15 teaching platforms compared · checked 22 October 2026

Teach from the PDFs you already have, with every student on your page

ClassKite is built for one job: teaching live from your worksheets and past papers, then knowing who understood before the lesson ends. Below, it is rated beside 14 other platforms and AI tools on the same evidence, including the jobs where another tool is the better choice.

Start free Try it on a sample PDF (no sign-up)Book a school demo

Free for students, with no per-student charges. Teacher Basic is free; the Live Student Grid, Reports, the Gradebook and AI drafting are on Teacher Plus.

What ClassKite is for

One lesson, from the worksheet you already have

Most teaching material already exists as worksheets, past papers and slide decks. The hard part is not finding more features: it is teaching from that page with every student looking at the same step, and knowing who is stuck before the bell.

Step 1: Before the lesson
Upload the worksheet as it is
Upload your PDFs, including slide decks exported as PDF. Nothing is converted or rebuilt, so last year's past paper is ready to teach from as soon as it uploads.
With Teacher Plus, AI drafts practice questions for the topic, and you check every one before it is used.
Step 2: During the lesson
Everyone is on the step you are explaining
Write on the page at the front of the room and your strokes appear on every student's device as you write, while their screens follow your page. Each student works on their own layer of the same page.
Send a practice when you are ready: answers are marked as they arrive, and a stuck student raises a help flag. With Teacher Plus, the Live Student Grid shows who is done, who is stuck and who has left the page.
Step 3: After the lesson
Feedback and results without a marking pile
Open a student's layer to write private feedback on their own working.
With Teacher Plus, Reports and the Gradebook collect every practice and quiz. Scores come from the practices themselves, never typed in.

Free on Teacher BasicPDF teaching, live writing, student layers, practice and quizzesTeacher PlusLive Student Grid, Reports, Gradebook, AI drafting

From the ratings

Where ClassKite stands out

The highest score for teaching live
4.8 out of 5 for teaching live from your own material, the highest of the fifteen; next is Classkick at 4.7 (1 of its 4 criteria here could not be verified; if it were rated 5, the two would be level). Your PDFs as they are, your writing on every screen, and every student writing on their own copy.
Your writing on every screen, as you write
Rated 5 out of 5, on every plan. No other platform here is rated 5; the closest, at 4, are Nearpod and Wayground (formerly Quizizz).
Quiz conditions on the free plan
One attempt per question, and you see when a student leaves the page or copies a question. Rated 4 out of 5 and included on every plan; Formative and Wayground (formerly Quizizz) are rated as highly, on school plans only.
Start today, on your own
Any teacher can sign up free and upgrade alone, without a school purchase. Students join with your class code and never pay, and there are no per-student charges.

Also from the ratings

When another tool is the better choice

ClassKite does one job well and leaves out a lot. If your main need is one of these, start with the platforms named.

AI that plans lessons or marks written work
ClassKite's AI only drafts practice questions, on paid plans, and it does not mark writing.
Look at: MagicSchool, Brisk Teaching, Pear Deck
One system for courses, assignments and grades across a school
ClassKite does not connect to an LMS or to Google Classroom.
Look at: Google Classroom, Microsoft Teams for Education, Canvas LMS
Games, polls or open-ended answers
ClassKite has six auto-marked question types, with no polls, games or open-ended answers.
Look at: Kahoot!, Wayground (formerly Quizizz), Nearpod, Formative
Messages to students and families
ClassKite has no messaging or family communication.
Look at: Seesaw, Google Classroom, Microsoft Teams for Education
The interface in a language other than English
ClassKite's interface is in English only.
Look at: Wayground (formerly Quizizz), Google Classroom, MagicSchool

Is ClassKite a fit for you?

Likely a good fit if

You teach from worksheets, past papers or slides you can export to PDF.
You want every student on the same page while you explain.
You check understanding with short practice that marks itself.
You want quizzes under quiz conditions without a separate tool.
You want to start free on your own and upgrade later if it earns its place.

Probably not the right tool if

You need AI to plan lessons or mark written answers.
You need one LMS for every course, assignment and grade in the school.
You rely on polls, games or open-ended questions.
You need to message families, or an interface in another language.

Start free Try it on a sample PDF (no sign-up)Book a school demo

All 15 at a glance

What each platform is built for, what its AI does, whether a teacher can start free, and the limitation most likely to matter. Platforms are grouped by kind and listed alphabetically.

