Moodle specialists - taking new projects

Hire expert Moodle developers

Senior Moodle engineers with 10+ years of experience. We build plugins and themes the Moodle way, integrate Moodle with your systems, speed it up and upgrade it to Moodle 5.x without breaking what your learners rely on.

  • 10+ years of Moodle development
  • Plugins only: no core hacks
  • Moodle 4.x to 5.x upgrades
  • Reply within 1 business day
Get a free estimate See engagement models

Get a free Moodle estimate

Takes 2 minutes. A senior engineer replies - not a salesperson.

We reply within 1 business day.

  • 10+Years in LMS engineering
  • 500+LMS projects delivered
  • 150+Clients served
  • 30+Countries
  • 4.9/5Average client rating
  • NDA before accessWe sign your NDA before you share code, data or credentials.
  • You own 100% of the codeCode, documentation and credentials are yours. No lock-in.
  • Talk to the engineerYou speak with the person doing the work, not a salesperson.
  • Reply within 1 business dayEvery request is read by a senior LMS engineer.

Common Moodle problems we fix

Sound familiar?

Moodle is powerful and very flexible, which also makes it easy to end up with a site that is slow, hard to upgrade or held together by old customizations.

You are stuck on an old Moodle version

We audit every plugin and customization, plan the upgrade path (including the required intermediate versions), rehearse it on staging and only then upgrade production.

Someone edited Moodle core and now upgrades are impossible

We find every core change, move each one into a proper local plugin, theme override or configuration, and get you back on a clean, upgradeable codebase.

Pages and the gradebook are slow at peak times

We profile the site, tune caching (MUC with Redis), cron and the database, and size PHP workers for exam days and enrolment peaks.

The reports you need do not exist

Custom report sources and dashboards built on Moodle data, or scheduled exports to your BI tool, instead of manual spreadsheets.

Users are created and enrolled by hand

SSO with Azure AD, Google or SAML, automatic enrolment from your HR system or SIS, and cohort sync, so accounts manage themselves.

The default look does not fit your brand

A Boost-based child theme with your branding, accessible layouts and a cleaner dashboard, without forking the core theme.

What our Moodle developers do

Moodle development services

Everything from a single plugin to running a large Moodle platform for you.

Custom plugin development

Local plugins, activity modules, blocks, report sources, authentication and enrolment plugins, built to Moodle coding standards.

Theme development

Boost-based child themes, branded login and dashboards, and accessibility fixes that survive upgrades.

Upgrades to Moodle 5.x

Plugin compatibility review, intermediate upgrade steps, the new public web root and PHP upgrades, rehearsed on staging.

Integrations

SSO, HRIS and SIS sync, CRM, payments, BigBlueButton or Zoom, LTI 1.3 tools and web services.

Reporting

Custom report sources, manager dashboards, scheduled exports and data feeds to BI tools.

Performance tuning

Caching, cron and task tuning, database indexes and PHP-FPM sizing for busy sites.

Migration to or from Moodle

Courses, users, enrolments and grades from Canvas, Blackboard, WordPress LMS or SaaS platforms.

Security and maintenance

Security releases applied promptly, backups, monitoring and a monthly health report.

Web services and APIs

Custom external functions so your other systems can read and write Moodle data safely.

Code-level expertise

Moodle work done the Moodle way

Moodle can be extended almost anywhere, but only some ways survive an upgrade. We build on Moodle's plugin types and APIs, follow its coding standards and keep every change in version control, so moving to the next release is routine instead of a rescue project.

  • Plugin types, not core edits. Local plugins, report sources, auth and enrol plugins, themes and web services.
  • Capabilities and privacy built in. Every new feature checks permissions and declares what personal data it stores (Privacy API).
  • Automated checks. Moodle code checker, PHPUnit and Behat tests where the feature warrants it.

The example shows a small web service function: the safe way to let another system read Moodle data, with parameter validation, context checks and a capability check.

