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LMS · head to head

Moodle vs Pear Deck

Moodle logo

Moodle

LMS

Open-source LMS designed by educators for educators

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Pear Deck logo

Pear Deck

LMS

Interactive presentations that engage every student

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Moodle self-hosted deployment requires significant IT resources and technical expertise; Pear Deck the Teacher Dashboard, draggable and drawing responses and Reflect and Review require Teacher Premium at $149 per year
  • They diverge on capability: Moodle covers Course management, Pear Deck covers Interactive slides.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Moodle and Pear Deck differ
AttributeMoodlePear Deck
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
PlatformsWebWeb, Chrome Extension
Founded20022014

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (LMS).

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 Moodle

  • Course management
  • Quiz builder
  • Forums
  • Assignments
  • Gradebook
  • Badges
  • Competencies
  • Mobile app

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.

Moodle

  • Online learningnot Pear Deck
  • Blended learningnot Pear Deck
  • Corporate trainingnot Pear Deck
  • Compliance trainingnot Pear Deck

Pear Deck

  • Interactive classroom presentations for teachersnot Moodle
  • Student practice and assessment toolsnot Moodle
  • Standards-aligned content delivery for schoolsnot Moodle

Where each one falls short

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

Moodle

  • Self-hosted deployment requires significant IT resources and technical expertise
  • Managed hosting has higher costs for large institutions compared to self-hosting

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

Moodle

Free
  • Self-HostedFree
    • Full feature access
  • MoodleCloud Starter$200/year
    • 50 users
    • Managed hosting

Pear Deck

Free
  • Pear Start FreeFree
    • 40+ AI tools for teachers
    • unlimited usage
  • Pear Deck FreeFree
    • basic interactive presentations
    • anonymous responses
    • student-paced mode
  • Pear Deck Premium$149/year
    • Teacher Dashboard with named responses
    • drawing/draggable features
    • Reflect & Review
  • Pear Assessment FreeFree
    • basic assessment creation
    • autograding

Which should you pick?

Choose Moodle if

  • You need course management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want quiz builder.
Moodle review

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.
Pear Deck review

Questions people ask

Is Moodle or Pear Deck better?
Neither clearly leads. Moodle 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, Moodle or Pear Deck?
Moodle starts at Free and Pear Deck at Free.
Does Moodle or Pear Deck run on more platforms?
Moodle runs on Web. Pear Deck runs on Web, Chrome Extension.
Can I use Moodle for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Moodle best used for?
Moodle is most often used for online learning, blended learning, corporate training, compliance training. Of those, online learning and blended learning are not what Pear Deck is typically brought in for.
What can Moodle do that Pear Deck cannot?
Moodle covers Course management, Quiz builder, Forums, Assignments. Pear Deck covers Interactive slides, Real-time responses, Formative assessment, Student-paced mode. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Moodle: Is Moodle free or paid?

Moodle is free and open-source software. However, self-hosting requires IT resources and server infrastructure. Managed cloud hosting through MoodleCloud starts at $200/year for 50 users.

Source
Pear Deck: What is the price for individual teacher subscriptions?

Pear Deck Premium: $149/year; Pear Assessment Premium: $125/year. Pear Practice and Start have custom pricing for paid tiers.

Source
Moodle: What languages does Moodle support?

Moodle is available in over 160 languages, making it accessible to educators and learners worldwide.

Source
Pear Deck: Are there free versions available?

Yes, all Pear Deck products offer free teacher plans: Pear Start, Pear Deck, Pear Practice, and Pear Assessment are free for educators.

Source
Moodle: Is Moodle suitable for corporations and enterprises?

Yes, Moodle is suitable for K-12, higher education, vocational training, and corporate learning. Moodle Workplace is the enterprise edition with multi-tenancy and compliance tooling.

Source
Pear Deck: What features require payment in Pear Assessment?

Free version includes basic assessment creation and autograding. Premium ($125/year) adds advanced security, accessibility tools, state test interface mimicry, and rubric scoring.

Source
Moodle: What learning standards does Moodle support?

Moodle supports various e-learning standards including SCORM and Tin Can API for compatibility with other educational systems.

Source
Pear Deck: Do schools get discounted pricing?

Yes, schools and districts receive custom pricing with additional features like standards-aligned content, shared libraries, and LMS integration.

Source
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