Each platform's best-fit teaching use, main AI capabilities, free plan and key limitation
Platform	Best-fit teaching use	Main AI capabilities	Free plan	Key limitation
Canvas LMSSchool-wide platform	A full course LMS for a school or district: courses, assignments, grading and integrations	Question-writing help, translation and discussion summaries; grading help and a rubric generator on Canvas Plus	Canvas Lite: 5 courses, 50 students per course, no AI listed	Most AI teaching tools need the Canvas Plus tier; no live lesson mode found
Google ClassroomSchool-wide platform	Handing out, collecting and grading work in schools that use Google Workspace	Gemini drafts lesson plans, quizzes from a topic or a Drive file, re-levels and translates text; AI feedback on Education Plus	Yes, with Education Fundamentals or a personal Google Account	Writing on PDFs only in the mobile apps; live screen view needs Education Plus on Chromebooks
Microsoft Teams for EducationSchool-wide platform	Class teams, assignments, grades and reading practice in schools that use Microsoft 365	Teach drafts lesson and unit plans, rubrics and quizzes, changes reading level; AI feedback suggestions in Assignments	Yes, through the school's free Office 365 A1	Needs a school account; no personal sign-up for the AI tools
SeesawSchool-wide platform	Primary classes (PreK to year 6): multimodal student work, portfolios and messages to families	Turns a topic, resource or YouTube video into activities, levels passages, translates; top paid tier	Starter: 1 class, 35 students, 35 saved activities	No individual paid plan; the full AI suite is the top school tier
ClasskickLessons, practice and assessment	Watching students work on handwritten or drawn assignments and giving feedback as they go	AI feedback on typed answers (all plans); AI assignment drafting in beta	Basic: 20 assignments, 500 student work pages a month	Grade export and Google Classroom rostering need Pro; no whole-class live writing documented
ClassKiteLessons, practice and assessment	Teaching live from your own PDFs on the board, then auto-marked practice and quizzes	Drafts multiple choice and fill-in-the-blank (word or number) questions from a topic and the section's examples, for the teacher to review	Yes: PDF teaching, student layers, practice and quizzes	PDF uploads only; auto-marked question types only; no LMS integration
FormativeLessons, practice and assessment	Formative assessment with live responses, standards tracking and many question types	Luna builds activities and passages, turns PDFs into questions; AI feedback and rubric grading on paid plans	Yes: six question types, no student cap, 14 days of history	Many tools are paid or school-only; free keeps 14 days of results
Kahoot!Lessons, practice and assessment	Game-based quizzes and review, live in class or set as self-paced challenges	Creates quizzes from a prompt, a URL, Wikipedia or a PDF; lessons and presentations on paid plans	Kahoot! Go: quiz and true/false only, small player cap	Open-ended questions need a higher plan and students aged 16 or over
KamiLessons, practice and assessment	Turning PDFs and worksheets into digital work students annotate	Makes questions from the document, drafts feedback comments, explains, summarises and re-levels text; paid plans	Basic: annotation and drawing tools only	Assigning through an LMS, Class View and all AI need a paid plan
NearpodLessons, practice and assessment	Interactive slide lessons with activities between the slides, and a large ready-made library	Multiple-choice questions from a prompt; lesson generator and reading-level versions on school plans	Silver: 40 students per lesson, 300 MB	Live teacher annotation, student accounts and LMS links need a school or district plan
Pear DeckLessons, practice and assessment	Adding live questions to Google Slides or PowerPoint lessons	Pear Start builds lessons, practice and tests from a topic, standard, file or link, at several reading levels	Yes: interactive questions, student-paced mode; Pear Start free	Built on Slides or PowerPoint Online; responses by student name need Premium
Wayground (formerly Quizizz)Lessons, practice and assessment	Quizzes, games and presentations, live or as homework, with built-in accommodations	Generates from a prompt, documents, a URL or a YouTube video; levelled versions; AI grading of open answers	Basic: 20 activities, 100 students	LMS integrations and grade sync need a school or district plan
Brisk TeachingAI assistant for teachers	AI help inside the tools you already use: Google Docs, Slides, YouTube, PDFs and the LMS	Lesson plans, slides and quizzes from the page you are on; writing feedback; levelling and translation	Yes: 20+ tools in a browser extension	Quizzes are exported to other tools, not run inside Brisk; no individual paid plan
Khanmigo for teachersAI assistant for teachers	Free AI planning and differentiation tools, alongside Khan Academy's own content	Lesson plans, hooks, exit tickets, rubrics, levelled and chunked texts, multiple-choice questions	Yes: teacher tools free in 180+ countries	Students get Khanmigo only through a paid school or district plan
MagicSchoolAI assistant for teachers	A large catalogue of AI generators for planning, resources, differentiation and writing feedback	80+ teacher tools: lesson plans, worksheets, slides, rubrics, quizzes, levelled text, IEP drafts, writing feedback	Yes: 80+ teacher tools with generation limits	Student tools need a paid plan; LMS and rostering are Enterprise only

How to read the ratings

Every rating comes from the platform's own website, help pages or pricing page, checked on 22 October 2026. Nothing here comes from hands-on testing, reviews or popularity. These are ClassKite's editorial ratings, made against the written rule shown under each table; the overall scores above are averages of them.

5 out of 5
Comprehensive, advanced support
4 out of 5
Strong support with minor limitations
3 out of 5
Core functionality available
2 out of 5
Limited functionality
1 out of 5
Minimal functionality
Confirmed unavailable
Confirmed unavailable
Not publicly verified
Not publicly verified
Not applicable
Not applicable to this kind of product

Under a rating, Paid plan, School plan, Paid add-on or Via integrationsays how you get it; without one, it is built in and available free. The first table is built from what ClassKite does, so it shows how close each platform is to ClassKite's way of teaching, not which one teaches better.

Teaching live from your own material

These columns come from ClassKite's own feature set: teaching from your PDFs on the board while every student's screen follows. They show how close each platform is to that way of teaching, not which one is better.

Teaching live from your own material: ratings for each platform from 1 to 5
Platform	Teach from your PDFs	Your writing on their screens	Students write on the page	Live view of student work
Canvas LMSSchool-wide platform	Not publicly verifiedFiles attach; student annotation not verified	Not publicly verifiedNo live lesson mode found	Not publicly verified	Not publicly verified
Google ClassroomSchool-wide platform	2 out of 5Annotate in mobile apps only	3 out of 5School planClass Tools, on Chromebooks	3 out of 5Mobile apps only	4 out of 5School planClass Tools screen view, on Chromebooks
Microsoft Teams for EducationSchool-wide platform	3 out of 5PDF as a OneNote page background	2 out of 5Screen share and Whiteboard in meetings	4 out of 5OneNote Class Notebook	Not publicly verified
SeesawSchool-wide platform	3 out of 5PDF as the base of an activity	2 out of 5Present to Class; no live writing found	4 out of 5	Not publicly verified
ClasskickLessons, practice and assessment	4 out of 5PDF pages become slides	Not publicly verifiedWhole-class broadcast not documented	5 out of 5	5 out of 5Live work view, raised hands
ClassKiteLessons, practice and assessment	5 out of 5PDF only; export slides to PDF	5 out of 5	5 out of 5	4 out of 5Paid planLive Student Grid; blurred on the free plan
FormativeLessons, practice and assessment	2 out of 5PDFs are parsed or shown as content	Not publicly verified	3 out of 5Paid planDrawing on an image	5 out of 5Real-time responses
Kahoot!Lessons, practice and assessment	2 out of 5PDFs become slides or AI input	Not publicly verified	Not publicly verified	3 out of 5Answers as they come in
KamiLessons, practice and assessment	5 out of 5	3 out of 5Live co-annotation on a shared document	5 out of 5	4 out of 5Paid planClass View
NearpodLessons, practice and assessment	3 out of 5PDFs become lesson slides	4 out of 5School plan	3 out of 5Draw It on a slide	4 out of 5
Pear DeckLessons, practice and assessment	3 out of 5PDFs converted into a lesson	Not publicly verified	3 out of 5Paid planDrawing questions	4 out of 5By name on Premium
Wayground (formerly Quizizz)Lessons, practice and assessment	3 out of 5PDFs become image slides	4 out of 5Live Whiteboard in teacher-led sessions	3 out of 5Live sessions only	4 out of 5
Brisk TeachingAI assistant for teachers	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable	4 out of 5Brisk Boost dashboard
Khanmigo for teachersAI assistant for teachers	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not publicly verified
MagicSchoolAI assistant for teachers	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable	2 out of 5School planRoom Insights

