Online proctoring software watches remote exams through webcam, screen and browser controls, with AI flags, live proctors or recorded review.
This guide ranks vendors on first-term setup effort, what ID checks, second cameras and live proctors add to the bill, how session recordings leave the system, and whether the product stands alone or sits inside an assessment suite.
Vendors can pay for more visibility on this website, for example a higher place in a ranking or more room on a page. Commercial relationships can also affect which products we feature and how prominently. Every vendor link is marked the same, whatever the arrangement behind it. How that works.
In short
What online proctoring software does
Online proctoring software verifies a candidate's identity and monitors a remote exam through camera, screen and locked browser, using AI flags and human review to detect cheating.
Five tests decide the order: setup effort, real cost, how your data leaves, whether you can walk away, and who the online proctoring tool was built for. Smaller challengers are placed in the top three wherever the category has them; the well-known brands come after. The reasoning behind the five tests, and behind having no score out of ten, is set out on the how we work page.
On-demand online proctoring with automated or human-assisted review, no scheduling
Ranked #1 of 11 in Best Online Proctoring Software in 2026.
Pricing on requestElsewhere
The page lists Fully Automated Proctoring, Human-Assisted Proctoring, a Secure Browser, Psychometrics and Proctored Exam Delivery, so a programme can start with automated review and add human checks later.
Integrations include Skilljar, Canvas, Moodle, Jenzabar, Brightspace and Open LMS. It ranks first because it is a proctoring-focused service rather than part of a suite, but ownership and pricing remain unverified until you ask.
What stands out
On-demand sessions
Automated or human-assisted
Nine named LMS links
Where it costs you
The site publishes no prices, only a promise of prices matching your budget.
Legal name, owner and delivery model are missing from the page.
Right for
Small programmes wanting proctoring on demand without scheduling or a large platform contract
Wrong for
Buyers who need a published price list before any call
Not stated by the vendorNo prices published; a demo is offered and the page promises prices that match your budget
LockDown Browser and Monitor, with annual seat-tier prices shown for K-12
Ranked #2 of 11 in Best Online Proctoring Software in 2026.
Published pricingNorth America
A district can budget from that page: five paid tiers by seat count, annual renewal on 1 August with pro-rated fees, and a single-user licence for individual teachers.
LockDown Browser serves higher education and K-12, while Respondus Monitor is listed for higher education. The company says its technology sits inside 70+ third-party assessment platforms, which helps if your test tool is already one of them.
What stands out
LockDown Browser
Respondus Monitor
Published K-12 tiers
Where it costs you
Only the K-12 site licence carries prices; university rates are not on the pages read.
Delivery model and owner are missing, so exit and independence need a direct question.
Right for
K-12 districts wanting seat-tier annual pricing for a lockdown browser plus webcam monitoring
Wrong for
Universities needing a price before they contact sales
United StatesPublished annual K-12 site-licence tiers by LMS seat count; free 30-day pilot of Respondus 4
Cloud proctoring with a 360-degree camera headset and a phone as second camera
Ranked #3 of 11 in Best Online Proctoring Software in 2026.
Pricing on requestElsewhere
The site lists 360 Total View, multi-camera live proctoring with the candidate's phone, single-webcam live sessions and AI auto-proctoring. Features named include live text and audio chat, secure exam password entry, and recording of screen, camera and audio, for online and paper exams.
A GovCloud-hosted solutions page exists. Because billing is per session, a large cohort can cost more than a flat licence, so model your busiest term.
What stands out
360 camera headset
Per-session pricing
Cloud-based
Where it costs you
Per-session pricing is announced without any amount or plan limit.
No LMS is named, only the phrase most common ones.
Right for
Programmes with uneven exam volume that want live proctors and a second camera
Wrong for
Teams that need named LMS connectors confirmed upfront
Not stated by the vendorPer-session pricing; no amounts or limits shown; a 30-minute demo is offered
Verificient proctoring with biometric entry checks and continuous facial recognition
Ranked #4 of 11 in Best Online Proctoring Software in 2026.
Pricing on requestNorth America
Verificient cites over 10 million identity verification and monitoring sessions and a US patent, 8,926,335. Features listed are AI-based live proctoring, automated remote proctoring and entry authentication with several factors.
