# Canvas LMS vs Nakama

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | Canvas LMS | Nakama |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 68/100 | 76/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #2 of 14 in Learning Management System | #3 of 62 in Game Servers |
| GitHub stars | 6 890 | 13 604 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +55 | +62 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 0 | 9 ✓ |
| Latest release | — | v3.41.0 · 18 Sept 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes ✓ |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Ruby | Go |

## Which one should you pick?

Nakama scores 76/100 against 68/100 for Canvas LMS, so it is the safer default.

Nakama ships more often: 9 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Canvas LMS.

If you want the quickest setup, Nakama is easier to run; Canvas LMS needs more configuration.

## Details

- [Canvas LMS](https://selfhost.directory/project/canvas-lms) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/canvas-lms.md)
- [Nakama](https://selfhost.directory/project/nakama) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/nakama.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/canvas-lms-vs-nakama