# Top Hat Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Is Top Hat the right Higher Education solution for you? Explore 41 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/176406/Top-Hat/reviews --- Top Hat 3.8 (41) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/176406/Top-Hat/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated March 13th, 2026 # Reviews of Top Hat Ease of use 3.9 Customer Service 3.8 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews Jesse Z Software EngineerComputer Software, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “The mobile app is very user friendly and it is easy for your professor to use to take attendance in class without passing a sign in sheet around.“ August 20, 2025 Vaidas L Associate professorEducation Management, 501 - 1,000 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “There are a lot of small features that can be catered to individual faculty needs, such as types of questions, integration, etc.“ May 26, 2022 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 41 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Patrick Z. Business Processing Center Student Assistant Higher Education Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Great for School" April 12, 2019 5.0 I like it but there is better software to use for its purpose. Pros It is very easy to use and reliable. I used this for class and it was easy to set up a question and for students to answer it. Cons You can answer it from any location where there is wifi. If you are trying to post a question in a given location, that is not possible when your registered for the class. Review Source AG Anitha G. Postdoc Higher Education Used the software for: 2+ years ### "top hat for organic chemistry" April 9, 2021 5.0 I have been using Top Hat for last 3 years, it makes my in-person and online quizzes and exams go smoothly. Pros It is very convenient to design online quizzes and exams using top-hat. I use this for my organic chemistry classes, it is easy to draw the chemical structures Cons students complaint little bit about pricing, honestly it is not that expensive, otherwise it is user friendly software. Review Source EP Eric P. Associate Professor Education Management Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Could be great, but app has persistent bugs" January 12, 2021 2.0 My overall opinion is that the app may be useful for classes that do not involve mathematical symbols, but if you are teaching CS or math courses, I strongly recommend finding another tool. I tried using the app for two years, letting the developers know about the bug, but since they have no plans on fixing the bug and don't say anything about it in the documentation, only use if you don't mind wasting a lot of time messing around with unicode characters (or you don't plan on using commas in any questions!). Pros The gradebook is very well-designed and students have mostly enjoyed the tool. Cons There is a persistent bug in the app that I have been asking them to fix for almost 2 years. When creating questions using LaTeX code, you cannot use commas. There is a hack-y fix requiring you to use a unicode comma, but it often doesn't work and adds a lot of extra time when creating questions. But, the responses for the company suggest that they have no plans on fixing the bug. Review Source SS Sidney S. Student Education Management Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Top Hat" June 10, 2021 5.0 Overall, Top Hat is easy to use and seems to make life easier for professors. However, it is not the most cost effective for students who must pay out of pocket for the service each time their classes require it. Pros Top Hat is easy for both me and my professors to use. It's clean, sleek, and extremely user-friendly. Top Hat is also device-friendly and I've had a great experience using the mobile app on my iPhone. I like that my professors are able to embed questions within our lectures, which aids in my learning and makes sure I am understanding the material being presented in the lectures. Cons As a student, my least favorite thing about Top Hat is the pricing. Although my classes require Top Hat, the cost is not covered by university tuition and class fees. In addition, Top Hat makes you pay based on how long you will need the software. You can pay for an entire year, which would end up cheaper if most of your classes use Top Hat. However, you may end up paying for the entire year when you only need it for 3 months if only one of your classes requires it. Review Source EW Ella W. Full-time student Higher Education Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Easy to Use" June 12, 2022 4.0 Easy to use and great way to learn with question along the way. The app did not have all of the functions as the textbook did online. Overall, it is engaging when available. Pros Very clear sections, questions, and due dates. I love that it would tell you what the correct answer was, that ay you are learning rather than wondering what part was wrong. Being able to read aloud and highlight text made it a great learning resource. Cons Submitting answers where the rest of the class could see was uncomfortable. I found that most students skipped those questions to avoid the social anxiety of being wrong in front of everyone. It prevented people from learning and checking their knowledge on concepts. Review Source SS SB S. Teaching Assistant Higher Education Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Easy to use and helpful features " October 25, 2018 4.0 Overall I am pretty happy with Top Hat. It would definitely fall in the upper end of programs I have used. The students also seem to enjoy it as well. Pros I was able to log into Top Hat and immediately start using it without any training. It’s a pretty intuitive site. Seeing the grades and attendance is straightforward and has been easier to edit than other programs that I have used. Cons When students are submitting their quizzes or comments there is major lag time and I am not sure if that is because of the software or internet connectivity. I am never entirely sure if I know how many people have turned in their questions. Until about 3 minutes after the questions is over. Also, I wish there was a way to edit slides when they are posted into Top Hat because when I upload sometimes the slides become distorted and I need to make the text smaller or rearrange it so that it fits on the screen and can be read. Also, sometimes the link to videos do not work. Review Source HP Harshkumar P. Dentist Higher Education Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Nice platform for class" June 2, 2021 5.0 Nice and engaging platform Pros Nice way to make classroom environment interesting. Student can actively participate in poll and instructors can know how many people participated in the class. Effective way to track class Cons Need some time to used to it. Instructors need to first understand how to operate this platform. Not effective for the instructors who has limited technology skills for classroom Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Student Education Management Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Terrible" April 5, 2022 1.0 Terrible Pros Has a nice built in quiz option when doing readings. Cons The app would crash over and over again or it would not show entire articles/readings and instead would show me a blank screen. Other times, it wouldn't let me submit work. My professor says she can't program the app to put in correct due dates either making us confused. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer student Higher Education Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Easy way to participate in class" December 27, 2018 5.0 I wish it were easier to view past questions or that there were some way to access the information presented with tophat at a later date, but overall is has been a very useful tool. Pros I like the fact that this software allows you to answer anonymously in class, so I am not worried about getting an answer wrong and I am more likely to participate. The app itself is also very user friendly. Cons I have noticed a few glitches with using this software, but nothing to keep me from not using it. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Social Media Manager Public Relations and Communications Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Used as an Assistant to the Professor" February 6, 2019 4.0 Pros I like that it is an easy and accessible way to share books, assignments and other content with the class. It's much easier then trying to share everything via email or printout. Cons My only issue that I've had is that when the professor is doing a presentation I am unable to go in and do anything else on the class page even though she is presenting from a separate computer. Review Source Response from Top Hat February 7, 2019 Thanks for the Top Hat review, I will pass this on to the team. AC Adrianna C. Student Dentist Health, Wellness and Fitness Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Attendance " February 1, 2021 4.0 My school uses this to take attendance and for quiz questions. The user can view their scores on quizzes or attendance through the app or website. Pros In addition to taking attendance, you can add questions, polls, slides, etc. Cons Although used to take attendance, you can get around this. If someone sends you the code for attendance, you can still be marked present while not actually attending. Review Source AE Angie E. student E-Learning Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "badly flawed and expensive" October 19, 2018 1.0 Top Hat breaks or disconnects all the time. We all hate this thing. It's really expensive. Pros Ability to use phones can use my laptop in class Cons Interface is buggy my grades don't show up in blackboard and canvas. I have to complain to the professor every week to get my grades corrected. my friend dropped the class because of this program. students who don't show up to lecture are still answering quiz questions -- so what's the point? really expensive. why am I paying for software when the university already has a program that does this stuff? Review Source LT Lily T. freelancer Photography Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "recommend!!" October 31, 2019 5.0 Pros I liked how convenient and efficient this software is! I use this software most often when my professor takes attendance in a big lecture hall and simply by typing in the code provided in each class, you will get marked present. This saves the professor and the teacher's assistant from having to take attendance manually. Cons there isn't anything I don't like about this software Review Source JS John S. Student Education Management Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Needs a lot of work." February 5, 2019 2.0 Pros Good for polling large classes. Phone app is decent. Cons Questions do not automatically pop up on your display, you have to go down to the bottom and manually open each one. Also if you click a question answer and time runs out before you go to the bottom and click submit, you do not receive credit for the answer. The website is unimpressive. Review Source Jesse Z. Software Engineer Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great App For Any College Course. Can Be Used For Attendance and Engagement." August 20, 2025 5.0 It is overall a great app for any college course to integrate. Not only can you take attendance, you can also ask questions and post poll questions for students. Pros The mobile app is very user friendly and it is easy for your professor to use to take attendance in class without passing a sign in sheet around. Also, the poll questions on this app are very interactive and make class engaging. Cons There are times that Top Hat requires you to reauthenticate through your university. This is frustrating when you just opened the app when class started and can't immediately enter the code. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Application Support Analyst Higher Education Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Engaging Audience response system (and more)" July 31, 2023 5.0 Pros Fairly intuitive for users; flexible; offers a lot of functionality in one application; responsive development team that frequently updates (new functionality and fixes) Cons Development has had a pretty narrow view of the use cases; they didn't seem to anticipate all the different scenarios that might occur in a Higher Ed environment. Alternatives considered [iClicker](https://www.capterra.com/p/172795/iClicker/) Reason for choosing Top Hat Most versatile functionality for the best price Review Source Vaidas L. Associate professor Education Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Excellent for its purpose in education" May 26, 2022 5.0 Overall, I have had positive experience with the platform and I would encourage educators to at least take a look and decide if it suits for you. There is no 'one size fits all' approach in higher education. Pros I have used the platform for years. Started using it to take attendance, but then transitioned to a more inclusive approach. What I like the most is that you can setup your lecture flow with PowerPoints, include quizzes/assessment points throughout, include videos (or other multimedia), and export grades/attendance at the end. There are a lot of small features that can be catered to individual faculty needs, such as types of questions, integration, etc. Their tech support is excellent! They helped me transition my course to tophat in no time. Cons I liked everything about the platform as it suited my needs. My only issue is the pricing model where the students have to pay for access individually. Not all of my students have the means to pay for access (which can really impact their grade if they don' use the platform). However, there is a discount if the platform is used in multiple classes. I also think they have site licenses, too. