Learn about RELATE, Andreas Kloeckner's open-source Django courseware platform for interactive university course delivery, grading, and content.
Category
Online Learning
Pricing
Free and open source (self-hosted), from Free
Verified
Not yet
Last updated
July 19, 2026
Founded
2014
Web AppOpen SourceSelf-Hosted
Overview
RELATE is an open-source Django courseware platform created by Andreas Kloeckner, with development documented from 2014 through 2025, primarily used for delivering technical and STEM university courses online.
Unlike mainstream commercial learning management systems, RELATE is a niche academic tool with no company, sales team, or pricing structure behind it; it is distributed freely on GitHub for self-hosting.
Key Features
RELATE organizes courses into flows, sequences of static content and interactive elements such as quizzes and sandboxed, auto-graded coding exercises, well suited to programming-heavy coursework.
Course content is authored in YAML and Markdown and versioned with Git, and the platform includes a grade book, class calendar, live in-class quizzes, and support for hosting multiple courses on one installation.
Pricing
RELATE is entirely free and open source, with no licensing fees, tiers, or commercial vendor.
Any cost comes from self-hosting infrastructure and the technical effort required to deploy and maintain a Django application.
Key Features
Flow-based course structure — Combine static content and interactive quizzes or exercises into structured, sequenced learning flows.
Sandboxed auto-graded coding exercises — Execute and automatically grade student code submissions in a sandboxed environment, including plotting support.
Git-integrated course content — Author course material in YAML and Markdown and manage changes with Git version control.
Built-in grade book and calendar — Track student grades and course scheduling directly within the platform.
Live in-class quizzes — Run real-time quizzes during live class sessions.
Multi-course hosting — Host multiple independent courses on a single RELATE installation.
XMPP-based in-class messaging — Support real-time classroom communication through XMPP messaging.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Completely free and open source
Purpose-built for technical and STEM courses with coding assignments
Git-based version control for course content
Supports sandboxed automatic grading of code submissions
Flexible, simple text-based authoring format
Can host multiple courses on a single installation
Cons
Requires self-hosting and Django technical expertise to deploy
Niche academic tool with limited adoption outside its creator's courses
No commercial support or vendor backing
Less polished user interface than mainstream commercial LMS platforms
Smaller community and documentation base than Moodle or Canvas
Not designed for non-technical or K-12 educational contexts
Pricing
Open Source Free n/a
Frequently Asked Questions
Is RELATE free?
Yes, RELATE is free and open source, distributed via GitHub for self-hosting.
Who created RELATE?
RELATE was created by Andreas Kloeckner, a computer science professor.
What is RELATE built with?
RELATE is built on the Python-based Django web framework.
Does RELATE support auto-graded coding assignments?
Yes, RELATE supports sandboxed code execution with automatic grading and plotting.
Can I self-host RELATE?
Yes, self-hosting is the primary and intended deployment model for RELATE.
Is RELATE a full LMS replacement?
RELATE is a specialized courseware tool, more niche and technical than general-purpose systems like Canvas or Moodle.
How is course content authored in RELATE?
Course content is authored in YAML and Markdown and versioned using Git.
Does RELATE support multiple courses?
Yes, a single RELATE installation can host multiple independent courses.