Welcome to Sakai LMS
Sakai is a comprehensive, open-source learning management system built by educators for educators. Developed by the Apereo Foundation and used by millions worldwide, Sakai provides a powerful platform for teaching, learning, research, and collaboration.What is Sakai?
Sakai CLE (Collaboration and Learning Environment) is a Java-based LMS that offers:- Complete Course Management - Create and manage courses with assignments, gradebooks, assessments, and content
- Collaboration Tools - Forums, chat, announcements, calendars, and messaging
- Flexible Architecture - Modular tool-based design built on a robust kernel
- Open Source - Licensed under Educational Community License 2.0 (ECL-2.0)
- Global Reach - Supports 20+ languages with complete internationalization
Sakai is currently at version 25.1, with active community support and regular releases. The project has been in development since 2003 with contributions from institutions worldwide.
Get Started
Quick Start
Get Sakai up and running quickly with our step-by-step guide
Installation
Detailed installation instructions for production deployments
Architecture
Understand Sakai’s modular architecture and core services
Contributing
Join the community and contribute to Sakai development
Core Features
Teaching & Learning Tools
Assignments - Create, collect, and grade student submissions with support for inline grading, peer review, and multiple submission types. Gradebook NG - Modern gradebook with flexible grading schemes, weighted categories, and grade import/export capabilities. Tests & Quizzes (Samigo) - Build assessments with multiple question types, randomization, timed tests, and automatic grading. Lessons - Create interactive learning modules with embedded content, assessments, and branching paths.Collaboration & Communication
Forums & Conversations - Threaded discussions with moderation, grading, and rich media support. Calendar - Shared calendars with event scheduling, reminders, and iCal integration. Announcements - Site-wide notifications with email delivery and RSS feeds. Chat - Real-time messaging for immediate communication.Content Management
Resources - Robust file storage with version control, WebDAV access, and cloud storage integration (Google Drive, OneDrive). Content Review - Plagiarism detection integrations with Turnitin, Compilatio, and Urkund. Media Gallery - Upload and manage video content with streaming support.Technical Stack
Backend
- Java 17
- Apache Tomcat 9
- Spring Framework
- Hibernate ORM
Frontend
- Web Components (Lit)
- Bootstrap 5.2
- Modern JavaScript (ES2022+)
- ThymeLeaf Templates
Database
- MySQL/MariaDB
- Oracle (supported)
- SQL Server (supported)
Build Tools
- Maven 3.9+
- npm for frontend
- Docker support
Active Development
Sakai is actively maintained with multiple supported versions:- Sakai 25.2 - Current development release (Q2 2026)
- Sakai 25.1 - Latest stable release
- Sakai 23.4 - Long-term support version
Community & Support
Sakai is built by a global community of educators, developers, and institutions. Get Help- Developer mailing list:
[email protected] - Slack: apereo.slack.com
- JIRA bug tracker: jira.sakaiproject.org
- All contributions require an Apereo Contributor License Agreement (CLA)
- Code follows strict accessibility (WCAG 2.0) and internationalization standards
- Pull requests reviewed by community members
System Requirements
Minimum Requirements
- Java: OpenJDK 17 (Eclipse Temurin recommended)
- Application Server: Apache Tomcat 9.x
- Database: MySQL 8.0+ or MariaDB 10.5+
- Memory: 4GB RAM minimum, 8GB+ recommended
- Storage: 20GB+ for application and data
Next Steps
Try Sakai
Test Sakai on the nightly servers to explore features
Install Locally
Follow the Quick Start to build and run Sakai on your machine
Production Deployment
Review the Installation Guide for production server setup