This article explains the difference between the Video Lesson Activity plugin license and the video hosting options, and how they work together.
Understanding this distinction helps avoid confusion during setup and planning.
The Video Lesson Activity plugin license #
The Video Lesson Activity plugin is free and open source.
You can:
- Download the plugin
- Install it on your Moodle site
- Use it without paying for the plugin itself
However, to activate and configure the plugin, a free license key is required.
Why a free license is required #
The free license is used to:
- Register your Moodle site
- Enable plugin setup and configuration
- Manage feature access cleanly
- Prepare the plugin for optional hosting services
The free license does not:
- Limit usage
- Restrict features
- Require payment
It is required only for setup and identification.
What the plugin license does not include #
The plugin license does not include:
- Video storage
- Video transcoding
- Video streaming infrastructure
These services are required only if you upload videos and are handled separately through hosting options.
Video hosting is a separate choice #
After installing the plugin and activating the free license, you can choose how videos are hosted, depending on your needs.
There are two hosting options:
- Self-managed hosting
- MooPlugins managed hosting
You can also use the plugin without any hosting if you embed videos from external platforms.
Self-managed hosting #
With self-managed hosting:
- You manage your own video infrastructure
- Videos are stored, processed, and streamed from your setup
- The plugin integrates with your infrastructure
This option is suitable if you already manage cloud services or want full control over costs and architecture.
MooPlugins managed hosting #
With MooPlugins managed hosting:
- MooPlugins provides and manages the video infrastructure
- Video storage, processing, and delivery are handled for you
- No cloud setup or maintenance is required on your side
This option is recommended if you want a faster, simpler setup with predictable pricing.
Using the plugin without hosting #
If you:
- Embed videos from platforms like YouTube or Vimeo, or
- Use externally hosted MP4 URLs
Then no video hosting setup is required.
The plugin still provides:
- Completion tracking
- Watch percentage logic
- Course progression control
