Best Online Proctoring Software Compared
A hands-on comparison of the best online proctoring software (Quzo, Honorlock, Proctorio, and ProctorU) on price model, automation, live oversight, and how they integrate with your exams.
The best online proctoring software isn't the one with the longest feature list: it's the one that secures your exams without a per-student bill or a separate integration to babysit. Below we compare four leading options (Quzo, Honorlock, Proctorio, and ProctorU) on the things that actually decide the purchase: pricing model, automated vs. live monitoring, integrity controls, and how much setup they demand. The short version: the entrenched vendors bolt proctoring onto exams you built somewhere else, while Quzo builds it in.
How we compared. We checked each vendor's public positioning and pricing model. Proctoring vendors rarely publish flat prices (most quote per exam or per institution), so where an exact figure isn't public we describe the model, not a made-up number.
Quick verdict
- Best all-in-one (create + proctor in one tool): Quzo, proctoring is built into the exam builder, billed in your subscription, no per-exam student fee.
- Best for higher-ed with LMS lock-in: Proctorio, cheap per-exam automated proctoring, deep Canvas/Blackboard/Moodle integration.
- Best for live human oversight on high-stakes exams: ProctorU (Meazure Learning), real proctors, premium price.
- Best record-and-review for certification bodies: Honorlock, flexible tiers, custom institutional quotes.
Comparison table
| Tool | Proctoring type | Pricing model | Built into an exam builder? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quzo | Automated monitoring + browser lockdown + ID check | Included in subscription (free tier; paid from $19/mo) — no per-exam fee | Yes — create, deliver, proctor, and grade in one tool | Teachers, trainers, certification, and hiring teams who want one tool |
| Honorlock | Automation, auto + live pop-in, or record & review | Per exam / per test-taker, custom quote | No — layers onto your LMS/exams | Higher ed & professional certification |
| Proctorio | Automated AI monitoring + lockdown | ~$3–5 per exam, often billed to students; custom by institution | No — LMS plugin (Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle) | Universities already standardized on an LMS |
| ProctorU (Meazure Learning) | Live and record-and-review human proctoring | ~$8–25+ per exam by tier/duration, plus scheduling fees | No — service layered onto your exams | High-stakes licensure & certification |
Pricing reflects public positioning; proctoring vendors customize quotes by volume, so confirm current figures with each vendor before you commit.
The four options in detail
Quzo: proctoring built into your exams
Most tools on this list are proctoring services you attach to exams built elsewhere. Quzo flips that: you create the exam and the proctoring in the same place, so there's nothing to integrate. Automated monitoring flags suspicious behavior, browser lockdown stops tab-switching and copying, and identity verification confirms who's taking the test, all switched on per exam.
- Pricing: part of your Quzo plan (free tier to start; paid from $19/mo), not a per-student surcharge, so costs don't scale with every attempt.
- Setup: none. It's the same tool you already build and grade in.
- Bonus: AI question generation and auto-grading come with it, so the whole exam lifecycle lives in one product.
- Trade-off: it's automated proctoring, not a room full of live human invigilators, ideal for most courses, training, certification, and hiring exams, but a licensure board needing live human oversight for every candidate may still want a dedicated service.
Honorlock: flexible tiers for higher ed
Honorlock is a well-established proctoring provider focused on higher education and professional certification. It offers a ladder of service levels (automation only, automation with a live proctor "pop-in," and full record-and-review with ID verification) so institutions can match rigor to stakes.
- Pricing: flat-rate per exam or per test-taker, quoted per institution (contact sales). Predictable once negotiated, but opaque up front.
- Setup: integrates with your LMS and exam delivery; it's a layer, not an exam builder.
Proctorio: cheap, automated, LMS-native
Proctorio is the value pick for universities already running Canvas, Blackboard, or Moodle. It's a browser-based automated proctoring plugin: AI monitoring, lockdown, and recording with no scheduling required.
- Pricing: roughly $3–5 per exam, frequently passed to students, with custom institutional agreements. Ohio University publicly cited moving to about $3 per exam.
- Setup: installs into your LMS as an extension; no live proctors to book.
- Trade-off: automation only (no live humans), and it lives inside the LMS rather than a purpose-built exam tool.
ProctorU (Meazure Learning): live human oversight
ProctorU, now part of Meazure Learning, is the premium, human-in-the-loop option for high-stakes licensure and certification where a real proctor must watch every session.
- Pricing: commonly $8–12 per exam entry-level, $12–25+ for standard and advanced tiers, scaling with exam duration, plus surcharges for last-minute scheduling.
- Setup: a proctoring service layered onto your exams; candidates schedule sessions.
- Trade-off: the most expensive model here, justified only when live human oversight is a hard requirement.
How to choose the best online proctoring software
Match the tool to three questions:
- How high are the stakes? Course tests and hiring screens are well served by automated proctoring; board licensure may need live humans.
- Who pays, and how does it scale? Per-exam models (Proctorio, ProctorU) get expensive as volume grows and often bill students; a subscription-included model (Quzo) keeps cost flat.
- Do you already have an exam tool? If you're locked into an LMS, an integration like Proctorio fits. If you're choosing your exam software fresh, an all-in-one platform that includes proctoring removes an entire integration.
If you want to create, proctor, and grade in one place without a per-student bill, that's exactly where Quzo fits.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best online proctoring software?
It depends on stakes and budget. Quzo is best if you want proctoring built into the same tool you create and grade exams in, with no per-exam fee. Proctorio suits LMS-based universities on a tight budget, and ProctorU fits high-stakes exams that require live human proctors.
How much does online proctoring software cost?
Standalone vendors typically charge per exam: around $3–5 for automated proctoring (Proctorio) and $8–25+ for live human proctoring (ProctorU), often billed to students. Platforms like Quzo include proctoring in the subscription instead of charging per attempt.
Is there free online proctoring software?
Fully free live human proctoring doesn't really exist, but you can start proctoring exams at no cost on a platform with a free tier, such as Quzo, which includes automated monitoring and lockdown before you upgrade.
Do I need a separate tool to proctor my exams?
Not always. Vendors like Honorlock, Proctorio, and ProctorU are add-on services layered onto exams built elsewhere. All-in-one tools like Quzo build proctoring into the exam software itself, so there's nothing extra to integrate.
What's the difference between automated and live proctoring?
Automated (AI) proctoring monitors the webcam and browser to flag suspicious behavior with no human present, fast and cheap. Live proctoring has a real person watching in real time, which is more rigorous and more expensive, used mainly for high-stakes licensure.
Secure your exams without the per-student bill. Proctor your first exam Free with Quzo →