What each rating means in this table

Teach from your PDFs: 5: upload PDFs or documents and teach from them as they are, with full annotation. 3: files can be brought in but are converted, or only some tools work on them. 1: files can only be attached or shared.
Your writing on their screens: 5: what the teacher writes on the page appears on every student's device as it is written. 3: the teacher can present or push a page, but live writing is limited. 1: screen sharing only.
Students write on the page: 5: each student writes and draws on their own copy of the teacher's page, and the teacher can see it and respond on it. 3: students can draw or annotate in some activities. 1: students can only attach files.
Live view of student work: 5: a live view of each student's progress or work while they do it, with signals for who needs help. 3: results appear as students submit. 1: results only after the activity ends.

Questions, quizzes and marking

How each platform checks understanding: the question types it offers, what it marks for you, how you give feedback and what it keeps as a record.

Questions, quizzes and marking: ratings for each platform from 1 to 5
Platform	Question types	Auto-marking	Feedback on work	Gradebook and reports	Test conditions
Canvas LMSSchool-wide platform	4 out of 5	4 out of 5	5 out of 5SpeedGrader: annotation, audio, video	5 out of 5	Not publicly verified
Google ClassroomSchool-wide platform	4 out of 5Google Forms	4 out of 5	5 out of 5Comments, rubrics, comment bank	4 out of 5Analytics on Education Plus	3 out of 5Locked mode on managed Chromebooks
Microsoft Teams for EducationSchool-wide platform	4 out of 5	4 out of 5	5 out of 5	5 out of 5Grades, Insights, Excel export	Not publicly verified
SeesawSchool-wide platform	4 out of 5Drawing, photo, video, voice	3 out of 5School plan	Not publicly verified	3 out of 5School plan	Not publicly verified
ClasskickLessons, practice and assessment	4 out of 5	4 out of 5Includes AI-marked typed answers	5 out of 5Pen, highlighter, stickers on work	3 out of 5Paid plan	Not publicly verified
ClassKiteLessons, practice and assessment	3 out of 5Six auto-marked types; no open-ended	4 out of 5No partial marks	4 out of 5Written feedback on the student's own layer	4 out of 5Paid planWeighted gradebook, report cards, Excel	4 out of 5One attempt, away and copy flags; iPad lockdown
FormativeLessons, practice and assessment	5 out of 5Six types on the free plan	5 out of 5	5 out of 5	4 out of 5	4 out of 5School planLockDown Browser
Kahoot!Lessons, practice and assessment	4 out of 5Paid planFree: quiz and true/false	4 out of 5	2 out of 5	3 out of 5Reports, spreadsheet export	Not publicly verified
KamiLessons, practice and assessment	4 out of 5Paid plan	4 out of 5Paid plan	5 out of 5Text, voice and video comments	3 out of 5Paid planGrades sync to the LMS	Not publicly verifiedAssessment Mode listed, not described
NearpodLessons, practice and assessment	5 out of 5	3 out of 5	3 out of 5	3 out of 5Reports; no gradebook found	Not publicly verified
Pear DeckLessons, practice and assessment	3 out of 5Six types	2 out of 5Paid planNumber and choice	3 out of 5Paid plan	2 out of 5Export to Google Sheets	2 out of 5Locks and timers
Wayground (formerly Quizizz)Lessons, practice and assessment	5 out of 5	5 out of 5	3 out of 5	3 out of 5Reports; no gradebook found	4 out of 5School planTest mode
Brisk TeachingAI assistant for teachers	Not applicableQuizzes exported to other tools	Not applicable	5 out of 5In Google Docs and SpeedGrader	Not publicly verified	Not applicable
Khanmigo for teachersAI assistant for teachers	3 out of 5Khan Academy practice	4 out of 5Khan Academy practice	3 out of 5School planWriting Coach	3 out of 5Progress and mastery reports	Not publicly verified
MagicSchoolAI assistant for teachers	2 out of 5Multiple choice and short answer	Not publicly verifiedQuiz marking not described	4 out of 5Writing feedback into Google Docs	2 out of 5Insights pages; no gradebook	Not publicly verified

What each rating means in this table

Question types: 5: a wide range, including open-ended, drawing and media answers alongside auto-marked types. 3: a set of auto-marked types, or open answers without auto-marking. 1: one or two types.
Auto-marking: 5: most question types are marked automatically, with instant feedback to students. 3: some types are marked automatically. 1: almost everything is marked by hand.
Feedback on work: 5: written, drawn or recorded feedback on each student's own work, returned to the student. 3: comments or right/wrong feedback. 1: a score only.
Gradebook and reports: 5: a gradebook with weighting or grading policies plus reports and export. 3: reports or scores per activity with export. 1: a results list only.
Test conditions: 5: a quiz mode with controls such as one attempt, focus or away tracking and device lockdown. 3: some controls, such as hiding answers or time limits. 1: none beyond ordinary settings.

AI for planning, questions and feedback

What the AI actually does on each platform. Check also who it is for: some AI only helps the teacher, some talks to students.