<?php
namespace local_hrsync\external;

use core_external\external_api;
use core_external\external_function_parameters;
use core_external\external_multiple_structure;
use core_external\external_single_structure;
use core_external\external_value;

/** Course completions for the HR system, one course at a time. */
class get_completions extends external_api {
    public static function execute_parameters(): external_function_parameters {
        return new external_function_parameters([
            'courseid' => new external_value(PARAM_INT, 'Course id'),
        ]);
    }

    public static function execute(int $courseid): array {
        global $DB;
        ['courseid' => $courseid] = self::validate_parameters(
            self::execute_parameters(), ['courseid' => $courseid]);

        $context = \context_course::instance($courseid);
        self::validate_context($context);
        require_capability('report/completion:view', $context);

        return array_values($DB->get_records_select('course_completions',
            'course = :c AND timecompleted IS NOT NULL', ['c' => $courseid],
            '', 'userid, timecompleted'));
    }

    public static function execute_returns(): external_multiple_structure {
        return new external_multiple_structure(new external_single_structure([
            'userid'        => new external_value(PARAM_INT, 'User id'),
            'timecompleted' => new external_value(PARAM_INT, 'Unix time'),
        ]));
    }
}
Uses the core_external API available since Moodle 4.2. Registered in db/services.php and called with a token restricted to this one function.

Skills

The Moodle stack we work with every day

Moodle core and plugins

  • Moodle 4.x and 5.x
  • Moodle Workplace
  • Local plugins
  • Activity modules
  • Report builder sources
  • Auth and enrol plugins
  • Boost themes
  • Web services
  • Privacy API

Integrations

  • SAML 2.0
  • OAuth 2 and Azure AD
  • LTI 1.3
  • BigBlueButton
  • Zoom
  • H5P
  • SCORM and xAPI
  • Stripe and PayPal
  • HRIS and SIS sync

Engineering and operations

  • PHP 8.3
  • PostgreSQL
  • MySQL and MariaDB
  • Redis MUC
  • Nginx and PHP-FPM
  • Docker
  • PHPUnit and Behat
  • Git and CI
  • Moosh

Engagement models

Hire Moodle developers your way

Pick the model that fits today and switch when your needs change. Every model includes a senior engineer, code review and a staging site.

Hourly

Bug fixes, small changes, audits and urgent issues.

from $45/hour

  • Billed on hours actually worked
  • Task-level time log with every invoice
  • Start with a single task
  • Senior engineer, not a junior
Hire by the hour

Part-time dedicated

Steady roadmap work and ongoing maintenance.

from 2500/month

  • A named developer, about 4 hours a day
  • Shared task board and weekly report
  • Updates, monitoring and small features
  • Scale up or down month to month
Hire part-time
Most popular

Full-time dedicated

Large roadmaps, platform teams and agencies.

from 4500/month

  • A developer who works only on your LMS
  • Daily async updates and agreed overlap hours
  • Code review and QA by a second engineer
  • Add QA, design or DevOps when needed
Hire full-time

Fixed-price project

Well-defined features, migrations and new builds.

from 3000 minimum

  • Written scope, price and timeline up front
  • Milestone-based payments
  • Staging demos before each release
  • Post-launch warranty period agreed in the proposal
Get a fixed quote

Every engagement starts with a free technical call and an NDA. Prices exclude applicable taxes.

How it works

How hiring a Moodle expert works

  1. Tell us what you need

    2 minutes

    Use the short form: platform, what is wrong or what you want built, and how you prefer to work. Two minutes is enough.

  2. Free technical call

    30 minutes

    A senior engineer reviews your site or requirements, asks the awkward questions early and suggests the simplest approach that will last.

  3. Proposal and NDA

    1-3 business days

    You get a written plan: fixed price and timeline, or the developer profile and monthly plan for dedicated work. NDA signed before any access.

  4. Work starts on staging

    Weekly demos

    We set up staging and version control, ship in small reviewed increments and demo every change before it reaches your live site.

Compare

A Moodle team vs a freelancer vs hiring in-house

CriterionAll-in-One LMSFreelance marketplaceIn-house hire
Engineers who work only on learning platformsYes Partial Partial
One team for WordPress LMS, Moodle, Open edX, Canvas and custom LMSYesNoNo
Cover when your developer is ill or on leaveYesNo Partial
Code review and QA before every releaseYes Varies Partial
NDA and IP assignment in the contractYes VariesYes
No recruitment, payroll or notice periodsYesYesNo
Scale hours up or down month to monthYes PartialNo
One accountable point of contactYesNoYes

A general comparison of how each model usually works. Individual freelancers and in-house teams vary.

Moodle 5.x: what to plan for now

Moodle releases a new version every six months and a long-term support (LTS) version every two years. Moodle HQ scheduled Moodle 5.3, the next LTS release, for 5 October 2026. The previous LTS, Moodle 4.5, receives security fixes until 4 October 2027, so sites on 4.5 have a year to plan the move.

