I Created a Free Full Stack Open Source LMS Better Than Teachable & Kajabi Using Lovable

If you've ever wanted to build your own LMS instead of paying for expensive platforms like Teachable or Kajabi, you're in the right place. I recently created a free LMS using Lovable, and it's now available for anyone who wants to build a course platform without the hefty price tag.

Why Build an Open Source LMS?

Most course creators rely on platforms like Kajabi, Teachable, or Thinkific. While these are great solutions, they come with recurring costs and limitations. Kajabi, for example, can cost upwards of $3,000 per year, and you still don't own your platform. That's why I decided to build my own free LMS—giving complete ownership, flexibility, and no ongoing fees.

How I Built a Free LMS Using Lovable

1. Choosing the Tech Stack

Instead of using pre-built LMS platforms, I started from scratch with Lovable for the front end and Superbase for the backend. This combination allows for a fully customizable and scalable solution.

2. Gathering Inspiration

I researched various LMS structures, including Unity's free course platform, and used AI to generate best practices for features, monetization, and scalability.

3. Designing the Core Features

The first version of my open source LMS includes essential features like:

User authentication (login/register system)
Course listing & viewing
Basic lesson management
Simple quiz functionality
Progress tracking
Light and dark mode support

4. Integrating with Superbase

To make the LMS fully functional, I connected it to Superbase for handling user management, payments, and course storage. If you're building your own free LMS, you can integrate Superbase or Firebase for similar results.

5. Admin Dashboard & Customization

Unlike other LMS platforms that charge extra for advanced features, my open source LMS comes with:

A full analytics dashboard
SEO settings
SMTP email integration
Stripe payment gateway support
User management and automation options (Zoom, webhooks, etc.)
The ability to embed custom code (Google Analytics, tracking pixels, etc.)

How Much Does It Cost to Run Your Own LMS?

One of the biggest benefits of using this open source LMS is the cost-effectiveness. Instead of paying thousands per year for platforms like Kajabi, you only pay for Superbase storage costs, which can be as low as $0 per month depending on your usage.

Superbase Pricing Table

Plan	Price	Features
Free	$0/month	50,000 monthly active users, 500MB database, 1GB file storage, 5GB bandwidth
Pro	$25/month	100,000 monthly active users, 8GB disk size, 100GB file storage, 250GB bandwidth

Lovable Pricing Table

To tweak or expand the LMS further, Lovable offers affordable pricing plans:

Plan	Price	Features
Starter	$20/month	Unlimited private projects, monthly limit upgrades
Launch	$50/month	2.5x monthly limits, perfect for small projects
Scale 1	$100/month	5x monthly limits, early access to features, VIP events

🔗 Get started with Lovable here: Lovable.dev

Who Is This Free LMS For?

Course creators who want full control without paying for platforms like Kajabi
Developers who need a customizable LMS template
Businesses & educators looking for a scalable, self-hosted LMS solution

Get This Free LMS & Start Building Today

I've shared this free LMS on GitHub as part of my Idea to MVP School Community. I have also included my prompts for connecting all of the elements to Supabase. You can grab it, modify it, and use it to build your own open source LMS without restrictions.

📌 Want access? The link is in the description of my YouTube video!

Again, you can build on this template and you can customize your LMS to fit your needs while avoiding expensive subscriptions.

Whether you're launching an online course or need an internal training platform, this is a powerful alternative to paid LMS platforms.

Let me know how you plan to use it!