Marka

Marka is peer-evaluation software for teachers who want structured student feedback on group work without requiring student accounts or an LMS connection. Its mix of reusable rubrics, privacy thresholds and teacher-only integrity flags makes it a considered classroom option, though full reports and expanded capacity require the Insights plan.

Overview

Teachers build an evaluation around analytic or holistic rubrics, then collect student scores and notes. Students see aggregate results and unattributed public notes rather than one another’s individual scores. Results stay hidden until at least three evaluators have submitted, unless a teacher overrides the threshold for an individual student.

That threshold gives smaller groups a measure of privacy, while the override leaves room for teacher judgment. Marka works independently of an LMS: teachers can import a roster from CSV, and students join with teacher-issued seven-character codes instead of creating accounts or sharing email addresses. The trade-off is that it does not offer LMS integration or gradebook sync.

Key features

Rubrics and scoring

Reusable analytic and holistic rubrics let teachers set their own scoring scales and criterion indicators. That flexibility suits classes with distinct assignment goals, but it also puts rubric design in the teacher’s hands.

Integrity review

The teacher-only Peer Integrity Engine flags patterns including free-riding, mismatches in self-ratings, rushed scoring, cliques and rater bias. It does not alter scores automatically, so the flags inform teacher review rather than replace it.

Reports and access

The Consolidated Final Report supports dashboard results, CSV exports, cross-period comparisons, printable reports and gradebook-ready exports. Students can use Marka through its lightweight Android app or without an app. Teachers can import class rosters by CSV, though they will need another workflow if they expect direct LMS connections or automatic gradebook sync.

Privacy and support

Marka’s privacy policy says data is transmitted over HTTPS/TLS, passwords are stored as hashes, and sessions use secure HttpOnly cookies. It says classroom data is not used for advertising and personal data is not sold; Neon is named for data storage and Resend for account-related email. Support and upgrade requests go by email, with a stated aim to reply within a school day.

Pricing

Marka is freemium, with no free trial. Its Basic plan costs free and allows up to 3 classes and up to 50 students per class. It provides a full-report preview only, making it suitable for trying the workflow or running smaller classes when a preview is enough, but not for teachers who need the complete report.

Insights has custom pricing, billed when activated by an administrator; an upgrade requires requesting instructions. It offers unlimited classes and students per class, the full report, and AI-assisted note review and summaries. This is the plan to consider for larger teaching loads or complete reporting, but its administrator-led activation is less direct than a self-serve upgrade.

Platforms

Marka is available on Android and the web. Students may use the service without installing the Android app.

Who it's for

Marka is best suited to teachers running group-work evaluations who want configurable rubrics, protected peer scores and signals for reviewing questionable rating patterns. The Basic plan may fit a small roster if a report preview is sufficient. Teachers who need complete reports, AI-assisted note review or more than three classes should look at Insights. It is a weaker fit for schools that require LMS integration or gradebook sync.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Custom rubric scales and criteria support different assignment designs.
• Pros: A three-evaluator privacy threshold, unattributed public notes and hidden individual peer scores limit exposure of student ratings.
• Pros: Integrity flags surface patterns for teacher review without changing scores automatically.
• Pros: CSV roster imports and seven-character access codes avoid student account and email requirements.
• Cons: Basic caps teachers at 3 classes and 50 students per class, and offers only a full-report preview.
• Cons: Insights requires administrator activation, and its price is custom.
• Cons: No LMS integration or gradebook sync means teachers must handle roster imports and exports themselves.

Alternatives

For a wider comparison, see Peer Assessment Software.

CrowdGrader is worth considering for web-based peer grading with an instructor-sponsored free plan for up to 20 students per assignment, or a student-supported assignment plan at $1.99 a year; it also offers a free trial.

Eli Review may suit instructors looking for free instructor access with unlimited courses and all platform features, though student access is sold separately, including a one-term option at 28.95 USD for four months.

Kritik360 offers free educator access with account and course activation, instructional design and ongoing support, making it an alternative for educators who value that support model.

PeerEvals is a free web option with no paid tier required for its core job.

Expertiza is a free, open-source option for readers who want self-hosting or desktop platform support; its repository lists an MIT license.

TEAMMATES is a free web alternative, though its service may change or be terminated at its discretion.

ComPAIR is a free option for readers considering web use or self-hosting.

PeerAssessment.com may fit teachers who want a free trial for one class, one term, one instructor and up to 100 students across up to 12 assessments; its regular class unit for 50 or more students costs $18, paid once.

Verdict

Choose Marka if you teach group work and want customizable peer scoring with a privacy threshold and teacher-facing integrity signals. The strongest reason to look elsewhere is operational: it has no LMS integration or gradebook sync, and full reports sit behind administrator-activated Insights with custom pricing.