Grading is the part of teaching that follows you home. The pile on the kitchen table, the spreadsheet that never quite adds up, the parent who asks why a grade dropped — a good gradebook does not make the work disappear, but it does make it visible, consistent, and fast enough to finish at school.
This list covers the full range: free gradebooks a single teacher can start today, scan grading that clears a pile of paper quizzes in minutes, small-school systems that bundle grading with attendance and report cards, and the district systems that run whole school systems. Every entry was checked on its official website.
We checked every tool on its official website on November 13, 2026, looking at the free plan, the price, and the grading features a teacher actually uses. Where a site did not state a price, we say so.
Key takeaways
- JumpRope is free for individual teachers and built only for standards-based grading.
- GradeCam grades paper quizzes in seconds by scanning bubble sheets.
- QuickSchools bundles gradebook, attendance, and report cards from $1.49 per student a month.
- TeacherEase covers traditional and standards-based grading from $175.67 per teacher a year.
- PowerSchool SIS, Infinite Campus, Skyward, and Aeries SIS are district systems, priced by quote.
Quick comparison
| # | Tool | Best for | Grades / audience | Pricing | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | standards-based grading, free | K–12 | Free + paid | Free for teachers | |
| 2 | grading paper quizzes in seconds | K–12 | Free + paid | Yes | |
| 3 | standards-based learning on a budget | K–12 | Paid | No | |
| 4 | small schools that need it all | K–12 | Paid | No | |
| 5 | districts that need everything | K–12 | School license | No | |
| 6 | a gradebook tied to the SIS | K–12 | School license | No | |
| 7 | standards-based and weighted grading | K–12 | School license | No | |
| 8 | a gradebook with strong state reporting | K–12 | School license | No |
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Request a listingThe 8 best picks
- Pricing
- Free + paid
- Free plan
- Free for teachers
- Grades / audience
- K–12
JumpRope is a gradebook built entirely around standards-based grading. Instead of averaging points into one letter grade, it tracks how well each student has mastered each standard, with courses organized into units and a family portal that shows standards, assignments, and missing work. Individual teachers can use the Classroom plan for free forever, with no upgrades required.
What we like
- Standards-based gradebook that tracks mastery, not averages
- Courses organized into units with standards attached
- Family portal shows standards, assignments, and missing work
- Free Classroom plan for individual teachers, with no upgrades required
Watch out for
- It only does standards-based grading — teachers who grade by points will not find a traditional gradebook.
- The paid school and district plans are priced by quote, so the cost is not public.
Pricing: Free Classroom plan for individual teachers; school and district plans are annual per-student subscriptions priced by quote.
- Pricing
- Free + paid
- Free plan
- Yes
- Grades / audience
- K–12
GradeCam, now sold as Gradient, grades paper answer sheets by scanning them with a phone, tablet, document camera, or webcam. Students fill in bubbles on plain paper, the teacher scans the sheets, and scores appear instantly — then transfer into a digital gradebook on the Plus plan. The Basic plan is free, and all new users start with a free 60-day trial of Plus.
What we like
- Scan bubble sheets with a phone, tablet, document camera, or webcam
- Scores transfer into a digital gradebook with the Plus plan
- Student View lets students scan their own forms and see results
- Reports by student, question, or class
Watch out for
- Paid plan prices are not published on the official site.
- Scanning needs a document camera, webcam, or phone — it is not a standalone gradebook.
Pricing: Free Basic plan; paid Teacher Premium and school/district plans — prices not stated on the official site.
- Pricing
- Paid
- Free plan
- No
- Grades / audience
- K–12
TeacherEase from Common Goal Systems is a web-based platform for schools moving to standards-based learning — or running traditional grading alongside it. It holds a gradebook, learning targets, rubrics, online assignments, and a parent portal, and it integrates with Google Classroom. Subscriptions are sold to schools and districts by teacher count, starting at $175.67 per teacher per year for 1–19 teachers.
