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Hypothesis

web.hypothes.is

Free plan Open source WebAPIBrowser extension
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Spec score 8.5 #6 of 31 in Web Annotation Tools

What it is

Hypothesis adds shared annotations to digital course materials, letting learners mark passages, ask questions, and reply to peers alongside the content. Users can create private highlights and page notes, add tags, and hold threaded discussions. Supported material includes web pages, PDFs, EPUB files, YouTube videos, and content from VitalSource and JSTOR. For institutional use, Hypothesis lists LTI 1.3 integrations with Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle, D2L Brightspace, and Sakai; annotations can also sync with LMS gradebooks, including Canvas SpeedGrader. A free account is available for personal use and collaboration. The web app works with a Chrome extension on Chrome and other Chromium browsers, or a bookmarklet in Firefox and Safari. Hypothesis also offers API access, exports in JSON, plain text, CSV, and HTML, and JSON import. The Free plan costs nothing, billed per student/yearly, and includes core annotation, private groups, and self-service support. The project was founded as an open-source project in 2011.

Spec sheet

What it does
Hypothesis adds a collaborative annotation layer to webpages, PDFs, videos, images and electronic texts so users can highlight, comment and discuss content in context.Read 15 Oct 2026 · web.hypothes.is
Purpose
Hypothesis adds collaborative annotations to digital course materials so learners can highlight passages, ask questions, and respond to peers in context.Read 30 Sep 2026 · web.hypothes.is
API
The public API supports authentication plus creating, updating, deleting, searching and moderating annotations and managing users and groups.Read 15 Oct 2026 · web.hypothes.is
Security
Hypothesis says its security program includes static code analysis, dependency vulnerability monitoring, security assessments, and third-party penetration testing.Read 30 Sep 2026 · web.hypothes.is
Compliance
Hypothesis says it has completed a Cloud Security Alliance CAIQ assessment and documents SOC compliance, and it provides a HECVAT response for higher education customers.Read 30 Sep 2026 · web.hypothes.is
Support
The pricing page lists self-service support for Free and Bronze, standard email support for Bronze, and premium support with a dedicated customer success manager for Gold.Read 30 Sep 2026 · web.hypothes.is
Founded
2011Read 23 Sep 2026 · web.hypothes.is
Company
The site footer identifies the company as Annotation Unlimited, PBC, and the About page says the project was founded as an open-source project in 2011.Read 30 Sep 2026 · web.hypothes.is
Additional integrations
Hypothesis says its annotations sync with LMS gradebooks, including Canvas SpeedGrader.Read 30 Sep 2026 · web.hypothes.is
Analytics
The LMS reporting dashboard provides annotation counts and engagement information across assignments and courses.Read 15 Oct 2026 · web.hypothes.is
Annotation features
Users can create annotations, private highlights, page notes, and threaded replies, and add tags to annotations.Read 30 Sep 2026 · web.hypothes.is
Annotation types
The service supports highlights, anchored annotations, page notes, threaded replies, tags and private, public or group visibility.Read 15 Oct 2026 · web.hypothes.is
Auto-grading
The paid package descriptions include automatic grading based on student annotation activity and LMS gradebook synchronization.Read 15 Oct 2026 · web.hypothes.is
Browser access
The free web app can be used with a Chrome extension on Chrome and other Chromium browsers, or a bookmarklet in Firefox and Safari.Read 30 Sep 2026 · web.hypothes.is
Chrome distribution
The Chrome Web Store listing reports approximately 300,000 users and identifies Annotation Unlimited PBC as publisher.Read 15 Oct 2026 · chromewebstore.google.com
Company location and founding
LinkedIn lists headquarters in San Francisco, California and a 2011 founding year.Read 15 Oct 2026 · linkedin.com
Company scale
LinkedIn lists Hypothesis as a privately held education company with 11–50 employees.Read 15 Oct 2026 · linkedin.com
Developer authentication
Users can create an API token at the developer account page, while OAuth authorization and token endpoints support integrated clients.Read 15 Oct 2026 · web.hypothes.is
Developer repositories
Hypothesis publishes public repositories for the annotation service, client, browser extension, PDF viewer, proxy, LMS app and WordPress plugin.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Documentation depth
The help center lists 37 annotation articles, 47 public-web articles and 124 LMS articles, plus installation and troubleshooting guides.Read 15 Oct 2026 · web.hypothes.is
Education focus
Hypothesis describes its institutional audience as colleges and universities, faculty and instructors, and students.Read 30 Sep 2026 · web.hypothes.is
Free personal use
Hypothesis says a free account is available for personal use and collaboration.Read 30 Sep 2026 · web.hypothes.is
Gradebook workflow
Canvas users can access student annotations through SpeedGrader, and the LMS app can synchronize annotation grades.Read 15 Oct 2026 · oit.colorado.edu
Image annotation
Image annotations let users place pins or area selections on visual material such as diagrams, charts and scanned PDFs.Read 15 Oct 2026 · web.hypothes.is
Independent finding: LMS workflow
The University of Colorado assessment found Hypothesis operates as an LTI integration with an annotation sidebar and Canvas SpeedGrader access.Read 15 Oct 2026 · oit.colorado.edu
Independent praise: collaboration
The University of North Texas guide reports that annotations can support collaborative discussion, peer review and inclusion of links, images and GIFs.Read 15 Oct 2026 · blogs.library.unt.edu
Independent praise: learning outcomes
Washington University’s teaching center cites research linking social annotation with better critical thinking, metacognition, reading comprehension and reading motivation.Read 15 Oct 2026 · ctl.wustl.edu
Legal maker
The service terms identify the contracting company as Annotation Unlimited, PBC.Read 15 Oct 2026 · web.hypothes.is
Licence
The principal public repositories shown by the project use the BSD-2-Clause licence.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Limit: Capterra reviewer
The same Capterra review mentions several small product quirks that the reviewer felt could be improved.Read 15 Oct 2026 · capterra.com
Limit: G2 reviewer
G2 reviewers cited limited lookalike-creator controls, missing regional suggestions or languages, limited credits and unavailable share-rate visibility.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
LMS integrations
The platform integrates through LTI with Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle, D2L Brightspace and Sakai, keeping assignments and grades in the LMS.Read 15 Oct 2026 · web.hypothes.is
Notable limits
The listed Bronze, Silver, and Gold packages cap user seats at 1,000, 2,000, and 3,000 respectively.Read 30 Sep 2026 · web.hypothes.is
Notable release
The LMS changelog records Paced Social Annotation as an August 2026 release and Paced Grades as a September 2026 release.Read 15 Oct 2026 · web.hypothes.is
Paced Social Annotation
The paced mode hides student annotations until an instructor checkpoint, after which the class or group can view them.Read 15 Oct 2026 · web.hypothes.is
Praise: Capterra reviewer
A Capterra reviewer praised Hypothesis for teaching close reading, supporting PDF annotation, integrating with Canvas and being easy for students to use.Read 15 Oct 2026 · capterra.com
Praise: G2 reviewer
G2 reviewers of the product listing praised its large influencer data pool, filtering, updated metrics, smooth interface and discovery dashboard.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Publisher integrations
Official materials describe integrations with JSTOR and VitalSource, including annotation of partner articles and eTexts.Read 15 Oct 2026 · web.hypothes.is
Rating on Chrome Web Store
3.9 out of 5 from 225 ratings.Read 15 Oct 2026 · chromewebstore.google.com
Rating on G2
4.4 out of 5 from 5 reviews.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Security documentation
Hypothesis says it maintains HECVAT documentation, completed a Cloud Security Alliance CAIQ assessment and documents SOC compliance.Read 15 Oct 2026 · web.hypothes.is
Supported content
Hypothesis supports annotation of web pages, PDFs, EPUB files, YouTube videos, and content from VitalSource and JSTOR.Read 30 Sep 2026 · web.hypothes.is
System limitation: authenticated proxy pages
The Via proxy cannot rewrite pages that require authentication or cookies.Read 15 Oct 2026 · web.hypothes.is
System limitation: CSP
The documented bookmarklet does not work on sites enforcing restrictive Content Security Policy, with GitHub given as an example.Read 15 Oct 2026 · web.hypothes.is
Video annotation
Hypothesis supports transcript-linked annotation for YouTube and Canvas Studio videos.Read 15 Oct 2026 · web.hypothes.is
Web and PDF support
The browser extension and bookmarklet let users annotate web pages and PDFs, while Chromium browsers, Firefox and Safari are supported through the documented installation methods.Read 15 Oct 2026 · web.hypothes.is

