head to head · open source
ddev vs CourseLit
ddev has 3,887 GitHub stars, 719 forks, 163 open issues and last shipped yesterday. CourseLit has 1,265 stars, 256 forks, 252 open issues and last shipped 8 days ago. ddev leads on adoption by 207% (3,887 vs 1,265 stars). ddev is written in Go under Apache-2.0; CourseLit is written in TypeScript under AGPL-3.0. ddev has attracted 18% as many forks as stars, CourseLit 20%. ddev was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| ddev | CourseLit | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 3.9K | ★ 1.3K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Go | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-10 |
| Forks | ⑂ 719 | ⑂ 256 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick ddev if
- You weight community size — 3.9K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Go
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick CourseLit if
- You want the CourseLit feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and CourseLit fits your workflow better
About ddev
DDEV is an open source tool for local PHP and Node.js web development environments built on Docker. It serves projects such as Drupal, Laravel, Magento, Craft CMS, Backdrop, and WordPress. It is written in Go and licensed under Apache 2.0. The project is run by the community and cared for by the nonprofit DDEV Foundation.
About CourseLit
CourseLit is an open source learning management system written in TypeScript and licensed under AGPL 3.0. It is a batteries included platform for creating, selling, and managing online courses, digital downloads, and blogs on a branded website. The project positions itself in the open source learning management system ecosystem as an alternative to Teachable, Thinkific, Podia, Teachery, and LearnDash.
read the full CourseLit overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is ddev or CourseLit more popular?
ddev has 3,887 GitHub stars and CourseLit has 1,265. ddev has the larger community by that measure.
Are ddev and CourseLit free?
Both are open source. ddev is licensed under Apache-2.0 and CourseLit under AGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between ddev and CourseLit?
ddev is written in Go and CourseLit in TypeScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, ddev or CourseLit?
Choose ddev if you want the larger community (3,887 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose CourseLit if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.