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Feature Comparison · June 2026
Both platforms are purpose-built for online tutoring. Here is a feature-by-feature look at where they match and where they diverge.
Pencil Spaces
A collaborative classroom built for tutoring, with scheduling, attendance, safeguarding, AI, and enterprise-grade compliance built in. Designed to run a tutoring operation from end to end, not just the lesson itself.
Lessonspace
A well-built virtual classroom centered on a strong collaborative whiteboard. A solid choice for independent tutors and small teams whose scheduling, compliance, and admin needs are handled elsewhere.
Not sure what a feature means? Use the buttons below each feature name, or show all explanations at once.
| Feature | For teachingPencil Spaces | The classroomLessonspace |
|---|---|---|
| The Classroom | ||
Infinite collaborative whiteboard A shared digital canvas where both tutor and student can draw, write, and annotate at the same time. It never runs out of space. | ||
Equation and graph editor A built-in tool for writing mathematical equations and plotting graphs without a separate app. Supports LaTeX, the formatting language used in academic mathematics, so you can write complex notation cleanly. | ||
Code editor A live coding environment built directly into the classroom. Students and tutors can write and review code together in real time, with color-coded syntax for easier reading. No separate tool or tab required. | ||
Import and annotate PDFs and PowerPoints Upload a PDF, Word file, or PowerPoint and draw directly on it inside the classroom. No downloading, printing, or converting needed. | ||
Sticky notes Digital sticky notes that can be placed anywhere on the whiteboard. In Pencil Spaces, each note is automatically labeled with the student's name, so you can see who wrote what at a glance. | Notes tagged to each student's name | |
Persistent spaces Everything on the whiteboard, including documents, apps, and student work, is saved automatically after every session. The next time you open the space, it picks up exactly where you left it. | ||
Multiple boards with folder organization Run multiple whiteboards within the same session. Pencil Spaces adds folder organization so you can group boards by topic or lesson. | With folder organization | |
Math and literacy board backgrounds Pre-formatted backgrounds, such as graph paper for maths or ruled lines for writing exercises, so students have structure to work within without the tutor needing to draw guidelines manually. | ||
Built-in resource library A built-in collection of ready-made teaching materials, such as diagrams, worksheets, and visual aids, that can be dropped directly onto the whiteboard without searching elsewhere. | 1,000+ ready-to-use resources | |
Built-in timer A classroom timer visible to all participants. Supports countdown, stopwatch, and alarm modes. Useful for timed exercises or keeping lessons on track. | ||
Celebrations and reactions Visual effects and animations that can be triggered during a lesson to celebrate student achievements and keep the session engaging. | ||
Tablet and stylus support The whiteboard works naturally with a drawing tablet or iPad stylus, so handwriting and diagrams feel like writing on paper rather than drawing with a mouse. | ||
Private board per student Each student gets their own private whiteboard that only they and the tutor can see. Useful for individual exercises in group sessions where you want students working independently without seeing each other's work. In Pencil Spaces, this is a private board that lives inside the same space. | No | |
Private notes for the teacher A private space only the tutor can see, used to keep lesson plans, reminders, or working notes without students being able to see them. In Pencil Spaces, this takes the form of a private board. | Via private board | |
Pin video or screenshare to the whiteboard Place a live video feed or screenshare directly onto the whiteboard canvas so it sits alongside diagrams, documents, and annotations, rather than floating separately. | No | |
Quiz applet A built-in quiz tool that lets the tutor run multiple-choice or short-answer questions directly inside the classroom, without needing to open a separate platform like Kahoot or Google Forms. | No | |
Third-party learning apps Specific educational platforms, such as Kahoot, Quizlet, IXL, and Desmos, that open directly inside the classroom window, without any tab switching or separate login. Pencil Spaces has named integrations with specific platforms. Lessonspace offers a cobrowser tool that lets you visit any website collaboratively, but charges for it beyond a monthly free allowance. | Kahoot, Quizlet, Quizziz, IXL, Desmos, and hundreds more | Via cobrowserAny website; 600 free minutes/month, then charged per minute |
Google Drive and OneDrive import Pull a file directly from your Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive into the classroom without saving it to your device first. Avoids the extra step of downloading and re-uploading. | No | |
Google Docs and Slides integration Open and collaborate on Google Docs or Slides directly inside the classroom, without leaving the platform or sharing a link. | No | |
| Video and Audio | ||
Video calling, no installation required Join a live video call directly from any modern web browser. No app download, no software update, no waiting. Works on any device with a camera and microphone. | ||
Screen sharing with annotation Share your screen with everyone in the session and draw directly on top of it in real time. Useful for highlighting parts of a document, website, or presentation as you talk through it. | ||
Multiple simultaneous screen shares More than one person can share their screen at the same time. Useful when students need to show their own work alongside the tutor's demonstration. | ||
