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Respondus Monitor
What it is
Respondus Monitor is a remote proctoring solution for higher education that records students by webcam during online assessments and gives instructors flagged events and results to review. It is a companion product for LockDown Browser and cannot be used without it. During an exam, LockDown Browser prevents printing, copying, access to other applications, and internet searching. After a one-time installation, Monitor launches from Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge when exam settings require it and guides students through a pre-exam sequence that includes a webcam check. Listed integrations include Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle, Brightspace, Pearson MyLab and Mastering, McGraw Hill ALEKS, Cengage WebAssign and MindTap, and Hawkes Learning. Respondus describes native support for Windows, Mac, Chromebook, and iPad. Requirements include a webcam, microphone, and broadband internet; iPadOS 15+ requires a compatible LMS integration. Students have access to 24/7 real-time chat support and do not need to schedule a session or register at the Respondus website. The institution needs a campus-wide LockDown Browser license, and its license administrator must enable Monitor.
For and against
For
- Provides flagged events and results for instructor review
- Integrates with several named learning platforms
- Students have access to 24/7 real-time chat support
- No proctoring session scheduling is required
Against
- Cannot be used without LockDown Browser
- Institutions need a campus-wide LockDown Browser license
- Requires a webcam, microphone, and broadband internet
- iPadOS 15+ requires a compatible LMS integration
The verdict
Respondus Monitor offers webcam-based exam recording alongside a browser lockdown requirement and multiple listed LMS integrations. Its institutional license dependency and device requirements are central considerations.
Who it suits
It is for higher-education institutions that need webcam-based remote proctoring for online assessments. Students need access to LockDown Browser and a supported device setup.
Plans and prices
Free pilot
Unlimited institutional use · no obligation
Read 14 Oct 2026 · web.respondus.com
Student Purchase
All Monitor courses and exams in the same institutional learning system · credit card, debit card or PayPal
Read 14 Oct 2026 · web.respondus.com
Flat Rate
Initial licensing term · institution-size independent · LockDown Browser license required
Read 14 Oct 2026 · web.respondus.com
Tiered base
1,000 seats · additional 1,000-seat tiers cost $1,950 each · no exam-count limit
Read 14 Oct 2026 · web.respondus.com
Initial institutional license
Flat rate regardless of institution size · North America pricing; exclusions apply
Read 4 Oct 2026 · web.respondus.com
Tiered
Base tier is 1,000 seats · additional 1,000-seat tiers cost $1,950 each · no exam-count limit
Read 4 Oct 2026 · web.respondus.com
Unlimited
Unlimited campus usage · quote based on institution type and size · LockDown Browser license required
Read 14 Oct 2026 · web.respondus.com
On the record
- Accessibility claim
- The feature checklist claims WCAG 2.1 Level AA and Section 508 conformance, annual third-party audits and assistive-technology integrations.web.respondus.com · read 14 Oct 2026
- Algorithm fairness
- Respondus says its algorithms are systematically tested for fairness so age, gender, and skin tone do not impact proctoring results.web.respondus.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Automated proctoring
- The product performs automated video-based proctoring rather than requiring a live proctor for every session.web.respondus.com · read 14 Oct 2026
- Browser launch
- After a one-time installation, Monitor can launch from Chrome, Firefox, Safari or Edge when an exam requires it.web.respondus.com · read 14 Oct 2026
- Company
- Respondus says it develops assessment applications for education, training, and certification markets and has partnered with education organizations for over 20 years.web.respondus.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Compliance claims
- Respondus states that Monitor meets FERPA, GDPR, CCPA, TX-RAMP and SOC 2 requirements.web.respondus.com · read 14 Oct 2026
- Device support
- Supported end-user environments include Windows, macOS, Chromebook and iPad.web.respondus.com · read 14 Oct 2026
- Documentation depth
- The support center lists 36 Monitor-specific articles plus separate getting-started, student, instructor, Chromebook, accessibility, Mac and iPad sections.support.respondus.com · read 14 Oct 2026
- Headquarters and size
- LinkedIn lists headquarters in Redmond, Washington and a company size of 51–200 employees.linkedin.com · read 14 Oct 2026
- Hosting model
- Respondus Monitor is described in its terms as a cloud-based service combined with client software.web.respondus.com · read 14 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- The product page lists Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle, Brightspace, Pearson MyLab and Mastering, McGraw Hill ALEKS, Cengage WebAssign and MindTap, and Hawkes Learning integrations.web.respondus.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Launch
- After a one-time installation, Monitor launches from Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge when exam settings require it and guides students through a pre-exam sequence including a webcam check.web.respondus.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Legal name
- Crunchbase identifies the company’s legal name as Respondus, Inc.crunchbase.com · read 14 Oct 2026
- License constraint
- The resources page says the institution needs a campus-wide LockDown Browser license and its license administrator must enable Monitor.web.respondus.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- License model
- The student terms grant a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license and prohibit modification, distribution, sublicensing and reverse engineering.web.respondus.com · read 14 Oct 2026
- Limit: accessibility and compatibility
- Northern Illinois University faculty report crashes, frozen work, incompatibility with some assistive technology and problems for students limited to Chromebooks.niu.edu · read 14 Oct 2026
- Limit: cheating bypass
- G2 reviewers report that students can use phones or other devices, so the system is not fail-safe against cheating.g2.com · read 14 Oct 2026
- Limit: freezing and lag
- G2 reviewers report lag, freezing and stressful failures, especially with weak internet connections.g2.com · read 14 Oct 2026
The review
Respondus Monitor is remote exam-proctoring software for higher education that records students by webcam and gives instructors flagged events to review. It best suits institutions already using LockDown Browser that want asynchronous review within their learning systems. Its pairing of browser restrictions and recorded evidence is useful, but the institutional license requirement and lack of live proctoring narrow its fit.