Veripass can run on its own, which helps if you only need identity checks. Continuous facial recognition is a strength for ID assurance and a point to review against your own privacy rules before rollout.
What stands out
Biometric authentication
Facial recognition
24x7 support
Where it costs you
The page offers only a demo request and shows no price or trial.
Integrations are described as custom, with no LMS named.
Right for
Institutions prioritising identity verification and continuous face matching during exams
Wrong for
Buyers who need ready-named LMS connectors and published rates
United StatesNo prices published; demo request only
Lockdown layer around Canvas quizzes with one annual plan and unlimited exams
Ranked #5 of 11 in Best Online Proctoring Software in 2026.
Published pricingElsewhere
The pricing page shows one Lockdown plan with a struck-through list price and a first-year discount, plus a per-student line, and covers 500 to 503K+ students and teachers.
Beyond Lockdown the site lists an Exam Platform for creating, delivering and grading assessments. Sign-in uses Canvas, Google Workspace or Microsoft Entra ID. Check the yearly total against your enrolment, because the per-student line and the plan line differ.
What stands out
Canvas lockdown
Unlimited exams
Entra ID sign-in
Where it costs you
Lockdown is described for Canvas, so schools on another LMS have no named route.
The price page names no currency, and the Proctoring product has no detail.
Right for
Canvas-based institutions wanting one yearly price for secure exams
Wrong for
Schools running a different LMS or needing live human proctors
Not stated by the vendorPublished annual Lockdown plan with unlimited exams and no per-exam fees; early access needs no card
AI monitoring with live human pop-in, phone detection and exam-leak takedown
Ranked #6 of 11 in Best Online Proctoring Software in 2026.
Published pricingElsewhere
Quotes are offered for higher education (annual flat rate or volume tiers by FTE, per student or per exam), corporate and enterprise, and credentialing (per candidate or per exam).
The site lists Second Camera, ID Verification, BrowserGuard, an Analytics Hub and Interview Integrity for remote hiring. SOC 2 Type 2 certification is claimed, along with a promise not to sell student data. Several billing units mean comparing bids needs care.
What stands out
Live Pop-In
Cell phone detection
Exam leak search
Where it costs you
Every segment is priced by custom quote, with no published plan.
Country, parent company and where it hosts go unmentioned in the pages read.
Right for
Higher-education programmes wanting AI flags backed by live human intervention
Wrong for
Buyers wanting a visible price list before any sales call
Not stated by the vendorQuoted per organisation for higher education, enterprise and credentialing; no free plan named
Configurable proctoring settings plus origin checks and content-leak tracking
Ranked #7 of 11 in Best Online Proctoring Software in 2026.
Pricing on requestNorth America
The site says it has run since 2013, claims 300M+ exams proctored and serves K-12, higher education, workforce and credentialing. Support and sales contacts exist in English, German, Spanish, French and Dutch.
Because Integrity, Origin and Vault are separate areas, a buyer should ask which are in the quote. Heavy recording options such as desk and video capture are choices that need a clear student-facing policy.
What stands out
Configurable settings
Origin and Vault
Five support languages
Where it costs you
The homepage shows no prices, plans or trial, only sales and institution sign-up.
Ownership, delivery model and LMS integrations are not named.
Right for
Institutions wanting per-exam control over recording, ID and browser restrictions
Wrong for
Buyers who need public pricing and named integrations
United StatesQuoted via sales or an institution account; no prices or trial on the site
Assessment platform with proctoring, integrity browser and similarity checking modules
Ranked #8 of 11 in Best Online Proctoring Software in 2026.
Pricing on requestElsewhere
Inspera claims 185+ customers, end users in 180+ countries and 18M+ submissions in 12 months, though its About section says 160+ institutions. The proctoring module supports live or recorded remote monitoring.
Graide came through an acquisition announced on the site. It ranks lower here because the purchase is an assessment platform decision first, and proctoring only sits within that scope.
What stands out
Assessment platform
Integrity Browser
LTI 1.3 links
Where it costs you
Proctoring is one module of a wider platform, so a proctoring-only buyer gets more scope than needed.
The site shows no prices and states no headquarters or country.
Right for
Institutions already moving exam creation, delivery and grading into one platform
Wrong for
Teams wanting a standalone proctoring service with simple pricing
Not stated by the vendorNo prices shown on the site; demo booking only
Test development, delivery and proctoring provider, including the ProctorU platform
Ranked #9 of 11 in Best Online Proctoring Software in 2026.
