# Nearpod vs NWEA Secure Testing

The clearest difference is rating: Nearpod at 3.1 against NWEA Secure Testing's 1.5. Nearpod also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 8 months) and review sentiment (41% vs 18%). NWEA Secure Testing's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10). On price, ratings volume, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Nearpod sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $159.99 per year. NWEA Secure Testing asks for nothing beyond the download.

Nearpod holds the better App Store score, 3.1 against 1.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.9K and 1.4K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 41% of Nearpod's written reviews are positive against 18% of NWEA Secure Testing's.

Nearpod ships an update monthly, NWEA Secure Testing every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Nearpod | NWEA Secure Testing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.1 (1.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nearpod/id523540409/reviews)** | [1.5 (1.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nwea-secure-testing/id1087546325/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.9K** | 1.4K |
| Positive reviews | **40.6% of reviews** | 17.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 8 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 27 MB | 0 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nearpod](https://appshunter.io/developer/1441232331) | [NWEA](https://appshunter.io/developer/1087546324) |

## What reviewers say

### Nearpod

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nearpod/id523540409)

This app empowers K-12 teachers to create interactive, student-centered lessons that boost engagement and deepen understanding across all subjects. It offers tools for real-time assessment, flexible teaching modes, and integration with popular platforms, making instruction more effective.

**Highlights:** Interactive lesson creation, Live and student-paced modes, Polls, quizzes, and VR activities, Real-time formative assessments, Integration with Google Slides, YouTube, LMS, Library of 22,000+ lessons

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| to Nearpod Gold Edition | $159.99 | per year |
| NPP "Authors: Decimals and Fractions" | $2.99 | one-time |
| NPP "Authors: Drawing Inferences" | $4.99 | one-time |
| NPP "Authors: Energy " | $4.99 | one-time |
| NPP "Authors: What are Cells?" | $4.99 | one-time |
| NPP "Authors: The Rock Cycle" | $4.99 | one-time |
| Social Studies: Causes of the American Revolution | $4.99 | one-time |
| Authors: Subtraction with Regrouping Part 1 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Authors: What Makes a Tree Trunk? | $4.99 | one-time |
| Authors: Reading Maps | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Engaging and interactive
- 👍 Great for student participation
- 💡 Useful for differentiated instruction
- 🚀 Effective for virtual/hybrid learning

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
- 🔍 Limited functionality in mobile app
- 🔍 Clunky and unintuitive user interface
- 🔍 Reliability issues, especially on iPads

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to save progress and resume lessons
- Drawing/annotation tools not working as expected
- Login issues, especially with Google accounts
- Slides not syncing properly across devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to create and edit content on mobile app
- More question types beyond multiple choice
- Improved device compatibility and cross-platform support
- Enhanced student reporting and analytics


### NWEA Secure Testing

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nwea-secure-testing/id1087546325)

This application allows K-12 students to take standardized assessments on an iPad. It supports various NWEA tests, including MAP Growth and state summative assessments, ensuring a secure testing environment.

**Highlights:** K-12 assessment delivery, iPad compatibility, MAP Growth support, MAP Growth K-2 support, State summative assessments

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 📊 Accurate assessment of student progress
- ⏱️ Efficient testing experience
- 💻 Works well on computers

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤯 Overly difficult and stressful questions
- 🔒 Restrictive app lock feature
- 🕰️ Inconsistent test duration
- 🤢 Caused health issues for some users

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent app crashes and freezes
- Compatibility issues with certain devices
- Inconsistent test results

**Requested features**

- Allow going back to previous questions
- Provide more detailed feedback on performance
- Adjust question difficulty to grade level


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Nearpod free?

Nearpod is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is NWEA Secure Testing free?

NWEA Secure Testing is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Nearpod or NWEA Secure Testing?

Nearpod is rated higher. Nearpod averages 3.1 out of 5 from 1.9K ratings, while NWEA Secure Testing averages 1.5 from 1.4K ratings.

### Do Nearpod or NWEA Secure Testing have ads?

Neither Nearpod nor NWEA Secure Testing shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Nearpod or NWEA Secure Testing?

Nearpod ships an update monthly, and NWEA Secure Testing every 8 months. Most recently, Nearpod was updated on October 11, 2026 and NWEA Secure Testing on October 15, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*