Acadly vs Plickers

Acadly automates class attendance and provides tools for in-class engagement, including polls, quizzes, word clouds, discussions, and a class backchannel. Instructors can configure the roster, schedule, and attendance rules in advance so sessions run automatically. Acadly says its mesh-network technology verifies physical presence without GPS or QR codes, does not track geolocation, and flags suspicious patterns for instructor review. A native PowerPoint add-in can launch attendance and polls from slides and is described as working on Mac and PC. Institutional deployments support LTI compatibility with Moodle, Brightspace, Blackboard, and Canvas, as well as Zoom and PowerPoint integrations. Basic is listed at $3 a month; its pricing details also show a teacher-pays rate of $3 per course or student-pays rate of $5 per course. Pro is listed at $5 a month, with teacher-pays at $5 per course or student-pays at $10 per course. A First Course Free option covers one course for up to five months, but excludes fraud alerts. Acadly is available on Android, iOS, macOS, and the web.

Plickers is a classroom polling and quiz tool that collects student answers and displays results. Students respond with unique Plickers cards, so they do not need individual devices or accounts. A teacher uses the mobile app to scan cards, collect answers, reveal correct choices, and move through questions. Sessions can run offline, and responses can be anonymous; the audience limit is 63. Plickers provides student reports and scoresheets, and results can be downloaded for further analysis. Teachers can import classes and student rosters from Google Classroom and sync later changes. For remote lessons, Plickers E-Learning lets students answer synchronously from home using a device. The service is available on Android, iOS, and the web. Its free plan allows five questions per set, while Pro plans offer unlimited-question sets, private Pack collaboration, custom unlimited Scoresheet date ranges, and priority support. Listed Pro prices are $8.99 a month or $71.88 a year. A 14-day trial is available. Plickers says it does not sell student information.