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Software · head to head

Instapaper vs Pear Deck

Instapaper logo

Instapaper

Software

Save anything for reading later

From
Free
Rated
-
Pear Deck logo

Pear Deck

Software

Interactive presentations that engage every student

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Instapaper full text search across saved articles is Premium only, at $5.99 a month or $59.99 a year; Pear Deck the Teacher Dashboard, draggable and drawing responses and Reflect and Review require Teacher Premium at $149 per year
  • They diverge on capability: Instapaper covers Save for later, Pear Deck covers Interactive slides.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Instapaper and Pear Deck actually diverge.

Attributes where Instapaper and Pear Deck differ
AttributeInstapaperPear Deck
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, Kindle, E-readers (BOOX)Web, Chrome Extension
Founded20082014

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Instapaper

  • Save for later
  • Clean reading
  • Highlighting
  • Full-text search
  • Chrome support
  • Firefox support
  • Edge support
  • Safari support

Only in Pear Deck

  • Interactive slides
  • Real-time responses
  • Formative assessment
  • Student-paced mode
  • Dashboard
  • Audio responses
  • Drawing
  • Vocabulary

What people use each for

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

Instapaper

  • Saving articles to read later with the clutter stripped outnot Pear Deck
  • Building a searchable personal archive of things worth keepingnot Pear Deck

Pear Deck

  • Turning slide decks into interactive lessons with student responsesnot Instapaper
  • Running formative checks for understanding during classnot Instapaper
  • Student paced review activities and assessmentsnot Instapaper

Where each one falls short

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

Instapaper

  • Full text search across saved articles is Premium only, at $5.99 a month or $59.99 a year
  • Free accounts are limited to 5 notes a month, against unlimited on Premium
  • Text to speech, speed reading and the permanent archive are all Premium only
  • The free web experience carries advertising

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

Instapaper

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Instapaper 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 Instapaper if

  • You need save for later.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Kindle, E-readers (BOOX).
  • You also want clean reading.

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 Instapaper or Pear Deck better?
Neither clearly leads. Instapaper starts at Free and Pear Deck at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Instapaper or Pear Deck?
Instapaper starts at Free and Pear Deck at Free.
Does Instapaper or Pear Deck run on more platforms?
Instapaper runs on Web, iOS, Android, Kindle, E-readers (BOOX). Pear Deck runs on Web, Chrome Extension.
Can I use Instapaper for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Instapaper best used for?
Instapaper is most often used for saving articles to read later with the clutter stripped out, building a searchable personal archive of things worth keeping. Of those, saving articles to read later with the clutter stripped out and building a searchable personal archive of things worth keeping are not what Pear Deck is typically brought in for.
What can Instapaper do that Pear Deck cannot?
Instapaper covers Save for later, Clean reading, Highlighting, Full-text search. Pear Deck covers Interactive slides, Real-time responses, Formative assessment, Student-paced mode.

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