# Canvas LMS vs Rocket.Chat

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

| | Canvas LMS | Rocket.Chat |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 68/100 | 82/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #2 of 14 in Learning Management System | #1 of 13 in Instant Messaging |
| GitHub stars | 6 890 | 46 348 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +55 | +187 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 0 | 36 ✓ |
| Latest release | — | 8.5.4 · 16 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes ✓ |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Other |
| Main language | Ruby | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

Rocket.Chat scores 82/100 against 68/100 for Canvas LMS, so it is the safer default.

Rocket.Chat ships more often: 36 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Canvas LMS.

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

Rocket.Chat is growing faster right now (+187 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Canvas LMS](https://selfhost.directory/project/canvas-lms) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/canvas-lms.md)
- [Rocket.Chat](https://selfhost.directory/project/rocketchat) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/rocketchat.md)

## Related comparisons

- [Discourse vs Rocket.Chat](https://selfhost.directory/compare/discourse-vs-rocketchat)
- [Rocket.Chat vs Zulip](https://selfhost.directory/compare/rocketchat-vs-zulip)

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