CrowdGrader
crowdgrader.com
What it is
CrowdGrader is a web service for students to submit homework and peer-grade classmates’ work while instructors oversee assignments and keep control of final grades. It combines peer assessments into a consensus grade for each submission and removes outliers. A student’s crowd-grade reflects both the grade received and how accurately that student grades other submissions. Students can create reports, math, or code in the built-in editor, or upload files such as ZIP archives. Reviews are anonymous: reviewers do not see authors’ identities, and uploaded files are renamed. Instructors can monitor similarities through clusters and side-by-side submission comparisons. Institutional subscriptions include optional LMS integration, access monitoring, and long-term data retention for auditing. Student work is transmitted over HTTPS; Google authentication uses only the user’s email address for identification. The free instructor-sponsored plan covers up to 20 students per assignment. Other listed options include $2.99 per assignment for up to 35 students, $6.99 for up to 100, and $13.98 for unlimited students.
Spec sheet
- What it does
- CrowdGrader is a browser-based peer-grading service where students submit homework, review classmates' work, and instructors assign final grades.Read 14 Oct 2026 · crowdgrader.org
- Purpose
- CrowdGrader lets students submit and collaboratively peer-grade homework, while instructors monitor assignments and retain control of final grades.Read 30 Sep 2026 · doc.crowdgrader.org
- Integrations
- Institutional subscriptions include optional integration with existing Learning Management Systems; the pricing page does not name specific systems.Read 30 Sep 2026 · crowdgrader.com
- Support
- The maker's homepage provides a contact email and phone number, and educator testimonials describe responsive help from the founder.Read 30 Sep 2026 · crowdgrader.com
- Headquarters
- Wilmington, Delaware, United StatesRead 23 Sep 2026 · crowdgrader.com
- Age requirement
- The Terms of Use say users must be at least 13 and prohibit use when any participating student is younger than 13.Read 30 Sep 2026 · doc.crowdgrader.org
- Anonymous reviewing
- Reviews hide the submission author's identity and rename uploaded files to preserve anonymity.Read 14 Oct 2026 · doc.crowdgrader.org
- Anonymous reviews
- Reviews are anonymous; CrowdGrader hides submission authors' identities from reviewers and renames uploaded files to preserve anonymity.Read 30 Sep 2026 · doc.crowdgrader.org
- Assignment setup
- Teachers create assignments with a class roster or self-enrollment URL, without a full-course setup.Read 14 Oct 2026 · doc.crowdgrader.org
- Authentication
- Users sign up and log in with a Google account; CrowdGrader says it uses the email address but not the Google password.Read 14 Oct 2026 · crowdgrader.org
- Class size
- The FAQ says there is no specific maximum class size, reports successful use for classes of about 800, and invites inquiries for classes of tens of thousands.Read 30 Sep 2026 · doc.crowdgrader.org
- Class-size claim
- The FAQ reports successful use with about 800 students and says there is no specific class-size limit, with larger deployments handled by contacting CrowdGrader.Read 14 Oct 2026 · doc.crowdgrader.org
- Company address
- The site lists CrowdGrader LLC at 922 New Road, Floor 2, Wilmington, Delaware 19805.Read 14 Oct 2026 · crowdgrader.com
- Company origin
- CrowdGrader says it was funded in 2018 by university professors to commercialize classroom technologies they had developed and used.Read 14 Oct 2026 · crowdgrader.com
- Company team
- The homepage identifies Mark Billion as chief operating officer, Anthony Bastardi as lead software engineer, and Luca de Alfaro and Massimo Di Pierro as professor/advisors.Read 14 Oct 2026 · crowdgrader.com
- Consensus grading
- The system combines peer grades into a submission grade, removes outliers, and adjusts for reviewer bias and precision.Read 14 Oct 2026 · doc.crowdgrader.org
- Data export
- Instructors and teaching assistants download assignment metadata as JSON and use a Python GitHub downloader to retrieve submissions, attachments and reviews.Read 14 Oct 2026 · doc.crowdgrader.org
- Downloader licence
- The publicly supplied assignment-downloader code is released under the MIT licence.Read 14 Oct 2026 · doc.crowdgrader.org
- Grade-bias behavior
- The algorithm can reduce a perfect-looking score when reviewers are judged overly generous, while instructors can recurve results manually.Read 14 Oct 2026 · doc.crowdgrader.org
- Group work
- Assignments can allow individual or group submissions, with CrowdGrader managing group formation and review allocation.Read 14 Oct 2026 · doc.crowdgrader.org
- Infrastructure
- CrowdGrader says it runs on Google Cloud with automatic scaling and geographically replicated data.Read 14 Oct 2026 · doc.crowdgrader.org
- Instructor control
- Instructors may adopt crowd-grades as final grades, edit grades manually, or interpolate missing grades.Read 14 Oct 2026 · doc.crowdgrader.org