Noise cancellation AI-powered background noise filtering that removes distractions from the audio stream, such as keyboard typing, traffic, or background chatter, so the lesson stays clear. | ||
Virtual backgrounds Replace your real background with an image during video calls. In Pencil Spaces, backgrounds can be changed freely at any time. In Lessonspace, virtual backgrounds are configured at the organization level and cannot be changed dynamically during a session. | Changed freely at any time | LimitedSet at the organization level; cannot be changed during a session |
Multiple video layout modes Switch how video feeds are arranged on screen, such as a side panel, full grid, or single-speaker focus, depending on whether you want faces or content to take priority. | 4 distinct layout modes | |
Pop-out video Keep a student's video feed visible in a small floating window, even while you are screen sharing or working on the whiteboard, so you never lose sight of who you are teaching. | ||
Hide or resize your own camera feed Reduce or hide your own camera feed so you can focus on the student without being distracted by your own face on screen. Helps reduce fatigue during long sessions. | ||
Maximum participants per session How many people can be in a session at once. Pencil Spaces has no hard cap. Lessonspace covers up to 6 participants on standard billing, charges an extra $1 per hour from the 7th participant onward, and has a hard ceiling of 10. | No hard cap | Hard cap at 10 |
Automatic pre-session tech check A link students can open before the lesson starts to automatically test their camera, microphone, and browser. Catches technical problems before they disrupt the session. | ||
Per-student connection status The tutor can see the real-time connection quality of each student during the session, making it easy to spot who might be having audio or video issues before they affect the lesson. | ||
| Classroom Management | ||
Lead and follow mode The tutor can lock all students to follow their view. When the tutor moves to a different board or app, everyone follows automatically, preventing students from wandering elsewhere on the canvas. | ||
Edit locking Prevent students from making any changes to the whiteboard. Useful during demonstrations or assessments where you want the content to stay exactly as it is. | ||
Mute, kick, and ban participants Mute a student's microphone remotely if there is background noise on their end. Remove participants from the session entirely, with a ban option to prevent them from rejoining. | ||
Breakout rooms Split the session into separate smaller rooms. Useful for group lessons where you want students working independently for a period. In Pencil Spaces, each breakout room can also be recorded individually. | Each room can be recorded separately | |
Waiting room Students wait in a lobby before the tutor admits them. Gives the tutor full control over exactly when the lesson starts and who is allowed in, rather than having students join freely at any time. | ||
Raise hand Students click a button to signal they have a question or need attention, without having to interrupt the lesson verbally. | ||
Guest join (no account required) Students can enter a session by clicking a link without creating an account or going through a sign-up process. Increases accessibility, especially for younger students or first-time users. | ||
Distraction alerts Pencil Spaces notifies the tutor privately when a student switches to another browser tab or goes idle during a session. The student is not notified, so they can be redirected without being called out in front of others. Lessonspace does not offer passive monitoring; tutors can only lock the screen after they have already noticed a problem. | Private alert to tutor only | NoActive locking controls only |
Observer mode An admin or quality-assurance staff member can silently join a session without being visible to the tutor or student. Useful for quality control reviews, compliance monitoring, or staff training. | No | |
Child Mode A simplified version of the interface designed for very young students, typically Kindergarten through Grade 3. Removes complexity and advanced tools so younger children are not overwhelmed or distracted. | No | |
Private 1:1 chat with individual students Send a private message to one specific student in the session without anyone else seeing it. Useful for quiet encouragement, a gentle redirect, or a note about something sensitive without disrupting the rest of the class. | Limited | |
Granular participant permissions Control exactly what each individual participant is allowed to do, including drawing, using chat, sharing their screen, and more. Useful for large group sessions where you want different students to have different levels of access. | ||
| Recording and AI | ||
Session recording Record the lesson for later review by the student, parent, or tutor. Pencil Spaces supports both saving the recording directly to your device and cloud recording. Lessonspace is cloud-only. | Local device and cloud | Cloud only |
Always-on cloud recording Every session is recorded automatically, without the tutor needing to remember to start recording. Useful for safeguarding, quality assurance, or organizations that require all lessons to be archived. | ||
Exclude student video from recording Record the session audio and whiteboard activity without capturing the student's camera feed. Protects student privacy and helps organizations meet safeguarding and parental consent requirements. | No | |
Record each breakout room separately When a session uses breakout rooms, each room is saved as its own recording, not just the main session. Useful for reviewing group work or conducting quality audits on individual student interactions. | ||
