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Software · head to head

Pear Deck vs ProWritingAid

Pear Deck logo

Pear Deck

Software

Interactive presentations that engage every student

From
Free
Rated
-
ProWritingAid logo

ProWritingAid

Software

AI writing assistant and grammar checker

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Pear Deck the Teacher Dashboard, draggable and drawing responses and Reflect and Review require Teacher Premium at $149 per year; ProWritingAid free plan limited to 500 word count with only 2 report runs per day
  • They diverge on capability: Pear Deck covers Interactive slides, ProWritingAid covers Grammar checking.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Pear Deck and ProWritingAid differ
AttributePear DeckProWritingAid
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
PlatformsWeb, Chrome ExtensionWeb, Windows, Mac, Chrome, Firefox, Edge
Founded20142013

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 Pear Deck

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

Only in ProWritingAid

  • Grammar checking
  • Style analysis
  • Readability reports
  • Plagiarism checker
  • Chrome support
  • Firefox support
  • Edge support
  • Safari support

What people use each for

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

Pear Deck

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

ProWritingAid

  • Grammar and style checking for writers and authorsnot Pear Deck
  • Story planning and structure analysisnot Pear Deck
  • Character and manuscript analysis for fiction writersnot Pear Deck
  • Integration with Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Scrivener, and Notionnot Pear Deck

Where each one falls short

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

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

ProWritingAid

  • Free plan limited to 500 word count with only 2 report runs per day
  • Advanced AI features (50 Sparks per day, Chapter Critiques) only in Premium Pro tier
  • Desktop apps for Mac and Windows; iOS/Android support limited to specific integrations
  • Yearly subscriptions significantly more cost-effective than monthly (67% savings)

Pricing, plan by plan

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

ProWritingAid

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the ProWritingAid review.

Which should you pick?

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.

Choose ProWritingAid if

  • You need grammar checking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, Mac, Chrome, Firefox, Edge.
  • You also want style analysis.

Questions people ask

Is Pear Deck or ProWritingAid better?
Neither clearly leads. Pear Deck starts at Free and ProWritingAid at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Pear Deck or ProWritingAid?
Pear Deck starts at Free and ProWritingAid at Free.
Does Pear Deck or ProWritingAid run on more platforms?
Pear Deck runs on Web, Chrome Extension. ProWritingAid runs on Web, Windows, Mac, Chrome, Firefox, Edge.
Can I use Pear Deck for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Pear Deck best used for?
Pear Deck is most often used for turning slide decks into interactive lessons with student responses, running formative checks for understanding during class, student paced review activities and assessments. Of those, turning slide decks into interactive lessons with student responses and running formative checks for understanding during class are not what ProWritingAid is typically brought in for.
What can Pear Deck do that ProWritingAid cannot?
Pear Deck covers Interactive slides, Real-time responses, Formative assessment, Student-paced mode. ProWritingAid covers Grammar checking, Style analysis, Readability reports, Plagiarism checker.

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