Pricing on requestElsewhere
Products listed include Meazure Exam Platform, Itematic for automated item generation, RedPen for constructed response marking, PASS for delivery, Connect as candidate manager and ADE for exam development.
The company says it holds the patent for remote proctoring and offers data forensics. A testimonial mentions a fee-based convenience option, so the candidate may bear part of the cost; ask who pays per exam.
What stands out
ProctorU platform
Test centre proctoring
Full-service provider
Where it costs you
The site shows no prices, only demo and sales contact options.
Legal entity, country, owner and named integrations are absent from the page.
Right for
Credentialing bodies wanting item development, scheduling and proctoring from one provider
Wrong for
Small teams buying only a remote proctoring tool
Not stated by the vendorNo prices published; sales demo and contact only
Proctoring with liveness checks, plus AI interviewing and identity assurance
Ranked #10 of 11 in Best Online Proctoring Software in 2026.
Pricing on requestElsewhere
In this market Talview sells Alvy, its proctoring product, with continuous liveness and face matching, a secondary camera view and a locked-down browser. Automated, record-and-review and live modes are all named, and a person makes each disqualifying decision.
Moodle, Canvas, Microsoft Teams and Forms, and Google Forms are listed, with docs for the API and SDK. Billing is unit-based by feature and candidate volume, so request an itemised bid.
What stands out
Alvy AI proctoring
Candidate volume bands
Proctoring API and SDK
Where it costs you
A typical minimum commitment of about 150 to 200 candidates makes very small cohorts awkward.
Pilot-phase charges may apply above 10 candidates, so a trial is not clearly costless.
Headquarters, parent company and hosting model are not stated on the pages read.
Right for
Exam programmes that also screen candidates and want a Proctoring API and SDK
Wrong for
Small cohorts below the usual minimum commitment
Not stated by the vendorQuoted from a form; unit-based by feature and candidate volume; pilot charges may apply
Talent assessment platform with AI and human proctoring on AWS
Ranked #11 of 11 in Best Online Proctoring Software in 2026.
Pricing on requestElsewhere
The site claims 6,000+ organisations, 700+ educational institutions and 25M assessments a year. Security items listed include multi-factor authentication, annual penetration testing with daily scans, and encryption.
The footer shows Marsh branding and a mercer.com contact domain, though the parent is not spelled out. Placed last because the examination product is one area of a talent platform, not a dedicated proctoring tool.
What stands out
Talent assessment
AI and human proctoring
AWS hosting
Where it costs you
Proctoring sits inside a hiring and talent suite, so education-only buyers carry unused scope.
Pricing is a quote form with no plans or limits, and the parent is not explicitly stated.
Right for
Employers and examiners who also run hiring assessments and want proctoring inside it
Wrong for
Schools wanting a dedicated exam proctoring service
Not stated by the vendorQuoted via a form; no prices, plans or limits shown
Online proctoring software verifies a candidate's identity and monitors a remote exam through camera, screen and locked browser, using AI flags and human review to detect cheating. A feature table will not settle this choice. These steps will.
01
Decide whether you need a published price
8 vendors on this page sell by quote, while 3 publish a pricing model you can read today: Respondus, Digiexam, Honorlock.
02
Weigh the vendor's home jurisdiction
These 11 vendors are established in 2 countries across 2 regions (Elsewhere 8, North America 3). That decides whose disclosure law applies to what the vendor holds, wherever the servers are.
Online proctoring software: pick the review model first
The review model changes cost and student experience more than any feature list. Honorlock combines AI monitoring with a live human who can pop in when a test taker is flagged. ProctorFree offers fully automated and human-assisted modes, and Proctor360 sells live sessions with a phone as second camera.
Talview states that a person makes every decision about disqualifying a candidate. Fully automated review is cheaper per exam, but flags still need someone to judge them, and that work lands on your staff. Decide who reviews flagged sessions, how quickly, and who hears the appeal before you compare quotes.
Decide whether flags are reviewed by vendor staff or yours
Ask how fast a human sees a flagged session
Write down the appeal route for a disputed flag
Proctoring prices: sessions, seats and quotes
Few vendors in this market publish rates, so the billing unit matters more than any sticker price. Respondus shows K-12 site-licence tiers by LMS seat count, while Digiexam shows one annual plan with unlimited exams. Proctor360 charges per session and Honorlock quotes per student, per exam or by FTE depending on the segment.
