LTI — how it differs from SCORM, and the tools that support it
A launch protocol, not a packaging format: the LMS sends the learner to a tool that stays where it is.
Written and maintained by the scorm-tools.com editor. 10 listed tools state support.
What LTI is
Learning Tools Interoperability is not a packaging format, and comparing it with SCORM confuses more people than any other pair on this site. SCORM puts content inside the LMS: you upload a ZIP and the LMS serves it. LTI leaves the tool where it is and sends the learner to it — the LMS acts as a platform, launches a remotely hosted tool in a frame or a new window, and passes a signed assertion saying who the user is, which course they came from and what role they hold.
LTI 1.1 did this with OAuth 1.0a signed form posts, plus a small Basic Outcomes service for returning a grade. LTI 1.3 rebuilt the security model on OpenID Connect, OAuth 2.0 and signed JWTs, and LTI Advantage added the three services that make an integration genuinely useful: Names and Role Provisioning Services for the roster, Assignment and Grade Services for a proper gradebook, and Deep Linking so a teacher can pick content inside the tool and place it in the course.
LTI and SCORM coexist rather than compete. A SCORM package is self-contained and keeps working if the vendor disappears; an LTI tool is a live service with its own hosting, updates and outage window. Plenty of products here speak both, and the matrix below says which.
Versions and what changed
| Version | Released | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| LTI 1.0 | 2010 | First release: a signed launch from platform to tool, and nothing else. |
| LTI 1.1 | 2012 | Added Basic Outcomes so a tool could return a score to the gradebook. Still widely deployed. |
| LTI 2.0 | 2014 | A full service and registration model. Little adoption; superseded by 1.3. |
| LTI 1.3 + Advantage | 2019 | OIDC / OAuth 2.0 / JWT security, plus Names and Role Provisioning, Assignment and Grade Services, and Deep Linking. The current version. |
Who says so
We link to the specification and to other people's registries. We do not run a conformance programme and we do not issue badges of our own: a claim here is registry-verified only when an official registry says so, and otherwise it is marked as the vendor's statement or as our own check on a date.
Specification
Registry
- 1EdTech certified product directory (TrustEd Apps)
The only genuine certification programme among these standards. Certifications name a product, a version and a date, and they expire — so check the entry rather than assuming a badge on a vendor site is current. 1EdTech treats LTI 1.3 as the version to certify against.
Tools that support LTI
Grouped by what the tool does, and within each group ordered by how well the claim is evidenced: registry entries first, then facts we checked ourselves, then the vendor's own statement.
Authoring tools & course frameworks
| Tool | Evidence | Licence | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| CourseCodeCode-first course framework and CLI that packages to SCORM, cmi5 and LTI 1.3Versions 1.3 | editor-checked— source, opens in a new tab Checked | MIT | Open source |
| Xerte Online ToolkitsServer-hosted, template-driven authoring for institutions, with SCORM and xAPI exportVersions 1.1, 1.3 | editor-checked— source, opens in a new tab Checked | Apache-2.0 | Open source |
LMS & LMS plugins
| Tool | Evidence | Licence | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canvas LMSInstructure's open-source LMS — a strong LTI platform, with no SCORM engine in the repoVersions 1.1, 1.3 | editor-checked— source, opens in a new tab Checked | AGPL-3.0 | Open source |
| Chamilo LMSFull open-source LMS with SCORM 1.2 and AICC learning paths and a bundled LTI pluginVersions 1.1, 1.3 | editor-checked— source, opens in a new tab Checked | GPL-3.0 | Open source |
| ILIASGerman open-source LMS carrying SCORM 1.2, SCORM 2004 and cmi5 objects in core | editor-checked— source, opens in a new tab Checked | GPL-3.0 | Open source |
| MoodleThe most widely deployed open-source LMS, and the SCORM behaviour most content gets tested againstVersions 1.1, 1.3 | editor-checked— source, opens in a new tab Checked | GPL-3.0-or-later | Open source |
| Open edXThe large self-hosted learning platform, with SCORM and xAPI arriving via pluginsVersions 1.1, 1.3 | editor-checked— source, opens in a new tab Checked | AGPL-3.0 | Open source |
| OpenOLATLong-running Swiss open-source LMS with SCORM 1.2, QTI 2.1 and LTI 1.3 built inVersions 1.1, 1.3 | editor-checked— source, opens in a new tab Checked | Apache-2.0 | Open source |
| SakaiHigher-education LMS with an in-tree SCORM player built on the ADL reference codeVersions 1.1, 1.3 | editor-checked— source, opens in a new tab Checked | ECL-2.0 | Open source |
| Totara LearnMoodle-derived enterprise LMS, GPL-licensed but distributed only through a paid subscriptionVersions 1.1, 1.3 | vendor-stated— source, opens in a new tab Checked | GPL-3.0 | On application |
Choosing between them
LTI or SCORM?
SCORM if the content should live inside the LMS, run offline of its author, and keep working unchanged for years. LTI if the thing being integrated is a service — a proctoring tool, a coding environment, a subscription library — where "a copy of it" is not a meaningful idea.
LTI 1.1 or 1.3?
1.3 for anything new. 1.1’s OAuth 1.0a signing has aged badly, it has no roster or Deep Linking services, and 1EdTech’s certification effort is on 1.3. Many platforms still accept 1.1 for existing integrations.
Questions people ask about LTI
Is LTI an alternative to SCORM?
Only for some jobs. LTI launches a hosted tool; SCORM delivers self-contained content. If what you have is a web service, LTI is the answer; if what you have is a course file, it is not.
What is LTI Advantage?
The three services layered on LTI 1.3: Names and Role Provisioning Services (the roster), Assignment and Grade Services (the gradebook), and Deep Linking (choosing content inside the tool). Products may certify for each separately.
Does LTI certification expire?
Yes. 1EdTech certifications are tied to a product version and a date and must be renewed. That is why we link the directory entry rather than reproducing a badge.
Can one product support both LTI and SCORM?
Often, and many here do — typically an authoring tool or LMS that exports SCORM packages and also integrates hosted tools over LTI. They solve different halves of the problem.
Who publishes LTI?
1EdTech Consortium, formerly IMS Global. It also runs the conformance certification and the TrustEd Apps directory that records the results.