Moodle vs Google Classroom: Which Suits a Coaching Institute in India?

The short answer

Sikhami wrote this comparison, and we make Sikhami, so please read it with that in mind. We checked every detail about Moodle and Google Classroom on their own websites on 18 October 2026. Prices and features change, so check them again before you decide. Moodle and Google Classroom are trademarks of their owners; Sikhami is not connected with them.

• Choose Moodle if you want a full LMS on a site of your own, with many question types and plugins. You will need technical help or a hosting budget.
• Choose Google Classroom if you mainly set homework, give quizzes in Google Forms and teach live on Meet. It suits students who already use Google accounts.
• Look at Sikhami if you want video courses and classroom tools free in one place. It also lets you sell courses and be found by new learners.

Moodle and Google Classroom at a glance

Moodle

Moodle is open-source software under version 3 of the GNU General Public License. Anyone can adapt or change it, for commercial or non-commercial use, without licence fees. You can install it on your own web server with PHP and a database. You can also buy a MoodleCloud site run by the makers of Moodle, or work with a Moodle partner.

MoodleCloud plans are yearly. On 18 October 2026, with rupees selected, they ran from ₹15,190 (Starter, 50 users) to ₹198,030 (Standard, 750 users). The page says all plans are billed annually in Australian dollars, and there is a free 28-day trial. Our Moodle alternative page lists every plan.

Google Classroom

Classroom is part of Google Workspace for Education. Teachers post assignments, grade them with rubrics, and give quizzes built in Google Forms. Students join with a class link, a class code or an email invite. Workspace for Education Fundamentals has no charge for qualifying institutions, and the paid Education Plus edition shows Contact for pricing.

One point matters for coaching institutes. Google's rules say tutoring programmes and for-profit education companies do not qualify for Workspace for Education. Teachers can still use Classroom with personal Google Accounts. These allow up to 250 teachers and students per class, and group meetings in Meet of up to 60 minutes. Our Google Classroom page has the details.

Moodle vs Google Classroom side by side

Where Sikhami fits

Moodle describes your site as your own private website, and Classroom students join through a link, code or invite from you. Sikhami adds a public page inside a social network for learners, where new learners can find your institute and courses.

• Public institute and course pages. Learners browse the categories you teach, and classroom courses show nearest first to learners who share their area.
• Video courses, free or paid. Upload videos or import a YouTube playlist, then add tests and a certificate.
• Classroom tools at no cost: batches with a weekly timetable, attendance, a fee book and numbered receipts.
• Clear earnings. Sikhami keeps a share only when a learner buys something paid online, and Google Play takes its fee on Android app purchases. Before you save a price, it shows what you will receive per sale.

Setting up and using Sikhami is free, with no subscription. Classroom and batch fees are paid to you directly, and Sikhami takes nothing from them. See everything Sikhami's free LMS includes.

When Moodle is the better choice

• You want full control. On your own server you can adapt, extend or change Moodle, and add community plugins.
• Your exams need many question types, such as essay, matching, numerical or drag and drop.
• You want your own web address or an app in your own name. MoodleCloud's Standard plan includes your own domain, and Moodle sells a branded app.
• You want live classes inside your LMS, through BigBlueButton.
• You have someone to keep the site updated, backed up and secure, or a budget for hosting.

When Google Classroom is the better choice

• Your teaching runs on homework and written work, with rubrics, comment banks and files in Google Drive.
• You and your students already use Google accounts, Docs, Drive and Meet.
• You want quizzes in Google Forms that grade themselves and send marks to Classroom.
• You are a qualifying school that can use Workspace for Education Fundamentals at no charge.
• Some students use iPhones or iPads, since Classroom has an iOS app.

When Sikhami is the better choice

• You want no server, no hosting bill and no subscription.
• You want to sell video courses. Learners pay by UPI, card or net banking on the website, or through Google Play in the Android app.
• You want new learners to find your institute on a social network for learners.
• You run classroom batches and want attendance, fee plans and receipts in the same place as your courses.
• Your lectures are on YouTube and you want to turn a playlist into a free course with tests.
• You want staff roles: admin, teacher and accountant.

Try them side by side in one week

1. Pick one chapter you teach every year, and one batch of five to ten students.
2. Set it up in each tool you are considering: a Classroom class, a MoodleCloud trial site or a Sikhami institute.
3. Add the same video lesson and the same 10-question test in each.
4. Ask students to finish the chapter on their own phones, on mobile data.
5. At the end of the week, compare what students say, how long setup took you, and the full yearly cost.

To try Sikhami, sign up, open Learning studio and choose New institute. Fill in Details and publish, then add a video course under Courses. Our guide to free LMS software covers more free options.

Costs to count before you choose

The price on a pricing page is one part of the cost. Before you decide, add up these as well:

• For a self-hosted LMS: the server, the domain name, backups and someone to install updates.
• Staff time to build courses, type in tests and set up classes or batches.
• Payment charges on online course sales, whichever tool you use.
• Your students: check that the tool works well on their phones and on mobile data.
• Moving later: check that you can export students, marks and content if you change tools.

Write the yearly total for each option side by side. The cheapest tool on paper is not always the cheapest to run.

Good to know before you start

• Sikhami does not give you your own app, your own web address or a website builder. Students use the Sikhami website and Android app with a free Sikhami account.
• Tests are multiple choice with one correct answer. There are no essay or matching questions, and no homework hand-in.
• Live classes run on Google Meet or Zoom, not inside Sikhami.
• There is no DRM or download protection.
• Video courses are made on the website. Batches, attendance, fees and your team also work in the Android app.
• Parents do not have a login, and Sikhami sends no fee reminders.