Perusall
Perusall: A course-focused annotation platform combining discussion, assessment, analytics, and LMS sync. Ranked #3 of 31 in Web Annotation Tools by our editors (9.0/10); pricing: Free plan; best for educators running collaborative reading activities.
At a glance
- Editor score9.0 / 10
- PricingFree plan
- Best forEducators running collaborative reading activities
- Free planYes
- Collaborative reviewYes
- Founded2015 · Austin, Texas, United States
- Facts checked20 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Threaded text and figure annotation supports collaborative discussion
- Peer reviews, rubrics, quizzes, and analytics extend beyond highlighting
- LMS roster, group, and gradebook synchronization supports course workflows
Where it doesn't
- Institutional licenses require contacting Perusall for pricing
- Web-only access limits platform options
- Its education focus is less suited to website QA workflows
Our verdict on Perusall
Perusall is an online social learning and annotation platform for schools, colleges, universities, instructors, and students. It supports collaborative reading across ebooks, PDFs, documents, web pages, videos, podcasts, and other course content. Instructors can assign materials, while students highlight passages, post threaded comments, reply to classmates, take notes, and participate in groups. The platform supports face-to-face, online, and hybrid courses, with both private and shared notes and downloadable Microsoft Word notes.
The published plans show two institutional license options. The Basic institutional license provides full access for adopters of books or free course materials, with no additional access fees for covered courses. The Premium institutional license includes those access terms plus expedited customer support, faculty and staff training, a customized institutional interface, an administrative dashboard, and book clubs for Centers of Teaching and Learning. Perusall also has a free plan. Some unlicensed courses using free materials may use an instructor-selected student platform access fee, according to the stated pricing notes.
Perusall’s strongest fit is a course workflow that connects annotation with assessment and learning-management administration. Peer review assignments can use rubrics, while checkpoints, prompts, embedded quiz questions, student grouping, group discussions, engagement analytics, confusion reports, and AI-generated prompts and quizzes add instructional depth. Integrations include Canvas, Blackboard Learn, Moodle, Brightspace D2L, Sakai, LTI 1.3, LTI 1.0/1.1, Google Drive, and Dropbox. Choose Perusall when collaborative reading, structured feedback, and LMS synchronization are central requirements. Teams seeking a web QA-focused annotation tool or broader platform coverage should consider a narrower fit elsewhere.
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Perusall pricing
All 2 Perusall plans and prices →
Perusall fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Not verified |
| Annotation modes | Both |
| Collaborative review | Yes |
| Guest access | Yes |
| Document support | Both |
| Browser capture | Not verified |
| Team seats | Not verified |
| Export options | PDF, Microsoft Word, spreadsheet, downloadable comments, documents with embedded comments |
| Deployment | Cloud |
| Platforms | Web |
| Compliance & security | SOC 2, GDPR |
| Support | Email, Docs |
| Built for | Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate) |
| Integrations | 9 integrations: Canvas, Blackboard Learn, Moodle, Brightspace D2L, Sakai, LTI 1.3 … See all → |
| Pricing | Free plan (source) |
| Website | perusall.com |
| Facts checked | 20 Sep 2026 |
Perusall integrations
Perusall lists 9 integrations on its own site.
- Canvas
- Blackboard Learn
- Moodle
- Brightspace D2L
- Sakai
- LTI 1.3
- LTI 1.0/1.1
- Google Drive
- Dropbox
See all Perusall integrations →
Alternatives to Perusall
- HypothesisA free, open-source annotation platform with strong education and collaboration features.9.3
- PinPointA free web annotation workspace combining collaborative review, PDF proofing, and AI QA.9.1
- Annot8A full-featured website feedback hub with DOM comments, capture tools, triage, and integrations.8.9
See all Perusall alternatives →
Perusall vs the competition
- Perusall vs Hypothesis
- Perusall vs PinPoint
- Perusall vs Annot8
- Perusall vs WebPinch
- Perusall vs Webvizio
- Perusall vs BugHerd
Compare Perusall with any tool side by side →
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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