Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Moodle VS Parse

Compare Moodle VS Parse and see what are their differences

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Moodle logo Moodle

Moodle is the world's most popular learning management system. Start creating your online learning site in minutes!

Parse logo Parse

Build applications faster with object and file storage, user authentication, push notifications, dashboard and more out of the box.
  • Moodle Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-12

  • Parse Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-17

Moodle

Website
moodle.com
$ Details
-
Release Date
2002 January
Startup details
Country
Australia
City
Perth
Founder(s)
Martin Dougiamas
Employees
10 - 19

Moodle features and specs

  • Open Source
    Moodle is an open-source platform, which means it's free to use and can be customized extensively to meet the specific needs of educators and students.
  • Customizability
    With a wide range of plugins and themes, Moodle can be tailored to fit a variety of educational settings and purposes.
  • Scalability
    Moodle is designed to support both small classrooms and large institutions, making it a flexible option for various sizes of educational organizations.
  • Active Community
    The Moodle community is large and active, providing a wealth of resources, forums, and support for users around the globe.
  • Comprehensive Features
    Moodle offers a robust set of features including quizzes, forums, assignments, grading, and more, covering all aspects of the learning process.
  • Multilingual
    Moodle supports multiple languages, making it accessible to students and teachers worldwide.

Possible disadvantages of Moodle

  • Complex Setup
    Setting up and configuring Moodle can be complex and may require technical expertise, which can be a barrier for smaller institutions with limited IT resources.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    The vast array of features and customization options can make Moodle difficult to learn for new users without proper training.
  • Performance Issues
    Without proper optimization, Moodle can face performance issues, especially for very large installations with numerous users and courses.
  • Dependency on Plugins
    While plugins add to the functionality of Moodle, they can also lead to compatibility issues and may require regular updates and maintenance.
  • User Interface
    Some users find the Moodle interface to be less intuitive and dated compared to newer LMS platforms, which can affect user experience.
  • Hosting Costs
    Although Moodle itself is free, hosting a large-scale Moodle environment can incur significant costs, including server space and potential third-party support services.

Parse features and specs

  • Open Source
    Parse Platform is open-source, which means it is free to use and can be customized to fit the needs of your application without any licensing fees.
  • Rich Feature Set
    Parse provides a wide range of built-in features such as a robust database system, real-time notifications, user authentication, cloud functions, and file storage, reducing the amount of development work needed.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    Parse supports multiple platforms including iOS, Android, JavaScript, .NET, and more, enabling easier development across different types of applications.
  • Community and Documentation
    There is a strong community around Parse with extensive documentation and numerous tutorials, which can help developers quickly resolve issues and learn best practices.
  • Unified Backend
    Parse allows developers to manage database, server code, and user authentication in one unified platform, simplifying backend management.

Possible disadvantages of Parse

  • Self-Hosting Complexity
    While Parse is open-source, it requires self-hosting, which involves managing and maintaining your own server infrastructure, adding operational complexity.
  • Performance
    Depending on your server setup and scaling needs, you might encounter performance issues, especially for high-traffic applications, requiring constant monitoring and fine-tuning.
  • Limited Scalability
    Parse might not be as scalable as other backend solutions like Firebase, particularly for apps that need to handle massive amounts of data and users.
  • Initial Setup Time
    The initial setup of a Parse server and its environment can be time-consuming and challenging, particularly for those without DevOps experience.
  • Feature Limitations
    While Parse offers a rich feature set, some advanced features available in other modern backend-as-a-service (BaaS) platforms may lack, necessitating custom development.

Analysis of Moodle

Overall verdict

  • Moodle is a good choice for educational institutions seeking a versatile and customizable LMS solution, particularly those with specific needs that require flexible adaptation.

Why this product is good

  • Moodle is a highly flexible learning management system (LMS) that allows for customization and scalability, making it suitable for various educational settings.
  • It is open-source, which means it can be freely distributed and modified, allowing institutions to tailor it to their specific needs.
  • Moodle supports a wide variety of plugins and themes, enriching the learning experience with additional functionalities and a customized look.
  • It has a large, active community that contributes to its continuous improvement and provides extensive resources and support.
  • Moodle provides robust tracking and reporting features that help educators monitor student progress and engagement effectively.

Recommended for

  • Schools and universities looking to implement or enhance their digital learning environments.
  • Organizations seeking a cost-effective LMS solution, thanks to its open-source nature.
  • Educators who want a platform with a vast selection of plugins and the ability to customize to fit specific learning requirements.
  • Training departments in organizations looking for a learning platform that can grow and adapt as training needs change.

Analysis of Parse

Overall verdict

  • Parse is a good choice for developers looking for a flexible and scalable backend solution that can be deployed on their own servers or using cloud services. It is particularly beneficial due to its active community and extensive documentation.

Why this product is good

  • Parse is a popular open-source backend-as-a-service framework that simplifies app development by handling server-side components, freeing developers to focus on front-end development. It offers features like push notifications, cloud functions, social media integration, and a real-time database.

Recommended for

  • Developers who want an open-source solution with the freedom to self-host.
  • Teams building mobile or web applications that require a robust backend service.
  • Projects that need strong support for relational data and real-time functionalities.
  • Developers looking to avoid the overhead of writing custom backend code.