Plans and prices

Free Free Per student/yearly Core annotation · Private groups · Self-service support Read 15 Oct 2026 · web.hypothes.is
Bronze Price not published Per student/yearly Core annotation · LMS integration · Up to 1,000 user seats · Partner workshops · One annual training session · Standard email support Read 15 Oct 2026 · web.hypothes.is
Custom solution Priced on request Contact sales for a custom solution Custom solution; page does not specify features or price Read 30 Sep 2026 · web.hypothes.is
Gold Price not published Per student/yearly Silver features · Up to 3,000 seats · Unlimited training · Dedicated customer success manager · Premium support · Hypothesis Academy · Quarterly check-ins Read 15 Oct 2026 · web.hypothes.is
Silver Price not published Per student/yearly Core annotation · LMS integration · Up to 2,000 user seats · Advanced analytics · Auto-grading · Bronze support features · Hypothesis Academy Read 15 Oct 2026 · web.hypothes.is

Every Hypothesis plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Supports web pages, PDFs, EPUB, and YouTube videos.
  • Annotations can sync with LMS gradebooks.
  • Free account supports personal use and collaboration.
  • Exports JSON, plain text, CSV, and HTML.

Limits

  • Bronze is capped at 1,000 user seats.
  • Silver is capped at 2,000 user seats.
  • Gold is capped at 3,000 seats.

Who it suits

Hypothesis suits learners who want to discuss material in context, and instructors or institutions using supported learning platforms. A free account also supports personal use and collaboration.

