Practical criteria, disclosed publisher
The best online teacher planners for a real school week
Compare the tools by what happens after the timetable changes—not only by how the empty planner looks in August.
What is an online teacher planner?
An online teacher planner is a browser- or app-based planbook for organizing classes, lesson details, and the teaching schedule in one place.
The useful question is not whether it can hold a lesson title. It is whether the plan stays understandable when the school week changes.
- Calendar
- A calendar tracks events and appointments; a teacher planner keeps the sequence and teaching detail around those events.
- LMS
- An LMS distributes assignments and collects student work; a teacher planner organizes the teacher's instructional plan.
- AI lesson generator
- An AI lesson generator can draft activities or text; a teacher planner schedules, revises, and preserves the plan you decide to teach.
How we compared these planners
Pricing and feature claims come from the official product, pricing, help, app-store, or terms pages linked below. We did not test every paid feature.
What matters when comparing planner tools
Use the same questions for every product, including ours.
Schedule flexibility
Can a teacher move interrupted lessons without rebuilding the rest of the week?
Standards
Can lessons connect to curriculum standards and show coverage over time?
Print and export
Can the current plan be printed or exported in a readable format?
Collaboration
Can another teacher or administrator read or work with the plan?
Device access
Is the plan available on the web or supported mobile devices needed at school?
One-school-year cost
What does the required level of access cost across a full school year?
Five online teacher planners at a glance
| Planner | Free access | Paid starting point | Best for | Official sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teacher PlannerOur product | Free forever: one planbook | $9.90/month, $59.90/year, or $299.00 Lifetime | Teachers whose schedules change and who want day, week, and month planning in one planbook | |
| Planbook | 90-day full-feature trial | $20/year | Teachers who want a mature planner with mobile access, standards, sharing, and gradebook tools | |
| PlanbookEdu | Free forever plus a 14-day Premium trial | $30/year | Teachers who prefer a familiar browser planbook with rotations and export options | |
| Planboard | Official listing says free for teachers; optional Chalk Gold exists | Check current pricing | Teachers prioritizing a free mobile planner with standards and attachments | |
| Common Curriculum | Basic for Teachers is free forever | $5.59/month; the official page also displays a $71.88 annual payment | Teams prioritizing real-time collaboration, units, and standards |
Where each planner fits
Teacher Planner
Our productTeachers whose schedules change and who want day, week, and month planning in one planbook
- Day, week, and month views
- Bump lessons forward
- Standards tracking (Pro)
- Print and export
Not a gradebook or LMS
Free includes one planbook
Standards Tracker requires Pro
Planbook
Teachers who want a mature planner with mobile access, standards, sharing, and gradebook tools
- Web and mobile access
- Standards
- Lesson bumping
- Sharing and gradebook features
Full-feature access becomes paid after the trial
PlanbookEdu
Teachers who prefer a familiar browser planbook with rotations and export options
- Rotating schedules
- Attachments
- Standards
- Sharing
- Word and PDF export
Attachments, standards, collaboration, and Word/PDF export require Premium
Planboard
Teachers prioritizing a free mobile planner with standards and attachments
- Official listing says free for teachers
- Standards
- Attachments
- Web sync
- Mobile access
Official materials reviewed here do not publish a current Chalk Gold price
Common Curriculum
Teams prioritizing real-time collaboration, units, and standards
- Real-time collaboration
- Unit planning
- Standards
- Class website options
Units, automatic standards tracking, day/week/month printing, class sites, and expanded collaboration require Pro
Digital, paper, or hybrid?
Digital
Best when schedules change often, plans need to be searched or shared, or teachers work across devices. Compare export access before committing.
Paper
Best when handwriting supports reflection, the timetable is stable, and no searchable archive or live sharing is required. Check replacement and storage costs.
Hybrid
Best when digital scheduling handles changes while a paper notebook supports daily notes. Decide which copy is authoritative to avoid duplicate work.
Compare the cost across one school year
Monthly prices can look small while annual plans and one-time purchases use different time horizons. Compare the access you actually need from the first planning day through the end of the school year.
A subscription pays for continued software access and may include updates or hosted collaboration. Confirm what remains available if the subscription ends.
A paper planner is owned after purchase, but replacement, storage, searching, schedule changes, and sharing work differently.
What to check before choosing
- Confirm the format your school requires for submitted plans.
- List the views you actually use: day, week, month, or unit.
- Estimate how often lessons need to move after interruptions.
- Check whether you must attach or report curriculum standards.
- Decide who needs to read, edit, or receive the plan.
- Test the print or export format before paying.
- Confirm access on the devices you use at school and at home.
- Compare the required tier's total cost for one school year.
Online teacher planner questions
Is there a free online teacher planner?
Yes. Teacher Planner, PlanbookEdu, Planboard, and Common Curriculum publish a free plan or free teacher access, while limits differ. Planbook publishes a 90-day trial. Check the linked official pages before choosing.
Which planner is best when lessons move often?
Compare how each tool handles schedule changes, then test the workflow with a real interrupted week. Teacher Planner and Planbook both publish lesson-moving features; the right choice also depends on standards, printing, devices, and price.
Does an online teacher planner replace an LMS or gradebook?
Usually not. A planner organizes instructional intent and schedule. Keep grades, student submissions, and required school workflows in the systems approved for those records.
Should I choose digital, paper, or hybrid planning?
Choose digital when plans change or need sharing, paper when handwriting and stable schedules matter most, and hybrid when each has a clear role. Avoid maintaining two authoritative copies.
Try the planner built for schedule changes
Start with one free planbook, build a real school week, and see whether bumping lessons fits your workflow.