VersionReleasedSecurity support ends
Moodle 4.5 (LTS)7 October 20244 October 2027
Moodle 5.014 April 20255 October 2026
Moodle 5.16 October 202519 April 2027
Moodle 5.220 April 20264 October 2027

Three changes catch teams out when they move to Moodle 5.x:

  • A new web root. From Moodle 5.1 the /public folder is the only directory that should be publicly accessible, so your web server configuration must change during the upgrade.
  • Newer PHP. Moodle 5.2 requires PHP 8.3 or 8.4, which may mean a server upgrade first.
  • A minimum starting point. You can only upgrade to Moodle 5.1 from Moodle 4.2.3 or later; older sites need an intermediate upgrade.

Every third-party and custom plugin also has to be checked against the target version. That review is usually the biggest part of an upgrade project, and it is where an experienced Moodle developer saves the most time.

How to hire the right Moodle developer

Ask which plugin type they would use

A Moodle specialist will tell you whether your feature belongs in a local plugin, a block, an activity module, a report source or a theme, and why. If the answer involves editing files outside a plugin folder, keep looking.

Ask how they handle upgrades

Look for a plugin inventory, a staging rehearsal, a rollback plan and a clear list of what happens to each customization. "We just click upgrade" is how sites end up broken during term time.

Check permissions and privacy

Every Moodle feature should check capabilities and declare the personal data it stores through the Privacy API. Ask to see how they do both.

Ask about load

Exams, enrolment days and live sessions create spikes. A good developer asks about peak concurrent users, cron, caching and the database before writing code.

Want the background first? Read our guides on Moodle performance optimization and Moodle vs Canvas, or see our Moodle development services.

Hiring a Moodle expert: FAQ

How much does it cost to hire a Moodle developer?

It depends on the work. Small fixes and configuration changes are billed hourly; plugins, integrations and upgrades are normally fixed-price once we have reviewed your site and plugin list. After the free technical call you get a written estimate before any work starts.

Can you upgrade our Moodle site to Moodle 5.x?

Yes. We inventory your plugins and customizations, check compatibility with the target version, plan any intermediate upgrades, rehearse everything on staging and schedule the production upgrade outside your busy periods. We also handle the web server changes for the new public folder and any PHP upgrade.

Can you fix a Moodle site where core files were modified?

Yes. We compare your code with the official release to find every change, then move each one into a plugin, theme override or setting. After that your site can be upgraded normally again.

Do you build custom Moodle plugins?

Yes: local plugins, activity modules, blocks, report sources, authentication and enrolment plugins, admin tools and web service functions, all written to Moodle coding standards and delivered with the source code.

Can you integrate Moodle with our HR system, SIS or CRM?

Yes. Typical projects include SAML or Azure AD single sign-on, automatic user creation and enrolment from HR or student systems, completion data sent back to HR, and payment gateways. See our LMS integration services.

Why is our Moodle slow, and can you fix it?

The usual causes are cache configuration, cron and scheduled tasks, slow database queries and too few PHP workers for peak load. We measure first, fix the biggest bottleneck, then re-test. Our guide to Moodle performance optimization explains the approach.

Do you work with Moodle Workplace and Totara?

Yes. Moodle Workplace adds multi-tenancy and dynamic rules on top of Moodle, and Totara shares much of Moodle's architecture. Our Moodle engineers work on both.

Can you migrate us to or from Moodle?

Yes. Courses, users, enrolments and grades can be moved from Canvas, Blackboard, WordPress LMS plugins and most SaaS platforms. What moves depends on what the source can export, so we confirm that in a short discovery step before quoting.

Free estimate

Tell us about your Moodle project

Share your Moodle version, roughly how many users you have, and what needs fixing or building. A senior Moodle engineer will reply with questions or a first estimate.

  • A senior engineer reads every request
  • Written estimate before any work starts
  • NDA signed before you share access

We reply within 1 business day.

Moodle guides from our engineers

Moodle Alternatives: Honest Options by Scenario - article illustration

· 8 min read

Moodle Alternatives: Honest Options by Scenario

The right Moodle alternative depends on why you are leaving. Here are the options that fit each scenario, the criteria we used, and when fixing Moodl…

Moodle vs Canvas: Control, Cost and Fit Compared - article illustration

· 9 min read

Moodle vs Canvas: Control, Cost and Fit Compared

Moodle is open source software you run; Canvas is open-source code most institutions rent as a hosted service. Here is how that shapes cost, integrat…

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