AI for planning, questions and feedback: ratings for each platform from 1 to 5
Platform	AI lesson planning	AI questions	AI feedback and marking	Differentiation
Canvas LMSSchool-wide platform	Not publicly verifiedAI agent on the top tier; scope not published	3 out of 5Question-writing help	3 out of 5School planGrading help; details not published	2 out of 5Translation; other tools not verified
Google ClassroomSchool-wide platform	4 out of 5	4 out of 5From a topic, text or a Drive file	4 out of 5School plan	4 out of 5
Microsoft Teams for EducationSchool-wide platform	5 out of 5	4 out of 5	4 out of 5Suggestions the teacher reviews	4 out of 5
SeesawSchool-wide platform	4 out of 5School plan	4 out of 5School plan	2 out of 5School planAuto-grading and reading analysis	4 out of 5
ClasskickLessons, practice and assessment	3 out of 5Beta	3 out of 5Beta, within assignment drafts	4 out of 5Typed answers	2 out of 5
ClassKiteLessons, practice and assessment	Confirmed unavailable	3 out of 5Paid planFrom a topic; does not read PDFs	Confirmed unavailable	1 out of 5Difficulty setting; excuse a student from a grade
FormativeLessons, practice and assessment	4 out of 5	5 out of 5From a topic or a PDF	5 out of 5Paid plan	4 out of 5Accommodations on school plans
Kahoot!Lessons, practice and assessment	4 out of 5Paid plan	4 out of 5Paid planPrompt, URL, Wikipedia or PDF	Not publicly verified	2 out of 5
KamiLessons, practice and assessment	2 out of 5Paid planExplain, summarise, re-level	4 out of 5Paid planFrom the document	4 out of 5Paid plan	4 out of 5Paid plan
NearpodLessons, practice and assessment	4 out of 5School plan	3 out of 5Multiple choice from a prompt	Not publicly verified	4 out of 5
Pear DeckLessons, practice and assessment	5 out of 5	5 out of 5	Not publicly verifiedAI grading is in Pear Assessment	5 out of 5
Wayground (formerly Quizizz)Lessons, practice and assessment	5 out of 5	5 out of 5	4 out of 5Rubric grading on school plans	5 out of 5
Brisk TeachingAI assistant for teachers	5 out of 5	5 out of 5From a page, PDF or video	5 out of 5	5 out of 5
Khanmigo for teachersAI assistant for teachers	5 out of 5	3 out of 5	Not publicly verified	5 out of 5
MagicSchoolAI assistant for teachers	5 out of 5	3 out of 5	4 out of 5	5 out of 5

What each rating means in this table

AI lesson planning: 5: plans lessons and creates several kinds of resources (slides, worksheets, texts) from a topic or a document. 3: drafts lesson plans or one kind of resource. 1: a single narrow generator.
AI questions: 5: generates many question types from documents, links or videos as well as a topic. 3: drafts questions from a topic in a few types. 1: a very narrow generator.
AI feedback and marking: 5: suggests feedback or marks on students' written work for the teacher to review. 3: AI help with feedback in some places. 1: minimal.
Differentiation: 5: levelled texts, translation, individual or group assignments and accommodations. 3: different work for individuals or groups, or AI levelling. 1: minimal, such as a difficulty setting.

Class management, engagement and connections

The day-to-day running of a class: rosters and pacing, what keeps students involved, how you reach students and families, and what the platform connects to.

Class management, engagement and connections: ratings for each platform from 1 to 5
Platform	Class management	Engagement	Communication	Integrations
Canvas LMSSchool-wide platform	4 out of 5	3 out of 5Discussions; more on Canvas Plus	4 out of 5Announcements, inbox, parent app	5 out of 5
Google ClassroomSchool-wide platform	4 out of 5	2 out of 5Stream posts; polls in Meet add-on	4 out of 5Announcements, guardian summaries	4 out of 5Add-ons and SIS sync on Education Plus
Microsoft Teams for EducationSchool-wide platform	4 out of 5	3 out of 5	4 out of 5Posts, chat, guardian email digest	5 out of 5LTI for major LMSs
SeesawSchool-wide platform	3 out of 5Free plan: one class	4 out of 5	5 out of 5Family messaging, translated	4 out of 5
ClasskickLessons, practice and assessment	3 out of 5	3 out of 5	3 out of 5Private chat with the teacher	4 out of 5Paid planGradebook sync on Pro
ClassKiteLessons, practice and assessment	4 out of 5Join codes, approval, pacing, school admin	2 out of 5Help flags, drawing; no games or polls	1 out of 5Report cards only; no messaging	1 out of 5Excel import and export only
FormativeLessons, practice and assessment	4 out of 5	3 out of 5	Not publicly verified	5 out of 5LMS passback on school plans
Kahoot!Lessons, practice and assessment	Not publicly verified	5 out of 5	1 out of 5Assignment reminders	4 out of 5LMS on EDU plans
KamiLessons, practice and assessment	3 out of 5Paid plan	3 out of 5	2 out of 5Comments on work	5 out of 5LMS on paid plans
NearpodLessons, practice and assessment	3 out of 5	5 out of 5	Not publicly verified	5 out of 5School plan
Pear DeckLessons, practice and assessment	3 out of 5	4 out of 5	1 out of 5Takeaways documents	4 out of 5Canvas and Schoology on school plans
Wayground (formerly Quizizz)Lessons, practice and assessment	4 out of 5	5 out of 5	2 out of 5Reports emailed to parents	5 out of 5LMS on school plans
Brisk TeachingAI assistant for teachers	2 out of 5	4 out of 5Brisk Boost activities	Not publicly verified	4 out of 5Works inside the LMS; rostering paid
Khanmigo for teachersAI assistant for teachers	3 out of 5	3 out of 5Student tutor on school plans	2 out of 5Drafts newsletters	3 out of 5Canvas (US); rostering on district plans
MagicSchoolAI assistant for teachers	2 out of 5Paid planStudent Rooms	3 out of 5Paid planStudent AI tools	2 out of 5Drafts emails and report comments	4 out of 5School planFree: Google and Microsoft export

What each rating means in this table

Class management: 5: classes, rosters, pacing control and monitoring in one place, with school-level administration. 3: classes and rosters with basic controls. 1: a list of students.
Engagement: 5: several activity formats such as games, polls, drawing and discussion. 3: one or two formats. 1: minimal.
Communication: 5: messaging or announcements to students and communication with families. 3: announcements or comments to students. 1: minimal, such as a downloadable report.
Integrations: 5: connects to several LMSs, Google and Microsoft, and rostering services. 3: one or two integrations. 1: file import and export only.

Getting started and staying free

Whether one teacher can start today without waiting for the school, and how much of the product the free plan really covers.

