The Nearpod Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Nearpod in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Nearpod
The Insider’s Guide
Interactive K-12 lessons with built-in questions and activities
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among presentation tools, read from Nearpod’s own pages.
Made by Nearpod (part of Renaissance Learning) · checked Nov 12, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Nearpod’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Nearpod’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 27 of the 51 other presentation tools we grade
Nearpod is a K-12 teaching platform for building and running interactive lessons, videos and activities with built-in formative assessments. Lessons run live or at the students' own pace, and a library of ready-made lessons is included. Individual teachers can start free and pay for more storage and student seats, while schools and districts are quoted a license. Nearpod has been part of Renaissance Learning since 2021.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Nearpod, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Teachers build or adapt lessons from slides, and rosters need school set-up.
- 1
Best for interactive lessons for a classroom
Nearpod turns slides into lessons with polls, quizzes and drawing for students on their own devices.
- 2
Paid plans start at $13.25 a month when paid by the year
As its pricing page puts it: $159 per year (Gold, individual educators).
- 3
There is a free plan
Silver is free: 300 MB of storage and up to 40 students joining each lesson, with the core features.
- 4
It runs on 3 platforms
Web, iOS and Android.
- 5
Interactive lessons
Lessons, videos and activities combine slides with 20+ formative assessment types and can be run live or student-paced.
- 6
Nearpod Library
A library of standards-aligned lessons, activities and interactive videos, said to be made with 70+ publishers. Free and individual plans can save items up to the storage limit.
- 7
Import your own files
Existing PowerPoint, PDF and Google Slides files can be uploaded and turned into interactive lessons.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 27 of 51
That is against the other presentation tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
Nothing Nearpod does is plain enough to make in a weekend. The 4 things listed below take a company.
Nearpod at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $159 per year (Gold, individual educators)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Nearpod (part of Renaissance Learning)
- Category
- Presentations
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
- Store rating
- 3.1 on the App Store, 1,893 ratings
The report card
Best for interactive lessons for a classroom
Nearpod turns slides into lessons with polls, quizzes and drawing for students on their own devices. Silver is free for 40 students a lesson and 300 MB. Gold is $159 a year, and co-teaching, LMS links and student accounts sit on school and district licences that are quoted.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Gold is $159 a year, about $13 a month, and Platinum is $397 a year. Schools get a quote. |
| Free plan and trial | B | Silver is free for good, with 20+ formative question types, 40 students a lesson and 300 MB of storage. One teacher can live on that, until a class goes over 40. |
| Features | C | Interactive lessons, a library, file import and real-time results. Co-teaching, live annotation, student accounts and LMS links are on school licences. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record. Teachers build or adapt lessons from slides, and rosters need school set-up. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, iOS and Android, with Google Slides, PowerPoint, YouTube and LMS links. No desktop app is listed. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Nearpod is for
- Fits if you teach a class of up to 40 and want to see every student's answer live
- Works for schools that buy a district licence and want LMS rostering
Who it is not for
- Tight if you stay free: 300 MB and 40 students a lesson, and Gold lifts that only to 75
- Pricey if you want AI Create, the Google Slides add-on or sub plans, as that is Gold at $159 a year
- Skip it if you need co-teaching, student accounts or LMS links, as those are school and district licences with no public price
- Watch out: Nearpod Math and Social Studies are listed as school and district programs
Good to know
Good for
- K-12 teachers who want to turn slides into interactive lessons
- Schools needing LMS and rostering integration
- Teachers who need ready-made standards-aligned lessons
Worth knowing
- Individual plans cap how many students can join: 40 on Silver, 75 on Gold and 90 on Platinum.
- Silver's 300 MB of storage also limits how much of the library a teacher can save.
- Co-teaching, live annotation, student accounts, LMS and LTI integrations are on school and district licenses, which are quoted.
- Nearpod Math and Nearpod Social Studies programs are listed as school and district features.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$13.25
A month to start, paid by the year. There is a free plan too
Nearpod has a free plan. Paid plans start at $159 per year (Gold, individual educators).
Silver
$0
300 MB storage and 40 student joins per lesson, with 20+ formative assessment types and access to the Nearpod Library up to the storage limit.
Gold
$159
per year, for individual educators
Adds the AI Create question generator, Google Slides add-on, drag and drop, sub plans, 1 GB storage and 75 student joins per lesson.
Platinum
$397
per year, for individual educators
Everything in Gold plus student notes, 5 GB storage and 90 student joins per lesson.
Schools & districts
Custom
Unlimited storage, 250 student joins per lesson, co-teaching, LMS and rostering integrations, admin dashboards and a customer success manager. Request a quote.
The free plan
Silver is free: 300 MB of storage and up to 40 students joining each lesson, with the core features.
Read from nearpod.com on Nov 12, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: Web, iOS and Android
Interactive K-12 lessons with built-in questions and activities. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, real-time collaboration, presentations.
