shouldiuse.io

Comparison

Actively Learn vs Perusall

Actively Learn and Perusall both land on Depends.

Actively Learn versus Perusall
CompareActively LearnPerusall
VerdictDependsDepends
Best forMiddle/high school ELA teachersReading-heavy higher-ed courses
Who it's not forTeachers who just need to share PDFsCorporate L&D and compliance training . it's courseware
PrivacyNo known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed, but Hudson Rock flags 2,618 infostealer credentials tied to the domain.⁹No known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.12
Support qualityNo usable evidence foundNo evidence in sources
Public sentimentTeachers actively discuss it on r/ELATeachers and education guides call it engaging, but sources surfaced only truncated opinions.¹Faculty testimonials praise engagement gains, but independent user reviews are scarce in public sources.14
Biggest gotchaPlatform is migrating to.com; expect account and workflow changes⁶Guess: 'free for instructors' often shifts cost to students via content licenses . confirm who pays12

Pick Actively Learn when

  • Middle/high school ELA teachers
  • Social studies and science reading
  • Close reading with embedded questions
  • Districts on Clever rostering

When Actively Learn is not a fit

  • Teachers who just need to share PDFs
  • Self-study learners without a teacher
  • Teams wanting a stable non-McGraw-Hill vendor
  • Anyone avoiding paid-tier paywalls for core content

Pick Perusall when

  • Reading-heavy higher-ed courses
  • Instructors enforcing before-class preparation
  • Writing courses using structured peer review
  • Departments wanting reading engagement analytics

When Perusall is not a fit

  • Corporate L&D and compliance training . it's courseware
  • Self-learners without an instructor structuring the work
  • Buyers needing audited security, not vendor claims
  • Casual annotation use . setup is disproportionate

Sources

  1. Experiences with activelylearn.com? : r/ELATeachersreddit.com
    review
  2. What is Actively Learn and Why Should I Try it?askatechteacher.com
    review
  3. Actively Learn . EdTech Books reviewedtechbooks.org
    review
  4. Actively Learn . Clever Libraryclever.com
    review
  5. What plan is right for me?help.activelylearn.com
    official
  6. Actively Learn Migration to My.Mheducation.com FAQhelp.activelylearn.com
    official
  7. Actively Learn System Requirements and Whitelistmheducation.com
    official
  8. Rental text overviewhelp.activelylearn.com
    official
  9. Actively Learn . 2618 Infostealer Credentials (Hudson Rock)hudsonrock.com
    security
  10. District Leverages Actively Learn . Henrico County case studymheducation.com
    news
  11. HCPSS BoardDocs . Extended School Year Programs reportgo.boarddocs.com
    news
  12. Perusall homepageperusall.com
    official
  13. Getting Students to Engage with Course Materials: Perusall (NYU)wp.nyu.edu
    review
  14. Perusall testimonial . Gary King, Harvardgking.harvard.edu
    review
  15. SDSMT Faculty and Staff Software KBsupport.sdsmt.edu
    official
  16. Perusall traffic estimatewebsites.milonic.com
    news