AI grading tools compared
There are good AI grading tools, and several of them beat us on price, on free-tier volume, or on how long they have been around. Each page below says so plainly and links the vendor’s own pricing page. What none of them is built for is the thing we are: handwritten, multi-step work that has to be read rather than pattern-matched: a page of worked algebra, a lab write-up, a paragraph response, marked directly on the student’s own page, with the per-question record kept by student, class, and assignment.
Every figure on these pages was read off the vendor’s own pricing page and is dated. Pricing moves; if you find something out of date, tell us and we will correct it.
Entry prices at a glance
| Tool | Entry paid price | Sold to | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| NudgeLearn Grader | $30/mo, $25 billed yearly (400 items) | Individual K-12 teachers | n/a |
| CoGrader | $15/mo billed annually, $19 monthly (350 submissions) | Teachers, schools and districts | 2026-08-22 |
| EssayGrader.ai | $6.99/mo (100 essays) | Teachers, plus district quotes | 2026-07-25 |
| Gradescope | Not published; Institutional plan is quoted | Institutions and higher education | 2026-08-22 |
| Class Companion | Not published; schools request a quote | Teachers, schools by quote | 2026-07-25 |
| MagicSchool AI | $8.33/user/mo billed annually, $12.99 monthly | Teachers and districts | 2026-08-22 |
| Turnitin | Not published; every plan routes to sales | Institutions | 2026-08-13 |
| Brisk Teaching | Not published; Premium is a custom quote | Teachers, schools and districts | 2026-08-22 |
Every competitor figure was read off that vendor’s own pricing page on the date shown, and each row links to the page that cites it. All product names and trademarks belong to their owners; NudgeLearn is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of them.
- NudgeLearn Grader vs CoGraderThe most established AI essay grader aimed squarely at K-12. Strong on essays against a rubric, with a large preloaded state-rubric set and the compliance paperwork schools ask for. It now grades handwritten essays from a photo or scan as well, with visuals, diagrams, charts and graphics excluded.
- NudgeLearn Grader vs EssayGrader.aiA narrowly scoped, well-executed essay grader with a very large rubric library and broad standards coverage. It does essays, and effectively only essays.
- NudgeLearn Grader vs GradescopeThe most mature AI-assisted grader in the category, built in and for higher education. Its rubric workflow, mark once and apply everywhere, is genuinely fast at cohort scale, and it handles handwritten problem sets and exams.
- NudgeLearn Grader vs Class CompanionA free-for-teachers AI feedback platform with a large shared assignment and rubric library, strongest on written responses across subjects.
- NudgeLearn Grader vs MagicSchool AIA very broad teacher toolkit covering lesson planning, differentiation, communication, and dozens of other tools, with grading as one feature among many.
- NudgeLearn Grader vs TurnitinThe incumbent of the category, serving education since 1998. Feedback Studio pairs similarity checking against a very large repository with grading and feedback tools: QuickMarks, rubrics, grading forms, pinned and AI summary comments. Turnitin also owns Gradescope, which it acquired in 2018.
- NudgeLearn Grader vs Brisk TeachingA free browser extension that works inside Google and Microsoft tools, strong on giving feedback on digital documents and inspecting writing process history.
Choosing an AI grader, answered
What is the best AI grading tool for teachers?
It depends on what you grade. For typed essays against a rubric on a small budget, CoGrader and EssayGrader.ai are the cheapest serious options and both have free tiers. For a broad teacher toolkit where grading is one feature, MagicSchool AI covers the most ground. For templated exams at university scale with institutional backing, Gradescope. For plagiarism and AI-writing detection across a whole institution, Turnitin. NudgeLearn Grader is built for the case none of those is built for: handwritten, multi-step work photographed off paper and marked on the student’s own page.
Which AI grader reads handwritten work?
NudgeLearn Grader reads handwritten multi-step work from a phone photo, including pages with figures on them. CoGrader’s own help centre states it supports image grading for handwritten assignments but that visuals, diagrams, charts and graphics are not supported. Gradescope reads scanned and uploaded PDFs of paper assignments. The rest of the category is built around typed or digital documents.
Can a single teacher buy these without going through their district?
NudgeLearn, CoGrader, EssayGrader.ai, MagicSchool and Brisk all sell to an individual teacher directly. Gradescope’s AI-assisted grading and Turnitin’s products are licensed to institutions and quoted by their sales teams, so a single teacher cannot buy either on a card tonight.
Does an AI grader replace the teacher?
No, and NudgeLearn does not claim to. It marks a first pass and explains what it marked; you review, override anything, and nothing reaches a student until you release it. The grade stays yours. What it saves is the hour of red pen, not the judgement.
How current are the prices on these pages?
Every figure is read off the vendor’s own pricing page and stamped with the date it was checked, and each comparison page links the source. Prices in this category move, so treat anything more than a month old as needing a second look, and tell us if you find one out of date.
Related reading
- AI grading for handwritten work: photograph the page, get it back marked.
- Free AI essay grader for teachers: what each free tier actually includes.
- How to grade 100 essays fast: the method, and how long it really takes.
- Measured accuracy, method and limits: our agreement with official examiners, and where it breaks down.
- Writing rubric library and printable worksheets: free, no account.
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