Best MERLOT Alternatives in 2026
The top MERLOT alternatives are OER Commons, LibreTexts and Curriki: 15 open educational resource platforms our editors would look at instead of MERLOT, in our ranking order.
MERLOT: A free OER platform with strong discovery, authoring, review, and LMS integration. Where it falls short: many discoverable resources are linked externally rather than hosted.
Switching from MERLOT? For most open educational resource platforms buyers the best MERLOT alternative is OER Commons, built for schools and educators building reusable OER. On a budget, LibreTexts starts at $15/user/mo.
Why People Look for an MERLOT Alternative
- Many discoverable resources are linked externally rather than hosted
- The platform is web-based, with no listed native desktop or mobile apps
- Content Builder publishing is narrower than a full learning management system
Quick Picks by What You Need
- Best overallOER Commons9.3
Schools and educators building reusable OER
Visit OER Commons - Lowest priceLibreTexts9.2
Paid plans from $15/user/mo
Visit LibreTexts - Best free optionOER Commons9.3
Has a free plan
Visit OER Commons
All 15 MERLOT Alternatives, Ranked
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
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Best forSchools and educators building reusable OER
A broad, free OER library with creation, remixing, review, and LMS connections.
9.3/10★★★★★Visit OER Commons -
Best forInteractive open textbooks and institutional programs
A free, remixable textbook platform with optional assessment and authoring tools.
9.2/10★★★★★Visit LibreTexts -
Best forAuthoring and publishing OER with LMS delivery
Curriki combines OER discovery, interactive authoring, remixing, review, and LMS publishing.
- Authoring tools
- Publishing workflow
- Remix and adaptation
9.0/10★★★★☆Visit Curriki -
Best forReviewed open textbooks and course packs
A reviewed, remixable resource collection for post-secondary teaching teams.
- Publishing workflow
- Remix and adaptation
- Content review
8.9/10★★★★☆Visit BCcampus -
Best forInstitutions needing supported OER courses
Lumen pairs remixable OER with supported courseware, assessments, and LMS grade return.
- Authoring tools
- Remix and adaptation
- Content review
8.7/10★★★★☆Visit Lumen Learning -
Best forWorkforce-development OER repositories
A searchable, remixable OER repository for workforce-training content and program support.
- API access
- Publishing workflow
- Remix and adaptation
8.6/10★★★★☆Visit SkillsCommons -
Best forInteractive K–12 science learning resources
A free, science-focused platform combining editable textbooks, simulations, practice, and assessments.
8.5/10★★★★☆Visit CK-12 -
Best forFree textbooks with optional assignments
A strong free textbook library with optional paid assignments and LMS syncing.
8.4/10★★★★☆Visit OpenStax -
Best forMultilingual children's storybook creation
A free web platform for creating, adapting, and sharing multilingual children's storybooks.
- Open-license filter
- Authoring tools
- Remix and adaptation
8.3/10★★★★☆Visit StoryWeaver -
Best forAfrican-language early literacy resources
A free platform for reading, creating, adapting and publishing African-language picture books.
- Authoring tools
- Publishing workflow
- Remix and adaptation
8.2/10★★★★☆Visit site -
Best forReviewed open academic textbooks
A free repository for reviewed open academic books, chapters, and author workflows.
- Authoring tools
- Publishing workflow
- Content review
8.1/10★★★★☆Visit Kallipos -
Best forProfessional book production and export
A focused web platform for collaborative book creation and professional exports.
8.0/10★★★★☆Visit Pressbooks -
Best forCommunity-created textbooks and manuals
A free, community-built library for creating, reading, reviewing, and exporting educational books.
- API access
- Authoring tools
- Remix and adaptation
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Wikibooks -
Best forCurriculum-linked learning in low-connectivity settings
A free, curriculum-linked learning platform built for Indian school education.
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit DIKSHA -
Best forFree self-paced courses with certificates
A free learning platform for self-paced study, certificates, and college-credit options.
7.7/10★★★★☆Visit Saylor Academy
MERLOT Alternatives: Common Questions
What is the best alternative to MERLOT?
OER Commons: #2 in our Open Educational Resource Platforms ranking, with an editor score of 9.3 out of 10. A broad, free OER library with creation, remixing, review, and LMS connections.
Is there a free alternative to MERLOT?
Yes. OER Commons, LibreTexts, Curriki, BCcampus Open Collection and Lumen Learning have a free plan or a free tier (14 of the 15 alternatives on this page).
Why do people look for MERLOT alternatives?
Many discoverable resources are linked externally rather than hosted; The platform is web-based, with no listed native desktop or mobile apps; Content Builder publishing is narrower than a full learning management system.
How do I switch from MERLOT?
Export your data from MERLOT (most tools have an export in their settings). Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one. Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on. Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel MERLOT.
How to Switch from MERLOT
- Export your data from MERLOT (most tools have an export in their settings).
- Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one.
- Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on.
- Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel MERLOT.
MERLOT vs Each Alternative
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Remix and adaptation | Download formats | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MERLOT | Yes | Free | Yes | Common Cartridge, PDF, Zip, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, RTF, TXT, CSV, SAV, SCORM, website, audio, video, image | 9.4 |
| 1 | OER Commons | Yes | Free | 9.3 | ||
| 2 | LibreTexts | Yes | $15/user/mo | 9.2 | ||
| 3 | Curriki | Yes | Free | Yes | 9.0 | |
| 4 | BCcampus Open Collection | Yes | Free | Yes | PDF, EPUB, Microsoft Word | 8.9 |
| 5 | Lumen Learning | Yes | Yes | PDF, EPUB | 8.7 | |
| 6 | SkillsCommons | Yes | Free | Yes | zip, imscc, doc, docx, pdf, mp4, mov, ogm, webm, flv, avi, mp3, ogg, flac, wav | 8.6 |
| 7 | CK-12 FlexBook 2.0 | Yes | Free | 8.5 | ||
| 8 | OpenStax | Yes | 8.4 | |||
| 9 | StoryWeaver | Yes | Free | Yes | web-resolution PDF, A4 print-ready PDF, ePub | 8.3 |
| 10 | African Storybook | Yes | Free | Yes | PDF, booklet | 8.2 |
| 11 | Kallipos | Yes | Free | PDF, EPUB | 8.1 | |
| 12 | Pressbooks | No | $120/unit/yr | 8.0 | ||
| 13 | Wikibooks | Yes | Free | Yes | PDF, HTML, wiki markup, XML | 7.9 |
| 14 | DIKSHA | Yes | Free | 7.8 | ||
| 15 | Saylor Academy | Yes | 7.7 |
Head-to-Head
- MERLOT vs OER Commons
- MERLOT vs LibreTexts
- MERLOT vs Curriki
- MERLOT vs BCcampus Open Collection
- MERLOT vs Lumen Learning
- MERLOT vs SkillsCommons
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update