Comparison

LessonNote vs PBS Classroom

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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.

About

PBS Classroom

Features
Read full description

This is an application that records and graphs the behavior of students and teachers in a classroom unit in a school education setting. For detailed instructions and usage manual, please visit https://apbsjapan.org/.

Screenshots

LessonNote4 screens
PBS Classroom4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PBS Classroom at none against LessonNote's 6. LessonNote's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 12 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. LessonNote sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $29.99 per 3 months. PBS Classroom asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

LessonNote ships an update monthly, PBS Classroom every 12 months. The most recent releases landed on September 13, 2026 and September 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
LessonNote versus PBS Classroom: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLessonNotePBS Classroom
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (10 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews65.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings10 — better—
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 12 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.616.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size62 MB18 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLesson Study AllianceKanako Otsui

In-app purchases

6 purchases

LessonNote

Subscriptions3
  • 3 Months of Pro$29.993 Months
  • 6 Months of Pro$44.996 Months
  • 1 Year Pro$64.991 Year
One-time3
  • 6-month LessonNote Pro subscription$89.99
  • 1-year LessonNote Pro subscription$149.99
  • 2-year LessonNote Pro subscription$249.99
None

PBS Classroom

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is LessonNote free?
LessonNote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PBS Classroom free?
PBS Classroom is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do LessonNote or PBS Classroom have ads?
Neither LessonNote nor PBS Classroom shows ads.
Which is updated more often, LessonNote or PBS Classroom?
LessonNote ships an update monthly, and PBS Classroom every 12 months. Most recently, LessonNote was updated on September 13, 2026 and PBS Classroom on September 16, 2026.

Other comparisons