# Nearpod vs ZipGrade

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ZipGrade at 86% against Nearpod's 41%. ZipGrade also leads on rating (4.9 vs 3.1) and ratings volume (36K vs 1.9K). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Nearpod sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $159.99 per year and ZipGrade sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ZipGrade holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ZipGrade has 36K ratings behind it against 1.9K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 41% of Nearpod's written reviews are positive against 86% of ZipGrade's.

Nearpod ships an update monthly, ZipGrade every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Nearpod | ZipGrade |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.1 (1.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nearpod/id523540409/reviews) | **[4.9 (36K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zipgrade/id635077270/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1.9K | **36K** |
| Positive reviews | 40.6% of reviews | **86.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 27 MB | 30 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nearpod](https://appshunter.io/developer/1441232331) | [ZipGrade LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/582826575) |

## 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


### ZipGrade

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zipgrade/id635077270)

Instantly grade multiple-choice tests and quizzes using your device's camera. This app offers a fast and accurate way for educators to assess student work, with features for organizing and exporting results. It provides immediate feedback to inform lesson planning and assignments.

**Highlights:** Instant grading with device camera, Supports multiple choice tests and quizzes, Organizes and exports results (PDF, Excel), Free answer sheet templates available, Companion website for data management, Stores results by student, subject, and quiz

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Add 1 year of use | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Efficient grading
- 👍 Instant feedback for students
- 📊 Detailed data analysis
- 💰 Affordable subscription
- ⏱️ Time-saving

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inconsistent scanning issues
- 🔍 Difficulty navigating interface
- 🔢 Lack of class/student grouping options
- 🖼️ Poor image quality for student names

**Reported bugs**

- Scanning issues with flat surface detection
- Incorrect answer marking due to eraser marks

**Requested features**

- Ability to change question point values in bulk
- Option to create/edit answer keys on website
- Support for non-multiple choice question types
- Improved data export/integration with other systems


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Nearpod free?

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

### Is ZipGrade free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Nearpod or ZipGrade?

ZipGrade is rated higher. Nearpod averages 3.1 out of 5 from 1.9K ratings, while ZipGrade averages 4.9 from 36K ratings.

### Do Nearpod or ZipGrade have ads?

Neither Nearpod nor ZipGrade shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Nearpod or ZipGrade?

Nearpod ships an update monthly, and ZipGrade every 6 weeks. Most recently, Nearpod was updated on October 11, 2026 and ZipGrade on October 17, 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.*