Online classroom software gives a teacher and student a browser room for video, a whiteboard and lesson materials. Halqora adds a whiteboard, synced PDF pages and annotation, plus a Quran viewer for academies that need it, with private student links that need no account.
Halqora is our product. We’ve tried to keep this comparison fair: competitor details come from their public pages, linked and dated below. Tell us if anything is out of date at support@halqora.com.
What is a built-in online classroom?
Halqora is management software for online academies. The classroom serves one-to-one classes: one teacher and one student. Halqora does not support group classes today.
The video base is self-hosted LiveKit. As of 21 October 2026, the LiveKit server repository describes an open-source WebRTC server under Apache License 2.0. That explains the technology; self-hosting alone does not tell you whether a classroom fits your teaching.
According to Halqora’s pricing, as of 21 October 2026, the Academy plan includes the classroom with fair-use video at USD 2.50 per active student per month, with a USD 99 minimum. Fair use is not a promise of unlimited video hours.
How it works
- Set each schedule to use the Halqora classroom or a Google Meet link. Choose the room that suits the materials for that lesson.
- Give the student a private signed class link. The student needs no account, and an admin can replace or revoke the link.
- Join with video. Teachers can share their screen; students can share only after the teacher grants permission.
- Open the shared Excalidraw whiteboard. Teacher and student can both write and draw on the board.
- Choose a PDF from the academy’s library. An admin uploads books the academy has rights to use; teacher and student pages stay in sync.
- Annotate a PDF page or screen share with the pen, highlighter, arrow or eraser. These annotation tools do not draw over the Mushaf viewer or whiteboard.
- For Quran lessons, open the Madinah Mushaf viewer, with tajweed coloring and English translations. Quran text and fonts are credited to Quran Foundation (Quran.com); translation credits include Rowwad Translation Center · QuranEnc.com and Pickthall.
- Keep chat closed unless an admin opens it. Join and leave events are logged, but teachers still record outcomes and reports; the logs do not decide whether a class was completed.
Whiteboard, PDF books and annotation in one room
The shared whiteboard supports writing that does not belong on a book page. Halqora uses Excalidraw, whose project repository describes an open-source, hand-drawn-style whiteboard under the MIT license, as of 21 October 2026.
The PDF library serves a different job: keep both sides on the same page of an existing book. An admin uploads the PDF, and the teacher uses page sync and annotation during the lesson. Choose a PDF when the page itself matters; choose the whiteboard when you need space to work something out.
For academies that teach Quran, the Mushaf viewer has its own synchronized teacher view, including page, selection and scroll. A student who navigates away can return to the teacher’s view. The Quran classroom with synced Mushaf explains that workflow in more detail. English translations are available; translations in other languages are not supported.
When choosing an online whiteboard for tutoring, separate shared drawing from document annotation. A board may suit explanation while page sync suits reading together. Halqora supplies both within the room, rather than asking the teacher to use the whiteboard as a substitute for a PDF reader.
Halqora classroom vs Google Meet, Zoom Basic, Lessonspace and Pencil Spaces
Vendor limits and prices below are from the supplied public-page facts dated 21 October 2026. According to Google Meet’s help page, free individual meetings allow up to 24 hours. According to Zoom’s pricing page, Basic meetings have a 40-minute limit.
According to Lessonspace’s pricing page, plans start at USD 9/month for 10 hours, with USD 1.95/hour overage. According to Pencil Spaces’ pricing page, Pro costs USD 0.40 per session hour with a 10-hour minimum, or USD 4/month; the first person in a Space is free.
| Feature or limit (units shown) | Halqora classroom | Google Meet (free) | Zoom Basic | Lessonspace Basic | Pencil Spaces Pro |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time limit (hours or minutes) | Fair-use video; no hour allowance stated | 24 hours individual; 60 minutes with 3 or more | 40 minutes | 10 hours included; paid overage | Metered session hours |
| Whiteboard | Shared Excalidraw | not stated on checked page | not stated on checked page | not stated on checked page | not stated on checked page |
| PDF annotation | Pen, highlighter, arrow, eraser | not stated on checked page | not stated on checked page | not stated on checked page | Vendor says drawing, highlighting and comments |
| Follow-the-teacher | Synced PDF pages and Mushaf view | not stated on checked page | not stated on checked page | not stated on checked page | not stated on checked page |
| Quran viewer | Madinah Mushaf | not stated on checked page | not stated on checked page | not stated on checked page | not stated on checked page |
| Recording | No | not stated on checked page | not stated on checked page | not stated on checked page | Vendor says available |
| Starting price (USD/month) | Academy: 2.50/active student; 99 minimum | Free | Free | 9 | 4 minimum |
Pencil Spaces’ annotation and recording claims come from its virtual classroom page, dated 21 October 2026. “Not stated on checked page” means the supplied page facts do not establish the feature; it does not mean the product lacks it. The self-hosted classroom vs Zoom guide discusses the wider choice.
Private join links instead of student accounts
Each student has a permanent private class link that shows the next class. Families can save the link instead of managing a student login. The link does not expire, and an admin can replace it to stop the old link working or revoke access entirely.
Treat the class link as private: share it with the intended family. The no-login class links feature covers the family workflow. A separate private invoice page and PDF also need no login. Internal lesson reports remain with teachers and admins, rather than appearing on the family pages.
What it doesn’t do (yet)
Join and leave events are logged, but there is no attendance report screen yet. Classroom logs do not calculate teacher lateness or finalize outcomes. After a completed class, the teacher submits an internal rating and written feedback; payroll for the period waits until reports are in.
Alternatives and how others handle this
Standalone classrooms can be a better fit when teaching tools matter more than having the room inside academy management. As of 21 October 2026, Pencil Spaces says its classroom supports annotation on PowerPoints as well as PDFs, plus recording. That makes Pencil Spaces worth considering when presentation files or recordings are required.
According to LearnCube’s classroom page, as of 21 October 2026, LearnCube offers a content library, recording and white-label options. LearnCube may suit an academy that needs those options. Halqora does not claim a larger classroom toolset; its case is the connection to scheduling, billing and payroll.
As of 21 October 2026, TutorCruncher’s integrations page and Teachworks’ integrations page describe an integration-based approach to classroom tools. Connecting a dedicated room to management software is a valid choice. Compare the teaching workflow, student access and commercial limits before deciding which arrangement fits your academy.
Sources
- LiveKit server repository, checked 21 October 2026
- Excalidraw repository, checked 21 October 2026
- Google Meet meeting limits, checked 21 October 2026
- Zoom pricing, checked 21 October 2026
- Lessonspace pricing, checked 21 October 2026
- Pencil Spaces pricing, checked 21 October 2026
- Pencil Spaces virtual classroom, checked 21 October 2026
- LearnCube virtual classroom, checked 21 October 2026
- TutorCruncher integrations, checked 21 October 2026
- Teachworks integrations, checked 21 October 2026