Cloud recording retention How long recordings are stored in the cloud. Pencil Spaces stores recordings for up to 12 months on the Master plan. Lessonspace stores recordings for 90 days at no extra charge, then bills at $0.20 per gigabyte per month for longer storage. | Up to 12 months | 90 days free$0.20/GB/month after that |
AI lesson summaries After a session ends, AI automatically generates a written summary of what was covered, including key topics discussed and any notable moments. Useful for sharing with parents or keeping as a lesson record. | ||
Session transcription A written, time-stamped transcript of everything said during the session, with each speaker labeled separately. Included in Pencil Spaces on Expert and above plans. Available in Lessonspace as a paid add-on at $0.001 per participant minute. | Included on Expert and above | Paid add-on$0.001 per participant minute |
AI autograder Automatically assess student work across multiple students at once, whether handwritten on the board or typed. Flags learning gaps and provides suggested feedback, saving significant marking time. | No | |
AI teaching assistant Sparky, Pencil Spaces' built-in AI assistant, generates curriculum-aligned lesson content, activities, and exercises on demand, so tutors spend less time preparing and more time teaching. | Sparky, built in | No |
AI tutor coach After a session, AI reviews the recording and provides the tutor with structured feedback on their teaching, covering areas like pacing, questioning technique, and student engagement. | No | |
Nudity detection and safeguarding alerts Automated monitoring of live video that detects inappropriate content and immediately alerts the tutor or an admin. An important safeguarding layer for organizations working with minors. | No | |
Pencil Spaces holds COPPA, FERPA, HIPAA, and SOC 2 Type II certifications, all required or strongly preferred for US schools, districts, and healthcare-adjacent tutoring. Lessonspace is GDPR-focused and does not publicly hold these US certifications. If you operate in K-12, work with minors in the US, or sell into US institutions, this is a critical consideration.
Yes — Pencil Spaces
Yes — Lessonspace
Yes — Pencil Spaces
No — Lessonspace
Yes — Pencil Spaces
No — Lessonspace
Yes — Pencil Spaces
No — Lessonspace
Yes — Pencil Spaces
No — Lessonspace
Yes — Pencil Spaces
No — Lessonspace
Lessonspace's cobrowser is powered by Hyperbeam, a third-party virtual browser provider. Hyperbeam is not COPPA, HIPAA, or SOC 2 compliant. Because the cobrowser runs through Hyperbeam's infrastructure rather than Lessonspace's own, any student browsing activity in a Lessonspace cobrowser session is subject to Hyperbeam's compliance posture, not Lessonspace's. If your tutoring involves shared web browsing and you operate in a compliance-sensitive environment, verify this directly with Lessonspace before relying on their certifications.
Pencil Spaces
24/7 live support, every day of the year. A real person responds, including during live lessons. On Expert and above plans, a support agent can join your Space directly to diagnose issues in real time.
Lessonspace
Async email support with a publicly stated response time of within 24 hours. A self-service knowledge base is available for common issues.
For tutoring companies running sessions every hour of the day, the difference between a one-minute and a 24-hour response is the difference between a recoverable technical issue and a churned student.
| Feature | For teachingPencil Spaces | The classroomLessonspace |
|---|---|---|
| Admin and Analytics | ||
Role-based permissions Set what admins, tutors, and students are allowed to access and change across the platform. Defined once per role, then applied to everyone in that role automatically. | No | |
Custom branding and white-labeling Add your logo, adjust colors, and customize the platform's appearance so it reflects your brand, rather than Pencil Spaces' or Lessonspace's. | ||
Localization The platform interface is available in multiple languages. Pencil Spaces supports over 30 languages, including right-to-left languages such as Arabic and Hebrew. Lessonspace offers a language setting but does not publish a full language list. | 30+ languages, including right-to-left support | PartialLanguage setting available; full list not published |
Live session view for admins A real-time dashboard showing every session currently in progress across the organization, including who is teaching, how long the session has been running, and connection status. Useful for operations teams and quality managers. | No | |
Engagement metrics and talk-time statistics Data on how much each student and tutor participated in a session, including how long each person spoke, how active they were on the board, and similar signals. Useful for assessing lesson quality and tutor performance. | No | |
Attendance tracking (built in) Automatically log which students attended each session, when they joined, and when they left, with reports generated inside the platform. Lessonspace relies on external tutoring management systems for this. | NoRequires an external tool | |
Organization-wide analytics Summary reports across all sessions, tutors, and students in one place. Useful for understanding usage patterns, identifying top performers, and reporting to school administrators or investors. | Session data onlyHours and participant counts | |
Bulk user management Add, remove, or update large numbers of students or tutors at once, rather than managing each person individually. Essential for larger organizations onboarding dozens of users at a time. | No | |
Toggle individual features on or off per role Disable specific tools, such as private messaging or screen sharing, for particular roles across the whole organization. Useful for compliance reasons or for keeping the experience age-appropriate for younger students. | No | |
