Adapt authoring vs Numbas
Adapt authoring and Numbas are both course authoring software. Adapt authoring is open source under GPL-3.0, with 562 GitHub stars. Numbas is open source under Apache-2.0, with 216 GitHub stars.
Which to pick
- Pick Adapt authoring when
- Your training team builds SCORM courses and wants a free alternative to Articulate Rise.
- Pick Numbas when
- A university or school needs online maths assessments that run in any LMS via SCORM or LTI.
Side by side
A server-based authoring tool for building responsive eLearning courses with the Adapt framework and exporting them as SCORM packages.
A browser-based e-assessment system from Newcastle University for creating maths tests with randomised questions and computer algebra marking.
Still pre-1.0 after many years, and it needs Node.js and MongoDB to run.
Mathematics-focused; general quizzes are better served by an LMS's own tools.
Usable
Production-ready
Self-hosted server
Library and self-hosted server
JavaScript, Node.js and MongoDB
JavaScript
Open source, GPL-3.0 (strong copyleft)
Open source, Apache-2.0 (permissive)
Use inside your business is unrestricted, but anything you distribute that includes it must be released under the same license.
You can build it into a product you sell, as long as you keep its copyright notice.
562 GitHub stars
216 GitHub stars
Established: started 13 years ago, latest release v0.11.5.
Established: started 15 years ago, latest release v11.0.
Other comparisons
More e-learning authoring tools and SCORM runtimes
Both sides were judged on 2026-11-03 from each project's README and GitHub data. License, age and popularity lines are worked out directly.