← Back to home
Comparison · EdTech

Gibbon vs ILIAS

A side-by-side editorial comparison of Gibbon and ILIAS — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.

Gibbon vs ILIAS: at a glance

FeatureGibbonILIAS
SectorEdTechEdTech
Velocity score0.05.0
Sparks · 30d00
Top themesschool-management, edtech, new-modules, htmx-refreshlms, security, multi-branch-maintenance, open-source
Last editorial update3mo ago13d ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is Gibbon?

Gibbon's v30 milestone adds Calendar and Student Alerts as new core modules.

Gibbon, the open-source school management platform, just hit its v30 ('Nam Chung') milestone after 15 years, adding two new core modules — Calendar and Student Alerts — on top of an ongoing front-end refresh (HTMX and Alpine.js replacing jQuery) that began in v28.

Read the full Gibbon trajectory →

What is ILIAS?

ILIAS ships synchronized security patches across versions 9, 10, and 11 on a monthly maintenance cadence.

ILIAS is running a stable multi-branch maintenance cadence, releasing security and bug fix patches simultaneously across three major versions (9.x, 10.x, 11.x) on a regular schedule. The September 2026 releases (11.4, 10.11, 9.23) all contain security fixes. The August releases (11.3, 10.10, 9.22) followed the same pattern. This is characteristic of a mature open-source LMS with a long institutional tail — universities and enterprises that can't immediately update to the latest major version still receive security coverage.

Read the full ILIAS trajectory →

Gibbon vs ILIAS: editorial side-by-side

G
Gibbon
EDTECH
0.0

Gibbon's v30 milestone adds Calendar and Student Alerts as new core modules.

◆ Current state

Gibbon, the open-source school management platform, just hit its v30 ('Nam Chung') milestone after 15 years, adding two new core modules — Calendar and Student Alerts — on top of an ongoing front-end refresh (HTMX and Alpine.js replacing jQuery) that began in v28.

◆ Where it's heading

The arc is toward a broader all-in-one school operations suite (scheduling, pastoral care, alerts) on a modernized, app-like front end, shipped on a disciplined twice-yearly named-release cadence.

◆ Prediction

Expect v30.x updates to refine Calendar and Student Alerts, with continued HTMX-driven UI modernization in the next named release.

I
ILIAS
EDTECH
5.0

ILIAS ships synchronized security patches across versions 9, 10, and 11 on a monthly maintenance cadence.

◆ Current state

ILIAS is running a stable multi-branch maintenance cadence, releasing security and bug fix patches simultaneously across three major versions (9.x, 10.x, 11.x) on a regular schedule. The September 2026 releases (11.4, 10.11, 9.23) all contain security fixes. The August releases (11.3, 10.10, 9.22) followed the same pattern. This is characteristic of a mature open-source LMS with a long institutional tail — universities and enterprises that can't immediately update to the latest major version still receive security coverage.

◆ Where it's heading

ILIAS is in maintenance-and-stability mode across its installed base. The multi-branch simultaneous release pattern is designed for institutional customers with slow update cycles. Feature development is happening, but it's not visible in these changelog entries — the product's institutional audience prioritizes stability and security over feature velocity.

◆ Prediction

The next releases will continue the monthly patch cycle. A major feature announcement would likely come separately through the ILIAS community process (docu.ilias.de), not through these version-bump releases.

Alternatives to Gibbon and ILIAS

Other EdTech products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either Gibbon or ILIAS.

See all Gibbon alternatives → · See all ILIAS alternatives →

Recent activity from Gibbon and ILIAS

Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.

  1. 13d agoILIASILIAS 11.4: Security maintenance release
  2. 13d agoILIASILIAS 10.11: Security maintenance release
  3. 13d agoILIASILIAS 9.23: Security maintenance release
  4. 1mo agoILIASILIAS 11.3: August security maintenance release
  5. 1mo agoILIASILIAS 10.10: August security maintenance release
  6. 1mo agoILIASILIAS 9.22: August security maintenance release
  7. 7mo agoGibbonNam Chung (Update)
  8. 10mo agoGibbonNam Chung
  9. 1y agoGibbonMa On Shan
  10. 1y agoGibbonLam Tsuen (Update)
  11. 1y agoGibbonLam Tsuen
  12. 1y agoGibbonLam Tsuen (v28 pre-release)

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Gibbon and ILIAS?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. ILIAS is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 0.0), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.

Is Gibbon better than ILIAS?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. ILIAS is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 0.0), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other EdTech products to evaluate alongside.

What are the best alternatives to Gibbon?

Top Gibbon alternatives in EdTech are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Gibbon alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/gibbon for the full list with editorial commentary on each.

What are the best alternatives to ILIAS?

Top ILIAS alternatives in EdTech are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "ILIAS alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/ilias for the full list with editorial commentary on each.