Top Hat
Top Hat: A broad classroom platform for teaching, assessment, attendance, and engagement. Ranked #22 of 30 in Interactive Presentation Software by our editors (7.0/10); pricing: 5-day trial; best for higher-education teaching and assessment.
At a glance
- Editor score7.0 / 10
- Pricing5-day trial
- Best forHigher-education teaching and assessment
- Paid from$35/unit/mo
- Live pollsYes
- Founded2009 · Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Facts checked19 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Combines presentations, polls, quizzes, discussions, and attendance
- Supports assignments, tests, gradebook, readings, and performance insights
- Integrates with Canvas, Blackboard, Brightspace, Moodle, and Sakai
Where it doesn't
- Paid access starts at $35 per 4-month term
- Department and institution-wide plans use custom pricing
- Student participation depends on internet-connected devices
Our verdict on Top Hat
Top Hat is an interactive learning platform for college and university educators who want more than slide presentation software. Instructors can present interactive slides, run live polls and quizzes, host discussions, collect anonymous responses, generate word clouds, and use live emoji reactions. The platform also covers automated attendance, interactive readings and digital textbooks, assignments, tests, grade management, and post-lecture engagement and performance insights. Students participate through internet-connected devices across web, iOS, and Android.
Pricing is organized around student access. The 1 Term plan costs $35 per 4 months, the 1 Year plan costs $58 per 12 months, and the 4 Years plan costs $96 per 48 months. Department or Institution-Wide access has custom pricing. A 5-day trial is available. These options make Top Hat relevant for individual term-based adoption as well as longer student-access periods, while larger academic deployments need a separate pricing discussion. There is no separately priced presenter plan in the listed options.
Its strongest fit is higher-education teaching that needs presentation, participation, assessment, and course-management functions in one environment. LMS integrations with Canvas, Blackboard, D2L Brightspace, Moodle, and Sakai support common academic workflows, while AI-powered question and study support tools add another layer for teaching and learning. Top Hat is less suitable for teams seeking a narrowly focused presentation tool or a simple audience-polling product. Choose it when classroom interaction and assessment breadth matter; consider a more focused option when the additional learning features would add unnecessary scope.
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Top Hat pricing
All 4 Top Hat plans and prices →
Top Hat fact sheet
| Free plan | Not verified |
|---|---|
| Paid from | $35/unit/mo |
| Audience limit | Not verified |
| Live polls | Yes |
| Live quizzes | Yes |
| Live Q&A | Yes |
| Word clouds | Yes |
| Audience reactions | Yes |
| Presentation platform | Web |
| Free trial | 5 days |
| Deployment | Cloud, Mobile |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android |
| Integrations | 5 integrations: Canvas, Blackboard, D2L Brightspace, Moodle, Sakai |
| Pricing | 5-day trial (source) |
| Website | tophat.com |
| Facts checked | 19 Sep 2026 |
Top Hat integrations
Top Hat lists 5 integrations on its own site.
- Canvas
- Blackboard
- D2L Brightspace
- Moodle
- Sakai
Alternatives to Top Hat
- Poll EverywhereA mature presentation companion for live interaction, feedback, and reporting.9.4
- AhaSlidesA feature-rich interactive presenter with a free plan and affordable annual pricing.9.2
- Pigeonhole LiveA strong choice for moderated Q&A, live polling, and event interactions.9.0
See all Top Hat alternatives →
Also Ranked In
Top Hat is ranked in 5 of our directories.
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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