Side by side
FastTest vs TAO
Both stand on online exam software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan APIWeb
FastTest brings exam authoring, delivery, psychometrics, and reporting into one assessment workflow. Its stated high-stakes focus and qualification-dependent starting price are important considerations.
Visit FastTest
Free plan Open source APILinuxMac+3
TAO offers a broad assessment workflow, with authoring, scoring, reporting, and multiple delivery options. The free choices have different constraints: Starter is small-scale, while Community Edition requires self-hosting.
Visit TAOThe facts
| FastTest | TAO | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Yes |
| Runs on | API, Web | API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | FastTest: $6,750 a year | TAO Author: $149 a month |
| Plans published | 1 | 6 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | assess.com | taotesting.com |
| On online exam software | #6 of 35 | #2 of 35 |
FastTest: what it does well
- Covers item banking through score reporting
- Offers multiple question formats
- Supports adaptive and multistage testing
- Qualified organizations can request a free trial
What to know first
- Starts at $6,750/yr
- Pricing depends on organization qualification
- Trial requires a demo request
- Not intended for low-quality assessments
TAO: what it does well
- Supports QTI 2.2 and QTI 3.0.
- Includes automatic and manual scoring.
- Offers self-hosted and cloud-hosted delivery.
- Free Starter includes one author seat.
- Community Edition provides access to source code.
What to know first
- Starter allows 50 learner attempts monthly.
- Starter includes one author seat.
- Starter is not designed for large team programs.
- Paid plan pricing varies; some plans are custom.