LessonSmith vs PlanbookEdu

LessonSmith is a web app that drafts lesson plans, schemes of work and support plans for individual learners. Teachers can upload a syllabus PDF or add notes, then build a week-by-week scheme against a calendar. Plans can be edited directly or revised by describing changes in plain language, and exported to Word or PDF. The service lists 11 curricula, including Kenya CBC/CBE, South Africa CAPS, England’s National Curriculum, Common Core and NGSS, IB and Cambridge International. The app and generated plans follow the teacher’s chosen language, with nine languages listed. LessonSmith has a free plan, a one-off Demo, and paid tiers. Pro costs $8 a month or KES 1,000 a month; Max costs $40 a month or KES 5,000 a month. Pro lists 40 lesson plans monthly, while Max lists 80. The maker recommends excluding learners’ personal details from prompts and reviewing every generation before classroom use.

PlanbookEdu is an online lesson planner for teachers to create weekly plans, attach materials and standards, and share plans with colleagues. The Free plan includes unlimited weekly plans, A/B day and rotation schedules, and word-processor editing. Lessons can be tagged with Common Core, state, and custom standards. Users can print plans in a browser or export them to Word and PDF. Premium adds file attachments, collaboration, search, and spell check. School and district administrators can manage teacher accounts centrally, review submitted plans, and leave comments; school accounts can use Google Workspace for Education single sign-on. The website is available on the web, Android, and iOS, though mobile access is listed as web-only. PlanbookEdu is freemium: the Free plan is free, billed free forever, and Premium is $30 a year. A 14-day trial is listed. The company says it began in 2004 and was built by a teacher and a developer.