Best Software for Online Teaching (Top 10 Tools for Teachers and Educators)

Best Software for Online Teaching

Teachers everywhere are using the best software for online teaching to make their lessons more interactive, helpful, and easy to follow.

In 2025, there are lots of tools to choose from — some help with video calls, others with quizzes, and some even use AI to grade for you. Here, I’m going to walk you through the top 10 tools that real educators use today, tell you what they do, and why they’re worth your time.

 Table of Contents

1. Video Conferencing & Virtual Classrooms
2. Learning Management Systems (LMS)
3. Interactive Tools & Quizzes
4. AI-Powered Helpers
5. Quick Comparison Table
6. FAQs
7. Join the Conversation

1. Video Conferencing & Virtual Classrooms

Zoom

Zoom is the most popular video platform for a reason! It lets you connect with your class, break into small groups, collaborate on a shared whiteboard, and much more. According to Exploding Topics, Zoom surpassed 300 million daily meeting participants in 2024, and it's growing.

In 2025, Zoom even lets you share YouTube video directly with your class — a huge step forward for multimedia lessons — without needing messy screenshares or separate apps.

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is a superstar for schools that already use Microsoft Office 365. Teams lets you combine video meetings, chat messages, collaborative Word documents, PowerPoint, and Excel — all in a single platform.

This lets you streamline your online classroom. According to Microsoft, more than 270 million people use Teams each day in their workplaces and schools. So it's a strong choice for both collaboration and staying connected.

BigBlueButton

BigBlueButton is a free, open-source platform designed just for online education. It's a favorite for many schools and professors who need a cost-effective way to hold live classes. BigBlueButton lets you break your class into small groups, collaborate on a whiteboard, poll your students, and much more — without needing heavy software.

2. Learning Management Systems (LMS)

Google Classroom

Google Classroom is a classic for a reason. It’s free, easy to use, and connects directly with your Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides. According to Wikipedia, more than 150 million users are currently using Google Classroom — from elementary schools to high schools and even many community programs.

It lets you create assignments, grade them, collaborate, and track progress — all in a convenient platform made just for education.

D2L Brightspace

D2L Brightspace is a powerful platform used by many K–12 schools and universities. Brightspace lets you track student progress with data, create custom curricula, grade efficiently, and connect in a collaborative space. According to D2L, Brightspace serves over 15 million users across schools and companies.

Moodle

Moodle is a free, fully customizable, and open-source LMS used by large institutions all over the world. Moodle lets you add multimedia, quizzes, badges, certificates, and much more — all under your control. According to Wikipedia, Moodle serves more than 300 million users in 2025.

Edsby

Edsby is a K–12 platform designed to connect educators, parents, and administrators in a clear and helpful way. Edsby lets you track attendance, view grade books, collaborate in group spaces, and much more — all tailored to your classroom’s unique needs. According to its official website, Edsby is used by school districts across North America.

3. Interactive Tools & Quizzes

Kahoot!

Kahoot! brings game-like fun into your classroom with interactive quizzes. This tool lets you create questions, combine media, and track scores — adding a little healthy competition to aid retention. According to Kahoot!, over 9 billion players have used their platform to learn, collaborate, and celebrate knowledge together.

Edpuzzle

Edpuzzle lets you take a video from YouTube or your own recordings and add questions directly into it — turning passive video-watching into an interactive activity. According to Edpuzzle, more than 35 million educators use Edpuzzle to aid their classroom instructions. This lets you track which students are engaged and following along.

4. AI-Powered Helpers

Kira Learning

Kira Learning is a new platform powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) that helps educators grade, customize lessons, and even aid in understanding their students’ progress. According to Kira, this tool lets you reuse content and maximize your classroom’s creativity while reducing busywork. Some schools in the USA, especially in places like Tennessee, are already employing Kira in their classrooms.

Mentimeter

While Mentimeter is well known for its interactive polls, it also includes helpful, new AI-assisted slide design and question generation for your presentations. According to Mentimeter, their platform is used by over 100,000 organizations and educators. This lets you gather real-time opinions, spark group dialogue, and aid understanding — all with a little help from technology.

5. Quick Comparison Table

Platform	Best For	Features	Cost
Zoom	Live video	Breakout rooms, YouTube sharing	Free or paid plans
Microsoft Teams	Collaborative classroom	Chat, files, meetings	School or enterprise license
BigBlueButton	Open-source meetings	Whiteboard, poll, breakout rooms	Free
Google Classroom	Assignments & Grading	Docs, Drive, Comments	Free
D2L Brightspace	Full-function LMS	Assignments, Grades, Collaborative Spaces	School license
Moodle	Open-source, customizable	Plugins, badges, certificates	Free
Edsby	K-12 platform	Assignments, Parent-Teacher Communication	School license
Kahoot!	Quizzes & games	Customizable games, team competition	Free with pay-upgrades
Edpuzzle	Interactive video lessons	Question overlays, grading	Free or Pro plans
Kira	AI-assisted classroom	Automated grading, reuse content	School license
Mentimeter	Live poll and Q&A	AI-assisted slide design, team interaction	Free or Pro plans

FAQs

What is the best software for online teaching?

It really depends on your classroom’s needs. Zoom, Teams, or BigBlueButton for video; Moodle or Brightspace for a full LMS; Edpuzzle or Kahoot! for interactive lessons; or Kira and Mentimeter for adding a bit of AI magic.

Are these tools free?

Some are free (like Google Classroom, Moodle, or BigBlueButton), while others have free tiers or paid plans. Always check their pricing before you commit.

Do schools actually use Kira or Mentimeter with AI?

Yes! Some schools, especially in the USA, are already employing Kira’s automated grading and Mentimeter’s AI-assisted slide design. According to their official sites, many educators appreciate these powerful tools for freeing up their time.

Is it hard to learn these platforms?

Each platform varies in ease of use, but most are designed for educators without a tech background. A few training sessions or a short video can make you a master in no time.

How do I choose the right one for my classroom?

Look at your goals, number of students, technical ability, and budget. If you want an all-around platform, Google Classroom or Moodle might be your best match. If you need interactive games, try Kahoot! or Edpuzzle. If you want a strong video platform, Zoom or BigBlueButton are tough to beat.

Join the Conversation

Have you tried any of these tools in your classroom this year? What’s your favorite? Did something work really well — or not at all? Let me know in the comments! Your stories help all educators learn from each other.