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Comparison · EdTech
ILIAS vs Pear Deck
A side-by-side editorial comparison of ILIAS and Pear Deck — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
ILIAS vs Pear Deck: at a glance
What is ILIAS?
ILIAS keeps three major versions patched on the same day, month after month
ILIAS released 11.5, 10.12 and 9.24 together on 6 October, each carrying security fixes and an update recommendation. This matches the August and September batches, with details held in the project's security blog rather than the release notes. Institutions on older major versions continue to get coverage alongside the latest line.
What is Pear Deck?
Pear Deck adds LTI 1.3 for Canvas and Schoology; most other entries are pointers.
The feed alternates between release-note pointers with no content and a few substantive posts. The substantive ones cover AI workflows for test creation, analysis and curriculum alignment across Pear Deck and Pear Assessment, in beta in May and extended in August, and LTI 1.3 support for Canvas and Schoology on October 14. A Q3 overview post for Pear Assessment links out without detail.
ILIAS vs Pear Deck: editorial side-by-side
ILIAS
5.0EDTECH
ILIAS keeps three major versions patched on the same day, month after month
◆ Current state
ILIAS released 11.5, 10.12 and 9.24 together on 6 October, each carrying security fixes and an update recommendation. This matches the August and September batches, with details held in the project's security blog rather than the release notes. Institutions on older major versions continue to get coverage alongside the latest line.
◆ Where it's heading
ILIAS remains in a stability cadence built for universities and enterprises with slow upgrade cycles. The releases are predictable and intentionally thin, so feature development is not visible in this feed at all. Every recent batch has contained security fixes, which makes monthly updating the operational expectation for administrators.
◆ Prediction
Expect the next coordinated batch across 11, 10 and 9 in about a month, again with security fixes. Any major feature news would more likely appear through the docu.ilias.de community process than in these releases.
Pear Deck
5.0EDTECH
Pear Deck adds LTI 1.3 for Canvas and Schoology; most other entries are pointers.
◆ Current state
The feed alternates between release-note pointers with no content and a few substantive posts. The substantive ones cover AI workflows for test creation, analysis and curriculum alignment across Pear Deck and Pear Assessment, in beta in May and extended in August, and LTI 1.3 support for Canvas and Schoology on October 14. A Q3 overview post for Pear Assessment links out without detail.
◆ Where it's heading
Recent visible work is about fitting into district systems, with LMS standards and admin coverage controls, alongside the AI assessment workflows. Most release detail stays outside the feed.
◆ Prediction
More release-note pointers are likely; whether the AI workflows leave beta is unclear from the feed.
Alternatives to ILIAS and Pear Deck
Other EdTech products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either ILIAS or Pear Deck.
TAO Testing
TAO follows its lockdown browser release with a version-gate fix within days.
Code.org
Code.org readies Hour of AI 2026 with Sprite Lab 2 projects and an Adaptive finish flow.
LearnWorlds
LearnWorlds lets one course carry several prices, its latest checkout upgrade.
Coursera
Coursera packages its AI catalog into 12 role-based learning plans.
Blackboard Learn
Blackboard Learn's December build 4001.7 reaches Test/Stage on schedule.
See all ILIAS alternatives → · See all Pear Deck alternatives →
Recent activity from ILIAS and Pear Deck
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 9d agoPear DeckPear Assessment overview: SAT and AP calculator practice, AI Deep Dive
- 1mo agoPear DeckLTI 1.3 support for Canvas and Schoology
- 1mo agoILIASILIAS 11.5: Security maintenance release
- 1mo agoILIASILIAS 10.12: Security maintenance release
- 1mo agoILIASILIAS 9.24: Security maintenance release
- 1mo agoPear DeckPear Assessment Q3 2026 release overview
- 2mo agoILIASILIAS 11.4: Security maintenance release
- 2mo agoILIASILIAS 10.11: Security maintenance release
- 2mo agoILIASILIAS 9.23: Security maintenance release
- 3mo agoPear DeckPear Assessment Intelligence & Control Update
- 6mo agoPear DeckAI-powered workflows for data-driven instruction, actionable insights, and curriculum alignment
- 6mo agoPear DeckBETA: AI-powered workflows for data-driven instruction, actionable insights, and curriculum alignment
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between ILIAS and Pear Deck?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. ILIAS and Pear Deck are shipping at a similar cadence (velocity 5.0 vs 5.0, both within Sparkpulse's "active" band). See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.
Is ILIAS better than Pear Deck?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. ILIAS and Pear Deck are shipping at a similar cadence (velocity 5.0 vs 5.0, both within Sparkpulse's "active" band). For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other EdTech products to evaluate alongside.
What are the best alternatives to ILIAS?
Top ILIAS alternatives in EdTech are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "ILIAS alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/ilias for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to Pear Deck?
Top Pear Deck alternatives in EdTech are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Pear Deck alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/pear-deck for the full list with editorial commentary on each.