CoGrader vs. Mentora: which AI grader fits your class?
CoGrader is an AI grader for essays and other written work students do elsewhere: it imports assignments from Google Classroom, Canvas and other platforms, grades them against your rubric or one of its state-aligned rubrics, and you approve every grade. Mentora runs the whole assessment instead: you create the exam with AI, students take it in Mentora, and you get the grades and a debrief of what to reteach. Choose CoGrader to grade writing done in your LMS; choose Mentora to give and grade tests in one place.
Updated October 2026
What we say about CoGrader comes from its website as of October 9, 2026; products change, so check there for what is current. Mentora makes this page, and we have tried to be fair. Spot something out of date? Tell us at support@mentora.ar.
CoGrader vs. Mentora, side by side
| CoGrader | Mentora | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | An AI grading and feedback assistant for written work. | An assessment platform: create an exam with AI, give it to your class, and Mentora grades it and writes a debrief. |
| Where student work happens | Elsewhere: imported from Google Classroom, Canvas, Schoology, Brightspace, Blackboard and more, or uploaded as PDF, DOCX or photos. | In Mentora. Students join your class and take the exam on any device, with time limits and windows if you want them. |
| What it grades | Essays, DBQs, claim-evidence-reasoning, constructed responses and short answers, including handwritten work. | Multiple choice and written answers in the same exam. |
| Rubrics | A large library of state-aligned rubrics, an AI rubric generator, or upload your own. | Your criteria; the exam generator drafts a rubric for each written question, and you edit it. |
| Teacher review | You approve every grade before it reaches students. | Grades the AI is unsure about wait for your review, and you can change any grade. |
| Class insights | A class report with scores by criterion and common patterns. | A debrief after every exam: what the class understood, which wrong answers students picked, misconceptions, who needs help, and what to do in the next class. |
| Creates the assessment | It grades work; creating and running the assignment happens in your LMS. | Yes: drafts the exam, answer key and rubric from your description or your material. |
| LMS integrations | Yes, including two-way sync with Google Classroom, Canvas and Schoology. | Not yet. Students sign in with Google. |
| Handwritten work | Yes. | No. |
| AI-writing and plagiarism checks | Yes. | No. |
| Getting started | A free plan for teachers, and school plans. | Opening in small batches through a waitlist. |
Where CoGrader is better
- Grading writing your students already did in Google Classroom, Canvas or another LMS, without moving anything.
- State test and AP practice: a large library of state-aligned rubrics ready to use.
- Handwritten work, photographed or scanned.
- Flags for possible AI-written text and plagiarism.
- It is available today, with a free plan.
Where Mentora is different
- One place for the whole loop: Mentora drafts the exam, students take it, and it is graded, so nothing has to be imported or copied.
- Multiple choice and written answers in the same test, scored together.
- Review where it counts: grades the AI is unsure about wait for you, instead of every grade needing a click.
- A debrief built for tomorrow's lesson: which wrong answers students picked, the misconceptions behind them, who needs help, and what to do in the next class.
Which to choose
Choose CoGrader if
- Your assignments live in an LMS and you want grading and feedback inside that workflow.
- You grade a lot of essays, including handwritten ones or state-test practice.
- You want AI-writing and plagiarism flags alongside the grade.
Choose Mentora if
- You give tests and quizzes, not only essays, and want them created, taken and graded in one place.
- You want to know what to reteach after every exam, not just the scores.
- You'd rather review the uncertain grades than approve every one.
Using both
They can sit side by side: CoGrader for essays assigned through your LMS, Mentora for unit tests and quick checks you give in class.
Tests created, taken and graded in one place
Mentora is the AI grader for teachers that tells you what to reteach. Create an exam with AI, give it to your class, and every answer is graded against your rubric, written answers included. Then the debrief shows what the class understood, who needs help, and what to teach next. We're opening spots in small batches.
Frequently asked questions
Is CoGrader free?
CoGrader offers a free plan for teachers, with paid plans for more volume and features. Check its website for the current limits.
Does Mentora integrate with Google Classroom?
Not yet. Students sign in with Google and join your class in Mentora with an invite or a join code.
Can Mentora grade essays written in Google Docs?
Not today. In Mentora, students write their answers in the exam itself. To grade work done elsewhere, a tool like CoGrader fits better.
Which one is more accurate?
Both grade written answers against a rubric, and we know of no independent head-to-head comparison. The fairest test is to grade a few of your own students' answers with each and compare with your own marks.
Keep going
- EssayGrader vs. Mentora
- MagicSchool vs. Mentora
- AI grading for teachers: how AI grading works, and what to ask any tool.
- Kahoot alternatives: quiz and review tools, compared.