Launch and Grow Your Online Academy With Teachfloor
arrow Getting Stared for Free
Back to Blog

Nearpod vs PearDeck: Comparing Two Leading EdTech Platforms

In this article, we have made an in-depth comparison of two leading EdTech platforms, Nearpod vs PearDeck, in 2023.

Table of Contents

Numerous teaching technology tools are available to assist teachers in interacting with their students and generating interactive lessons in-person or online.

Two popular digital teaching tools, Nearpod vs PearDeck, can be conveniently accessed via Google Classroom and enhance the learning experience for students. While choosing between the two tools is subjective, we will examine their top features and determine which is superior.

Nearpod vs PearDeck: Platform introduction

Pear Deck

Source: PeerDeck

In 2014, Pear Deck was founded in Iowa and quickly gained recognition as an exceptional tool for educators. 

It has received numerous technology awards and was honored with the "Top Ten School Tool" award by the education journalism initiative EdSurge. Installation of the tool is effortless, as it can be installed directly through Google Slides using the Add-ons tab or by downloading the app from their website. 

Pear Deck integrates with Google Slides and Microsoft PowerPoint, allowing users to choose their preferred suite. Its goal is to achieve "100% Student Engagement" through interactive slides and lessons, which is an ambitious claim. 

However, Pear Deck has implemented several innovative design ideas to encourage student engagement, such as enabling anonymous projection of students' answers to the class. 

They offer a variety of question types and slides that provide real-time feedback for each student, as well as classroom feedback, such as the spread of multiple-choice answers and the average time taken to answer questions.

Nearpod

Source: Nearpod

Established in 2012 in Hallandale, Florida, Nearpod has facilitated over 120 million lessons in the past decade, demonstrating consistent growth. In 2017, a team of full-time educators joined to create an all-in-one education platform. In 2019, Nearpod merged with Flocabulary, an educational hip-hop company, to expand its platform. 

Nearpod is dedicated to providing educational access to K-12 learners and offers a diverse range of question types and formative assessments to equip teachers with various tools. 

Nearpod has an extensive library of over 8,500 lessons and videos that can be integrated into a lesson plan anytime, sourced from education brands like SciShow Kids and Crash Course. This saves teachers time, allowing them to focus more on their students and less on slide preparation.

Nearpod vs PearDeck: Feature comparsion

1. Ease of Use

The effectiveness of any system depends on the user, and a tool that can perform multiple functions is only helpful if you know how to operate it. To quickly create slides and tests, it is essential to have a user-friendly tool that is easy to use and edit. 

Furthermore, ensuring students can use the app correctly to get the whole lesson experience. Nearpod and Pear Deck are user-friendly, provided you are comfortable with Google Suite. 

If you prefer PowerPoint, you can choose Pear Deck or opt for Nearpod Gold. Nearpod enables users to launch their lessons with Zoom, allowing them to teach and chat with students face-to-face in one window. 

However, navigating Nearpod on mobile can be challenging as tabs tend to pop up in various places. It may need to be clarified for younger students. Pear Deck has a similar layout to Nearpod and offers additional features on its slides. It may seem overwhelming initially, but it is easy to figure out. 

Interactive questions and formative assessments are available in the Pear Deck sidebar on Google Slides, making it easy to drag and drop wherever needed. Although both tools are user-friendly, Nearpod wins this round due to its simplicity and ease of integration with Zoom.

2. Learner Engagement

The crucial factor for any educational tool is how it engages learners. It's essential to consider how students will react to the platform you choose.

Nearpod uses a gamification approach to engage students in their lessons. They aim to make the learning experience enjoyable and engaging but need more question types, making questions repetitive and uninteresting over time.

Nearpod offers 'Live Lessons' or 'Student-Paced' lessons, allowing students to learn independently.

On the other hand, Pear Deck offers a broader range of testing options that add variety to the learning experience. Pear Deck's Student-Paced mode is handy for remote learning, allowing students to view presentations and work through the content independently.

Both platforms provide real-time feedback and grades for student answers. But Pear Deck has a " takeaways " feature that lets you export this information and share it with other educators or parents.

Overall, both tools are suitable for keeping learners engaged during distance learning. Still, Pear Deck offers more diverse testing options and is more versatile in exporting information, making it our top pick.

3. Pricing

Comparing the free versions of Nearpod and Pear Deck can be complicated. But both offer educators the ability to create content and assess their students using Google Slides add-ons. 

nearpod vs peardeck
Source: Nearpod

While Nearpod's yearly subscription is cheaper than Pear Deck's. Pear Deck's free version has the added benefit of supporting MS PowerPoint. However, Nearpod's Gold subscription is essential for this functionality. 

nearpod vs peardeck
Source: PeerDeck

Nearpod's free version has a limit of 100Mb, easily reachable if you incorporate videos or audio files. At the same time, Pear Deck integrates with Google Drive and One Drive, making space less of an issue. 

Overall, Pear Deck edges out Nearpod regarding the features available in their free version.

Nearpod vs PearDeck: Conclusion

After considering both options, it's clear that Pear Deck is the better choice. It provides more opportunities for free and is better at keeping students engaged in the lesson.

So, both apps are effective for teaching, and you can go right. Nearpod may work better for some teachers. But it's hard not to recommend Pear Deck due to its ease of use.

Looking for something that can integrate with Zoom as well?

Teachfloor is an advanced platform for creating and hosting online courses that offer a range of features and tools for independent course creators and training organizations. 

It supports live, asynchronous, and blended learning with advanced features like white labeling,  analytics, student reports, email automation, and an interactive community. 

Moreover, Teachfloor has no hidden charges, offers discounts for non-profits, and provides a free 14-day trial. Pricing options include Pro ($59/year), Business ($299/year), and Enterprise (customized quotes).

Teachfloor is the perfect choice for creating and delivering high-quality online courses, with flexibility, affordability, and everything needed to create world-class learning experiences.

See also: 9 Leading Student Engagement Platforms for Online Instructors.

Further reading

7 Best Disco.co Alternatives Reviewed for 2024
Comparisons
Janica Solis
Janica Solis

7 Best Disco.co Alternatives Reviewed for 2024

It’s critical to choose a platform for your academy. If you’re planning to use Disco.co, explore first Disco.co alternatives for 2022.

LearnWorlds vs Thinkific: Head-to-Head Comparison in 2024
Comparisons
Hamza Sarosh
Hamza Sarosh

LearnWorlds vs Thinkific: Head-to-Head Comparison in 2024

In this blog post,If you are confused between LearnWorlds vs Thinkific, read our expert comparison review of LearnWorlds vs Thinkifc.

Airtable vs Asana - Which One Is Better for Your Business?
Comparisons
Hamza Sarosh
Hamza Sarosh

Airtable vs Asana - Which One Is Better for Your Business?

In this blog post, we have compared Airtable vs Asana, their main features, and their difference to help you make an informed decision.

Docebo vs Litmos: Choosing the Right eLearning Platform for Your Organization
Comparisons
Hamza Sarosh
Hamza Sarosh

Docebo vs Litmos: Choosing the Right eLearning Platform for Your Organization

Dive into our detailed comparison of Docebo vs Litmos, two leading eLearning platforms. Explore their features, pricing, user experience, and unique selling points to make an informed choice for your organization's training needs.

Envato vs Canva: Which Offers Better Value for Designers?
Comparisons
Hamza Sarosh
Hamza Sarosh

Envato vs Canva: Which Offers Better Value for Designers?

If you are designer and confused between Envato vs Canva, read our detailed comparison of both platforms in this article.

8 Best Talent LMS Alternatives in 2024
Comparisons
Hamza Sarosh
Hamza Sarosh

8 Best Talent LMS Alternatives in 2024

In this blog post, we have shortlisted the top 8 Talent LMS alternatives that you can use in 2024, with more features and better pricing.