Marka

Overview

Marka is peer-evaluation software for teachers collecting rubric-based feedback on classroom group work. It is best suited to teachers who want students to score one another without accounts or an LMS connection. Its privacy controls and teacher-facing integrity review are compelling; the main constraint is that the free plan offers report previews rather than full reports.

Teachers can create reusable analytic or holistic rubrics, then collect peer scores and notes. Students see aggregate results and unattributed public notes, not individual peer scores. Results and public notes remain withheld until at least three evaluators have submitted, unless the teacher overrides the threshold for a student. That safeguard can help protect privacy, though the teacher override means it is not an absolute guarantee.

Roster import is handled through CSV, and students join with teacher-issued seven-character codes without creating accounts or providing email addresses. Marka runs independently of an LMS; that keeps setup separate from school systems, but teachers who rely on LMS integration or gradebook sync should look elsewhere.

Key features

Rubrics and scoring

Teachers set their own scoring scales and criterion indicators in reusable analytic or holistic rubrics. This supports varied assignment goals, while leaving the work of designing criteria and scales with the teacher.

Integrity review and reports

The teacher-only Peer Integrity Engine flags patterns such as free-riding, self-rating mismatches, rushed scoring, cliques, and rater bias. It does not change scores automatically, so it can inform review without replacing teacher judgment. Consolidated Final Reports can include dashboards, CSV exports, cross-period comparisons, printable reports, and gradebook-ready exports; those full reports require Insights.

Privacy and access

The privacy policy says data is transmitted over HTTPS/TLS, passwords are stored as hashes, and sessions use secure HttpOnly cookies. It also says Marka does not sell personal data or use classroom data for advertising; Neon is named for data storage and Resend for account-related email. Students can use the service on the web or through a lightweight Android app.

Pricing

Marka is freemium, with no free trial. Basic costs 0.00 USD per free and allows up to 3 classes and 50 students per class, but provides only full-report previews. It is a reasonable fit for teachers assessing whether the workflow suits a small course; the preview-only cap makes it unsuitable when teachers need usable full reports.

Insights has custom pricing: an administrator activates it, and teachers request upgrade instructions. It includes unlimited classes and students per class, full reports, and AI-assisted note review and summaries. That is the relevant plan for teachers who need report exports or larger capacity, but the activation process and custom pricing make it less straightforward to budget than a self-serve subscription.

Platforms

Marka is available on web and Android. Students can access it without installing the Android app. It accepts CSV roster imports and does not require Canvas, Moodle, or Google Classroom, but it has no LMS integration or gradebook sync.

Who it's for

Marka suits teachers running group-work evaluations who want reusable rubrics, controlled student visibility, and a way to flag suspicious scoring patterns for human review. It is less suitable for institutions requiring LMS-connected roster management or automatic gradebook sync, and for teachers who need full reports without moving beyond the free plan.

Pros and cons

• Student access without accounts: seven-character teacher-issued codes avoid requiring student emails or account creation.
• Privacy-conscious result sharing: peer scores are not shown individually, and results are held until three evaluators submit unless a teacher overrides the threshold.
• Useful integrity signals: flags cover several problematic rating patterns without automatically changing scores.
• Free plan is report-limited: Basic previews full reports but does not provide the full reports teachers may need to act on evaluations.
• No LMS or gradebook connection: CSV imports are available, but teachers needing integrated classroom workflows should choose another tool.

Alternatives

For a broader comparison, see Peer Assessment Software.

• CrowdGrader is worth considering for web-based, instructor-sponsored assignments of up to 20 students on its free plan, or if a free trial matters.
• Eli Review may fit instructors seeking unlimited courses and platform features at no charge, with student access sold by term.
• Kritik360 is an alternative for professors seeking free educator access that includes course activation, instructional design, and ongoing support.
• PeerEvals is a free alternative for readers who want a core peer-evaluation service without a paid tier.
• TEAMMATES is another free web option, though its service may change or be terminated at its discretion.
• Expertiza is a free, open-source option for readers comfortable with Linux, macOS, web, or self-hosted platforms.
• ComPAIR is a free alternative available on web or self-hosted deployments.
• PeerEval is a paid option for readers looking for an iOS or web alternative.

Verdict

Choose Marka if you teach group work and want structured peer scoring, restrained student visibility, and teacher-reviewed integrity flags without requiring student accounts. Its strongest reason to choose it is the combination of privacy thresholds and practical reports; its strongest reason to look elsewhere is that full reporting sits behind an administrator-activated, custom-priced plan, alongside the lack of LMS and gradebook integration.