NetSupport School vs Piazza

NetSupport School is classroom-management and student-monitoring software for teaching, managing devices, and assessment. Teachers can monitor student screens, applications, websites, typing, and collaboration in adjustable thumbnails, then remotely control screens or blank and lock selected devices. For instruction, they can share screens, applications, presentations, videos, and websites with annotation tools. File transfer supports sending files and folders to students and collecting files from them. The software supports mixed-platform classes across Windows, Mac, Chromebooks, Android, and iOS. SIS mode integrates with ClassLink OneRoster and Google Classroom, but requires the NetSupport Connectivity Server installed on Windows Server. A 30-day trial supports up to 40 devices, includes all features, and does not require a credit card. Pricing is available on request; licensing is device-based, and a 100-machine deployment requires a 100-user license even when loaded from a server. Pricing includes free weekday support across global time zones and online training. The Android student app supports Android tablets running version 12 or later, with arm64-v8a on versions from 15.10.0003.

Piazza is a course Q&A platform connecting students, teaching assistants, and professors around coursework. Its wiki-style format lets participants edit shared responses, with one student answer and one instructor answer for each question. Students can post anonymously to classmates, or anonymously to the instructor if the instructor permits it; instructors can endorse questions and answers. Course pages can hold announcements, course information, syllabi, assignments, lecture notes, and links. Participation reports show instructors who asks, answers, edits, or reads, as well as when questions arise during the term. Piazza lists integrations with Blackboard, Moodle, Sakai, Desire2Learn, Canvas, Jenzabar, and Angel. Integrated rosters can enroll users with appropriate roles, and users can sign in through the LMS. Piazza is available on web, iOS, and Android, with class alerts in its mobile apps. It says student email addresses and course enrollment details are accessible only to class instructors, and describes technical, administrative, and physical safeguards. Founded in 2009, it is headquartered in Palo Alto, California. A contribution-supported plan is free; paid instructor licenses start at $379 a month, billed per term.