Talview works from candidate volume bands with a typical minimum commitment. A school with spiky exam weeks fits per-session billing, while a large steady cohort usually does better on a flat licence. Ask each vendor to price your actual term, including retakes and practice exams.
Count exams, candidates and retakes per term
Ask each vendor for a quote in its own billing unit and in yours
Check minimum commitments and pilot charges
Integrations and stand-alone fit in proctoring
A proctoring tool lives or dies on the connection to your test delivery. Respondus lists Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle, Schoology and Brightspace, ProctorFree names nine links including Open LMS, and Inspera tests LTI 1.3 against five LMSs. Digiexam wraps Canvas only, and Proctor360 claims compatibility with most LMSs without naming one.
Mercer Mettl and Inspera are wider assessment platforms, so choosing them means moving exam creation too. Test the real flow with a pilot course before the contract: launch, identity check, exam, flag, review and grade return. Note who owns each step when something fails during an exam.
Confirm your LMS is named, not merely implied
Run one real pilot exam end to end
Ask whether you need the wider platform or only proctoring
Privacy, recordings and student acceptance in proctoring
Recordings of faces, rooms and screens are sensitive data, and several vendors leave the details off their front pages. Honorlock claims a SOC 2 Type 2 certificate and no sale of student data. Talview shows footer marks for GDPR and ISO 27001, and Proctortrack applies continuous facial recognition.
Proctorio lets you switch on desk recording, video and audio per exam. Hosting and ownership are unstated for many vendors, so ask in writing. Tell students beforehand what is recorded, how long it is kept and who sees it, and offer an alternative to anyone who cannot meet the camera requirements.
Ask for retention period, location and access list for recordings
Switch on only the checks the exam really needs
Publish a student notice and an alternative arrangement
What goes wrong most often when buying online proctoring software
Buying a talent assessment suite such as Mercer Mettl when only exam monitoring is needed.
Comparing a per-session price with a flat annual licence without modelling your busiest term.
Switching on every recording option and treating each AI flag as proof of cheating.
Assuming a vendor supports your LMS because it says it works with most of them.
07
Frequently asked questions
6 answers
What is the best online proctoring software in 2026?
First of 11 on this page is ProctorFree. ProctorFree sells proctoring as a stand-alone service for higher education and professional organisations, with sessions available around the clock and no pre-scheduling.
It names Canvas, Moodle, Brightspace and six other integrations, so a small team can connect it without a partner. Prices are not on the site, and the legal entity and owner are missing, so ask for both before signing.
Which online proctoring tools publish their pricing?
The ones that do, with the model each states:
Respondus: Published annual K-12 site-licence tiers by LMS seat count; free 30-day pilot of Respondus 4.
Digiexam: Published annual Lockdown plan with unlimited exams and no per-exam fees; early access needs no card.
Honorlock: Quoted per organisation for higher education, enterprise and credentialing; no free plan named.
The remaining 8 sell by quote.
Is there a free online proctoring tool?
Not among the products reviewed here: no vendor on this list has a free tier worth using.
Where are these online proctoring software vendors established?
The headquarters are spread over 2 countries and 2 regions, Elsewhere 8, North America 3:
ProctorFree: Not stated by the vendor.
Respondus: United States.
Proctor360: Not stated by the vendor.
Proctortrack: United States.
Digiexam: Not stated by the vendor.
Honorlock: Not stated by the vendor.
Proctorio: United States.
Inspera: Not stated by the vendor.
Meazure Learning: Not stated by the vendor.
Talview: Not stated by the vendor.
Mercer Mettl: Not stated by the vendor.
What should you use instead of ProctorFree?
Second is Respondus, which suits K-12 districts wanting seat-tier annual pricing for a lockdown browser plus webcam monitoring. Third is Proctor360, which suits Programmes with uneven exam volume that want live proctors and a second camera.
Who should not buy ProctorFree?
Buyers who need a published price list before any call. The site publishes no prices, only a promise of prices matching your budget..
Your online proctoring software product is not among these 11? Tell us what it is for and who it serves, and we will consider it. The decision is editorial, and the ground rules are set out under software advice.