Getting started and staying free: ratings for each platform from 1 to 5
Platform	Free plan	Start without your school
Canvas LMSSchool-wide platform	3 out of 5Canvas Lite: 5 courses, 50 students each	3 out of 5Paid tiers by school quote
Google ClassroomSchool-wide platform	5 out of 5Free for eligible schools	3 out of 5Personal accounts; paid editions for schools
Microsoft Teams for EducationSchool-wide platform	5 out of 5Free for eligible schools	1 out of 5School account only
SeesawSchool-wide platform	2 out of 5One class of 35	3 out of 5Paid plans for schools only
ClasskickLessons, practice and assessment	3 out of 520 assignments a month	5 out of 5
ClassKiteLessons, practice and assessment	4 out of 5Live grid, reports, Gradebook and AI are paid	5 out of 5
FormativeLessons, practice and assessment	3 out of 514 days of history, 4 exports a month	5 out of 5
Kahoot!Lessons, practice and assessment	2 out of 5Quiz and true/false only	5 out of 5
KamiLessons, practice and assessment	2 out of 5Annotation only	5 out of 5
NearpodLessons, practice and assessment	4 out of 540 students per lesson	5 out of 5
Pear DeckLessons, practice and assessment	3 out of 5Names on the dashboard need Premium	5 out of 5
Wayground (formerly Quizizz)Lessons, practice and assessment	3 out of 520 activities, 100 students	5 out of 5
Brisk TeachingAI assistant for teachers	4 out of 5	3 out of 5Paid plans for schools only
Khanmigo for teachersAI assistant for teachers	5 out of 5All teacher tools	3 out of 5Teachers 18+; student access via schools
MagicSchoolAI assistant for teachers	4 out of 5Generation limits	5 out of 5

What each rating means in this table

Free plan: 5: the core of the product is free for a whole class with no tight caps. 3: a free plan with significant caps on classes, students, activities or key features. 1: little more than a trial.
Start without your school: 5: any teacher can sign up free and also buy a paid plan alone. 3: a teacher can sign up free, but paid plans are for schools only. 1: needs an account from a school or institution.

Plans, access and privacy

Who can sign up, what the free plan covers and what each company says about student data. Prices change often and differ by country, so this table describes the plans and the pricing pages give the current figures.

Sign-up, student accounts, free and paid plans, AI limits, privacy, languages and accessibility for each platform
Platform	Teacher sign-up	Student accounts	Free plan	Paid plans	AI limits	Student privacy	Languages	Accessibility
Canvas LMSSchool-wide platform	Usually provided by the school; Canvas Lite for individual teachers	Accounts, invited by the teacher or school	Canvas Lite: 5 courses, 50 students per course, 500 MB, no analytics	Core, Plus and Next for institutions, by quote	Set in each school's contract; agent features use credits	Does not sell data; course content not used to train AI without the school's consent; COPPA named	33 languages	VPATs published
Google ClassroomSchool-wide platform	Through a school's Google Workspace, or a personal account (anyone over 13)	Google accounts	Education Fundamentals for eligible schools; personal accounts limited to 250 members a class	Education Plus and add-ons for schools, by quote	Limited access to premium models without the paid AI add-on	Workspace for Education data not used to train AI; FERPA, COPPA and GDPR support stated; Gemini on by default, admins can turn it off	73 languages and variants	VPATs published for web and mobile
Microsoft Teams for EducationSchool-wide platform	School account only	School Microsoft accounts	Office 365 A1 for eligible institutions (web apps)	A3 and A5 licences for institutions	No usage caps published; access set by licence and age	Customer content not used to train foundation models; FERPA school-official terms; no student generative AI under 13	Teach: over 100 display languages	Conformance reports published; Immersive Reader
SeesawSchool-wide platform	Any teacher, free; paid plans for schools only	QR code, email, Google, Microsoft or Clever sign-in	Starter: 1 class of 35 students, 35 saved activities	School subscriptions only, by enrolment	Credits; free teachers get a set number	FERPA, COPPA, SOC 2 Type II stated; Student Privacy Pledge signatory; AI tools are not student-facing	Family messages: over 100 languages	Partially conformant with WCAG 2.2 AA
ClasskickLessons, practice and assessment	Any teacher, free	Class code and username; no email needed	Basic: 20 assignments, 500 student work pages a month	Paid teacher plans; Pro School and District by quote	No caps published; AI drafting in beta	Student Privacy Pledge signatory; COPPA and FERPA named; does not sell data	Web in English; iOS app in 8 more	Working towards WCAG 2.1 AA; VPATs published
ClassKiteLessons, practice and assessment	Any teacher, free; School plan for schools	Free student account, joined with a class code or created from a class list	Teacher Basic: PDF teaching and annotation, student layers, practice and quizzes; upload and class limits on the pricing page	Teacher Plus per teacher; School plan	AI drafting on paid plans only; a plan may set a monthly limit	EU infrastructure, GDPR; no selling of data, no ads; AI is teacher-only and is sent the topic and examples, not student work	English interface	No published accessibility statement
FormativeLessons, practice and assessment	Any teacher, free	Accounts: imported, created by the teacher, or joined with a code	Six question types, 4 exports a month, 14 days of history	Teacher plan; school and district plans	No quota published; AI feedback on paid plans	Covered by Newsela's policy: FERPA, COPPA, GDPR; does not sell student data	Not stated; AI writes in 4 languages	VPAT for WCAG 2.2 A and AA
Kahoot!Lessons, practice and assessment	Any teacher, free	No account: a game PIN and a nickname	Kahoot! Go: quiz and true/false, basic reports	Teacher plans in four tiers; EDU plans for schools	Prompt and PDF-length limits by plan	Platform data not used to train AI; FERPA, COPPA, GDPR named; schools can turn generative AI off	Not verified	Aims for WCAG 2.2 AA; conformance reports published
KamiLessons, practice and assessment	Any teacher, free; 30-day trial of the paid plan	Google or Microsoft sign-in, or SSO	Basic: annotate, highlight, draw; templates	Teacher plan; school and district by quote	No caps published; AI must be switched on	COPPA and FERPA named; AI on Google Gemini, opted out of training; no AI without teacher or admin consent	8 interface languages	WCAG 2.1 AA claimed; VPATs published
NearpodLessons, practice and assessment	Any teacher, free	No account: a code or link	Silver: 40 students per lesson, 300 MB	Gold and Platinum per teacher; school and district by quote	AI questions limited on the free plan; lesson generator school-only	FERPA and COPPA named (Renaissance); AI does not use student data	Not stated; AI in English only	No statement found; Immersive Reader built in
Pear DeckLessons, practice and assessment	Any teacher, free, with Google or Microsoft	Join code; can be anonymous	Questions, student-paced mode, locks and timers	Teacher Premium; school and district by quote	Pear Start: no usage limits stated	COPPA and FERPA named; student data not shared to train third-party AI	Not stated	Website aims for WCAG 2.1 AA
Wayground (formerly Quizizz)Lessons, practice and assessment	Any teacher, free	Code; some modes need no account	Basic: 20 activities, 100 students, accommodations	Individual teacher plan; school and district by quote	Unclear on the free plan (sources disagree); unlimited on paid	FERPA, COPPA, GDPR named; AI providers may not train on user data; does not sell data	18 languages	Guided by WCAG 2.2 AA; VPAT on request
Brisk TeachingAI assistant for teachers	Any teacher, free (Chrome or Edge)	No account for Brisk Boost	20+ tools; a limit on batch feedback	School and district only, priced per student	Standard model on the free plan; unlimited on paid	FERPA named; COPPA consent through schools; says inputs are never used to train AI	Output in 50+ languages	Says it meets WCAG 2.1 AA; no VPAT found
Khanmigo for teachersAI assistant for teachers	Any teacher aged 18+, free	Khan Academy accounts; Khanmigo through school plans	All teacher tools	School and district plans, priced per student	Not published	District plans state FERPA and COPPA; the privacy policy could not be read	English, Spanish, Hindi, Vietnamese, plus experimental ones	VPAT for WCAG 2.1 AA (district plans page)
MagicSchoolAI assistant for teachers	Any teacher, free	Added by a teacher or school; SSO or room code	80+ teacher tools, standard limits	Plus per teacher; Enterprise by quote	Standard limits on free (no number); unlimited on Plus	FERPA, COPPA named; children's data not used to train AI	24 interface languages	Aligns with WCAG 2.2 AA; conformance reports

