Freedom251 › Automated Grading Software
Autolab
What Autolab is
Autolab is an open-source course management platform for programming and computer science classes that need autograded assignments. Instructors can create graders for assignments in any language and with any software package. Course tools include gradebooks, rosters, submissions, lab writeups, manual grading, late penalties, grace days, meetings, partners, and bulk email. Instructors can annotate student code, and autograded labs may display a real-time scoreboard with anonymized results. Autolab also describes comparing assessments with one another and past submissions using Stanford's MOSS system. Students can submit code from GitHub repositories through OAuth; Git submissions are packaged as .tgz files for grading. LTI can link courses and synchronize rosters, though synchronization is manual. LTI Advantage is mainly built for Canvas, while integration with platforms such as Moodle is described as possible but untested. Deployment options include Docker Compose, manual installation on Ubuntu or Mac OS X, and a beta AWS installation. The project offers free hosting case by case, especially for NGOs or small high-school classrooms.
Who it suits
Autolab suits secondary and university programming or computer science classes seeking self-hosted or open-source autograding. Its course and grading tools are aimed at instructors managing programming assignments and student submissions.
What it does well
- Autograders can use any language and software package.
- Includes gradebooks, rosters, and manual grading.
- Can annotate feedback directly on submitted code.
- GitHub submissions are supported through OAuth.
- Docker Compose deployment includes TLS/SSL.
What to know first
- LTI roster synchronization is manual.
- LTI Advantage is mainly built for Canvas.
- Moodle integration is described as possible but untested.
- Machines under 2 GB RAM may have installation issues.
Limits
Roster synchronization through LTI is manual, and LTI Advantage is mainly built for Canvas; integration with platforms such as Moodle is untested. Machines with less than 2 GB of RAM may have issues installing the sassc gem. Free hosting is provided case by case, especially for NGOs or small high-school classrooms.
Getting started
- Visit the Autolab project website.
- Choose Docker Compose, manual installation on Ubuntu or Mac OS X, or the beta AWS installation.
- Install Autolab and its Tango autograding backend.
- Contact the project team if your school or class would like help getting started.
- Use the public demonstration site for a demo, not for important information.
Verdict
Autolab combines assignment autograding with course management, code feedback, and several deployment options. Teams should account for manual roster syncing and the stated limits of LTI support beyond Canvas.
Questions
Is Autolab free?
Autolab is free and open source, and the project says it provides hosting for free on a case-by-case basis, especially for NGOs or small high-school classrooms.
What does Autolab do?
It manages courses and programming assignments that instructors can autograde. Its course tools include gradebooks, rosters, submissions, lab writeups, and manual grading.
Can students submit work from GitHub?
Yes. Students can submit code from GitHub repositories through OAuth, and Git submissions are packaged as .tgz files for grading.
Does Autolab integrate with learning management systems?
Its LTI integration supports course linking and roster synchronization, which is manual. LTI Advantage is mainly built for Canvas; integration with platforms such as Moodle is possible but untested.
How can Autolab be installed?
Autolab and Tango can be installed with Docker Compose, manually on Ubuntu or Mac OS X, or through a beta AWS installation.
Is there a public demo?
Yes. The public demonstration site refreshes daily, and the documentation advises against storing important information there.
Facts from Autolab's own pages
- Autograding
- Autolab can grade assignments in any language using any software package. · autolabproject.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Autograding isolation
- Tango runs grading jobs in Docker containers or AWS virtual machines, and the project’s v3.0.0 release notes mention an option to selectively disable network access. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Cheat detection
- The site describes comparing assessments with one another and past submissions using Stanford’s MOSS Cheat Detector. · autolabproject.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Code annotation
- Autolab supports adding feedback annotations directly to student code. · autolabproject.com, 4 Oct 2026
- Code feedback
- Instructors can add feedback directly to students’ submitted code with code annotation. · autolabproject.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Course tools
- Autolab also provides gradebooks, rosters, submissions and handouts, manual grading, late penalties, grace days, meetings, groups, and bulk email. · docs.autolabproject.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Demo
- The public demonstration site refreshes daily, and the documentation advises against storing important information there. · docs.autolabproject.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Deployment
- Autolab and its Tango autograding backend can be installed with Docker Compose, manually on Ubuntu or Mac OS X, or through a beta AWS setup. · docs.autolabproject.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Free hosting
- The project says it provides servers for free on a case-by-case basis, especially for NGOs or small high-school classrooms. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
- GitHub integration
- Students can submit code from GitHub repositories through OAuth, and Git submissions are packaged as .tgz files for grading. · docs.autolabproject.com, 4 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- Autolab supports LTI Advantage course linking for roster syncing, with integration features built mainly for Canvas; support for other platforms such as Moodle is untested. · docs.autolabproject.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- The project aims to bring autograding to programming and computer science classes at secondary and university levels. · autolabproject.com, 4 Oct 2026
- LMS integration
- Autolab's LTI integration supports linking courses and synchronizing course rosters; roster synchronization is manual. · docs.autolabproject.com, 4 Oct 2026
- LTI limitation
- The LTI Advantage integration is mainly built for Canvas; integration with platforms such as Moodle is described as possible but untested. · docs.autolabproject.com, 4 Oct 2026
- Plagiarism checking
- The project describes cheat detection that compares assessments with each other and with past submissions using Stanford's MOSS system. · autolabproject.com, 4 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Autolab is an open-source course management platform for instructors to offer autograded programming assignments. · autolabproject.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Scoreboards
- Its real-time scoreboard displays anonymized, rank-ordered student results. · autolabproject.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Security
- For GitHub submissions, Autolab requests only the minimum permissions needed to access selected private repositories. · docs.autolabproject.com, 4 Oct 2026
- Security configuration
- The installation overview says the Docker Compose deployment includes TLS/SSL. · docs.autolabproject.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Submission formats
- Assessments can accept text or archive files, and instructors can enable GitHub submissions for students to submit from a repository branch. · docs.autolabproject.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Support
- The project invites schools and organizations to contact its core developers by email for help; it says servers may be provided for free on a case-by-case basis. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
- System requirements
- The installation guide says machines with less than 2 GB of RAM may have issues installing the sassc gem. · docs.autolabproject.com, 4 Oct 2026
Where Autolab stands on Freedom251
- Automated Grading Software#5 of 33