Labster vs Prisms

Labster provides interactive virtual lab assignments for teaching science concepts and practicing laboratory techniques. Its catalog includes more than 300 simulations across STEM subjects. Learners follow guided scenarios, repeat work at their own pace, and receive immediate feedback. Instructors can use automatic grading, customizable quizzes, and a modular assignment builder. A course mapping tool helps match simulations to a syllabus, and listed LMS integrations include Canvas, Google Classroom, Blackboard, Moodle, Schoology, and D2L Brightspace.

Simulations run in supported browsers on Windows and Mac computers. Some are available on iPads and Chromebooks through the Labster app; smartphones, including iPhones and Android phones, are not supported for playing them. Purchases are available to instructors, faculty, and administrators at educational institutions. A free trial is offered, but there is no free plan. Pricing is on request; institutional or department engagements typically begin at $5,000 a year, billed annually, with final pricing dependent on the solution and implementation requirements.

Prisms is a spatial learning platform for grades 6–12 math and science. Students work through physical, first-person experiences and then connect those experiences to symbolic notation. The curriculum contains more than 100 content and skill-building modules. A classroom package includes VR headsets, charging and storage equipment, and mobile device management software; listed headset support includes Oculus Quest 1. Teachers can watch activity in real time through casting or an event timeline and provide feedback during lessons. Prisms AI gives short written responses to math and science answers and classifies mastery for teachers, who can override the classifications. Released modules can be translated into Spanish, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Mandarin, and Russian. The company says student data is not used to train third-party AI models and that sensitive or personally identifiable data is not sent to its AI. AI processing uses Anthropic models through AWS Bedrock and is described as FERPA- and COPPA-compliant. Support includes on-demand technical help and professional development with dedicated coaching. Partnerships use fixed license quantities and one-year initial terms unless an order form says otherwise.