Comparison
Software to automate rubrics and peer assessment
Plenty of tools let you build a rubric. Very few hand out peer reviews to students, collect the responses and compute the final grade without a spreadsheet in between. This guide compares the options teachers actually use.
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In short
- If you only need to design and print a rubric, a generator such as Rubistar or the rubric in your gradebook app is enough.
- If you want automated self- and peer assessment, with a weighted grade and a report for every student, you need a tool built for it: CoRubrics (web app) or Moodle’s Workshop activity if your school already runs Moodle.
- CoRubrics is free to start, runs in the browser, and students assess through a link with no account.
What software automates rubrics and supports peer assessment?
The main options are CoRubrics, a web app that generates rubrics with AI, hands out self- and peer-assessment links, computes the weighted grade and emails each student a report; Moodle’s Workshop activity, which runs peer review inside the LMS; and the rubrics in Google Classroom or gradebook apps such as Additio and iDoceo, which handle teacher grading but do not automate peer assessment.
The real difference is not building the rubric but what happens next: who assesses whom, how responses are collected, how the teacher’s score is combined with self- and peer scores, and how each student gets their result.
Tool comparison
The table summarises what each kind of tool covers. Other products change their features, so check their website before deciding.
| Tool | Build rubrics | Self- and peer assessment | Automatic weighted grade | No student account |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CoRubrics (web) | Yes, also with AI and templates | Yes, with automatic peer assignment | Yes (teacher, peer and self) | Yes, personal link |
| Moodle (Workshop) | Yes | Yes, peer review of submissions | Yes, inside Moodle | No, Moodle account needed |
| Google Classroom | Yes, on assignments | No | Teacher grade only | No, Google account |
| Gradebook apps (Additio, iDoceo) | Yes | Limited or manual | Yes, in the gradebook | N/A: teacher-only |
| Generators (Rubistar, iRubric) | Yes | No | No | N/A |
| Forms + spreadsheet | Manual | Manual | Your own formulas | Depends on the form |
What is CoRubrics, and how is it different from the Google Sheets add-on?
CoRubrics started as a free Google Sheets add-on created by Jaume Feliu, a teacher in Catalonia, and many older guides describe that version. Today CoRubrics is a standalone web app at corubrics.co: nothing to install, no spreadsheet, and students do not need a Google account.
The web version keeps the original idea — teacher, self- and peer assessment on the same rubric — and adds AI rubric generation, AI feedback, a live in-class mode, detection of unreliable peer scores, group analytics and emailed reports. Rubrics made with the add-on can be imported from Google Drive.
How does CoRubrics automate peer assessment?
You create the class (or import it from Google Classroom, CSV or Excel), pick or generate a rubric, switch on peer assessment, and CoRubrics gives every student a link listing the classmates they should assess. When the form closes it computes each student’s grade and you can email the reports.
- 1Create or import the class.
- 2Generate the rubric with AI, start from a template, or write your own.
- 3Create a form and set the weights: teacher, peers and self.
- 4Choose how peers are assigned: everyone assesses everyone, within groups, or students pick whom to assess.
- 5Share the links (or post them to Google Classroom) and track who has responded.
- 6Close the form: CoRubrics computes the grades and prepares a report for each student.
What should I look for in a peer assessment tool?
Check five things: whether it assigns reviewers automatically, whether students can take part without an account, whether it combines teacher, peer and self scores, whether it flags unfair scoring between friends, and whether it is GDPR-compliant with data stored in the EU.
- Reviewer assignment: everyone-to-everyone, within groups, random, or chosen by students.
- Student access: a link avoids password trouble, especially with younger students.
- Weighting: decide how much each part counts, or show it without counting it.
- Reliability: warnings when two students inflate each other’s scores or someone gives everyone the same mark.
- Data protection: EU hosting and a data processing agreement for the school.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free tool for peer assessment with rubrics?
Yes. CoRubrics has a free plan with rubrics, self- and peer assessment, grade calculation and reports. Moodle is also free if your school already runs it.
Does Google Classroom support peer assessment with rubrics?
Google Classroom rubrics are designed for teacher grading. For students to assess each other you need another tool; CoRubrics can import your Classroom roster and post the links there.
Is CoRubrics still a Google Sheets add-on?
No. It started that way, but the current version is a web app at corubrics.co. Rubrics from the add-on can be imported.
Do students need an account to assess?
Not in CoRubrics: each student gets a personal, secure link. Moodle and Google Classroom require their accounts.
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