What is the difference between behaviour tools and screen-monitoring tools?

Behaviour and communication tools such as ClassDojo and PBIS Rewards track points, recognition and messages. Device-monitoring tools such as GoGuardian Teacher, Securly Classroom, Hapara, NetSupport School, LanSchool and Apple Classroom let a teacher view or control student screens.

Which of these can a teacher use without the school buying anything?

ClassDojo is free for teachers and Classroomscreen has a free Basic plan. Apple Classroom is a free app for iPads. The monitoring tools and PBIS Rewards are sold to schools on a quote or through a sales conversation.

Do I need IT help to set up screen monitoring?

These tools integrate with school accounts and rosters such as Google Classroom, Clever or ClassLink, so most are set up by the school. Ask your IT lead which one your devices already use.

Can ClassDojo see my students' screens?

Its homepage lists points, messaging, class stories, events, portfolios and a teacher toolkit, but no screen viewing or device control.

Top 9 classroom management tools for teachers and schools (2026)

Checked October 2026For Schools, TeachersKind Software and appsNo affiliate links, no paid placement. How we chose

Quick answer

ClassDojo is our number one for a teacher who wants to start today: it is free for teachers and covers points, messaging and family updates. Classroomscreen is a free classroom display. The rest split into two kinds: school-wide behaviour systems, and device-monitoring tools that show or control student screens. The monitoring tools are bought by schools on a quote, so ask your IT lead before you plan around one.

Top 9 classroom management tools for teachers and schools (2026): comparison
#	Name	Best for	Price
1	ClassDojo	Best for a teacher who wants one free app for points and family messages	Free
2	Classroomscreen	Best for a teacher who wants a free on-screen routine board	Free plan, paid upgrades
3	Apple Classroom	Best for a classroom set of iPads	Free
4	PBIS Rewards	Best for a whole school running PBIS	Price varies
5	GoGuardian Teacher	Best for a school with a 1:1 device programme and IT support	Price varies
6	Securly Classroom	Best for a school that already uses Securly filtering	Price varies
7	Hapara	Best for a Google Classroom school on Chromebooks	Price varies
8	NetSupport School	Best for a mixed set of school computers	Price varies
9	LanSchool	Best for a school already buying Lenovo computers	Price varies

1. ClassDojo

ClassDojo

Best for a teacher who wants one free app for points and family messages
Free

A behaviour and communication tool rather than a device-control tool. Teachers award points tied to social-emotional skills, message families (translated automatically), post photos and updates to a private class story, and use a toolkit that includes attendance sheets and timers. Students can also keep a portfolio of their own work.

The homepage says it is free for teachers. A separate optional Plus subscription is aimed at families.

Watch for The page lists no features for viewing or locking student screens, so it will not replace a device-monitoring tool.

Visit ClassDojo ↗

2. Classroomscreen

Classroomscreen

Best for a teacher who wants a free on-screen routine board
Free plan, paid upgrades

An online whiteboard-style display for the front of the room. It offers widgets such as a timer, sound level, group maker, scoreboard and randomizer, plus a template library of ready-made screens for routines. It shows students what to do rather than watching their devices.

The free part: Basic is free and includes all 26 widgets, the annotation bar, poll voting, three saved name lists and the template library.

Pro is $3 a month billed annually at $36 (as of 2026-10-27). Organization licences are priced by number of licences.

Watch for On the free Basic plan you cannot save or share screens or keep more than three name lists.

Visit Classroomscreen ↗ Facts read on the maker’s page.

3. Apple Classroom

Apple

Best for a classroom set of iPads
Free

A device-monitoring tool for Apple devices. A teacher can launch the same app, website or book on every student device, lock students into one app, mute audio, view student screens and show student work on Apple TV. The user guide covers classes that sync with Apple School Manager, classes set up in device management, and nearby classes that are not managed.

The App Store listing shows the app as free.

Watch for Apple devices only. The App Store listing asks for an iPad with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on and students within Bluetooth range of the teacher.

Visit Apple Classroom ↗ Facts read on the maker’s page.

4. PBIS Rewards

Best for a whole school running PBIS
Price varies

A school-wide behaviour system for schools running a Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports programme. Staff give points from an app, tablet or browser, totals are tracked in a web portal with reports and goals, and students can spend points in an integrated store. Add-ons include behaviour referrals, check-in/check-out and hall passes.

No prices are shown; the site asks you to request a quote.

Watch for It is a school-wide system bought on a quote, not something one teacher starts alone, and it does not monitor student devices.

