OnlineExamMaker vs TAO
OnlineExamMaker
onlineexammaker.com
TAO
taotesting.comSide by side
| Figure | OnlineExamMaker | TAO |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $149/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 7 | 7 |
| Spec score · Assessment Software | 8.3 (#13) | 8.8 (#7) |
| Integrations | The product provides an API and single sign-on for connecting its exam data and users with external systems. | Listed integrations include Moodle, Canvas, Blackboard, GeoGebra, Proctorio, MathType, Wiris and Texthelp. |
| Proctoring | Its anti-cheating features include identity verification, a secure exam browser, and live monitoring. | The platform offers lockdown-browser controls, local proctoring, remote-proctoring integrations and session monitoring. |
| Support | The LAN Standard plan lists email and live chat support at 5×8, while the Professional and Institution plans list 7×16 support and remote assistance. | Community Edition support is through the TAO Community Forum and User Guide; paid plans offer additional support options. |
Plans
OnlineExamMaker
- FreeFree
- Standard (LAN Exam Maker)$2,999, paid once
- Professional (LAN Exam Maker)$4,999, paid once
- Institution (LAN Exam Maker)$5,999, paid once
- EssentialsPrice not published
- PremiumPrice not published
- ProfessionalPrice not published
TAO
- TAO Community EditionFree
- TAO StarterFree
- TAO StarterFree
- TAO Author$149 a month
- TAO Ignite$990 a month
- TAO ElevatePriced on request
- TAO EnterprisePriced on request
In their own words
OnlineExamMaker
OnlineExamMaker lets schools and enterprises create and distribute online exams, quizzes, surveys and training courses. Its question bank supports up to 10 question types and bulk import from Word or Excel. Exams can be shared by link or email, embedded in a website or WordPress blog, and accessed on mobile devices. The platform automatically grades objective questions and provides exam and candidate reports. Anti-cheating options include identity verification, a secure exam browser and live monitoring. Its online LMS combines courses and assessments, with course materials such as video, audio, PPT, PDF and Word. The product also provides API and single sign-on connections to external systems, though API access is available to Premium users. A free plan includes three exams per month, 50 attempts per exam per month, 150 total monthly attempts, 10 concurrent takers and 50 candidates. Paid LAN Exam Maker plans are listed as one-time purchases: Standard costs $2,999, paid once, Professional $4,999, paid once, and Institution $5,999, paid once.
TAO
TAO is an online platform for creating, delivering and managing digital assessments. Authors can build tests manually, convert existing exam files, use AI-assisted drafting or import QTI packages. Question formats include Choice, Extended Text, File Upload, Hotspot and Text Entry. Scoring supports automatic and manual methods, partial credit, weighted responses and cut scores, with branching logic also available. Results can be reviewed through session and test-taker reports, custom reports, CSV results, Data Explorer and TAO Insights. TAO supports QTI 2.2 and QTI 3.0, and promotes interoperability through QTI and LTI. Delivery options include online, LMS via LTI, test centers, local proctoring, and cloud-hosted or self-hosted configurations. TAO Cloud offers shared or private hosting using providers including AWS, Google Cloud and Linode. Starter is free for one author and 50 learner attempts monthly; Community Edition is a free, self-hosted open-source option. Paid plans include TAO Author at $149 a month and TAO Ignite at $990 a month; custom plans are also listed.