Classdojo

What is ClassDojo

ClassDojo is a web and mobile platform used by teachers, students, parents, and school leaders to communicate, share classroom activity, and support social-emotional learning (SEL). The product focuses on daily classroom routines—attendance, timers, behavior points, and class updates—while giving families a secure window into classroom life through photos, videos and a private feed.

ClassDojo is widely used in primary and early-secondary education settings and is designed to be accessible to teachers with varying levels of technical skill. The platform emphasizes short, frequent interactions (messages, stories, points) rather than long-form lesson delivery; it complements learning management systems by focusing on community and family engagement rather than full curriculum management.

ClassDojo positions itself as free for teachers to create classrooms and invite families, while offering district-level or enterprise options for broader administrative needs. Its adoption is global; the company reports millions of users across many countries and provides translations and messaging features to support multilingual family communication. For additional operational and privacy details, see their privacy practices and community protections.

ClassDojo features

ClassDojo combines several feature sets that support classroom management, family communication, and student reflection. The platform is built around a few core modules:

• Messaging: direct, private messages between teachers and families with automatic translation into many languages. Messages can include photos, attachments, and announcements.
• Stories (private class feed): a secure timeline where teachers share photos, videos, and classroom highlights for families to view and comment on.
• Points and Big Ideas: a behavior tracking system that supports positive reinforcement and social-emotional learning by awarding points and tracking SEL competencies.
• Student Portfolios: a place for students to save and share work samples, reflections, and media that families can view.
• Teacher Toolkit: classroom utilities such as timers, noise meters, attendance tracking, and simple reporting to support daily routines.
• Events and Calendar: posting events and reminders to keep families informed of deadlines, field trips, and school activities.

ClassDojo's interface is designed to be simple: teachers set up classes and invite families by code or email; families connect to their child’s profile and receive content through the mobile app or web. The platform also supports multiple user roles—Teacher, Parent, Student, and School Leader—and provides admin views for school or district coordinators.

What does ClassDojo do?

ClassDojo provides a central place to manage classroom-community interactions. Teachers use it to record attendance, award points for behaviors or SEL competencies, publish class stories that showcase student learning, and message families directly with translations to reduce language barriers.

From a family perspective, ClassDojo surfaces classroom activity in near real-time, organizes student portfolios for review at home, and gives parents a straightforward channel to ask questions or respond to teachers. Students can use ClassDojo to reflect on their work and build a digital portfolio that documents progress over time.

For school leaders, ClassDojo can be used to coordinate announcements across classes, monitor engagement patterns, and roll out school-wide communications. Districts can use expanded management features and centralized provisioning to simplify account setup and privacy controls across many classrooms.

ClassDojo pricing

ClassDojo offers these pricing plans:

• Free Plan: $0 — Teachers can create classrooms, invite families, use messaging, Stories, Points, Portfolios, and the Teacher Toolkit at no cost.
• School or District Plans: Custom pricing — Schools and districts can purchase expanded administrative features, deployment tools, and privacy or reporting add-ons under negotiated contracts. Pricing and scope vary by district size and feature set.
• Enterprise / Partnership: Custom pricing — Large-scale deployments, research partnerships, or integrations with SIS/LMS systems are quoted individually and may include implementation and support fees.

ClassDojo provides a permanently free offering for individual teachers and families, while offering paid contracts for schools and districts that require administrative controls, single sign-on, or custom data arrangements. Check ClassDojo's current pricing for complete details and options for schools and districts at their official pricing page. Visit their official pricing page for the most current information.

How much is ClassDojo per month

ClassDojo starts at $0/month for teachers using the core classroom and family-facing features. For school- or district-level agreements, monthly costs are available through quotes and depend on the number of classrooms, required administrative features, and implementation services.

District contracts are typically billed on an annual or multi-year basis, but vendors will often provide per-month equivalents in negotiated quotes. To evaluate your budget, request a custom quote from their school sales team via the administration and district offerings.

How much is ClassDojo per year

ClassDojo costs $0/year for the free classroom offering used by individual teachers. Annual pricing for school and district plans is custom and typically presented as a total annual contract value based on seats, support levels, and integration requirements.

When budgeting for a district deployment, expect to consider costs for onboarding, training, data integrations, and potential premium features—ask the ClassDojo sales team for an itemized annual quote. Check ClassDojo's district and school options on their schools page.

How much is ClassDojo in general

ClassDojo pricing ranges from $0 (free for teachers) to custom enterprise pricing for schools and districts. The free offering covers everyday classroom needs for individual teachers, while larger organizations negotiate contracts that reflect scale and integration requirements.

Organizations should request a tailored proposal to understand per-classroom or per-student equivalents and whether implementation, training, or data migration services are included. Visit their official pricing page for the most current information.

