The right software can turn a lackluster classroom experience into one that’s engaging, thought-provoking, and inspiring for instructors and students alike. But sometimes, these tools come with an expensive price tag.
Free classroom management software offers free options to teachers looking to enhance their classrooms at no cost. These tools connect teachers to students in virtual, hybrid, or in-person classrooms, allowing an engaging classroom experience. They have features to monitor students’ screens and even send individual notifications to redirect attention to the lesson. Software for classroom management also makes it easy for students to ask real-time questions on assessments and message directly with the teacher.
These six options can completely transform your classroom management style, the lectures within your curriculum, and what students are taking away from each lesson. All that without budget constraints, as these are also free to use.
Teachers, instructors, or educational professionals looking to improve their classroom experience, while staying within a set budget, may find exactly what they’re looking for from this roundup of free software.
The list below contains reviews by actual users from the best animation software category page. It’s important to note that in the context of this list, vendors and software that offer a free trial are also considered to be free. To be included in this category, a solution must:
* This list is based on G2 data collected on January 23, 2024. Some reviews may have been edited for clarity.
DyKnow is a classroom monitoring solution for K-12 schools and districts with school-issued devices. It empowers teachers to increase student engagement, reduce distractions, and teach confidently. DyKnow Classroom provides teachers with a real-time thumbnail view of all students. It can also block specific websites and apps during lessons. This software can be used on Chromebook, Mac, and PC devices.
Users interested in DyKnow Classroom can try it before buying with a free trial.
“The product is very intuitive, and our teachers don’t need a lot of training to understand its features and how they can use them in a classroom setting. It can be set up to always be on so the teacher doesn’t forget to launch the software at the beginning of a class. It allows the teacher to limit specific websites from being launched. It can direct message students so a teacher can send a link in a chat message to all students or select students to access that site with a click.”
- DyKnow Classroom Review, Chris S.
“I don't particularly like that only one teacher can monitor a group of students at a time. It is quite inconvenient when a previous teacher forgets to stop tracking a group of students when I need to begin. A solution to this is allowing multiple teachers to monitor actively simultaneously.”
- DyKnow Classroom Review, Jessica D.
LanSchool, backed by Lenovo, offers classroom management, filtering, and student safety. It guides learning, promotes collaboration, and maximizes the time instructors spend teaching their students. LanSchool strives to increase classroom engagement both in the classroom and remotely. This tool is a cloud-based or locally–hosted solution compatible with Windows, Mac, and Chrome operating systems.
Users interested in LanSchool can begin with a 30-day free trial.
“I like many aspects of this software - being able to privately message a student when you can see that they are not on the website or assignment they are supposed to be on is a favorite, but there are many features that I found beneficial.”
- LanSchool Review, Pam Driscoll F.
“I dislike how hard it is to get used to the software. It is not in the slightest ‘user friendly’. Unfortunately, I'm not much of a tech geek, so it took a lot of time to get used to, and I had to ask some of my colleagues who are also using it to give me a detailed explanation of LanSchool, which only took away from the time I could be using it. Another problem is that remotely connecting to a computer takes a lot of time, and its response time is the slowest I have ever seen.”
- LanSchool Review, Patricia M.
GoGuardian Teacher allows instructors to properly manage their classroom, engage with students, gather insights, and create more powerful learning moments. This tool offers features to help students stay focused and on-task while creating effective digital learning environments. These environments can be customized to meet the needs of the day.
Those interested in GoGuardian Teacher can start a school or district-wide free trial.
“GoGuardian allows me to check in on my students' work but not hover over their shoulders. I can see what they are working on and make suggestions for their progress. I can also close or open their tabs to make sure they are on task.”
- GoGuardian Teacher Review, Rachelle T.
“There is very little I actually dislike, but the one complaint I do have is that I wish that in teacher view mode, I could have more adjustability in screen size. Current options are 2, 4, 8, or 10 screens at a glance. I'd love to see it open to 3 as well, as sometimes 4 is still too small, and two is too large.”
- GoGuardian Teacher Review, Marnie D.
Lumio, formerly known as SMART Learning Suite Online (SLSO), is a digital learning tool that turns lessons into interactive learning experiences, engaging students wherever they are. This tool allows students to have a collaborative experience with activities, games, Group Workspaces, and formative assessments, all from a single place.
Lumio offers a free plan to individual educators with 50 MB of lesson storage. For unlimited lesson storage, plans start at $59 per year.
“I love the way it can support various planning tools, including SMART Notebook, PowerPoint, and PDFs, seamlessly bringing the tools together to create a unique learning experience. I also love how it has the learner at the center of all it offers, especially the interactive and engaging games that are perfect for retrieval and procedural practice.”
- Lumio Review, Ian S.
“There isn’t a lot in the library that can be used with higher education. I also would like to see some of the old SMART activities updated to match the Lumio look. Looking in the library, you can tell which items are old school SMART and which are Lumio.”
- Lumio Review, Samantha F.
Nearpod is on a mission to make teaching easier with the interactive tools, resources, and content teachers need. This tool offers real-time insights into student understanding through interactive lessons, videos, gamification, and activities—all in one place.
Nearpod is free for individual teachers, with 40 students per lesson and 100 MB of storage. Schools and districts interested in Nearpod are encouraged to schedule a call with the sales team.
“I like that there are so many great lessons and activities already created that are available for teachers to choose from. It is also user-friendly and easy to add to any lesson plan!”
- Nearpod Review, Ryan P.
“I dislike the methods of making slides. Slide creation is not always intuitive and can be difficult. Other things I dislike are limitations due to bandwidth, as well as library search functions.”
- Nearpod Review, Christy S.
Edsby is a classroom management tool that can be used for in-class, hybrid, and online learning, offering streamlined communication between students, teachers, and families to drive K-12 student success. It can also relay news to the community about upcoming education changes, provides document sharing, and a private messaging system for teachers and parents.
Users interested in Edsby can start with a free trial.
“I like that all functions in a school can be digitally managed through Edsby. It takes care of attendance, class schedules, grades, assessments, parent-teacher interviews, and school-wide communication.”
- Edsby Review, Rozina M.
“There are very few things to dislike. The messaging system is quite simple, and the ability to sort messages into folders would be helpful. Also, a separate discussion space within classes would be a great feature. Occasionally, sharing content between classes by teachers is challenging. The only downside is that the system will only be as good as an end-user. If students don't use the system to their advantage and teachers don't post effectively, the benefits are not realized.”
- Edsby Review, David L.
Technology can change classroom management, and the right software can make or break a school year. To set up all students for success, narrow down the features and functionality you’d like most. Whether you’re looking to focus on gamified lessons or more interactive lessons, you’re sure to find a tool within your budget.
Take it one step further by learning new classroom management strategies to create an efficient and productive classroom setting.
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