LessonNote vs Canvas Teacher
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
LessonNote
This tool helps educators document classroom lessons by tracking student interactions, capturing notes, and recording time spent in various learning modalities. It facilitates data-driven conversations to improve teaching and learning outcomes.
- Track student interactions and conversation duration
- Record handwritten notes and observations
- Capture photos of student work
- Measure time spent in different learning modalities
- Review data for student-focused discussions
- Ideal for peer observation and coaching
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LessonNote is an innovative classroom observation tool for documenting the flow of a lesson and its impact on students. Capture both quantitative and qualitative data: • Track who is talking to whom, when, and for how long. • Jot handwritten, time-stamped notes about what is being said and what students are doing. • Take photos of student work. • Capture time spent in different modalities: whole-class, individual work, group work. Begin by creating a seating chart with icons representing the teacher, students, groups, and display areas such as blackboards or projection screens. Record observations by selecting an icon, or linking two icons for a note about an interaction. Take photos of student work. After a lesson, efficiently review your data for a student-focused conversation that improves teaching and learning. A small seating chart shows exactly who or what a note is about, so you don't need to know the names of the students. A timeline shows how much time was spent in whole-class lecture or discussion, individual work time, and group work time. LessonNote helps you create a fact-based and non-judgemental record of the lesson and its impact on students. LessonNote is ideal for peer observation, coaching, instructional rounds, and of course for Lesson Study. For administrators, LessonNote improves on simple checklists or rating scales by helping document how lessons affect students—which is, ultimately, what teaching is all about. Work with your colleagues and use LessonNote to improve teaching and learning! Read the Terms of Service at: https://LSAlliance.org/LessonNote/terms-of-service.html.
Canvas Teacher
This app allows educators to grade assignments, provide feedback, and manage their classes remotely. It offers tools for annotating work, communicating with students, and updating course content directly from a mobile device.
- Grade assignments with annotations
- Provide audio/video feedback
- Post class announcements
- Reply in discussions
- Send messages
- Update assignment content
- Manage Inbox
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Save time. Teach on the go. Canvas Teacher helps educators, instructors, and teachers grade, give feedback, and manage their classes from anywhere. What you can do • Grade or mark work: Use mobile friendly SpeedGrader to annotate assignments, apply rubrics and give written, audio, or video feedback • Communicate: Post class announcements, reply in discussions, and send messages right from your device • Update content: Adjust due dates, publish/unpublish assignments, or fix typos in seconds • Stay connected: Manage your Inbox, reply to student questions, and keep class communication flowing on the move Canvas Teacher is designed for educators—making mobile grading and class management faster and easier.
Screenshots
Verdict
LessonNote and Canvas Teacher both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 65% of LessonNote's written reviews are positive against 26% of Canvas Teacher's. Canvas Teacher's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6) and ratings volume (96K vs 10). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. LessonNote sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $29.99 per 3 months. Canvas Teacher asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for LessonNote against 4.6 for Canvas Teacher. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Canvas Teacher has 96K ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 65% of LessonNote's written reviews are positive against 26% of Canvas Teacher's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | LessonNote | Canvas Teacher |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (10 ratings) — better | 4.6 (96K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 65.2% of reviews — better | 26.5% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 10 | 96K — better |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Monthly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 62 MB | 181 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Lesson Study Alliance | Instructure Inc. |
Customer experience
LessonNote
Canvas Teacher
Bugs and requests
LessonNote
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Canvas Teacher
Reported bugs
5 issues- App crashes frequently
- Inability to save grades and annotations
- Inconsistent behavior when rotating device
- Issues with loading student submissions
- Problems with syncing data between app and web version
Requested features
5 requests- Add ability to access and edit modules
- Improve grading tools and functionality
- Allow customization of notification settings
- Enhance integration with other platforms
- Improve stability and reliability
In-app purchases
LessonNote
- 3 Months of Pro$29.993 Months
- 6 Months of Pro$44.996 Months
- 1 Year Pro$64.991 Year
- 6-month LessonNote Pro subscription$89.99
- 1-year LessonNote Pro subscription$149.99
- 2-year LessonNote Pro subscription$249.99
Canvas Teacher
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is LessonNote free?
Is Canvas Teacher free?
Which has better reviews, LessonNote or Canvas Teacher?
Do LessonNote or Canvas Teacher have ads?
Which is updated more often, LessonNote or Canvas Teacher?
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