Each platform in brief

Canvas LMS
School-wide platform
Best for
Schools and districts that want one LMS for courses, grading and many connected tools.
Main strength
SpeedGrader with annotation and audio or video feedback, a full gradebook, and connections to over 1,000 external tools.
Watch out for
Paid tiers are quote-only and chosen by the school. The free Canvas Lite asks teachers to verify their identity with an ID and a selfie, and lists no AI.
Sources: Canvas tiers · Canvas Lite · Privacy notice · AI terms · Accessibility
Google Classroom
School-wide platform
Best for
Schools already on Google Workspace that want a free hub for assignments, with Gemini built in.
Main strength
Free for eligible schools, with assignments, rubrics, guardian email summaries and Gemini planning tools in one place.
Watch out for
Writing and drawing on work is available only in the Android and iOS apps. Seeing student screens live (Class Tools), add-ons and analytics need Education Plus.
Sources: Editions · Gemini in Classroom · Annotating work · Class Tools · Privacy
Microsoft Teams for Education
School-wide platform
Best for
Schools on Microsoft 365 that want class communication, assignments and reading and maths practice in one place.
Main strength
Assignments with rubrics and AI feedback suggestions, Insights reports, OneNote Class Notebook and LMS connections through LTI.
Watch out for
Only for eligible institutions with school accounts. Generative AI is not available to students under 13 (except Reading Coach), and the school must switch it on for students aged 13 to 18.
Sources: Teams for Education · Teach · AI features · PDFs in OneNote · Plans · AI and age rules
Seesaw
School-wide platform
Best for
Primary teachers who want students to show their work with photos, drawing and voice, and to keep families informed.
Main strength
Students respond with drawing, photos, video and voice, and family messages are translated into over 100 languages.
Watch out for
Built for primary only. The free plan was cut in June 2026 to one class, and paid plans are for whole schools.
Sources: Pricing · Starter changes · AI features · Privacy · Accessibility
Classkick
Lessons, practice and assessment
Best for
Teachers who want to see each student's working as it happens and help while they work.
Main strength
Students write and draw on each slide, including uploaded PDF pages, and the teacher sees and marks up their work live.
Watch out for
The free plan stops at 20 assignments and 500 student work pages a month. The web interface is English only.
Sources: Free plan · Pro features · Creating assignments · Privacy · Accessibility
ClassKite
Lessons, practice and assessment
Best for
Teachers who teach from worksheets and past papers on the board and want every student's screen to follow.
Main strength
Your writing on the PDF reaches every student's device live, each student works on their own layer of the same page, and practice is marked automatically.
Watch out for
No polls, open-ended or free-text questions, no lesson library, no AI lesson planning or AI marking, no LMS or Google Classroom connection, and the interface is English only. The Live Student Grid, Reports, Gradebook and AI drafting need a paid plan.
Sources: Features · Pricing · Trust and privacy
Formative
Lessons, practice and assessment
Best for
Teachers who check understanding often and want to see every response as it comes in.
Main strength
A wide range of question types, a real-time response view, AI feedback the teacher approves, and standards reports.
Watch out for
The free plan keeps 14 days of tracker history and allows 4 exports a month. Accommodations and LMS grade passback need a school licence.
Sources: Pricing · AI features · Free plan · Privacy · Accessibility
Kahoot!
Lessons, practice and assessment
Best for
Fast, game-style review that gets a whole class answering.
Main strength
Game modes with points and leaderboards, many question formats on paid plans, and students join with a PIN and a nickname.
Watch out for
The free plan has only quiz and true/false questions and a small player cap (its pricing page gives two different figures). Open-ended answers are for students aged 16 and over.
Sources: Plans · School plans · Privacy · AI features · Accessibility
Kami
Lessons, practice and assessment
Best for
Teachers whose material is already PDFs and documents, and whose school uses an LMS.
Main strength
Students write, draw and type on the real document, with read-aloud, translation and dictionary tools beside it.
Watch out for
The free plan is an annotation tool only: assigning, live Class View, Questions AI and the reading tools are paid.
Sources: Pricing · Class View · Questions tool · Privacy · Accessibility
Nearpod
Lessons, practice and assessment
Best for
Teachers who plan lessons as slides and want activities and ready-made content built in.
Main strength
Over 20 activity types, live and student-paced modes, and a library of more than 22,000 lessons, videos and activities.
Watch out for
Much of the advanced set is school or district only. Its own pages disagree on which plans get the AI question generator.
Sources: Pricing · How it works · AI · Privacy
Pear Deck
Lessons, practice and assessment
Best for
Teachers who already build lessons in Google Slides or PowerPoint.
Main strength
Interactive questions inside your own slides, with free AI lesson building and versions for different reading levels.
Watch out for
Needs a Google or Microsoft account. Seeing responses by name, drawing questions and feedback are Premium, and AI essay grading sits in a separate product.
Sources: Pricing · Pear Start · Question types · Privacy · Accessibility
Wayground (formerly Quizizz)
Lessons, practice and assessment
Best for
Teachers who want game-style practice with accommodations and levelled versions for some students.
Main strength
Over 18 question types, game modes, more than 20 accommodations on the free plan, and AI that works from documents and videos.
Watch out for
The free plan stores 20 activities. Its pages disagree on how much AI the free plan includes.
Sources: Plans · Free plan · AI generation · Privacy · Accessibility
Brisk Teaching
AI assistant for teachers
Best for
Teachers who want AI in Chrome or Edge on top of Google Docs, YouTube, PDFs and their LMS.
Main strength
Feedback on student writing inside Google Docs and Canvas, and Brisk Boost activities where the teacher sees every student chat.
Watch out for
Paid plans are for schools and districts only. Its own pages disagree on its SOC 2 and GDPR status.
Sources: Plans · Quiz generator · Brisk Boost · Privacy notice · Privacy Center
Khanmigo for teachers
AI assistant for teachers
Best for
Teachers who already use Khan Academy and want free AI for planning and differentiation.
Main strength
A free set of planning and differentiation tools, and Khan Academy classes with mastery-based practice and reports.
Watch out for
Teachers must be 18 or over and live in a supported country. The student tutor and chat summaries need a district plan.
Sources: Khanmigo · Free for teachers · Tools · School plans
MagicSchool
AI assistant for teachers
Best for
Teachers who want one place for many AI generators, from lesson plans to report comments.
Main strength
A very wide set of teacher tools on the free plan, with rubric-based writing feedback the teacher reviews before it is sent.
Watch out for
Free has generation limits with no number published. Student rooms and tools start at Plus, and LMS and rostering are Enterprise.
Sources: Pricing · Tools · Student data policy · Accessibility