Interactive lessons, a library, file import and real-time results.
- Interactive lessons
- Lessons, videos and activities combine slides with 20+ formative assessment types and can be run live or student-paced.
- Nearpod Library
- A library of standards-aligned lessons, activities and interactive videos, said to be made with 70+ publishers. Free and individual plans can save items up to the storage limit.
- Import your own files
- Existing PowerPoint, PDF and Google Slides files can be uploaded and turned into interactive lessons.
- AI Create
- Generates multiple-choice questions on Gold and above, and activities and lessons on school and district licenses.
- Real-time insight
- Teachers see live responses and get post-session reports. Schools get admin reporting dashboards.
- District tools
- School and district licenses add co-teaching, shared libraries, student accounts and LMS, LTI and rostering integrations.
Where it runs
- Web
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- Google Slides
- PowerPoint
- LMS and LTI
- YouTube
Nearpod is made by Nearpod (part of Renaissance Learning).
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
27/51
Other presentation tools it is graded above
Nearpod's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 27 of the 51 other presentation tools we grade, and level with 9.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 35 of 51) and worst on ease of use (C, above 3).
Its paid plans start at $13.25 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 27 of the 37 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 9 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 52 presentation tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Nearpod’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 16 of 51
- BFree plan and trialAbove 35 of 51
- CFeaturesAbove 6 of 51
- CEase of useAbove 3 of 51
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 20 of 51
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 42 presentation tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Nearpod is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
Nothing Nearpod does is plain enough to make in a weekend. The 4 things listed below take a company.
It costs $159 a year.
What you could not
- A slide editor.
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- Several people working in it at the same moment.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
What this rests on. Nearpod’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Pear Deck, Mentimeter, Poll Everywhere, AhaSlides and Wooclap
The 5 tools Nearpod is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.6GPA
Pear Deck
Free plan · from $149/yr
Interactive classroom presentations with live student responses.
- Only Nearpod lists iOS and Android apps.
- Pear Deck also covers templates.
- 2.0GPA
Mentimeter
Free plan · from €14/mo
Interactive presentations with live polls, quizzes and Q&A.
- Only Nearpod lists iOS and Android apps.
- Mentimeter also covers templates and surveys.
- 2.2GPA
Poll Everywhere
Free plan · from $10/mo
Live audience polling that works inside slide decks.
- Only Nearpod lists iOS and Android apps.
- Poll Everywhere also covers surveys and reports.
- 2.2GPA
AhaSlides
Free plan · from $7.95/mo
Interactive presentations with live quizzes, polls and word clouds.
- Only Nearpod lists iOS and Android apps.
- AhaSlides also covers templates and surveys.
- 2.2GPA
Wooclap
Free plan · from $13/mo
Live polls, quizzes and word clouds for classes and training.
- Only Nearpod lists iOS and Android apps.
- Wooclap also covers surveys.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Nearpod free?
Nearpod has a free plan. Silver is free: 300 MB of storage and up to 40 students joining each lesson, with the core features.
How much does Nearpod cost?
Nearpod lists 4 plans. Silver: $0.
What platforms does Nearpod work on?
Nearpod is available on Web, iOS and Android.
How is Nearpod rated?
Nearpod's iPhone and iPad app averages 3.1 out of 5 from 1,893 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
Does Nearpod have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Nearpod is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does Nearpod have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Nearpod is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is Nearpod open source?
Nearpod is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
What does Nearpod integrate with?
Nearpod's listing names Google Slides, PowerPoint, LMS and LTI and YouTube.
Who makes Nearpod?
Nearpod is made by Nearpod (part of Renaissance Learning).
What are the alternatives to Nearpod?
The closest alternatives to Nearpod in our directory are Pear Deck, Mentimeter, Poll Everywhere, AhaSlides and Wooclap.
How does Nearpod compare with other presentation tools?
Nearpod's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 27 of the 51 other presentation tools we grade, and level with 9.
Is Nearpod good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Nearpod C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $13.25 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 27 of the 37 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Nearpod?
Nothing Nearpod does is plain enough to make in a weekend. The 4 things listed below take a company.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Nearpod’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Nearpod's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Nearpod (part of Renaissance Learning). Prices change, so check nearpod.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
5,038
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
5,038
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Nearpod, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/nearpod
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Nearpod: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/nearpod
Know someone choosing between presentation tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/nearpod/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded presentation tools after Nearpod, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Presentations Insider's GuideEvery one of the 52 presentation tools we grade, compared
- Microsoft PowerPoint Insider's GuideSlide presentation app sold with Microsoft 365, free in the browser3.4 GPA
- Zoho Show Insider's GuideOnline presentation software, free for individuals3.4 GPA
- Canva Insider's GuideTemplate-based design platform for slides, graphics and video3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Nearpod’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Nearpod is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Nearpod (part of Renaissance Learning). Prices and plans change: check nearpod.com before you buy.