What is ClassDojo used for

ClassDojo is used primarily for classroom communication and community-building between teachers, families, and students. Teachers post updates and stories, send direct messages to parents, award points for behavior and SEL competencies, and collect student work in portfolios. These capabilities make it a daily-use tool for elementary and early-middle-school classrooms where family engagement is a priority.

Beyond daily communication, ClassDojo is used to support social-emotional learning frameworks. The Points and Big Ideas features allow teachers to track and reinforce SEL skills like empathy, persistence, and self-regulation, and to share that progress with families. Many schools use ClassDojo as part of school-wide SEL initiatives because it standardizes recognition and reporting across classrooms.

Administrators use ClassDojo to coordinate school announcements, monitor adoption, and share school-level events. For remote or hybrid learning situations, teachers also use Stories and Portfolios to provide families with evidence of student engagement and learning when in-person observation is limited.

ClassDojo is not a full learning management system (LMS) or gradebook replacement. While it can host student work and provide basic tracking, it is best used alongside an LMS or assessment platform when teachers need robust assignment management, grading, or standards-aligned reporting.

Pros and cons of ClassDojo

ClassDojo has clear advantages for everyday classroom communication and family engagement. Its interface is designed for quick interactions—posting a story, sending a translated message, or awarding a point takes only a few taps. The free teacher tier lowers barriers to adoption for individual educators and small schools.

The platform is strong on privacy and family-facing features: Stories are private to connected families, messaging supports automatic translation into many languages, and ClassDojo publishes privacy materials aimed at protecting student data. Schools that require strict data controls can pursue district agreements that detail data handling and compliance.

However, ClassDojo is not a comprehensive LMS. It intentionally limits complex assignment workflows, grading rubrics, and standards-aligned reporting. Schools seeking a single platform for curriculum delivery, assessment, and grade reporting will need to use ClassDojo alongside other systems like an LMS or SIS.

Some educators raise concerns about gamification and behavior point systems; when used without thoughtful pedagogical framing, points can shift focus from intrinsic motivation. Successful implementations pair ClassDojo’s points with clear SEL goals and reflective student practice rather than relying on points as the sole behavior lever.

ClassDojo free trial

ClassDojo's primary classroom offering is free for teachers, so there is no trial period necessary for standard classroom use. Teachers can sign up, create a classroom, invite families, and begin using messaging, Stories, Portfolios, and the Teacher Toolkit immediately at no cost.

For schools or districts evaluating the platform at scale, ClassDojo typically provides demo accounts, pilot programs, or trial arrangements for administrative features. These pilots let administrators test provisioning workflows, SSO integrations, and reporting before committing to a contract.

If you are a school leader considering a district rollout, request a pilot or demo from ClassDojo's school team to validate administrative workflows, privacy controls, and integration compatibility with your student information system. Contact their schools team through the ClassDojo schools and districts page.

Is ClassDojo free

Yes, ClassDojo offers a free plan for teachers and families. The free plan includes core features—classroom creation, family invitations, messaging with automatic translation, Stories, Portfolios, Points, and the Teacher Toolkit.

Districts and schools that require centralized management, SSO, or custom data agreements will move to paid contracts with ClassDojo. For individuals, the free plan is sufficient for routine classroom communication and family engagement; for broader administrative needs, request a custom school or district quote.

ClassDojo API

ClassDojo provides integration options designed for schools and district partners rather than an open, public API for all users. Common integration capabilities include single sign-on (SSO), roster provisioning from student information systems, and secure data exchange for district deployments. These integrations are typically handled through district agreements and technical onboarding.

For technology teams, ClassDojo offers partner documentation and setup guidance as part of school or district contracts; this can include APIs, secure file transfer methods for rostering, and standards-based integrations. Schools should contact ClassDojo’s technical or sales teams to request developer documentation and API access for their contract.

If you need to integrate ClassDojo with an LMS or SIS, review their technical guidance and discuss available options with ClassDojo's support or sales team. See their schools and integrations information for guidance on partnership and technical requirements.

10 ClassDojo alternatives

Paid alternatives to ClassDojo

• Seesaw — A student-driven digital portfolio and family communication platform focused on student work, teacher feedback, and family engagement; integrates with many classroom workflows.
• Google Classroom — A free-to-start classroom management tool tied to Google Workspace for Education that handles assignments, class announcements, and basic grading; integrates tightly with Google Drive and Workspace tools.
• Remind — A communication platform primarily oriented toward direct messaging and announcements between schools, teachers, students, and families, with translation and scheduling features.
• Bloomz — A parent-teacher communication app that combines messaging, event scheduling, volunteer sign-ups, and classroom management features for schools and teachers.
• Classcraft — A gamified classroom engagement platform that emphasizes behavior management, SEL, and student motivation through game mechanics and teacher dashboards.
• Edmodo — A classroom collaboration platform with assignment management, quizzes, and teacher–student interaction tools suitable for K–12 settings.
• Canva for Education — While not a direct communication tool, Canva for Education provides creative portfolio and presentation tools that many teachers use alongside communication apps to share student work.

