Compare Gradebooks

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This table compares the most popular web-based gradebooks for individual teachers and districts.
Scroll down for an explanation of other types of gradebooks. See also free gradebooks.
Click the gradebook titles to see their websites.

Web-based Gradebooks	Snap Grades	Teacher Ease	GradeBook Wizard	My GradeBook	On Course	Think Wave
Price per year or less for volume discounts	$49.95	$89.95	$49.00	$49.95	$39.99	$35.00 with ads
Reviewed on	05/08	05/08	05/08	05/08	05/08	05/08
Grading	Gradebook	Gradebook	Gradebook	Gradebook	Gradebook	Gradebook
Standards-based with rubrics and performance charts			no charts
Custom grade scale						limited
Custom grading categories
Weighted grading periods (eg: Qtr1=40% Qtr2=40% Exam=20%)
Custom marks for excused, missing, etc.		not custom	not custom
Scores can be entered as percents, letter grades or rubrics			no percents
Drop low scores automatically
Curve grades
Show "what if" grades

Parent/Student Access	Snap Grades	Teacher Ease	GradeBook Wizard	My GradeBook	On Course	Think Wave
Parent/student login with all classes summarized on one page			no totals	separate pages		separate pages
Email grades & messages to parents & students		no grades		no grades		web msg
Automatic email alerts to parents (if absent, missing work, low grades)
Spanish reports and automatic translation

Easy to Use, Save Time	Snap Grades	Teacher Ease	GradeBook Wizard	My GradeBook	On Course	Think Wave
Sample Measure: How many screens are needed to grade the same assignment for three classes	3	10	14	14	4	17
Changes are saved automatically (so you don't have to click Save on every screen or lose changes)					some
Undo/revert mistakes
Print reports for all students and classes at once			one class at a time	one student at a time	one class at a time	no reports at all
Transfer grades automatically when students transfer periods				error
Intuitive user interface (subjective)	good	tedious	confusing	tedious	fair	good
Video tutorials & searchable help		no videos

Security	Snap Grades	Teacher Ease	GradeBook Wizard	My GradeBook	On Course	Think Wave
Alert if someone else logs into your gradebook	email if suspicious	none	check log	only if wrong password	none	check log
Restore grades from backups
TA login with limited access (to enter scores, homework & roll for you)

Administration	Snap Grades	Teacher Ease	GradeBook Wizard	My GradeBook	On Course	Think Wave
Schoolwide report cards						sold separately
Counselor/principal lookup current grades of any student					tedious
Schoolwide grade reports for GPA, eligibility, low grades, etc.					sold separately
Schoolwide attendance tracking and editing		daily only not period			sold separately	sold separately
Import students from SIS for all teachers at once				sold separately
Export students & grades to data file for integration			spreadsheet only	one teacher at a time	spreadsheet only

Other Features	Snap Grades	Teacher Ease	GradeBook Wizard	My GradeBook	On Course	Think Wave
Attendance
Seating Charts			limited
Teachers & students can post files online			teachers only
Print blank rosters and roll sheets		no roll		1 week only	roll sold separately
Discipline Log					sold separately
Class Website					sold separately
Lesson Planner					sold separately	limited

The above gradebooks are all web-based hosted solutions. This explains other types of gradebooks to consider:

Web-Based vs. Software

Web-based gradebooks run on a central server, which you access from your web browser on any computer. Software gradebooks are installed on your personal computer. Originally all gradebooks were software, like Easy Grade Pro, GradeQuick, MicroGrade, and Gradekeeper. But now schools are moving toward web-based gradebooks because no extra integration or synchronization is required to post grades online for parents and students, and it is easier to support. The only advantages of software gradebooks are that you can work offline and they are faster. Web-based gradebooks are hosted either by an ASP or on your district's server.

Hosted by ASP vs. Installed On Site

Hosted gradebooks run on the company's servers off-site. This is also called an ASP solution (application service provider). Non-hosted grade-books are installed on your district's server on-site. Originally all gradebooks were on-site, but since the advancement of the Internet and SSL it is now equally secure to host data off-site. ASP's provide full service maintenance, while on-site solutions require your IT staff to do more of the maintenance, so you would need to compare your internal IT costs against the external service costs of an ASP. Most companies offer only one solution, not both. For detailed pros and cons see our white paper.

Standalone vs. All-in-One

Many student information systems (SIS) include a gradebook component as part of their all-in-one package. The advantage is that it is already integrated, and it is either free or low cost. The disadvantage is that these gradebooks are lacking in features and flexibility, so many school districts instead choose to use a full-featured standalone gradebook from a different company, and optionally integrate it with their SIS. This is also called a best-of-breed solution.