Best Classroom Management Software (2026): 10 Tools

Laptops and tablets have made lessons more flexible, and they've made it much easier for a student to drift off into a game or a video while looking busy. Teachers can't watch thirty screens at once, which is the gap classroom management software is built to fill.

The ten classroom management tools below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order, and every description comes from the vendor's own website, read this week. If you're also exploring AI in lessons, my notes on whether schools should allow AI tools in assessments cover the policy side.

Classroom management tools side by side

I checked the free plan column on each tool's own website, as of Oct 2026. Yes means the site names a free plan, a free version, a free allowance or an open source version. Trial only means a time-limited trial. Not stated means the pages I read named neither, even where there's a button inviting you to start for free, so check the vendor's page before you sign up.

Tool	Type	Good for	Free plan
Blocksi	Filtering and classroom management	Filtering and classroom tools from one vendor	Not stated
Faronics Insight	Classroom management and computer monitoring	Watching student computers in labs	Trial only
GoGuardian	Digital learning and safety platform for schools	K-12 schools wanting filtering too	Not stated
Hāpara	Classroom management for K-12 schools	Keeping learners on track and focused	Not stated
LanSchool	Classroom management with AI monitoring	AI checks on whether students are on task	Trial only
Lightspeed Systems	Edtech management platform	Screen monitoring alongside device management	Not stated
Linewize	Filtering, monitoring and classroom manager	Schools in the UK, Australia and New Zealand	Trial only
NetSupport School	On-premise classroom management software	Seeing every student screen in the room	Trial only
Securly	Filtering, safety and classroom tools	UK schools working to KCSIE	Not stated
Veyon	Open source classroom management	Schools that want to host it themselves	Yes

Ten classroom management tools to compare

Blocksi

Best for: Schools that want internet content filtering, a classroom management system and student safety tools from one smaller vendor.

Faronics Insight

Best for: Schools with computer labs that want classroom management software for monitoring student computers, from the makers of Deep Freeze.

GoGuardian

Best for: K-12 schools that want a classroom management tool for teachers alongside web filtering and student safety products.

Hāpara

Best for: Teachers who want to keep learners on track and focused, with student safety and wellness tools from the same K-12 provider.

LanSchool

Best for: Leaders curious about AI on-task monitoring who want classroom management plus content filtering and safety features.

Lightspeed Systems

Best for: Districts that want classroom screen monitoring and control as part of a wider set of filtering, safety and device management products.

Linewize

Best for: IT leads who want a classroom manager giving teachers control in the digital classroom, from a provider working across several regions.

NetSupport School

Best for: Teachers who want to monitor student screens and manage classroom devices from an on-premise program, with training included.

Securly

Best for: UK schools that need filtering and monitoring aligned with Keeping Children Safe in Education, plus a classroom tool for teachers.

Veyon

Best for: IT administrators and schools who want open source classroom management they can deploy on their own infrastructure, with no vendor lock-in.

Which classroom tool fits your school

• Seeing every screen in the room: NetSupport School or Faronics Insight.
• UK schools working to KCSIE: Securly.
• A classroom manager from a provider in several regions: Linewize.
• Keeping lessons on task: Hāpara or GoGuardian.
• AI checks on whether students are on task: LanSchool.
• Screen control within a device management suite: Lightspeed Systems.
• Filtering and classroom tools from one smaller vendor: Blocksi.
• Open source you host yourself: Veyon.

What the Department for Education expects

The Department for Education says schools and colleges have a statutory responsibility to keep children safe online as well as offline, and that includes appropriate filtering and monitoring systems. Its standards also make the point that no filtering system can be 100% effective, so schools need to understand what theirs covers and where its limits are.

It describes monitoring as reviewing user activity on school devices, and notes that unlike filtering, it doesn't stop someone reaching material. Classroom management software sits on the monitoring side, helping teachers see what's happening during a lesson.

Classroom tools versus web filters

A web filter blocks harmful or distracting sites across the whole school, all day. It's usually run by the IT team and works quietly in the background.

Classroom management software is for the teacher in the room. It shows student screens, can lock devices or push everyone to the same page, and helps with focus during a specific lesson. Most schools need both, and many vendors sell them together.

Questions to ask before you choose classroom management software

1. Does it work on every device type we use?
2. Can teachers use it without IT help each lesson?
3. Does it run in the cloud or on our own servers?
4. How does it handle student privacy and data?
5. Does it work alongside our existing web filter?
6. Is training included for staff?

Signs your classrooms need better device management

• Students switch tabs when you walk past. Use screen viewing.
• Lessons stall while everyone finds the same page. Push the link to all devices.
• Teachers avoid using devices at all. Give them simple controls.
• Safeguarding records sit in separate systems. Choose tools that connect.

Do you make classroom management or school safety software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.

My plain advice on choosing classroom management software

Involve two or three teachers in the trial from day one, because a tool the IT team loves but teachers find fiddly will sit unused. The best test is a real lesson with a real class, not a demo.

Check how it fits with your filtering and safeguarding records before you sign anything, so you aren't running two systems that don't talk to each other. For saving teachers time in other ways, my list of AI prompts that save teachers marking time is a handy companion.

Frequently asked questions

What is classroom management software?

Classroom management software lets teachers see and guide student devices during lessons, for example by viewing screens, locking devices or sharing a page with the whole class.

Is there free classroom management software?

Some tools are open source, and others offer trials. The free plan column above shows what each vendor's site says.

Is classroom management software the same as a web filter?

No. A filter blocks content across the school, while classroom management software helps the teacher guide devices during a lesson.

Do UK schools have to monitor student devices?

The Department for Education says schools must have appropriate filtering and monitoring systems in place, as set out in Keeping children safe in education.

Does it work on Chromebooks and iPads?

Many tools support several device types, but coverage varies. Check each vendor's supported platforms.

Can students tell they're being monitored?

It depends on the tool and its settings. Schools usually explain monitoring in their acceptable use policy, so students and parents know what's checked.