Which platform for which job

There is no single winner: the right choice depends on the job you need done and what your school already uses.

Creating lessons and resources quickly

MagicSchool: the widest set of generators on a free plan, from lesson plans to worksheets and rubrics.
Brisk Teaching: if you want the AI inside Google Docs, Slides, YouTube or a PDF you already have open.
Pear Deck: Pear Start builds a lesson, practice and a test in one go, with versions for different reading levels.
Khanmigo for teachers: free planning and differentiation tools in most countries.
Google Classroom or Microsoft Teams: if your school already has them: Gemini and Teach are included.

Using AI for feedback on written work

Brisk Teaching: drafts feedback inside Google Docs and Canvas SpeedGrader, and replays how a student wrote.
MagicSchool: rubric-based writing feedback for a whole class that you review before sending.
Formative: AI feedback on many question types and rubric grading of free responses, on paid plans.
Classkick: AI feedback on typed answers on every plan, with your own settings for how strict it is.
Kami: AI-drafted comments on the student's own document, on paid plans.

Engaging students during the lesson

Kahoot!: game-style quizzes that get the whole room answering.
Wayground: game modes plus accommodations and levelled versions for some students.
Nearpod: over 20 activity types, VR field trips and simulations between your slides.
Pear Deck: questions inside the Google Slides or PowerPoint deck you already have.

Seeing who is stuck, and managing the class live

Classkick: watch each student's handwritten working as it happens and mark it up live.
Formative: every response in real time, with pacing and LockDown Browser on school plans.
ClassKite: the Live Student Grid (paid plans) shows progress, help flags and who is away while students answer.
Kami: Class View shows every student's copy of the document live, on paid plans.

Teaching from the PDFs and worksheets you already have

ClassKite: write on the PDF on the board while every student's screen follows your page, then send auto-marked practice.
Kami: students annotate the real document, with reading and translation tools beside it.
Classkick: each PDF page becomes a slide students write and draw on.

Choosing a school-wide platform

Google Classroom: free for eligible schools on Google Workspace, with Gemini included.
Microsoft Teams for Education: free through Office 365 A1 for schools on Microsoft 365.
Canvas LMS: a full LMS with a strong gradebook and over 1,000 connected tools, priced by quote.
Seesaw: for primary schools that want student portfolios and translated messages to families.

Before you choose: a checklist

Your main job. Name the one thing you need most: planning faster, checking understanding, feedback on writing, running the lesson, or one place for all coursework. Then read that table first.
What your school already pays for. If your school has Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 or an LMS, start with what it includes and add a specialist tool only for the gap.
Budget and who pays. Check whether the paid plan is for a single teacher or only for whole schools. Several tools here have no individual paid plan.
Your students' ages. Some tools set age rules: no student generative AI under 13 on Microsoft, open-ended Kahoot! questions only for students 16 and over, Khanmigo teacher tools for adults. Under-13s usually need school consent.
School approval. Ask whether your school keeps a list of approved apps or needs a data agreement before students sign in. Many schools do.
Student privacy. Read what the privacy policy says about selling data, AI training and where data is stored, and whether students talk to AI directly or only you do.
Devices and accessibility. Check that it runs on your students' devices and in your browser, and look for an accessibility statement or VPAT if any student uses assistive technology.
A real lesson on the free plan. Try it with one class and one real lesson before committing. Free plans show the limits you will actually meet.

Questions teachers ask

Which teaching platforms have a free plan?

All fifteen have a free way in, but they differ a lot. Google Classroom and Microsoft Teams are free for eligible schools; Canvas Lite and Seesaw Starter are small free tiers; Classkick, ClassKite, Formative, Kahoot!, Kami, Nearpod, Pear Deck and Wayground have free teacher plans with limits on features, students or storage; Brisk, Khanmigo and MagicSchool offer free AI tools for teachers. The Plans table shows each limit.