What we like
- Traditional and standards-based gradebooks in one platform
- Learning targets, rubrics, and assessments for standards-based learning
- Report cards and a parent portal
- Integrates with Google Classroom
Watch out for
- Individual teachers cannot buy it — subscriptions are for schools and districts.
- Report cards are sold separately, not included in TeacherEase.
Pricing: From $175.67 per teacher per year for 1–19 teachers; school and district subscriptions only.
- Pricing
- Paid
- Free plan
- No
- Grades / audience
- K–12
QuickSchools is a cloud-based school management system built for small K–12 schools. It bundles the gradebook with attendance, report cards, scheduling, and fee tracking, plus parent and student portals, all in a browser with nothing to install. Pricing is per student per month: Gaia $0.99, Apollo $1.49, and Athena $2.99.
What we like
- Gradebook and report cards on the Apollo plan and above
- Attendance, admissions, and fee tracking in one place
- Parent and student portals with messaging
- No hardware to install — it runs in a browser
Watch out for
- There is no free plan, though a free trial is available.
- The cheapest Gaia plan does not include the gradebook — that starts with Apollo.
Pricing: Gaia $0.99, Apollo $1.49, and Athena $2.99 per student per month.
- Pricing
- School license
- Free plan
- No
- Grades / audience
- K–12
PowerSchool SIS is the student information system used by many US districts, and its PowerTeacher Pro gradebook is the daily grading tool inside it. It handles standards-based report cards, transcripts, state reporting, attendance, scheduling, and enrollment in one system. It is a district purchase priced by quote, with no public prices on the official site.
What we like
- PowerTeacher Pro gradebook for daily grading
- Standards-based report cards and transcripts
- State reporting and compliance tools built in
- Attendance, scheduling, and enrollment in one system
Watch out for
- It is a district purchase — individual teachers and small schools cannot buy it alone.
- The full system is far more than a gradebook, so the setup is heavy.
Pricing: Pricing is by quote; no public prices on the official site.
- Pricing
- School license
- Free plan
- No
- Grades / audience
- K–12
Infinite Campus is a student information system with a built-in gradebook, so grades, attendance, scheduling, and behavior live in one place. Students and parents see grades in the portal as soon as the teacher posts them. It is sold to districts on custom pricing, with no public prices and no free trial.
What we like
- Gradebook with grades visible to students and parents as posted
- Attendance, scheduling, and behavior tracking
- Parent and student portals
- State reporting for districts
Watch out for
- There is no free version or free trial.
- It is sold to districts, so a single teacher cannot adopt it alone.
Pricing: Pricing is by quote; no public prices on the official site.
- Pricing
- School license
- Free plan
- No
- Grades / audience
- K–12
Skyward, sold as Qmlativ, is a student information system whose Educator Gradebook handles both standards-based and secondary grading, with weighting and grading scales a teacher can set. Online assignments feed straight into the gradebook, and grades auto-post to mid-term and semester report cards. It is a district purchase priced by quote.
What we like
- Educator Gradebook with standards-based and secondary grading
- Weighting and grading scales a teacher can set
- Online assignments that feed straight into the gradebook
- Grades auto-post to mid-term and semester report cards
Watch out for
- There is no free version or free trial.
- It is a district system, so adoption is a school decision, not a teacher one.
Pricing: Pricing is by quote; no public prices on the official site.
- Pricing
- School license
- Free plan
- No
- Grades / audience
- K–12
Aeries SIS is a student information system with a full gradebook inside, covering attendance, scheduling, state reporting, and a parent portal for grades and attendance. Schools get analytics and dashboards on top of the daily grading tools. Like the other district systems here, it is priced by quote, with no public prices on the official site.
What we like
- Gradebook with attendance and scheduling in one system
- State reporting tools for districts
- Parent portal for grades and attendance
- Analytics and dashboards for schools
Watch out for
- There is no free version or free trial.
- JumpRope, also in this list, is now part of Aeries — the two share an owner but remain separate products.
Pricing: Pricing is by quote; no public prices on the official site.
