Polaris vs Progress Desk
Polaris
everway.comProgress Desk
progressdesk.appSide by side
| Figure | Polaris | Progress Desk |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $42.92/mo | — |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 2 |
| Spec score · Special Education Software | 7.5 (#9) | 7.6 (#7) |
| Founded | 2024 | 2025 |
| Headquarters | New York, New York, United States | Columbus, Ohio, United States |
| Purpose | Polaris is an IEP development tool for planning, writing and monitoring individualized education programs. | Progress Desk is a case management application for special education professionals, including case managers. |
| Security | Everway says sensitive data is encrypted in transit using TLS 1.2 and at rest using AES-256, and that it uses least-privilege access controls and multi-factor authentication. | The help center says data is encrypted at rest with a key sealed in the device’s macOS Keychain; backups can optionally be password-protected. |
Plans
Progress Desk
- Progress Desk for iPad$59, paid once
- Progress Desk for Mac$99, paid once
In their own words
Progress Desk
Progress Desk is a case management application for special education professionals, including case managers. It creates 18 documents, such as PLAAFPs, quarterly progress reports, family summaries, prior written notices, and meeting invitations. For goal measurement, it offers 15 methods and shows the baseline, target, data points, and trend on a goal card. Its schedule brings sessions, meetings, deadlines, and class availability into one view; moving sessions recalculates make-up time and service-minute totals. Student records are stored and processed locally, and the maker says the software does not collect, access, transmit, store, or process student data through the software. The Mac app needs internet for a one-time license check, then can work offline. The iPad edition costs $59, paid once, billed one-time per iPad, and requires iPadOS 16 or later. The Mac edition costs $99, paid once, billed one-time for up to two Macs, and requires macOS 12 or later. A 14-day trial and 30-day money-back guarantee are advertised.