Visit PBIS Rewards ↗

5. GoGuardian Teacher

GoGuardian

Best for a school with a 1:1 device programme and IT support
Price varies

A device-monitoring tool. Teachers see live thumbnails of student screens, manage and focus tabs, view browsing activity, block or allow sites, send announcements and chat with students. It syncs with Google Classroom, Clever and ClassLink rosters and works alongside GoGuardian Admin.

No prices are shown; the page directs you to sales or a demo.

Watch for Sold to schools and districts through a sales conversation, so a single teacher cannot sign up on their own.

Visit GoGuardian Teacher ↗

6. Securly Classroom

Securly

Best for a school that already uses Securly filtering
Price varies

A device-monitoring tool for Chromebooks, Windows and macOS. Teachers can see screens and open tabs, lock screens, push web pages, close tabs and apps, restrict students to chosen sites, send announcements and chat one to one. It integrates with Google Classroom, Canvas, Schoology and ClassLink.

No prices are shown; the page asks you to request a demo or contact sales.

Watch for Quote-only, and the page lists Chromebooks, Windows and macOS as supported student devices, not iPads.

Visit Securly Classroom ↗

7. Hapara

Hapara

Best for a Google Classroom school on Chromebooks
Price varies

A device-monitoring tool built around Google Workspace for Education. Its Highlights product shows student browsing in real time on Chromebooks (and Microsoft Edge for Microsoft 365 for Education schools). Teachers can focus browsing, block distracting sites for a class period, send links to student screens and message students one to one.

Pricing is not public; the page tells schools to request pricing.

Watch for Quote-only, and it is aimed at Google or Microsoft 365 school accounts rather than a mixed set of personal devices.

Visit Hapara ↗

8. NetSupport School

NetSupport

Best for a mixed set of school computers
Price varies

A device-monitoring tool that supports Windows, Mac, Chrome, iOS and Android. Teachers can watch student screens and application and website use, lock screens, control internet and app access, share screens and run quizzes and surveys. The page mentions free onboarding and online training and a buy-once option.

Prices are not on the product page; it links to a separate pricing page and a contact form.

Watch for It also lists keystroke monitoring, so check your school's student-privacy policy before switching it on.

Visit NetSupport School ↗

9. LanSchool

Lenovo

Best for a school already buying Lenovo computers
Price varies

A device-monitoring tool described as backed by Lenovo. It offers messaging, screen sharing and safety filters on Mac, Windows and Chromebook, in the cloud or hosted locally, and mentions an AI-based on-task monitoring feature.

No prices are listed. The page mentions a free trial and a free licence with eligible Lenovo computer purchases.

Watch for Pricing is set by the school or district through the purchasing page, so a teacher alone cannot just buy it.

Visit LanSchool ↗

Also good

Kickboard (now under PowerSchool): A behaviour-support product; the old Kickboard address now redirects to PowerSchool, and we did not read the page.

How we chose

We weighed these, most important first. The order is our judgement against them, not a score or a vote, and a different teacher could reasonably order it differently.

Free for a teacher to start. Can a single teacher use it without a purchase order or a district contract?
Honest about what kind of tool it is. Behaviour and communication tools and device-monitoring tools do different jobs, so each entry says which it is.
Fit for the devices you have. Which devices and school accounts each tool works with, as stated on the maker's own page.
Ease for a non-technical teacher. Whether the page describes a teacher-run setup or one that needs IT or district rostering.
Price clarity. Whether a price is published or the tool is quote-only.

We took no money, free products or affiliate commissions for any place on this list, and no link here carries a tracking code. Every fact was read on the maker’s own page on October 27, 2026; prices carry that date because they change. See how we choose and the ad-free promise.

Questions

What is the difference between behaviour tools and screen-monitoring tools?: Behaviour and communication tools such as ClassDojo and PBIS Rewards track points, recognition and messages. Device-monitoring tools such as GoGuardian Teacher, Securly Classroom, Hapara, NetSupport School, LanSchool and Apple Classroom let a teacher view or control student screens.
Which of these can a teacher use without the school buying anything?: ClassDojo is free for teachers and Classroomscreen has a free Basic plan. Apple Classroom is a free app for iPads. The monitoring tools and PBIS Rewards are sold to schools on a quote or through a sales conversation.
Do I need IT help to set up screen monitoring?: These tools integrate with school accounts and rosters such as Google Classroom, Clever or ClassLink, so most are set up by the school. Ask your IT lead which one your devices already use.
Can ClassDojo see my students' screens?: Its homepage lists points, messaging, class stories, events, portfolios and a teacher toolkit, but no screen viewing or device control.

Related Top Tens

Last checked October 27, 2026. Something out of date or missing? Tell us and we will fix it; makers can send corrections, never money.