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Comparison · EdTech
itslearning vs Pear Deck
A side-by-side editorial comparison of itslearning and Pear Deck — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Shared themes:assessment
itslearning vs Pear Deck: at a glance
What is itslearning?
itslearning pilots a new Assignment tool, its first new building block in months.
itslearning's October digest opened the new Assignment tool to all customers as an opt-in pilot: teachers create activities with or without submissions from one starting point, and assignments without submissions get a new assessment view for grades and formatted feedback in the student list. It is part of the German Development Project with four German states. November's digest adds only tree links in folder descriptions.
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.
itslearning vs Pear Deck: editorial side-by-side
itslearning
5.0EDTECH
itslearning pilots a new Assignment tool, its first new building block in months.
◆ Current state
itslearning's October digest opened the new Assignment tool to all customers as an opt-in pilot: teachers create activities with or without submissions from one starting point, and assignments without submissions get a new assessment view for grades and formatted feedback in the student list. It is part of the German Development Project with four German states. November's digest adds only tree links in folder descriptions.
◆ Where it's heading
Most of 2026 was subtraction and accessibility: retiring Test 2.0 and the project Links page, making SCORM a paid add-on, rebuilding Files. The Assignment pilot is a replacement rather than a removal, with the old Task tool kept alongside it during the pilot.
◆ Prediction
Expect the pilot to extend new Assignment to submissions, which still use the old interface, before Task is retired.
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 itslearning 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 itslearning or Pear Deck.
Code.org
Code.org moves Adaptive to Gemini 3 and adds GPT-6 Luna to its AI labs.
Coursera
Coursera and Udemy plug their catalogs into Workday with a certified integration.
Scribe
Scribe's Optimize agent now builds any report and keeps it updated on a schedule.
Podia
Podia lets creators switch off event reminders, its fifth store basic in three weeks
Google Classroom
Classroom now lets teachers assign a Gemini tutor that withholds the answer.
See all itslearning alternatives → · See all Pear Deck alternatives →
Recent activity from itslearning and Pear Deck
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 5d agoPear DeckPear Assessment overview: SAT and AP calculator practice, AI Deep Dive
- 8d agoitslearningNovember 2026 product updates
- 14d agoitslearningOctober 2026 product updates
- 27d agoPear DeckLTI 1.3 support for Canvas and Schoology
- 1mo agoPear DeckPear Assessment Q3 2026 release overview
- 2mo agoitslearningOne-step content block deletion, persistent menus in plans
- 3mo agoPear DeckPear Assessment Intelligence & Control Update
- 3mo agoitslearningFixes for assessment scrolling, course copy and page errors
- 3mo agoitslearningPersonal Files area rebuilt for accessibility and Office editing
- 4mo agoitslearningSCORM player swaps to Rustici and becomes a paid add-on ⚡
- 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 itslearning and Pear Deck?
Both compete on the same themes — assessment — within EdTech. itslearning 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 itslearning better than Pear Deck?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. itslearning 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 itslearning?
Top itslearning alternatives in EdTech are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "itslearning alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/itslearning 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.