Open source alternatives to ClassDojo

• Moodle — A mature open source LMS that supports course management, forums, assignments, and plugins; requires hosting and configuration but offers high flexibility for schools that want control over data and functionality.
• Sakai — An open source learning environment used by education institutions for course delivery, assignments, and collaboration with a focus on privacy and extensibility.
• OpenSIS — An open source student information system that can handle rostering and student records; useful when combined with other communication tools for a full district solution.
• BigBlueButton — An open source web conferencing system designed for online learning; it handles live class sessions, recording, and breakout rooms when synchronous interaction is needed.

Frequently asked questions about ClassDojo

What is ClassDojo used for?

ClassDojo is used for classroom communication and family engagement. Teachers use it to send messages, share classroom Stories, award behavior or SEL points, track attendance, and collect student work in Portfolios. It helps families stay informed and involved in daily classroom activities.

How does ClassDojo protect student privacy?

ClassDojo implements privacy controls and publishes data policies for educators and families. The service provides private classroom feeds, family-only access to student Portfolios, and district-level contract options that specify data handling, retention, and security measures. For full details, review their privacy and security information.

Does ClassDojo integrate with Google Classroom?

Yes, ClassDojo can be used alongside Google Classroom and supports roster imports in district deployments. While it is not a full replacement for Google Classroom’s assignment workflows, many teachers use both: Google Classroom for assignment distribution and grading, and ClassDojo for family communication and SEL tracking.

Can parents receive messages in their native language?

Yes, ClassDojo messages support automatic translation into multiple languages. This feature enables teachers to send one message that is translated for families, reducing communication barriers for multilingual communities.

Is ClassDojo free for teachers?

Yes, ClassDojo is free for individual teachers and families. The free plan includes core features—messaging, Stories, Points, Portfolios, and the Teacher Toolkit—so teachers can use the platform at no cost for daily classroom needs.

Why would a school buy a district plan for ClassDojo?

Schools buy district plans to gain centralized administration, SSO, and data provisioning. District agreements include management tools for provisioning teachers and students at scale, technical integrations with SIS systems, and contractual guarantees about data handling and support that aren’t included in the free teacher tier.

When should I use ClassDojo versus an LMS?

Use ClassDojo for family communication, SEL tracking, and daily classroom routines; use an LMS for assignment management and grading. ClassDojo complements LMS platforms by focusing on community and engagement rather than full course management, so many schools run both systems in parallel.

Where can I find ClassDojo reviews and user feedback?

You can find ClassDojo reviews on app stores and education technology sites. Look at the Google Play and Apple App Store listings for user ratings, read educator reviews on sites like G2, EdSurge, and Common Sense Education, and check district pilot reports for deeper operational feedback.

How can my district get technical support or a pilot deployment?

Districts can request pilots and technical onboarding directly from ClassDojo’s school team. Contact ClassDojo through their schools page to discuss pilot programs, SSO setup, roster integration, and training; they typically provide implementation guidance for multi-school deployments.

Does ClassDojo offer an affiliate program or partnerships?

ClassDojo operates partnerships and school/district contracts rather than a public affiliate program. Partnerships for research, curriculum, or technology integration are managed through their institutional channels; contact their partnerships or schools team for opportunities and formal agreements.

ClassDojo careers

ClassDojo posts open roles for product, engineering, education, and customer-facing teams on their careers page. Roles vary from software engineers and designers to education specialists and school partnerships managers; many positions focus on building tools for teachers and students while maintaining privacy and accessibility standards.

Working at ClassDojo typically involves cross-functional collaboration between educators and engineers to design classroom-focused features. Candidates interested in education technology, user research with schools, or large-scale product deployment should review the job descriptions and required qualifications on their careers page.

ClassDojo affiliate

ClassDojo does not operate a general-purpose public affiliate marketing program aimed at individual promoters. Instead, partnerships tend to be institutional—schools, districts, research organizations, and education partners can engage through formal agreements. If you are interested in partnering or collaborating, contact their partnerships or schools team via the schools and partnerships channels.

Where to find ClassDojo reviews

You can find user feedback and reviews across multiple channels: app stores, educator review sites, and district technology reports. Check the Google Play store and Apple App Store for current user ratings, read educator reviews on platforms such as G2 and Common Sense Education, and search for case studies or pilot reports published by districts or school networks. For official testimonials and community stories, see ClassDojo’s community highlights on their platform and social channels.