Freedom251 › Digital Textbook Platforms
Top Hat
by Top Hat
What Top Hat is
Top Hat is a higher-education platform for student engagement and course materials, supporting learning in and beyond class. Instructors can use live polls, discussions, quizzes, and instant feedback during lectures, then provide interactive homework, readings, digital textbooks, and instructor-created materials. They can create, schedule, or upload tests and assignments, and use AI tools to generate questions from course content. Ace helps educators prepare classes and prompts, while giving students study and practice support based on course materials. Top Hat turns attendance, participation, reading, and assessment data into insights about student progress. It lists integrations with Canvas, Blackboard, D2L Brightspace, Moodle, and Sakai; its LTI 1.3 integrations for Canvas and D2L Brightspace can support roster and grade sync, deep links, and single sign-on. Students can use a browser or iOS and Android apps. Student access is listed at $35, paid once for four months, $58, paid once for 12 months, or $96, paid once for 48 months. Eligible paid courses usually offer a five-day free trial.
Who it suits
Top Hat suits higher-education instructors seeking interactive lecture and course materials, and students using digital coursework and study support. Departments and institutions can also seek tailored plans.
What it does well
- Live polls, quizzes, discussions, and feedback
- Supports interactive homework and digital textbooks
- AI tools generate questions from course content
- Integrates with five named learning-management systems
- Available on web, iOS, and Android
What to know first
- Department and institution pricing is custom
- Free trial applies to eligible paid courses
Limits
The four-month student access option costs $35, paid once. Eligible paid courses usually offer a five-day trial; department and institution-wide plans have custom pricing.
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Term | Student access for one 4-month term | $35 a month |
| 1 Year | Student access for 12 months | $58 a month |
| 4 Years | Student access for 48 months | $96 a month |
| Department or Institution-Wide | Custom pricing | On request |
| 1 Term (4 months) | 4 months of access · Student access | $35, paid once |
| 1 Year (12 months) | 12 months of access · Student access | $58, paid once |
| 4 Years (48 months) | 4 years of access · Student access | $96, paid once |
| Department or Institution-Wide Solutions | Custom pricing · Tailored department or institution-wide plans | On request |
As tophat.com lists them, read 19 Sept 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Getting started
- Visit the Top Hat website.
- Access Top Hat through a browser or its iOS or Android app.
- For an eligible paid course, use the five-day free trial.
- Choose student access for a four-month term, 12 months, or 48 months.
- Departments or institutions can request a tailored plan.
Verdict
Top Hat combines classroom interaction, course materials, assessment tools, and student progress insights. Student access options cover different terms, while institutional plans require custom pricing.
Questions
What does Top Hat cost?
Student access costs $35, paid once for four months, $58, paid once for 12 months, or $96, paid once for 48 months. Department and institution-wide plans use custom pricing.
Is there a free trial?
Eligible paid courses usually offer a five-day free trial.
Which devices and platforms can students use?
Students can use Top Hat in a browser or through its iOS and Android apps.
Which learning management systems does Top Hat integrate with?
It lists Canvas, Blackboard, D2L Brightspace, Moodle, and Sakai. LTI 1.3 integrations are released for Canvas and D2L Brightspace.
What can instructors do with the platform?
Instructors can use polls, discussions, quizzes, and instant feedback; provide course materials; and create, schedule, or upload tests and assignments.
Who makes Top Hat?
Top Hat is the maker. It was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Facts from Top Hat's own pages
- Access and trial
- Students can use Top Hat in a browser or its iOS and Android apps, and eligible paid courses usually offer a five-day free trial. · tophat.com, 7 Oct 2026
- AI assistant
- Ace helps educators prepare classes and create interactive prompts, and gives students 24/7 personalized study and practice support based on course materials. · tophat.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Assessments
- Instructors can create, schedule, or upload tests and assignments, and use AI tools to generate questions from course content. · tophat.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Audience
- Top Hat is designed for higher education, with tailored plans available for departments and institutions. · tophat.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Course content
- The platform supports interactive homework and readings, customizable digital textbooks, and instructor-created materials. · tophat.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Founded
- 2009 · tophat.com, 28 Sept 2026
- Headquarters
- Toronto, Ontario, Canada · tophat.com, 28 Sept 2026
- Live Q&A
- Yes · tophat.com, 19 Sept 2026
- Live teaching
- Educators can use interactive polls, discussions, quizzes, and instant feedback to involve students during lectures. · tophat.com, 7 Oct 2026
- LMS functions
- Its LMS integrations can provide roster sync, grade sync, deep links, and single sign-on; Top Hat states its LTI 1.3 tool is 1EdTech-certified. · tophat.com, 7 Oct 2026
- LMS integrations
- Top Hat lists integrations with Canvas, Blackboard, D2L Brightspace, Moodle, and Sakai, with LTI 1.3 integrations released for Canvas and D2L Brightspace. · tophat.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Privacy
- Top Hat says it stores information on servers in the United States and Canada and follows FERPA rules to keep school information confidential. · tophat.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Product
- Top Hat is a higher education student engagement and courseware platform for interactive, personalized learning in and beyond class. · tophat.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Security
- Top Hat says it holds ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification and encrypts data in transit and data at rest. · tophat.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Paid from
- 35 · tophat.com, 19 Sept 2026
- Student insights
- Top Hat turns attendance, class participation, readings, and assessment data into insights about student progress. · tophat.com, 7 Oct 2026
- Support
- Top Hat lists support by phone, email, and live chat for instructors and students, with support hours of Monday to Friday, 9 AM–9 PM ET. · tophat.com, 7 Oct 2026
Where Top Hat stands on Freedom251
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- Audience Response Systems#97 of 118
- Student Response Systems#43 of 45
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