| Scheduling and Operations | ||
Built-in scheduling and calendar A native scheduling system built into Pencil Spaces, so you do not need a separate tool such as Calendly or Google Calendar to manage lesson times. Lessonspace does not include scheduling and relies on external tools such as Teachworks or TutorCruncher. | Native Advanced Scheduling module | NoRequires an external scheduling tool |
Student booking and email invites Send booking links or email invites to students directly from the platform, so they can confirm lesson times and receive join instructions automatically. | No | |
Automated attendance logging Automatically records which students attended, when they joined, and when they left, stored alongside the session record inside the platform. No manual logging or external spreadsheet needed. | No | |
| Integrations and Developer Tools | ||
REST API A standard programming interface that lets developers connect either platform with other software systems, automate workflows, and build custom features on top of the classroom. | ||
iFrame embed Embed the classroom directly inside your own website or platform so students never have to leave your environment. Looks and feels like part of your own product. | ||
Webhooks Automatic notifications sent to your systems when something happens in a session, such as a student joining, the lesson ending, or a recording becoming available. Allows your own software to react to classroom events in real time. | ||
SSO (Google, Clever, Classlink, Microsoft) Single Sign-On allows students and tutors to log in using an account they already have, such as Google or Microsoft, with no separate password required. Clever and Classlink are the SSO systems used by most US school districts. | No | |
Zapier integration Zapier is a no-code tool that connects apps together without writing any code. Pencil Spaces has a full Zapier integration. Lessonspace also has a Zapier integration, though it is currently limited in scope. | LimitedActive integration; limited in scope | |
Canvas LMS integration Canvas is one of the most widely used learning management systems in US schools and universities. Pencil Spaces integrates directly with it, making it easier to assign and access sessions within Canvas courses. | No | |
TMS integrations Tutoring management systems (TMS) handle scheduling, billing, and student records for tutoring businesses. Pencil Spaces integrates with TutorCruncher, Wise.live, and Yo!Coach. Both platforms connect with common tools in this category. | ||
Named learning app integrations Specific educational platforms that open directly inside the classroom without tab switching or separate login. Pencil Spaces has named integrations with Kahoot, Quizlet, Quizziz, Wordle, IXL, Desmos, and hundreds more. Lessonspace's cobrowser lets you visit any site collaboratively, but is not tied to specific platforms. | Kahoot, Quizlet, Quizziz, IXL, Desmos, and hundreds more | Via cobrowserAny website; no named partnerships |
Custom app SDK A software development kit that lets your engineering team build custom interactive tools that run directly inside the Pencil Spaces classroom, without needing to host them separately. | No | |
| Pricing Model | ||
Pricing model | Usage-based; flat hourly session rate | Monthly plan with bundled hours; per-hour overage |
Free tier Pencil Spaces offers a permanently free Starter plan with voice, whiteboard, and persistent content. No credit card needed. Lessonspace offers a 14-day free trial on any paid plan. | Free Starter plan; voice and whiteboard included | No14-day free trial on any plan |
Entry paid plan The starting price for a paid plan. Pencil Spaces charges $0.40 per session hour covering up to 4 participants, with a $4 monthly minimum. Lessonspace charges $9 per month which includes the first 10 hours. | $4/monthIncludes the first 10 hours | $9/monthIncludes first 10 hours |
Cobrowser billing The cobrowser feature lets tutor and student browse the same website together in real time. In Pencil Spaces, the equivalent web viewer is included on Expert and above plans. In Lessonspace, 600 participant minutes are free per month; additional usage is charged at $0.004 per participant minute. | Included on Expert and above | 600 free minutes/month$0.004/participant min after that |
Recording storage billing How long-term recording storage is handled. Pencil Spaces includes up to 12 months on the Master plan. Lessonspace includes 90 days and then charges $0.20 per gigabyte per month for anything stored longer. | 90 days included on Expert, 12 months included on Master | 90 days free$0.20/GB/month after |
Unused hour rollover | Bulk-purchased hours roll over; usage-based billing means you only pay for what you use | NoUnused bundled hours do not roll over |
Enterprise pricing | Contact salesFrom $2,000/month; custom feature set | |
Lessonspace pricing sourced from their public pricing page as of June 2026. Full per-hour rates for higher Lessonspace tiers are not publicly listed; contact their sales team for a quote.
Lessonspace pricing sourced from their public pricing page as of June 2026. Full per-hour rates for higher Lessonspace tiers are not publicly listed; contact their sales team for a quote.
Get a two-week free trial on any paid plan. No credit card required on the free tier.
Start Free TrialThis comparison reflects publicly available information about Lessonspace as of June 2026, sourced from their feature pages, pricing pages, and help centers. Feature availability may vary by plan. We have made every effort to ensure accuracy; if you identify any error, please let us know. We recommend verifying current capabilities directly with vendors before making a purchasing decision.
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