Leveraging Open Source to Democratize Worldwide Education
Founded by Harvard & MIT And Stewarded by Axim Collaborative
Trusted by organizations
The leading global open-source Teaching and Learning Platform. Powering 70,000 courses and supporting over 140 million learners.
Success stories
See how the Open edX platform is being used
Learning Science-Driven Engagement
Open edX platform is designed with principles from learning sciences at its core, incorporating features that promote active, learner-centered engagement through interactive discussions, and assessments, all aimed at fostering deeper understanding and retention.
Data-Driven Insights
Offers robust analytics and reporting features that help educators and organizations track learner progress, measure course effectiveness, and continuously improve course design.
- Actionable insights to enhance learning outcomes
- Visualize learner journeys and performance trends
Massively Scalable and Cost-Effective Learning
The Open edX platform empowers organizations to create online courses that can serve millions of learners worldwide, seamlessly supporting both small-scale programs and large-scale educational initiatives. With open source, there are no licensing fees, so you can scale your impact without scaling your cost. The platform supports self-service registration and self-paced learning, enabling you to reach large audiences with a small team.
Extensible and Customizable Technology
The platform is open-source and designed with extensibility in mind. This enables organizations to fully customize their learning experiences and integrate third-party tools or extensions, giving complete control over the platform. Its strong community ensures ongoing development and adaptability so that learners and hosts benefit from a platform that continually adapts to evolving educational needs.
High impact use cases across markets and the globe with solutions in the following sectors
Try it out!
Quickly test and evaluate the Open edX platform in a temporary, preconfigured instance of the Open edX platform. Explore features, create a sample course, and experience the user interface.
Launch Your Platform Now
Download and deploy the self-hosted Open edX platform today. Launch your instance instantly on your own infrastructure and begin customizing immediately.
Want a Managed Solution?
Explore our specialized Open edX providers who offer cost-effective, managed services. They handle everything from installation to customization and ongoing maintenance.
“Since switching to Open edX, we’ve seen a significant increase in learner engagement. The interactive features and discussion forums have fostered a more collaborative learning environment for our students.”
The Open edX platform is not just open-source software; it is animated by an underlying commitment to improving learning and increasing access to education on a global scale. Open edX offers both the flexibility and features necessary to build a custom online learning experience that reflects the goals and principles of a university. Notre Dame is delighted to be part of the vibrant and creative Open edX community.
Get Involved in Our Thriving Community
Discover a diverse and inclusive community of learners, educators, developers, and enthusiasts passionate about the Open edX project.
Still have questions?
Why is the Open edX platform open source, and why does it matter?
The open-source model ensures long-term flexibility, transparency, and control. The Open edX community contributes improvements and new capabilities. Organizations can extend the Open edX platform through plugins, XBlock, and APIs. Institutions control their content, learner data, hosting environment, and governance policies. The Open edX platform integrates with external systems using widely adopted standards and APIs. Because the Open edX project is stewarded by a nonprofit and supported by mission-aligned organizations, long-term sustainability is shaped by shared community priorities rather than short-term commercial interests.
What’s the difference between the Open edX platform and edX.org?
The Open edX platform is open-source software used to build online learning sites. edX.org is a commercial learning destination that runs on the Open edX platform. edX.org has its own brand, business model, and course catalog. Organizations cannot use edX.org to create or manage their own Open edX platform instance.
Is the Open edX platform an LMS?
Yes. The Open edX platform includes a full-featured learning management system (LMS) along with integrated course authoring tools. Many organizations adopt the Open edX platform as an open source LMS for higher education, workforce development, and enterprise learning.
Is the Open edX platform free to use?
Yes. The Open edX platform is released under open-source licenses, and there are no license fees to use the Open edX software. Organizations are responsible for hosting, infrastructure, maintenance, and any support or customization required to operate their Open edX platform instance.
What is the Open edX platform and how does it work?
The Open edX platform is a free, open-source online learning platform stewarded by Axim Collaborative, a nonprofit founded by Harvard and MIT. The Open edX project is supported by a global community of institutions, companies, and independent contributors. The Open edX platform includes both a course authoring environment (Open edX Studio) and a learner-facing learning management system (LMS). Organizations deploy their own Open edX platform instance to create, deliver, and manage online courses and training programs at scale.