No. 2 of 25 ·Classroom Management Software

Anchor

Web · Windows · Self-hosted · Extension

Freedom report

Two barsScore 6.4

Free tierA free tier is on its own pricing page
Open codeNo open-source code on record
Runs widely2 of 6 device platforms
DocumentedPlans, terms and facts published

Anchor lets teachers run classroom focus sessions in which student Windows laptops enforce an allowed list of apps and websites. A teacher can select a class, start a session, change permitted bundles while it runs, review student states and events, then end enforcement. Microsoft 365, Smartschool and GeoGebra are named as selectable bundles, and sign-in uses existing school Microsoft accounts. During a session, off-list apps are set aside rather than closed; off-list Edge pages show a block page with an access-request option. Anchor observes activity only during teacher-started sessions and says it does not record permitted work, keystrokes, page contents, screenshots, passwords or browsing outside sessions. Each school hosts a separate backend in its own Azure subscription, and student devices and the dashboard communicate only with that backend. The free plan costs 0.00 USD per free, with no licence fee or per-seat charge, though Azure hosting costs may apply. Anchor is GPL-3.0 licensed and self-hostable. The maker describes it for schools using managed or bring-your-own-device Windows laptops.

Who it is for

Anchor is intended for schools using managed or bring-your-own-device Windows laptops, with teachers leading focus sessions. It does not provide a student agent for Mac, Chromebook, iPad or phones.

What is good

Teachers can adjust allowed bundles during a session.
Off-list apps are set aside rather than closed.
Observes activity only during active teacher-started sessions.
Self-hostable under a GPL-3.0 licence.
No licence fee or per-seat charge.

What to know first

A determined student can bypass its soft enforcement.
No student agent for Mac, Chromebook, iPad or phone.
Other browsers are outside student-device scope.
Azure hosting costs may apply.

Verdict

Anchor offers session-based classroom controls for supported Windows laptops, with school-managed hosting and no licence fee. Its coverage is limited by device and browser support, and its maker describes enforcement as bypassable.

Anchor plans and pricing

All plans

Anchor Free Free; no licence fee or per-seat charge Self-hosted backend · single school per deployment · Azure hosting costs may apply plinklabs.org · 4 Oct 2026

Compared on classroom management software

Free plan: Yes
Activity monitoring: Yes
Live screen view: No
Web filtering: Yes
Device controls: Yes
Behavior tracking: No
Supported platforms: Windows 10 version 1809 or later, Windows 11, Microsoft Edge, web dashboard

Best Anchor alternatives

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The record

Purpose: Anchor lets a teacher run a classroom focus session where student Windows laptops enforce an allowlist of apps and websites, with off-list activity shown live on a dashboard.
Session control: Teachers can choose a class, start a session, adjust allowed bundles live, review student states and events, and end enforcement for the class.
Integrations: The teacher page names Microsoft 365, Smartschool, and GeoGebra as selectable bundles; sign-in uses existing school Microsoft accounts.
Student experience: Off-list apps are set aside rather than closed, while off-list Edge pages show a friendly block page with a request-access option.
Platforms: Student enforcement requires Windows 10 version 1809 or later, or Windows 11, together with Microsoft Edge; the teacher dashboard runs in a modern browser.
Platform limits: The maker says there is no student agent for Mac, Chromebook, iPad, or phone, and other browsers are outside the student-device scope.
Hosting: Each school runs a single-tenant backend in its own Azure subscription, and student devices and the dashboard communicate only with that backend.
Security and privacy: Anchor observes only during an active teacher-started session and does not record on-allowlist work, keystrokes, page contents, screenshots, passwords, or browsing outside sessions.
Data collection: During a session, the extension sends off-allowlist page visits, unblock requests, integrity signals, and session liveness heartbeats to the school's backend.
Retention: The maker says retention is controlled by each school's configuration; the FAQ gives a default of pruning raw session events after 30 days while retaining summaries.
Limitations: Anchor is deliberately soft enforcement: the maker says a determined student can bypass it, with tampering surfaced as an integrity signal.
Support: The maker directs users to GitHub issues for product questions and says there is no support ticket queue.
License and auditability: Anchor is GPL-3.0 licensed, self-hostable, and its source code is public and auditable.
Audience: The maker describes Anchor as classroom software made by teachers for schools using managed or bring-your-own-device Windows laptops.
Price from: Free

Where it ranks on Freedom251

Best Classroom Management Software in 2026#2 of 25

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Sources

plinklabs.org/anchor/· checked 4 Oct 2026
plinklabs.org/anchor/teachers.html· checked 4 Oct 2026
plinklabs.org/anchor/it.html· checked 4 Oct 2026
plinklabs.org/anchor/privacy.html· checked 4 Oct 2026
plinklabs.org/anchor/faq.html· checked 4 Oct 2026
plinklabs.org/anchor/contact.html· checked 4 Oct 2026