# Canvas LMS vs SimpleX Chat

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

| | Canvas LMS | SimpleX Chat |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 68/100 | 74/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #2 of 14 in Learning Management System | #4 of 110 in Chat |
| GitHub stars | 6 890 | 19 612 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +55 | +142 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 0 | 12 ✓ |
| Latest release | — | v7.0.4 · 3 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes ✓ |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Ruby | Haskell |

## Which one should you pick?

SimpleX Chat scores 74/100 against 68/100 for Canvas LMS, so it is the safer default.

SimpleX Chat ships more often: 12 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Canvas LMS.

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

SimpleX Chat is growing faster right now (+142 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Canvas LMS](https://selfhost.directory/project/canvas-lms) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/canvas-lms.md)
- [SimpleX Chat](https://selfhost.directory/project/simplex-chat) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/simplex-chat.md)

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