Comparison

ZipGrade vs First Bell

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

First Bell

This app helps high school students manage their daily class schedules with personalized views and live timers. Input your classes once to instantly organize your day and always know what's next.

Highlights
  • Personalized class schedules
  • Live timers for current block
  • View today's full schedule
  • Input class names and room numbers
  • Organized daily view
Read full description

FIRST BELL Lake Washington School District’s new high school bell schedule includes different start times, rotating blocks, and varying lunch schedules. First Bell keeps everything simple with a personalized schedule and live timers. Just enter your classes once, and your day is instantly organized. ** FEATURES * Edit: Input your class names, room numbers, and lunch. * Today's Schedule: View your full day’s schedule, synced to day of the week with live timers. * Current Schedule: A simple view of what class is happening now and what’s next. HOW IT WORKS
 Set up your classes in the app, and First Bell takes care of the rest. Your current block updates in real time, so you always know exactly where you’re supposed to be. WHY FIRST BELL
 No more paper schedules or scrolling through reminders. First Bell is built for high school students, by a high school student, to make staying on schedule effortless. Disclaimer This free app is provided 'as is' with no warranties, express or implied. The developer assumes no liability, implicit or explicit, for any issues arising from app usage. **This app is built for regular bell schedule days only.**

Screenshots

ZipGrade3 screens
First Bell4 screens

Verdict

The call

ZipGrade and First Bell both sit at 4.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 86% of ZipGrade's written reviews are positive against 50% of First Bell's. ZipGrade also leads on ratings volume (36K vs 15) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.0). First Bell's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 6 weeks). On price, rating, ads and device support 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. ZipGrade sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. First Bell asks for nothing beyond the download.

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 First Bell. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ZipGrade has 36K ratings behind it against 15, 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 50% of First Bell's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ZipGrade ships an update every 6 weeks, First Bell every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
ZipGrade versus First Bell: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterZipGradeFirst Bell
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (36K ratings) — better4.8 (15 ratings)
Positive reviews86.0% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings36K — better15
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size30 MB0 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperZipGrade LLCSubramanian Ramaswamy

Customer experience

ZipGrade

All ratings36,274 ratings
Positive98.3%
Neutral0.9%
Negative0.9%
Written reviews506 reviews
Positive86.0%
Neutral3.2%
Negative10.9%

First Bell

All ratings15 ratings
Positive93.3%
Neutral6.7%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral50.0%
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

First Bell

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

ZipGrade

One-time1
  • Add 1 year of use$6.99
None

First Bell

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ZipGrade free?
ZipGrade is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is First Bell free?
First Bell is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ZipGrade or First Bell?
ZipGrade is rated higher. ZipGrade averages 4.9 out of 5 from 36K ratings, while First Bell averages 4.8 from 15 ratings.
Do ZipGrade or First Bell have ads?
Neither ZipGrade nor First Bell shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ZipGrade or First Bell?
ZipGrade ships an update every 6 weeks, and First Bell every 9 days. Most recently, ZipGrade was updated on October 15, 2026 and First Bell on October 6, 2026.

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