Anchor vs classroom.cloud

Anchor is classroom software for schools using managed or bring-your-own-device Windows laptops. A teacher starts a focus session for a class, selects allowed app and website bundles, and watches student states and off-list events on a dashboard. Microsoft 365, Smartschool, and GeoGebra are named selectable bundles, and teachers sign in with existing school Microsoft accounts. Off-list apps are set aside rather than closed; off-list Microsoft Edge pages show a block page with an access-request option. Anchor provides activity monitoring, web filtering, and device controls, but no live screen view or behavior tracking. It observes activity only during an active teacher-started session. During that session, the extension sends off-allowlist visits, unblock requests, integrity signals, and liveness heartbeats to the school backend. Each school runs a single-tenant backend in its own Azure subscription. Anchor is GPL-3.0 licensed, self-hostable, and publicly auditable. It is free, with no licence fee or per-seat charge, though Azure hosting costs may apply.

classroom.cloud is a cloud-based school platform that brings classroom management, safeguarding and IT management together. Teachers can view student screens, share screen and audio, control internet and app access, message students and run surveys. The optional Safeguarding toolkit monitors keywords and phrases, raises contextual alerts, records activity evidence, scores risk, analyzes images and provides reporting. IT tools include device inventory, remote support, internet and application controls, PowerShell scripts, power management and password resets. Integrations include Microsoft School Data Sync, Microsoft Entra ID, Microsoft Teams, Google Classroom, ClassLink, Clever for eligible US schools, CPOMS and Tes MyConcern. Teacher Console and Admin Portal are web-based; supported student systems include Windows, ChromeOS, Android, iPadOS and macOS, with specified minimum versions. New accounts receive a 30-day trial for up to 50 portal users and 30 enrolled student devices, with no credit card required. Paid subscriptions are annual and priced per device by quote, based on device count, selected toolkits and term. Onboarding and ongoing support are included.