How we chose
We started from tools PreK–6 teachers actually use and checked every one against its official website, pricing page and feature pages on November 13, 2026. We kept tools that fit elementary classrooms, noted whether a free plan exists, and wrote down honest limitations next to the strengths. Nobody paid to be included, and we don't use affiliate links on this page.
- Fit for PreK–6 classrooms, special education or homeschool
- Clear information on the official site about what the tool does and who it is for
- Free plan or free-for-teachers option noted where one exists
- Still active and maintained, with rebrands noted
How to choose the right tool
Start with who is buying. JumpRope and GradeCam have free plans a single teacher can use today. TeacherEase and QuickSchools are school purchases. PowerSchool SIS, Infinite Campus, Skyward, and Aeries SIS are district purchases, priced by quote — a teacher cannot adopt them alone.
Decide how you grade before you pick a tool. If your school grades by standards, JumpRope, TeacherEase, and Skyward are built for it. If you grade by points and percentages, a traditional gradebook such as QuickSchools or the PowerSchool gradebook fits better. JumpRope only does standards-based grading.
Count the paper. If most of your grading is paper quizzes, GradeCam's scan grading saves more time than any gradebook feature. If most of your work is digital, the scan feature matters far less than the gradebook itself.
Check what the gradebook connects to. A gradebook that syncs with your school's SIS, LMS, or parent portal saves double entry every week. PowerSchool SIS, Infinite Campus, Skyward, and Aeries SIS hold the gradebook inside the system, so nothing needs syncing at all.
Ask what happens at report card time. A gradebook is only half the job if grades still need hand-copying into report cards. TeacherEase sells report cards separately, Skyward auto-posts grades to report cards, and QuickSchools includes report cards from its Apollo plan.
Best pick by situation
- You grade by standards and want a free tool: JumpRope — free Classroom plan, built only for standards-based grading
- You give paper quizzes and hate the grading pile: GradeCam — scan answer sheets with a phone and get instant results
- Your small school needs a gradebook plus attendance and report cards: QuickSchools — all three from $1.49 per student a month
- Your school is moving to standards-based learning: TeacherEase — traditional and standards-based grading in one platform
- Your district already runs PowerSchool: PowerSchool SIS — PowerTeacher Pro gradebook inside the system you have
- You need grades to flow into report cards automatically: Skyward — grades auto-post to mid-term and semester report cards
- Your district needs state reporting with the gradebook: Aeries SIS — gradebook, attendance, and state reporting together
Pair it with printables
Gradebook data becomes useful at conference time — these Activity Express printables help teachers record assessments and share progress with families.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free gradebook for teachers?
JumpRope is the best free gradebook for a single teacher: its Classroom plan is free forever, with no upgrades required. GradeCam also has a free Basic plan.
What is standards-based grading?
Standards-based grading reports how well a student has mastered each learning standard, instead of averaging points into one letter grade. JumpRope, TeacherEase, Otus, and Skyward are built for it; PowerSchool SIS and Aeries SIS support it too.
Can a gradebook app replace my school's SIS?
No. A gradebook app such as JumpRope or GradeCam handles grading for one teacher or class. A student information system such as PowerSchool SIS, Infinite Campus, Skyward, or Aeries SIS holds attendance, scheduling, transcripts, and state reporting for the whole district.
How does scan grading work?
With GradeCam, students fill in bubble sheets on plain paper. The teacher scans the sheets with a phone, tablet, document camera, or webcam, and the scores appear in the app — then transfer into a digital gradebook on the Plus plan.
Why do some gradebooks not list a price?
The district systems on this list — PowerSchool SIS, Infinite Campus, Skyward, and Aeries SIS — are priced by quote, because the cost depends on the size of the district and the modules it buys. Only a school or district can buy them, not an individual teacher.
Make a tool for teachers?
Built something teachers love? We keep these guides fresh, so send us a new tool, updated pricing or a featured spot request.
Request a listingDisclosure: no tool on this page paid to be included and we don't earn commissions from these links. Featured placements, if we ever offer them, will be clearly labeled "Sponsored". Details were checked on each provider's official website on November 13, 2026 and can change.