Hypothesis in depth

Read the full write-up

Hypothesis is a collaborative annotation tool that attaches notes and discussion to digital reading materials. It is best suited to students and educators, particularly colleges and universities using a supported learning management system. Its strongest case is course-centered reading; teams looking for general website feedback should look elsewhere.

Overview

Founded as an open-source project in 2011, Hypothesis serves individual readers as well as institutions. Personal accounts support annotation and collaboration at no cost, while institutional packages add LMS connections and vary in seat limits, training, analytics, and support. That makes the free account a useful starting point, but larger courses and institutions need to match package capacity and services to their needs.

Key features

Readers can highlight passages, keep private highlights and page notes, add tags, and reply in threaded discussions. These tools keep individual study and peer conversation attached to the relevant text. Guest access and collaborative review also suit work involving people outside the core user group.

Hypothesis supports web pages, PDFs, EPUBs, YouTube videos, and content from VitalSource and JSTOR. Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle, D2L Brightspace, and Sakai connect through LTI 1.3, and annotations can sync with LMS gradebooks, including Canvas SpeedGrader. Those integrations are a meaningful advantage for courses already using these systems, but less useful to teams reviewing unrelated websites or product designs.

Annotations can be exported as JSON, plain text, CSV, or HTML, and JSON can be imported. The security program includes static code analysis, dependency vulnerability monitoring, assessments, and third-party penetration testing. Hypothesis has completed a Cloud Security Alliance CAIQ assessment, documents SOC compliance, and provides a HECVAT response for higher education customers.

Pricing

The Free plan costs nothing, billed Per student/yearly. It includes core annotation, private groups, and self-service support, and is suited to personal use and collaboration without institutional LMS features. The trade-off is that the package does not include LMS integration or the added institutional services in the paid tiers.

Bronze, Silver, and Gold use per-student yearly billing, with custom pricing. Bronze includes core annotation, LMS integration, up to 1,000 user seats, partner workshops, one annual training session, and standard email support. Its lower seat ceiling and limited training make it the entry institutional option.

Silver includes core annotation, LMS integration, up to 2,000 user seats, advanced analytics, auto-grading, and Hypothesis Academy. It suits institutions that need those teaching and analysis features without Gold's larger cap and higher-touch support. Gold includes all Silver features, up to 3,000 seats, unlimited training, a dedicated customer success manager, premium support, Hypothesis Academy, and quarterly check-ins. It is the strongest fit for institutions that will use continuing training and dedicated assistance; its 3,000-seat cap still sets a boundary.

Custom solution is available through contact with sales, with custom pricing; its features depend on the solution. Across the named institutional packages, seat limits are important when planning adoption beyond a single course or department.

Platforms

Hypothesis is available through the web, API, and browser extension. The free web app works with a Chrome extension on Chrome and other Chromium browsers, or a bookmarklet in Firefox and Safari. The browser options give readers a way to annotate outside an LMS, while the institutional LTI integrations connect it to supported course platforms.

Who it's for

Hypothesis is aimed at colleges and universities, faculty, instructors, and students. It is a strong fit when course reading needs passage-level questions, private study, and peer replies, especially where LMS gradebook connections matter. It is a weaker choice for general-purpose visual review or teams that need a workflow centered on feedback to websites rather than discussion of reading materials.

Pros and cons

Pros: Broad material support, from web pages and PDFs to EPUBs, videos, VitalSource, and JSTOR, supports varied course reading.

Pros: LTI 1.3 integrations and gradebook syncing can connect annotations to established course workflows.

Pros: A free personal plan includes core annotation and private groups, and exports cover four common formats.

Cons: Paid institutional seat caps range from 1,000 to 3,000, which may constrain wider adoption.

Cons: Bronze limits training to one annual session, while the dedicated customer success manager and premium support are reserved for Gold.

Cons: The institutional packages use custom pricing, so buyers must contact sales to assess cost.

Alternatives

For a broader set of choices, see Web Annotation Tools. Choose Pastel instead if you need website canvases, video storage, or its listed Android and iOS support. Annot is an alternative with a freelance plan that includes an active project, unlimited guests, file uploads in comments, and Slack integration. Choose AnnotationBase if its free plan's five active projects and up to five collaborators fit your needs. dotts offers a free plan with up to three projects and unlimited reviewers, making it an alternative for project-based review. Ruttl is another option, with a free plan that includes five users, one project, five pages, and unlimited guests. SiteDots is an alternative web and extension option. Annot8 offers a free plan with two projects, three team seats, and three guest reviewers. Huddlekit is another alternative with API and web platforms.

Verdict

Choose Hypothesis if you want discussion anchored to course materials and need integrations with major LMS platforms, including gradebook syncing. Its free account makes personal annotation accessible, while institutional plans add course features and support. Look elsewhere if your priority is general website feedback, or if an institutional seat cap or custom-priced package does not fit your deployment.

Verdict

Hypothesis combines annotation and threaded discussion with support for multiple course-material formats. Its institutional integrations and seat caps are specified, while listed paid package prices are not.

Where Specifiction places it

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