Respondus Monitor vs SMOWL
Respondus Monitor
web.respondus.comSMOWL
smowl.netSide by side
| Figure | Respondus Monitor | SMOWL |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $1.25/mo | $625/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 7 | 9 |
| Spec score · Online Proctoring Software | 8.8 (#1) | 8.6 (#3) |
| Spec score · Exam Proctoring Software | 8.8 (#1) | 8.6 (#3) |
| Founded | Respondus was founded in 2000. | Smowltech was founded in 2012. |
| Integrations | The product page lists Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle, Brightspace, Pearson MyLab and Mastering, McGraw Hill ALEKS, Cengage WebAssign and MindTap, and Hawkes Learning integrations. | The service lists Moodle, Canvas, Open LMS, Classe365 and Blackboard integrations, with certified integrations for Moodle, Canvas, Blackboard and D2L. |
| Purpose | Respondus Monitor is a remote proctoring solution for higher education that records students by webcam during online assessments and provides flagged events and results for instructor review. | SMOWL provides online and in-person digital exam proctoring for educational institutions, certification bodies, and businesses. |
| Rating on G2 | No aggregate rating is shown; 9 user reviews are listed. | 0.0 out of 5 from 0 reviews |
| Rating on Gartner Peer Insights | 3.4 out of 5 from 12 ratings | 3.0 out of 5 from 1 review |
| Security and privacy | Respondus says its security and privacy coverage includes FERPA, GDPR, CCPA, HECVAT, SOC 2, and TX-RAMP. | The maker describes privacy-by-design measures including encryption in transit and at rest, minimum necessary processing, access controls, and legally defined data deletion. |
| Self-hosting | The reviewed official materials describe a Respondus-hosted cloud service and do not document a self-hosted deployment option. | The reviewed vendor and marketplace pages describe cloud or SaaS deployment and do not provide a self-hosting option. |
| Support | Official materials list 24/7/365 student live chat, a troubleshooting Help Center, ticket support, webinars and instructor office hours. | The vendor lists chat, phone, help-center resources, onboarding, training, custom SLAs and optional priority or live-supervision services. |
| System requirements | The current requirements list Windows 10/11, macOS 12 through 26.0+, iPadOS 15 or newer, Chromebook support, webcam, microphone and broadband. | SMOWL supports Windows, macOS, iOS and Android; Chrome and Firefox are recommended browsers, and desktop software is required for CLASS, PLUS and PRO computer monitoring. |
| What it does | Respondus Monitor records students through webcams during online exams and provides flagged events and proctoring results for instructor review. | SMOWL is cloud software for monitoring and authenticating people during online and classroom digital assessments. |
Plans
Respondus Monitor
- Free pilotFree
- Student Purchase$15 a year
- Flat Rate$4,950 a year
- Initial institutional license$4,950 a year
- Tiered$5,950 a year
- Tiered base$5,950 a year
- UnlimitedPrice not published
SMOWL
- SMOWL Class 5000$7,500 a year
- SMOWL+ 5000$15,000 a year
- SMOWL Pro 5000$25,000 a year
- Activity-based licensePriced on request
- SMOWL CLASSPriced on request
- SMOWL ENTERPRISEPriced on request
- SMOWL PLUSPriced on request
- SMOWL PROPriced on request
- User-based licensePriced on request
In their own words
Respondus Monitor
Respondus Monitor is a remote proctoring product for higher education. It records students by webcam during online assessments, then gives instructors flagged events and results to review. It is a companion to LockDown Browser and cannot be used without it; during an exam, that browser blocks printing, copying, other applications, and internet searches. After a one-time installation, Monitor launches from Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge when exam settings call for it, and guides students through a pre-exam sequence that includes a webcam check. Listed integrations include Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle, Brightspace, Pearson MyLab and Mastering, McGraw Hill ALEKS, Cengage WebAssign and MindTap, and Hawkes Learning. Respondus describes native support for Windows, Mac, Chromebook, and iPad. Requirements include a webcam, microphone, and broadband internet, plus supported operating-system versions; iPadOS 15+ requires a compatible LMS integration. Students can use 24/7 real-time chat support and need not schedule a session or register at the Respondus website. Institutions need a campus-wide LockDown Browser license, and its administrator must enable Monitor.
SMOWL
SMOWL provides digital exam proctoring for educational institutions, certification bodies, and businesses, for online and in-person assessments. Computer Monitoring can record applications, browsing activity, connected devices, and use of generative AI tools during exams. Browser Lock can restrict actions such as opening tabs, leaving the test screen, or using unauthorized shortcuts. Identity checks compare a webcam image with an identity document, and periodic images can be taken during an exam. Environment monitoring can use a second camera, such as a phone or tablet, to show the test taker’s surroundings. Post-exam reports group detected incidents and provide visual evidence and descriptions for review. Integrations include Moodle, Canvas, Open LMS, Classe365, and Blackboard; D2L is also named as a certified LMS partner. A trial offers 25 licenses for 21 days through mySmowltech. Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android are supported, with Chrome or Firefox recommended. Pricing is available on request, and there is no free plan.