Softwr

LMS · head to head

ClassDojo vs GoGuardian

ClassDojo logo

ClassDojo

LMS

Build amazing classroom communities

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
GoGuardian logo

GoGuardian

Education

Web filtering, classroom screen monitoring and self-harm alerting for school-issued devices

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only ClassDojo has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: ClassDojo the AI homework helper, the 2,000 plus digital book library, detailed progress reports, memory albums and calendar sync are all restricted to the paid ClassDojo Plus subscription; GoGuardian beacon generates alerts that a human must act on, often outside school hours, and districts that buy it without agreeing who responds at 11pm have created a liability rather than resolved one.
  • They diverge on capability: ClassDojo covers Behavior tracking, GoGuardian covers Admin.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ClassDojo and GoGuardian actually diverge.

Attributes where ClassDojo and GoGuardian differ
AttributeClassDojoGoGuardian
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, IOS, AndroidChrome OS, Windows, macOS, iOS, Web
CategoryLMSEducation
Founded2011Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in ClassDojo

  • Behavior tracking
  • Parent messaging
  • Class story
  • Student portfolios
  • Dojo points
  • Translation
  • School story
  • Mobile app

Only in GoGuardian

  • Admin
  • Teacher
  • Beacon
  • Beacon 24/7
  • Scenes and sessions
  • Smart Alerts
  • Off-campus filtering
  • Reporting

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

ClassDojo

  • classroom communication and behavior trackingnot GoGuardian
  • teacher-parent communicationnot GoGuardian
  • student engagement toolsnot GoGuardian

GoGuardian

  • A US district that must demonstrate CIPA-compliant filtering on federally subsidised broadband and wants the activity logs to survive an audit.not ClassDojo
  • A one-to-one Chromebook programme where devices go home and the district needs the filtering policy to travel with the device rather than stop at the school gate.not ClassDojo
  • A school with a documented safeguarding concern about self-harm that needs flagged language escalated to a named counsellor with a timestamped record.not ClassDojo
  • A teacher running an online assessment who needs pupil browsers locked to a single site for the duration without provisioning a separate lockdown browser.not ClassDojo

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

ClassDojo

  • The AI homework helper, the 2,000 plus digital book library, detailed progress reports, memory albums and calendar sync are all restricted to the paid ClassDojo Plus subscription
  • ClassDojo Plus is sold to families rather than to schools, so parents pay for the premium tier
  • The Plus page publishes no monthly or yearly price, only a 7 day free trial
  • No pricing is published for the school leader or district offerings

GoGuardian

  • Beacon generates alerts that a human must act on, often outside school hours, and districts that buy it without agreeing who responds at 11pm have created a liability rather than resolved one.
  • Detection is language-pattern based, so it produces false positives on coursework about difficult subjects and misses coded or oblique expressions, meaning it should never be presented to parents as a safety net.
  • Filtering on school-issued devices follows pupils home, which surveils domestic internet use on a household's own connection, and districts have faced public objections when this was not disclosed clearly in advance.
  • No pricing is published, and the multi-year reseller bundles make it hard to compare against a filtering-only competitor without running a full procurement.
  • Coverage is strongest on Chrome OS and thinner on Windows, macOS and iOS, so mixed-device districts get uneven enforcement and end up running a second filtering product for the non-Chromebook estate.

Pricing, plan by plan

ClassDojo

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Behavior points
    • Messaging
    • Class story
  • Plus$7.99/month
    • All free features
    • Beyond School
    • Dojo Islands
  • School$undefined/month
    • School story
    • Admin tools
    • Analytics

GoGuardian

On request
  • GoGuardian Suite$undefined/year
    • Priced per student or per device, quoted by district
    • Admin, Teacher and Beacon licensed individually or as a bundle
    • Sold heavily through education resellers as three, four and five year terms

Which should you pick?

Choose ClassDojo if

  • You need behavior tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want parent messaging.
ClassDojo review

Choose GoGuardian if

  • You need admin.
  • You work on Chrome OS, Windows, macOS, iOS, Web.
  • You also want teacher.
GoGuardian review

Questions people ask

Is ClassDojo or GoGuardian better?
Neither clearly leads. ClassDojo starts at Free and GoGuardian at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ClassDojo or GoGuardian?
ClassDojo has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for ClassDojo and On request for GoGuardian.
Does ClassDojo or GoGuardian run on more platforms?
ClassDojo runs on Web, IOS, Android. GoGuardian runs on Chrome OS, Windows, macOS, iOS, Web.
Can I use ClassDojo for free?
Yes. ClassDojo has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. GoGuardian starts at On request.
What is ClassDojo best used for?
ClassDojo is most often used for classroom communication and behavior tracking, teacher-parent communication, student engagement tools. Of those, classroom communication and behavior tracking and teacher-parent communication are not what GoGuardian is typically brought in for.
What can ClassDojo do that GoGuardian cannot?
ClassDojo covers Behavior tracking, Parent messaging, Class story, Student portfolios. GoGuardian covers Admin, Teacher, Beacon, Beacon 24/7.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ClassDojo: Is ClassDojo free?

Yes, ClassDojo core platform is free for teachers forever; the service is positioned as a free tool for educators without required payment.

Source
GoGuardian: Is GoGuardian required for CIPA compliance?

No. CIPA requires a filtering policy and technology, not a specific vendor. GoGuardian is one of several products that satisfy it.

ClassDojo: What is ClassDojo Plus and how much does it cost?

ClassDojo Plus is the premium tier; specific pricing details are not published on the ClassDojo website and require direct inquiry with the company.

Source
GoGuardian: Does Beacon monitor pupils at home?

On a school-issued managed device, yes, including outside school hours, unless the district explicitly limits the policy. This should be disclosed to families.

ClassDojo: Are parents charged to use ClassDojo?

ClassDojo does not charge parents for the service; the free platform includes parent-teacher communication features at no cost to families.

Source
GoGuardian: Is Beacon included with Admin?

A starter level of Beacon is included with an Admin subscription. The 24/7 human triage service is a separate paid tier.

ClassDojo: Why is ClassDojo free if there's a premium tier?

ClassDojo offers free core features to teachers to drive adoption; premium features for advanced needs or professional development are available as paid add-ons.

Source
GoGuardian: Is Pear Deck part of the same licence?

No. Pear Deck Learning products are sold separately from the Admin, Teacher and Beacon suite even though the same company owns both.

GoGuardian: Can teachers view screens outside lesson time?

That depends on how the district configures sessions. Leaving screen viewing available at all hours is a configuration choice, not a product limitation, and it is the setting most worth reviewing.

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