custom CSS
  • Free and open-source with no vendor lock-in

Flarum powers communities of any size with a solid forum platform that combines a sleek, responsive interface with robust features. The tool offers extensive customization through themes, custom CSS, and hundreds of extensions, ensuring groups, permissions, rich editor capabilities, and real-time notifications meet diverse community needs.

LearnHouse is a next-gen open source learning platform designed for educators, professionals, and developers to create and share captivating online courses. It offers a powerful suite of teaching and learning tools in a beautifully designed interface, making education accessible for everyone.

LearnHouse screenshot

Key Features

  • Intuitive blocks-based course editor and dynamic page builder
  • Interactive features including quizzes, assignments, and multimedia integration
  • AI copilot for enhanced teaching and personalized learning
  • Secure payments integration with Stripe with no extra platform fees
  • Flexible deployment with both cloud and self-hosted community editions

LearnHouse simplifies online teaching with a modular platform that integrates a blocks-based editor, dynamic pages, interactive quizzes, and assignments. It features an AI copilot to assist both educators and students alongside a secure, Stripe-powered payment system for selling courses. The platform is ideal for academic institutions, corporate training, and personal growth initiatives, with options for cloud hosting or self-hosted setups.

CourseLit is a comprehensive open-source platform that empowers creators to build, sell, and manage online courses, digital downloads, and blogs on their own branded website. It serves as a cost-effective alternative to popular platforms like Teachable, Thinkific, and Podia.

CourseLit screenshot

Key Features

  • Unlimited online courses and custom pages
  • Sell digital downloads like ebooks and infographics
  • Integrated blog with SEO optimization
  • Email automations (beta) and graded quizzes
  • Payments gateway integration and custom domain support
  • Choice between cloud-hosted and self-hosted options

CourseLit enables you to design feature-rich online courses, host digital downloads, and publish SEO-friendly blogs with ease. The platform simplifies e-learning management by integrating essential tools such as email automations, graded quizzes, custom pages, payments gateway, and custom domains into one suite. Choose the cloud-hosted plan for hassle-free maintenance or opt for the self-hosted version to own your data and manage your environment independently.

Price comparison of Skool open-source alternatives

ToolTier 1Tier 2Tier 3Details
Discourse logo
Discourse
$20
Managed Forum Hosting
--Learn more
ClassroomIO logo
ClassroomIO
$0
Basic
$35
Early Adopters
-
Enterprise
Learn more
LearnHouse logo
LearnHouse
$0
Free
$28
Standard
$48
Pro
Learn more
CourseLit logo
CourseLit
$20
Cloud
$0
Self-Hosted
-Learn more

* Pricing shown is based on publicly available information and may not reflect current rates. Visit each tool's website for detailed pricing information and additional tiers.

About Skool

MBA Skool is a trusted brand and an invaluable resource for management students, aspirants, and professionals seeking business and strategy knowledge. With a team of MBA graduates and industry experts, MBA Skool offers a wide range of educational content and resources. At MBA Skool, you can find comprehensive business articles, in-depth SWOT analyses, cutting-edge business concepts, and industry-specific courses. Additionally, you can delve into essential topics such as marketing mix, PESTLE analysis, five forces, and competitor analysis. To test your skills and knowledge, MBA Skool also offers quizzes and skill tests. MBA Skool aims to be the go-to online destination for management graduates and business professionals, providing them with the knowledge and expertise they need to excel in various domains and sectors. Backed by our vision and mission, we strive to deliver top-notch content in areas like marketing, operations, HR, and strategy. Get in touch with us at admin@mbaskool.com or mbaskool@gmail.com, or leave us a message on our contact us page. Stay updated with our latest offerings by following us on Facebook and Twitter.
This comparison data was compiled with AI assistance.
Skool logo

Skool

MBA Skool is a business & strategy knowledge resource for management students, aspirants & professionals. MBA Skool offers business & management education content like business articles, brand analysis, business concepts, marketing mix, pestle analysis, quizzes, skill tests & more.

Employees

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Location

Mumbai, India

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