- Late submissions
- Students cannot submit late work directly; an instructor must add or modify a late submission.Read 14 Oct 2026 · doc.crowdgrader.org
- Limit: accessibility
- Western University's evaluation rated accessibility compliance 1 out of 5 because no AODA or WCAG compliance information was provided.Read 14 Oct 2026 · elearningtoolkit.uwo.ca
- Limit: customization
- Western's evaluation rated customization 2 out of 5 and said rubric design is somewhat limited.Read 14 Oct 2026 · elearningtoolkit.uwo.ca
- Limit: integration
- Western's evaluation rated OWL integration 1 out of 5 because the tool was available there only through a link rather than a native integration.Read 14 Oct 2026 · elearningtoolkit.uwo.ca
- Limit: mobile and offline use
- Western's evaluation said advanced mobile functions are limited and rated offline access 1 out of 5 because the platform cannot be used offline.Read 14 Oct 2026 · elearningtoolkit.uwo.ca
- Limit: privacy and ownership
- Western's evaluation rated data privacy and ownership 1 out of 5, citing the broad transferable content licence and possible indefinite retention.Read 14 Oct 2026 · elearningtoolkit.uwo.ca
- Limit: technical support
- Western University's evaluation rated technical support and help availability 2 out of 5 and noted that the tool is not centrally supported there.Read 14 Oct 2026 · elearningtoolkit.uwo.ca
- Praises: ease of use
- Western University's independent evaluation rated ease of use 3 out of 5 and described the interface as user-friendly and easy to personalize.Read 14 Oct 2026 · elearningtoolkit.uwo.ca
- Praises: learning and feedback
- A 2013 UC Santa Cruz report says peer grading gave students broader feedback and learning benefits, while preliminary grading accuracy was no worse than a teaching assistant's.Read 14 Oct 2026 · news.ucsc.edu
- Privacy collection
- The privacy policy lists Google email, profile details, assignment content, submissions, reviews, cookies, analytics and access logs as collected information.Read 14 Oct 2026 · doc.crowdgrader.org
- Privacy limits
- Data may be stored in any country and CrowdGrader may retain collected information indefinitely for service and algorithm improvement.Read 14 Oct 2026 · doc.crowdgrader.org
- Research heritage
- CrowdGrader describes itself as an offshoot of Luca de Alfaro's UCSC research and says he started CrowdGrader LLC to make the tool broadly accessible.Read 14 Oct 2026 · doc.crowdgrader.org
- Review allocation
- Students request reviews one at a time and normally complete about five reviews per assignment.Read 14 Oct 2026 · doc.crowdgrader.org
- Review quality scoring
- A student's crowd-grade combines the grade received for their submission with accuracy and helpfulness of their reviews.Read 14 Oct 2026 · doc.crowdgrader.org
- Review-based grades
- A student's crowd-grade combines the grade received for their submission with their accuracy in grading other submissions.Read 30 Sep 2026 · doc.crowdgrader.org
- Review-count limitation
- A submission can receive one more or one fewer review than configured because of incomplete reviewers and assignment constraints.Read 14 Oct 2026 · doc.crowdgrader.org
- Rubrics
- The product supports cumulative and itemized rubrics, with automatic totals for itemized criteria.Read 14 Oct 2026 · doc.crowdgrader.org
- Security and data retention
- The maker says institutional subscriptions include access monitoring and long-term data retention for auditing, and its documentation says student work is transmitted encrypted over HTTPS.Read 30 Sep 2026 · crowdgrader.com
- Security qualification
- CrowdGrader promises reasonable safeguards but says cloud providers could still access or disclose stored information.Read 14 Oct 2026 · doc.crowdgrader.org
- Similarity checker
- A submission-comparison tool identifies similar work and supports plagiarism checking for formats including DOCX, ZIP and TAR archives.Read 14 Oct 2026 · doc.crowdgrader.org
- Submission formats
- Students can write reports, mathematics, code and other content in the editor or upload any file type, including ZIP archives.Read 14 Oct 2026 · doc.crowdgrader.org
- Submission tools
- Students can use the built-in editor for reports, math, and code, or submit files including ZIP archives.Read 30 Sep 2026 · doc.crowdgrader.org
- Terms limitation
- The terms disclaim warranties, warn that service interruptions can occur, and cap aggregate liability at the greater of $100 or payments from the previous six months.Read 14 Oct 2026 · doc.crowdgrader.org
- Who it serves
- The maker describes benefits for students and instructors, including helping instructors manage large classes and giving students peer feedback and practice reviewing others' work.Read 30 Sep 2026 · doc.crowdgrader.org
Plans and prices
Strong points and limits
Strong points
- Combines peer grades and removes outliers.
- Students can write or upload homework.
- Reviews hide authors and rename uploaded files.
- Similarity clusters and side-by-side comparisons are available.
- Free instructor-sponsored plan covers up to 20 students.
