Support from FASE's Education Technology Office

Compare and select your online grading tool

Updated on

This guide presents a comprehensive comparison table for the Crowdmark and Gradescope assessment grading platforms. 

The biggest thing to consider is that while the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering currently provides a faculty-wide license for Crowdmark, it does not provide one for Gradescope. Although Gradescope is included in U of T’s Academic Toolbox, it is not covered by a faculty-wide license from FASE.

If you are planning to use Gradescope in a FASE course, you would need to secure a license independently. 

1. Crowdmark vs. Gradescope feature comparison

 CrowdmarkGradescope
Part of UofT Academic Toolbox

Yes;

Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering provides license

Yes;

  • Gradescope is part of the U of T’s Academic Toolbox, but the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering does not provide a faculty-wide license. 
  • Please check with your department for licensing options.
Integrated into QuercusYou can connect your Quercus course to Crowdmark, sync course roster and assessment grades.For licensed users, Gradescope is integrated into Quercus and due dates, section assignments, and assignment titles can be synced from Quercus to Gradescope.
AccessAccess Crowdmark directly from your Quercus course using the LTI connection.As of May 8, 2026, licensed users can access Gradescope only from their Quercus course. Logging in via https://www.gradescope.ca/login will no longer work after May 8, 2026.
Set Up

Refer to the following vendor guide for information on setting up your Quercus course in Gradescope: Using Gradescope LTI 1.3 with Canvas as an instructor.

Supported assessment types  

Paper-based (Administered)– any question type students can respond to on paper (especially handwritten, calculations)

  • Bubble sheet option available for multiple choice assessments.

Online (Assigned) – assessment set up and administered fully online in Crowdmark.

  • Individual or Group assessments

Paper-based and digital assessments– any question type students can answer on paper or annotate on the document using their device:

Online Assignments – assessment set up and administered directly in Gradescope. Students can submit responses in Gradescope interface.

Programming assessment - students submit code projects and instructors can grade them automatically or manually.

Assessment distribution

Paper-based assessment: instructor created question templates in Crowdmark and distributes physical copies of question booklets to students

Online assessment: instructor creates assessment questions in Crowdmark and selects distribution option. Students receive link to assessment via email and submit it in Crowdmark.

Refer to the following vendor guides for information on how students can access a Gradescope assignment in Quercus: 

Grading
  • Grade by question
  • Rubric is shared across graders (shared comments with points in the Comment library)
  • Supports multiple graders
  • Grade by question
  • Can group similar answers and grade as a group
  • Rubric is shared across graders
  • Supports multiple graders
  • Students can request regrade
Adding Assessment Grades to Quercus GradebookSync assessment grades with Quercus from the Assessment Results interface in Crowdmark

Refer to the following vendor guide for information on creating, linking, and grading your Quercus assignment in Gradescope: Using Gradescope LTI 1.3 with Canvas as an instructor.

Submission file type and size limitPDF, JPG, and PNG file formats. The size limit is 12mb per JPG or PNG file and 25mb per PDF file.
  • PDF and JPG file formats.
  • One PDF file per assignment.
  • Total size of all files a student can upload to Gradescope is 100MB. A single large file may be rejected due to the time it takes for Gradescope to process it.

2. Learn more about Crowdmark and Gradescope

More about Crowdmark

More about Gradescope

Previous Article Compare and select between Crowdmark's Administered or Assigned Assessments?
Next Article How to set up an Assigned (online) Assessment in Crowdmark
Still have questions? Contact the FASE EdTech Office