When Kognisia is not the right choice: cases to know
Control of the code, selling courses to the public, very small numbers: where another solution serves you better, and where Kognisia is a good fit.
Read the articleYou have three trainers, around a hundred learners to follow and a precise idea of what you want: a learning path in your own image, reminders at the right moment. One colleague says "take open-source software, it's free". Another replies "take a subscription, you won't have to install anything". Both are right, on different points.
What you gain with an open-source LMS
"Open source" describes software whose code is open. It is often published under a free licence, such as the GNU General Public License (GPL). According to the official presentation of GPLv3, it grants the user four freedoms: to run the software for any purpose, to modify it, to share it, and to share one's modifications.
For a training provider, this translates into three concrete gains:
- The freedom to modify. If you have a developer, you can adapt the tool to a very particular need.
- The choice of hosting. You decide where the software and the data run, on a server of your choosing.
- No per-learner usage licence.
But the rest has a price: a server, updates, backups, and someone to answer when it stops. We set out this trade-off in the real cost of a self-hosted LMS.
What you take on yourself
With a self-hosted open-source LMS, you become, in effect, the operator of the service. The list is short to write and long to keep up.
- Install and configure the software, then connect it to a mail service and a backup.
- Apply updates, including those that fix security flaws.
- Monitor the service, and repair it when it goes down.
On the data side, responsibility changes hands. The GDPR, the European regulation, requires security measures proportionate to the risks (Article 32) and governs the use of a processor by means of a contract (Article 28). When you host yourself, you carry most of these measures. When you entrust hosting to a provider, you must choose one whose technical and organisational measures are sufficient, and bind it by contract.
What you gain with a SaaS LMS
A SaaS LMS is an online service: you log in, you build your learning paths, nothing needs installing. This is the case for Kognisia. The supplier runs the platform, updates it and maintains it for all its customers at once.
You gain time and predictability: a faster start, features that are already in place (learning paths, quizzes, assignments, progress tracking, drop-out alerts, mobile app) and a point of contact. The budget fits on one line, for example an annual licence per band of active learners.
What a SaaS asks of you in return
You accept a framework. You do not change the code, you do not choose the timetable of changes, and you depend on the publisher's roadmap. Customisation goes through the settings provided: your brand, your learning paths, your message templates.
On data, three points should be set out in writing by the supplier: where it is hosted, how you recover it at the end of the contract, and what is provided for exchange standards and connections with your other tools. For Kognisia, these points are to be confirmed with the publisher before any decision, as you would with any supplier of this kind.
The point-by-point table
| Point of comparison | Self-hosted open-source LMS | SaaS LMS |
|---|---|---|
| Installation | To be done by you or a contractor | None, the service is online |
| Maintenance | Your responsibility: updates, backups, monitoring | Handled by the supplier |
| Security | You carry the measures and their follow-up | Shared: the supplier secures the platform, you manage your access and usage |
| Customisation | Very broad, down to the code, with development work | Limited to the settings provided, including white label with some suppliers |
| Scalability | You size the servers as learner numbers grow | The supplier absorbs the load, the licence follows bands |
| Support | Community or contractor, to be arranged | Supplier's team, according to the contract |
| Time to launch | From a few weeks to several months depending on the project | From a few days to a few weeks, mostly to write the content |
The durations are indicative and vary mainly with your content. For a broader view, see our comparison of solution families.
When open source is the right choice, and when it is not
Open source suits you if you have stable technical skills, a need the market does not cover, or a requirement for controlled hosting. It becomes fragile when "the technical person" is a colleague who goes on holiday.
SaaS suits you if you want to concentrate on teaching and follow-up. Kognisia is not the right choice if you must modify the platform's code, or host every item of data yourself: a self-hosted solution will then be more suitable. We discuss this in when Kognisia is not the right choice.
The decision rule in three questions
Answer in order. The first "no" decides.
- Do you have, on a lasting basis, someone able to install, update and troubleshoot the service? If not, turn to a SaaS.
- Do you have a need that the settings of an online service cannot cover? If not, a SaaS is enough.
- Does your context require you to host your data yourself? If so, self-hosting is the answer. If not, a well-drafted SaaS contract will do.
For the full cost, see how much an LMS costs and the pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
Is an open-source LMS really free?
The right to use it is, depending on the licence chosen. Hosting, updates, backups and support remain to be paid for, in money or in time.
Can you move from one to the other later?
Yes, but it needs preparing: you must be able to export your learners, their results and your content. Check the formats before committing.
Is my data safer when self-hosted?
Not automatically. It is under your control, but security depends on the updates and monitoring you provide. A supplier devotes a team to it, which few providers can do alone.
Does Kognisia suit a provider that wants to customise everything?
That depends on what "everything" covers. You customise your brand (white-label option), your learning paths and your assessments. Access to the code and the possibility of self-hosting are to be confirmed with the publisher.
In summary
An open-source LMS trades freedom for technical work, a SaaS LMS trades a framework for time. For most teams without a dedicated technical profile, the online service is the simplest to sustain. Your next step: answer the three questions above, then put a figure on the answer with the ROI calculator.
Sources
- GNU: quick guide to the GPLv3 licence, accessed 14 October 2026.
- Official Journal of the European Union: Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR), Articles 28 and 32, accessed 14 October 2026.
The Kognisia team
Kognisia designs a SaaS learning platform, with a training catalogue and white label as options.
Kognisia designs a SaaS learning platform, with a training catalogue and white label as options.