Limits
- Only available on the web.
- Free instructor-sponsored assignments cap at 20 students.
- Users must be at least 13.
- Student-supported access costs $1.99 per six months.
Who it suits
CrowdGrader suits instructors managing peer-reviewed assignments, including large classes, and students who want peer feedback and practice reviewing others’ work. Institutional users may also use optional LMS integration and auditing features.
CrowdGrader in depth
Read the full write-up
Overview
CrowdGrader is a web-based service for student submissions and structured peer grading, with instructors keeping authority over final marks. It is a strong fit for educators who want peer review to contribute to scoring, especially in larger classes. Its per-assignment prices and 13-and-over rule are important constraints.
Key features
Each submission receives a consensus grade derived from peer scores, with outliers removed. A student’s crowd-grade also reflects how accurately they grade other work, making the quality of their reviewing part of assessment. That approach can make peer review more consequential than feedback alone, but instructors retain control of final grades.
Students can use an editor for reports, math, and code, or upload files, including ZIP archives. Automatic review allocation, rubrics, and moderation tools give assignments a defined process. Reviews are anonymous in one direction: reviewers do not see submission authors’ identities, and uploaded files are renamed. This supports less identity-led review, but should not be confused with a claim of mutual anonymity.
The monitoring page groups similar submissions and provides side-by-side comparisons, useful for identifying work that merits closer attention. Student work is transmitted over HTTPS. Google is used for authentication; CrowdGrader says it uses only the student’s email address to identify them, not other Google account information.
Institutional subscriptions can include LMS integration, access monitoring, and long-term data retention for auditing.
Pricing
The free instructor-sponsored plan costs nothing and covers up to 20 students. It is a practical way to run a small class assignment, but the cap makes it unsuitable for larger cohorts.
Paid instructor-sponsored assignments cost $2.99 for up to 35 students, $6.99 for up to 100, and $13.98 for unlimited students. The tiers let instructors match the fee to assignment size rather than commit to a recurring classroom subscription; the unlimited tier is the clear fit when enrollment exceeds 100.
The student-supported assignment option is $1.99/six months, billed as six months of access. Its subscription fee is non-refundable, and the access period determines when students may submit. That timing and refund term deserve attention before choosing it. CrowdGrader also offers a 21-day trial.
Institutional license pricing is custom pricing, based on predicted or past usage. All instructors affiliated with the institution can use CrowdGrader without charge under that license, making it the plan to consider for campus-wide access rather than repeated individual assignment purchases.
Platforms
CrowdGrader runs on the web. Google authentication is part of its sign-in approach, not a separate platform option.
Who it's for
Instructors managing substantial classes may benefit from automated review allocation, consensus scoring, moderation, and similarity comparisons. The FAQ reports successful use in classes of about 800 and invites inquiries about classes numbering in the tens of thousands; there is no stated fixed maximum. Students also get feedback and practice evaluating others’ work. The Terms of Use require users to be at least 13 and prohibit use if any participating student is younger.
Pros and cons
Pros: Instructors keep final-grade authority while peer work contributes to consensus scores, and reviewer accuracy affects students’ own crowd-grades.
Pros: Per-assignment tiers cover small groups through unlimited enrollment, while institutional licensing extends access to affiliated instructors.
Cons: The free instructor-sponsored tier stops at 20 students, so larger classes must pay per assignment or use an institutional license.
Cons: Student-supported access is non-refundable and submission timing depends on the six-month access period.
Cons: Use is barred when any participating student is younger than 13.
Alternatives
Peer Assessment Software is a useful starting point for comparing the category. Choose PeerAssessment.com instead if Android or iOS support matters; its paid service offers a trial capped at one class, one term, one instructor, 100 students, and 12 assessments.
Eli Review is worth considering for a freemium web option with free instructor access across unlimited courses and a one-term student plan. Expertiza suits readers seeking free, open-source software for web or self-hosted use across Linux and macOS.
Kritik360 is another freemium web option, with educator access described as always free for professors. Marka may suit a web or Android user whose needs fit its free Basic limit of three classes and 50 students per class.
ComPAIR is a free web and self-hosted alternative. PeerEvals is a free web option with no paid tier required for its core job. Peerceptiv is a paid web service with API support and a campus-wide subscription option.
Verdict
Choose CrowdGrader if you want a structured peer-assessment workflow that makes reviewers accountable, filters outlier scores, and leaves final grading with the instructor. Its large-class support and unlimited per-assignment tier are compelling for sizable courses, but check assignment costs, the student-access terms, and age eligibility first. Look elsewhere if you need a platform beyond the web or cannot meet the under-13 restriction.
Verdict
CrowdGrader gives instructors control over final grades while structuring anonymous peer review and consensus scoring. Check the assignment size and pricing model that fit your class before choosing a plan.
Where Specifiction places it
- Peer Assessment Software#1 of 179.0