What are the best free AI tools for teachers?

It depends on the job. For planning and resources, MagicSchool, Brisk Teaching and Khanmigo all have free teacher tools, and Pear Start (from Pear Deck) builds lessons free. For feedback on writing, Brisk works inside Google Docs. If your school uses Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, Gemini in Classroom and Teach are already included.

Can AI mark students' work?

Several tools draft feedback or marks for you to review: Brisk, MagicSchool, Formative, Classkick, Kami, Wayground, Microsoft Teams and Google Classroom (on Education Plus). In every case the vendors say the teacher should review the result. ClassKite does not use AI for marking: its practice questions are marked automatically by fixed rules.

How do I choose a teaching platform?

Start with the main job you need done, then check what your school already provides, who pays, your students' ages, and whether your school needs to approve the tool. The checklist above covers each step.

Do students need accounts?

Not always. Students join Kahoot!, Nearpod and Brisk Boost without an account, and Classkick and Pear Deck with a code. Google Classroom, Microsoft Teams, Canvas, Kami and Formative use student accounts, and ClassKite gives students a free account when they join with a class code.

What should I check about student privacy?

Whether the company sells data or shows ads, whether student work is used to train AI, which laws it says it follows (such as GDPR, FERPA or COPPA), where data is stored, and whether students use AI directly. The Plans and privacy table summarises what each company states; the linked privacy pages are the full account.

Is ClassKite the best teaching platform?

Not for every job, and the scores on this page show it: with every category counted equally, ClassKite ranks 13th of 14 platforms with enough verified information, because it has no AI lesson planning or marking, no LMS connection and no messaging. It scores highest of the fifteen for teaching live from your own material, and all of that except the Live Student Grid is on the free plan. If that is how you teach, it is a strong fit; if you need one of the things it lacks, another tool here is the better choice.

How were the ratings decided?

They are ClassKite's editorial ratings, made from each company's own website, help pages and pricing pages, checked on 22 October 2026, against a written rule for every criterion. There was no hands-on testing, and nothing comes from reviews or popularity. A question mark means the capability could not be confirmed from official sources and is left out of the score, not guessed. The overall score is the average of the category scores, weighted as you choose; it is shown only when at least two thirds of a platform's criteria could be verified.

What is the difference between a school-wide platform and an AI assistant for teachers?

A school-wide platform such as Google Classroom or Canvas holds classes, assignments and grades for a whole school. An AI assistant such as MagicSchool or Brisk helps the teacher create and adapt material, and usually sits alongside a platform rather than replacing it. Lesson and assessment tools such as ClassKite, Nearpod or Kahoot! sit in between: they run the lesson or the practice itself.

Try it with tomorrow's worksheet

Upload one PDF, open it on the board, and send a short practice. Teacher Basic is free, students never pay, and you can see the annotator first without signing up. Six question types, all marked automatically.

Start free Try it on a sample PDF (no sign-up)Book a school demo

Method, scoring and sources

Last verified: 22 October 2026. Every fact about another platform comes from that company's own website, help centre, pricing page or privacy pages, linked under each platform above. Facts about ClassKite come from the product itself. The ratings are ClassKite's editorial assessments, made against a written rule for each criterion; nothing comes from hands-on testing, reviews or popularity.

How the overall score works. A rating counts 1 to 5, and ✕ (confirmed unavailable) counts 0. A ?(not publicly verified) or N/A is left out rather than guessed, so a company is not marked down because its help pages could not be read. A category is scored only when at least half of its criteria count, and the overall score is the weighted average of the category scores. It is shown only when at least two thirds of a platform's criteria could be verified; each card says how many were. With equal weights every category counts the same; the buttons above the scores change the weights, and the formula never knows which platform is ClassKite.

Where the choices could favour ClassKite, and what they change. ClassKite publishes this page, so it is not a neutral party. One category, teaching live from your own material, is built from ClassKite's own features; the “Without the ClassKite-based category” option shows the ranking without it. The getting-started category covers two practical questions: what the free plan really includes, and whether a teacher can start without the school. With equal weights ClassKite ranks 13th of 14; without the getting-started category it would rank 14th of 14.

The platforms were chosen because teachers often compare them with each other: four school-wide platforms, eight tools for lessons, practice and assessment (ClassKite among them), and three AI assistants for teachers. Many more exist. User numbers, review scores and prices were left out on purpose: prices change often and vary by country. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will check it.

Teach from the PDFs you already have, with every student on your page

One lesson, from the worksheet you already have

Upload the worksheet as it is

Everyone is on the step you are explaining

Feedback and results without a marking pile

How 15 teaching platforms compare

Not enough verified information for an overall score

Where ClassKite stands out

The highest score for teaching live

Your writing on every screen, as you write

Quiz conditions on the free plan

Start today, on your own

When another tool is the better choice

Is ClassKite a fit for you?

Likely a good fit if

Probably not the right tool if

All 15 at a glance

How to read the ratings

Teaching live from your own material

Questions, quizzes and marking

AI for planning, questions and feedback

Class management, engagement and connections

Getting started and staying free

Plans, access and privacy

Each platform in brief

Canvas LMS

Google Classroom

Microsoft Teams for Education

Seesaw

Classkick

ClassKite

Formative

Kahoot!

Kami

Nearpod

Pear Deck

Wayground (formerly Quizizz)

Brisk Teaching

Khanmigo for teachers

MagicSchool

Which platform for which job

Creating lessons and resources quickly

Using AI for feedback on written work

Engaging students during the lesson

Seeing who is stuck, and managing the class live

Teaching from the PDFs and worksheets you already have

Choosing a school-wide platform

Before you choose: a checklist

Questions teachers ask

Which teaching platforms have a free plan?

What are the best free AI tools for teachers?

Can AI mark students' work?

How do I choose a teaching platform?

Do students need accounts?

What should I check about student privacy?

Is ClassKite the best teaching platform?

How were the ratings decided?

What is the difference between a school-wide platform and an AI assistant for teachers?

Try it with tomorrow's worksheet

Method, scoring and sources