Software · head to head
edX vs Pear Deck

Pear Deck
Software
Interactive presentations that engage every student
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Pear Deck has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: edX individual course costs not displayed; pricing requires enrollment to view; Pear Deck the Teacher Dashboard, draggable and drawing responses and Reflect and Review require Teacher Premium at $149 per year
- They diverge on capability: edX covers Video lectures, Pear Deck covers Interactive slides.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which edX and Pear Deck actually diverge.
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 edX
- Video lectures
- Interactive exercises
- Discussion forums
- Certificates
- MicroMasters
- Professional certificates
- Degrees
- Mobile learning
Only in Pear Deck
- Interactive slides
- Real-time responses
- Formative assessment
- Student-paced mode
- Dashboard
- Audio responses
- Drawing
- Vocabulary
Both cover
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
edX
- Learners seeking university-level credentials from elite institutions (MIT, Harvard, Cambridge)not Pear Deck
- Career changers pursuing MicroMasters or professional certificatesnot Pear Deck
- Individuals in regions with limited access to higher educationnot Pear Deck
Pear Deck
- Turning slide decks into interactive lessons with student responsesnot edX
- Running formative checks for understanding during classnot edX
- Student paced review activities and assessmentsnot edX
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
edX
- Individual course costs not displayed; pricing requires enrollment to view
Pear Deck
- The Teacher Dashboard, draggable and drawing responses and Reflect and Review require Teacher Premium at $149 per year
- Pear Assessment Premium is a separate $125 per year purchase from Pear Deck Premium
- Standards aligned content, district library and efficacy reports are only in the Schools and Districts plan
- SIS and LMS integration is only in the Schools and Districts plan
- School and district pricing is by quote with no published rate
Pricing, plan by plan
edX
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the edX review.
Pear Deck
Free- FreeFree
- 5 question types
- Real-time responses
- Student-paced mode
- Premium$149.99/month
- All question types
- Audio responses
- Flashcard factory
- School/District$undefined/month
- All Premium
- Admin dashboard
- Rostering
Which should you pick?
Choose edX if
- You need video lectures.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want interactive exercises.
Choose Pear Deck if
- You need interactive slides.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Chrome Extension.
- You also want real-time responses.
Questions people ask
- Is edX or Pear Deck better?
- Neither clearly leads. edX starts at On request and Pear Deck at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, edX or Pear Deck?
- Pear Deck has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for edX and Free for Pear Deck.
- Does edX or Pear Deck run on more platforms?
- edX runs on Web, iOS, Android. Pear Deck runs on Web, Chrome Extension.
- Can I use Pear Deck for free?
- Yes. Pear Deck has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. edX starts at On request.
- What is edX best used for?
- edX is most often used for learners seeking university-level credentials from elite institutions (mit, harvard, cambridge), career changers pursuing micromasters or professional certificates, individuals in regions with limited access to higher education. Of those, learners seeking university-level credentials from elite institutions (mit, harvard, cambridge) and career changers pursuing micromasters or professional certificates are not what Pear Deck is typically brought in for.
- What can edX do that Pear Deck cannot?
- edX covers Video lectures, Interactive exercises, Discussion forums, Certificates. Pear Deck covers Interactive slides, Real-time responses, Formative assessment, Student-paced mode. Both handle Web support.
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