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Web Designer Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "It works, but isn't the most cost effective solution" August 18, 2019 3.0 Pros Students answer questions in real time and the percentages of what answers were chosen can then be displayed. Cons As a student who had to use the software, the cost can be annoying. You have to pay based on how long you think you'll need the software, which you won't always know if you're not sure whether future classes will use the software. For example, you might decide to pay for 1 years use because it's "cheaper" over time, but you only ended up having a class use it for 3 months. So you wasted money paying for the rest of the subscription and the company gets more money from struggling college students. And of course, the opposite could happen where you pay for 1 quarter, then another classes uses it and you'd have to pay for it again. Before Top Hat came along, iClicker was the more commonly used tech and does the same job. With iClicker, you only had to pay one time for the remote and then you could sell the remote to another student, which was much more cost effective for students. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Student Telecommunications Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Oh the frustration" July 25, 2019 3.0 Pros Maybe it's because it was a 12pm physics lecture and no one wanted to be there, including the technology, but Top Hat was a hit-or-miss most of the semester. I cannot speak for the professor in this case, but this was my experience as a student. We used Top Hat for attendance, poll questions, and short quizzes between slides. Attendance tracking utilizes location to some extent, but if you have the code and time, you can check into class without being there. Our professor caught people checking in remotely; but we also found out that there were dead spots where people in the very room could not check in. That led to tons of handwritten attendance sheets. Also quizzes within the slides often glitched out and had to be restarted or they randomly deleted the annotations. The lecture hall was 200~220 people. Cons Glitchy with large amount of people; Attendance not always accurate Review Source Shaylynn W. Project Manager Education Management Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Top Hat Student Review" November 27, 2018 5.0 It has helped me so much with this class. It has given me a new way to go about grasping the material and I would highly suggest it to other people. Pros I used it in my economics class, and we had embedded questions within our chapters. It really makes you slow down to understand and grasp the concepts. Cons We had problems with being able to go back and view which questions were answered correctly or incorrectly. I also wish there were more functions like notes and bookmarks along with the highlighting. Review Source Jonathan R. Medical Student Higher Education Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Use a different platform if you can" August 25, 2019 3.0 Pros Similar in functions and features as other learning platforms once you can figure it out. I personally don’t have any other pros for this product. Cons I wouldn’t recommend Top Hat I feel like there are other learning platforms that are easier to use for both the instructor and student. I had top hat as a learning platform in a few of my university courses and I never got the hang of using it. Review Source GG Graham G. associate professor Higher Education Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Testing my students" January 31, 2021 4.0 I could not run in class quizzes without this software. It has made this part of the course easy to administer. Pros This software has made giving in class quizzes very easy. I use it every semester and have had a great experience with administering the quizzes and grading them. It has made it easy to go over material and to provide immediate feedback. Cons I would like them to add a feature that allows for grading of word answers. I have to look at all the different spellings of a word. It would be nice to have a wild card or contains option for answers Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Law Student Higher Education Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Easy to Use Learning Tool" August 22, 2019 4.0 Top Hat is a wonderful asset to have, and I'm glad my professors have been utilizing it. It has increased the regularity and clarity of communication between myself and my professors. Pros When it comes to student/professor education software, I have found, as a student, that my favorite software programs are ones that professors are able to access and utilize with ease. The reason for this is that when professors utilize the functions available on education software, my life gets easier. Instead of dealing with streams of AOL emails, I get succinct and clean information and communication through a user-friendly platform. My professors who use Top Hat are VERY comfortable with it and seem to maximize its potential. Top Hat is easy for me to use, and it's evidently really easy for my professors to use. It's clean, sleek, and really user-friendly. Also, I like how Top Hat is device-friendly; their mobile app is great. Cons I've been using it for a few months and have not yet run into anything that I have a problem with. Everything's been great so far. Review Source Jim C. Lab Reseach Student, Belsham Lab Higher Education Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "When free options are available on the market, it is a shame that this company swindles instructors" July 17, 2019 2.0 The customer service, in my limited experience, has been great. However, I really hate that I had to pay for something like this when it was in no ways innovative and when so many free competitors exist. Pros Simplistic design that is easy to navigate Cons The cost is insane for something that is essentially an iClicker. The location-dependent attendance code input has consistently been terrible. This company swindles instructors into forcing their students to buy the product, by making it a required component of the course marks. Review Source MVB Michael Vincent B. Teacher III Education Management Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Top Hat "On Top" of my List" June 11, 2021 5.0 Top Hat is a great application for teachers in managing quizzes. It is a user-friendly app for learners where in they can go through their lessons with ease. Pros Top Hat is an excellent software! I could easily give quizzes to my learners and give ratings to them easily. It is very user-friendly and bery accessible to learners for its mobile app feature. Cons Going back to view questions which were answered correctly and incorrectly were quite difficult. I wish this app would have commands like bookmarking and highlighting notes on it. Review Source Similar Products Featured ## Related categories [Learning Management System](https://www.capterra.com/learning-management-system-software/)[Polling](https://www.capterra.com/polling-software/)[Student Engagement Platform](https://www.capterra.com/student-engagement-platform-software/) ## Send me user reviews about this product ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox.