Comparison

ZipGrade vs Equity Maps

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

Head to head
About

ZipGrade

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
Read full description

Teachers can grade multiple choice tests, quizzes, and assessments instantly in the classroom by using their iPhone or iPad's camera as a scanner. It is the most cost effective, fastest, and most accurate way to grade tests in the classroom or where ever you are. -------------------------------------------------------- * Free answer sheets available in several formats and sizes up to 100 questions (including custom form wizard) * Organizes results for reporting and exporting via PDF and Excel-readable format * Uses student ID numbers or written name of student for reporting. * Use companion website (www.zipgrade.com) to manage your data and upload student lists and review results in dozens of reports and exports. -------------------------------------------------------- Use for exit tickets, formative assessments, or regular quizzes. Stores results by students, subject, and quiz. By giving teachers the flexibility to grade papers instantly anywhere, ZipGrade provides immediate feedback on current knowledge and can be used to better focus lessons and assignments. Download ZipGrade free with access to all features and website, but limited to 100 scans per month. After you've used it for a class or two, use the in-app purchase a non-recurring subscription with unlimited scanning.

About

Equity Maps

This app helps educators visualize and analyze student participation in classroom discussions. It allows teachers to track who speaks, how often, and the nature of their contributions, fostering reflection and equity.

Highlights
  • Visualize student participation
  • Instant feedback and analytics
  • Animated playback of discussions
  • Track contribution types
  • Create custom identity markers
  • Export audio and analytics (Premium)
Features
Read full description

• Elevate the voices in the room -- help students to reflect & grow! • Provide Instant Feedback – Nurture Reflection – Ignite Collaboration – Promote Equity • Created by teachers, for teachers & their students. Ideal for Socratic seminars, Spider Web™ & Harkness® (*) discussions, Literature Circles, Dialogic lesson designs, or anytime students interact. Effortlessly chart & record students’ interactions to graphically illustrate levels & types of participation. Spur deeper reflection with the discussion maps, instant analytics & animated playback at multiple speeds. NEW IN PREMIUM! – Export audio & class analytics – Post in your LMS or email directly to your students along with their talk time, Checknotes of types of contributions, the discussion map, & your personal feedback (beta). STANDARD FEATURES: • Up to 20 participants in any class w/open seating options • Quick edit features to create groups and classes. • Playback the discussion maps in real time or fast forward • Select & listen to any speaker & view notes linked to their participation • Individual/Group analytics – Include/Exclude participants from the data to see how the dynamics change PREMIUM FEATURES available with in-app upgrade or by downloading Premium today: • Up to 40 participants • Add Identity Markers to track data by groups of students • Export Audio or analytics via email to students or post in LMS or export to CSV (beta) • Track student contributions w/ enhanced Checknotes & access the 17 templates ------- CONFERENCE WITH YOUR STUDENTS OR TEACHERS: • Debrief w/students individually! Review contributions of any one student in the improved participant analytics: see each time the student spoke & playback what they said, or play from the person who spoke before/after, review notations for that student, participation data, or Checknotes… all on one screen! • Give better feedback! Take notes or write comments during or after the discussion that link directly to the student speaking and share with them immediately after. • Identify Markers: customize the groups w/n your class that you’d like to measure such as grade level, language level, race, seating area, or anything you’d like to see. ------- REFLECTIVE DATA AT YOUR FINGERTIPS: • Simply tap on the participants’ icons when they speak & Equity Maps will do the rest by visually charting the interactions & calculating levels of participation. • Track the nature of each participant's contributions with Checknotes, choose among the 17 templates or create your own, or take notes during the discussion that attach to the speaker for review afterward. • The “Feedback Frames” provide key statistics for teachers, students or group members: time spoken, times spoken, gender equity, or customize anything you’d like to measure. TEACHERS: • Enhance your Socratic Seminars, Literature Circles, Harkness®(*) discussions, or full classroom discussions • Monitor & assess Common Core Speaking & Listening Standards, ATL, Dialogic lessons, or seminar criteria • Promote student involvement & self-reflection • Perfect for schools with VPP for 50% discount FACILITATORS & GROUP LEADERS: • Encourage deeper reflection of your group’s goals, norms & processes • Give your boss an Equity Check & share how equitable your last meeting was • Critical Friends Group® coaches & facilitators (CFG work) or in PLCs ADMINISTRATORS & INSTRUCTIONAL COACHES: • Provide teachers an “image” of their classroom instruction like they’ve never seen before! • Revitalize reflective practices for teachers, while reducing anxiety of post-observation meetings • Make your classroom observations more meaningful & reflective ------ Equity Maps® is a registered trademark at the USPTO / U.S. Pat. No 10,553,129 *Equity Maps has been developed completely independent of Phillips Exeter Academy & is not affiliated in any way with the academy. Critical Friends Group® is a registered trademark of the National School Reform Faculty (NSRF®)

Screenshots

ZipGrade3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: ZipGrade at Free against Equity Maps's $1.99. ZipGrade also leads on ratings volume (36K vs 72) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 3 months). Equity Maps's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 86%). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

ZipGrade is free to download; Equity Maps costs $1.99 up front. ZipGrade sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Equity Maps sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for ZipGrade against 4.8 for Equity Maps. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ZipGrade has 36K ratings behind it against 72, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 86% of ZipGrade's written reviews are positive against 100% of Equity Maps's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ZipGrade ships an update every 6 weeks, Equity Maps every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
ZipGrade versus Equity Maps: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterZipGradeEquity Maps
PriceFree — better$1.99
Rating4.9 (36K ratings) — better4.8 (72 ratings)
Positive reviews85.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings36K — better72
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeks — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPad
Requires iOS13.012.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size30 MB56 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperZipGrade LLCDavid Nelson

Customer experience

ZipGrade

All ratings36,274 ratings
Positive98.3%
Neutral0.9%
Negative0.9%
Written reviews505 reviews
Positive85.7%
Neutral3.2%
Negative11.1%

Equity Maps

All ratings72 ratings
Positive95.8%
Neutral2.8%
Negative1.4%
Written reviews16 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

ZipGrade

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

4 requests
  • 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

Equity Maps

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

ZipGrade

One-time1
  • Add 1 year of use$6.99
1 purchases

Equity Maps

One-time1
  • Equity Maps Premium v5.3$7.99

Questions

Is ZipGrade free?
ZipGrade is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Equity Maps free?
Equity Maps costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ZipGrade or Equity Maps?
ZipGrade is rated higher. ZipGrade averages 4.9 out of 5 from 36K ratings, while Equity Maps averages 4.8 from 72 ratings.
Do ZipGrade or Equity Maps have ads?
Neither ZipGrade nor Equity Maps shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ZipGrade or Equity Maps?
ZipGrade ships an update every 6 weeks, and Equity Maps every 3 months. Most recently, ZipGrade was updated on October 15, 2026 and Equity Maps on October 8, 2026.

Other comparisons