Moodle videos

Moodle 3.7 Overview

More videos:

  • Review - MOODLE Review en Español 2018 Plataforma LMS. Programas ELEARNING #6
  • Review - Moodle 3.5 Overview
  • Review - 🎓 What is Moodle LMS?
  • Review - Moodle Review: There are far better options available
  • Review - Moodle Review: You get what you pay for

Parse videos

No Parse videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Add video

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Moodle and Parse)
Education
100 100%
0% 0
Developer Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Online Learning
100 100%
0% 0
Realtime Backend / API
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Moodle and Parse

Moodle Reviews

10 Best Google Classroom Alternatives: Which Should You Choose?
Not every Google Classroom alternative has to cost money. After all, Google doesn’t charge for its software. That’s one of the reasons why Moodle is a favorite among people who are just starting out. This platform is free to use and highly customizable. Moreover, it’s vetted by Forbes as the best open-source learning management system. The software is highly viable and...
10 Best Moodle Alternatives to Jumpstart Your Courses
However, focusing solely on Moodle may limit your opportunities and hinder your ability to explore other powerful platforms. In this blog post, we’ll introduce you to the best alternatives to Moodle that might better match your requirements, budget, and other crucial factors.
Source: sendpulse.com
10 Best EdApp Alternatives in 2024 | LMS & Online Courses
Moodle supports a range of learning methodologies with features like course management, online quizzes, forums, and file uploads. Its adaptability allows for integration with numerous plugins and third-party applications for extra functionality. Key strengths include its scalability, catering to both small classes and large organisations, and the ability to create...
Source: cloudassess.com
10 Best Moodle Alternatives in 2024
While it is a highly flexible platform, setting Moodle up is tricky. Often, trained software developers are required to make the most of it. You’ll also need to arrange server hosting or opt for Moodle’s added hosting service.
Source: cloudassess.com
The 10 Best Moodle Alternatives & Competitors (Updated for 2024)
Pricing: As an open-source system, Moodle is free up-front but can still cost users, particularly since it generally requires an in-house team of IT specialists who know how to manage it. When choosing an alternative, consider each tool’s pricing model and ensure it aligns with your budget and doesn’t include any hidden fees.
Source: www.docebo.com

Parse Reviews

10 Top Firebase Alternatives to Ignite Your Development in 2024
If you’re looking for a Firebase alternative that gives you full control and the freedom to tinker, Parse Platform is your jam. Again, it’s a popular open-source framework loved by developers who want to build custom backends without being tied to a specific provider.
Source: genezio.com
Top 7 Firebase Alternatives for App Development in 2024
Back4App is a backend-as-a-service (BaaS) platform that uses Parse Server, the open-source version of the Parse backend. It simplifies backend development and management, providing developers with a robust platform for building modern applications.
Source: signoz.io
What is AWS Amplify? - AWS Amplify Alternatives
It is well-known for making the development process quick, easy, and simple. Using Parse, you may complete a day's worth of work in a few hours.
Source: mindmajix.com
2023 Firebase Alternatives: Top 10 Open-Source & Free
Community Support – If Firebase comes with the backing of Google, then Parse is also tested and trusted by Facebook. Yes, Facebook is the parent company of Parse. Therefore, it has a big community. You can find resources and solutions regarding Parse on GitHub, Stack Overflow and several other programming forums.
12 Best Open-source Database Backend Server and Google Firebase Alternatives
Parse server is an open-source database backend solution which speed up application building. It features database, user management, authentication, file upload and push notification.I used Parse for a few times, and I was satisfied with the speed and productivity it offers, especially in terms of developer tools as it comes with dozens of SDKs, libraries and sample code to...
Source: medevel.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Parse seems to be a lot more popular than Moodle. While we know about 21 links to Parse, we've tracked only 1 mention of Moodle. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Moodle mentions (1)

  • Looking for Quiz/Testing application
    Moodle can handle this but it might be overkill for your requirements. Once you have it setup though the quiz feature is really great, and the analytics it provides are awesome. Source: about 2 years ago

Parse mentions (21)

  • Supabase Alternatives 🔄 in 2025 😼
    Parse deserves mention primarily for its historical significance as the precursor that inspired the entire backend-as-a-service space. Founded in 2011, Parse pioneered many concepts that we now take for granted in modern BaaS platforms. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • The 2024 Web Hosting Report
    Backend as a Service (BaaS) goes back to early 2010’s with companies like Parse and Firebase. These products integrated everything a backend provides to a webapp in a single, integrated package that makes it easier to get started and enables you to offload some of the devops maintenance work to someone else. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • How to set up a Parse Server backend with Typescript
    Parse Server is a great way to quickly spin up a backend for your project. Parse is a Node based utility that sits on top of ExpressJS. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • Free online DB for production app
    You can try https://parseplatform.org/, it is self-hosted if you need. And also there are a number of cloud services with compatible API, like https://www.back4app.com/ It has dart-friendly generated API client, much simpler than firebase and is built on top of postgresql and mongodb. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Supabase Series B
    Not to crash the party or anything. Supabase is great and all but in terms of feature completeness and getting actual products built, it doesn't come close to Parse[0]. Same with Appwrite. Both of these are very popular but they either lack essential features or have them behind a subscription wall. For example, the OSS version of Supabase (last I checked) doesn't include the edge functions which are really... - Source: Hacker News / almost 3 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Moodle and Parse, you can also consider the following products

Adobe Learning Manager - Adobe Learning Manager (formerly Adobe Captivate Prime LMS) is easy to setup and helps in delivering engaging learning experiences in a personalized manner across devices.

Firebase - Firebase is a cloud service designed to power real-time, collaborative applications for mobile and web.

LMS Collaborator - LMS Collaborator is a state-of-the-art learning management system designed to meet the need for corporate training, upskilling, and evaluation with flexible integration abilities.

AWS Amplify - JavaScript library for app development using cloud services

Talent LMS - A super-easy, cloud LMS to train your employees, partners, customers or students.

Back4App - Low code backend to build apps faster and scale easily.