Overview
Monitor cannot run on its own: it requires LockDown Browser, which blocks printing, copying, other applications and internet searches during an exam. Monitor adds webcam monitoring, screen recording and identity verification, then provides flagged events and results for instructor review. This combination supports post-exam scrutiny, not real-time intervention; schools that need a live proctor should look elsewhere.
After a one-time installation, Monitor launches from Chrome, Firefox, Safari or Edge when exam settings require it. Students complete a pre-exam sequence that includes a webcam check, and they do not need to schedule a session or register at Respondus’s website. 24/7 real-time chat support can help students with setup, while free training webinars and in-LMS resources for instructors at licensed institutions support adoption.
The institution needs a campus-wide LockDown Browser license, and its license administrator must enable Monitor. That makes it a more natural fit for schools already using the browser than for a department seeking a standalone tool. Respondus says its security and privacy coverage includes FERPA, GDPR, CCPA, HECVAT, SOC 2 and TX-RAMP, and that it systematically tests algorithms for fairness so age, gender and skin tone do not affect proctoring results.
Key features
Recorded sessions and browser restrictions
Webcam recordings, screen recording, identity verification and flagged events give instructors material to examine after an assessment. LockDown Browser limits access to other applications and internet searches during the exam. The trade-off is that instructors review results later; the product does not provide live proctoring.
Learning-system integrations
Integrations include Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle, Brightspace, Pearson MyLab and Mastering, McGraw Hill ALEKS, Cengage WebAssign and MindTap, and Hawkes Learning. That breadth can make Monitor practical for institutions using these systems, but the required LockDown Browser license remains a separate institutional prerequisite.
Pricing
Respondus offers a free pilot and several paid routes, ranging from individual student purchases to institutional licensing. The pilot is the lowest-commitment way for an institution to evaluate use; larger schools should compare the seat-based and flat-rate options against their enrollment and license terms.
| Plan | Price | What it includes and who it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Free pilot | free (billed 2 months) | Unlimited institutional use with no obligation. A time-limited two-month pilot, not a continuing free plan. |
| Student Purchase | $15 a year | Valid for 12 months (365 days); use across courses and exams in the same learning system at the institution. LockDown Browser is required, so this suits a student whose institution has enabled it. |
| Initial institutional license | $4,950 a year | Flat rate regardless of institution size, with the annual fee prorated based on license start date. North America pricing; exclusions apply. Its flat rate may suit an institution seeking a campus-wide option without seat tiers. |
| Tiered | $5,950 a year | Includes a base tier of 1,000 seats; each additional 1,000-seat tier costs $1,950, with no exam-count limit. Institutions should account for seat increments as enrollment grows. |
| Unlimited | Custom pricing | Institution-wide use, priced by institution type and size; quote on request. This fits schools that need institution-wide access and can obtain a quote. |
Every purchase route depends on the institution’s campus-wide LockDown Browser license and administrator enabling Monitor. The free pilot is limited to two months, while the student plan lasts 365 days and applies within one learning system at that institution.
Platforms
Respondus identifies Android, iOS, macOS, web and Windows platforms, and describes native support for Windows, Mac, Chromebook and iPad. Technical requirements include Windows 10 or 11, macOS 12 to 26.0+, and iPadOS 15 or later with a compatible LMS integration; a webcam, microphone and broadband internet are also required. Chromebook requirements are also provided. Schools should check device compatibility and LMS support before choosing the service.
Who it's for
Monitor is aimed at higher-education institutions that already license LockDown Browser and want recorded exam sessions integrated with their learning systems. It can also suit students purchasing access for courses in the same institutional learning system. It is a poor fit for schools that need live proctoring, lack the required campus-wide browser license, or cannot meet the device and connectivity requirements.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Recording plus browser controls: Webcam and screen recordings accompany restrictions on printing, copying, other applications and internet searches.
- Broad LMS coverage: Integrations span major systems and course platforms including Canvas, Moodle, Blackboard and Brightspace.
- No scheduled session: Students can launch from supported browsers when exam settings require it, without booking a proctoring appointment.
- Student support: 24/7 real-time chat is available for students, with free webinars for training.
Cons
- Institutional dependency: The school must hold a campus-wide LockDown Browser license and have its administrator enable Monitor.
- No live proctoring: Instructors review recordings and flagged events after the exam rather than supervising in real time.
- Device and network requirements: Students need a compatible device, webcam, microphone and broadband internet.
- Seat increments can matter: The Tiered plan adds capacity in 1,000-seat blocks, while unlimited institutional pricing requires a quote.
Alternatives
Proctorio is worth considering when a free plan is important: its free tier includes core evaluation, pilot and small-scale use, with seven-day data retention and a limited review center.
ThinkExam may suit buyers looking for a freemium option with a Standard plan priced at $3,125 a month, billed annually, for 100 users, unlimited quizzes, two admin panels, a candidate panel and email/ticket support.
Grafari is another option to compare for paid plans with a free plan and free trial.
OctoProctor may suit organizations looking for hours-based pricing and support for up to 1,500 simultaneous users; fees are set in the license agreement, invoice or order form.
Proctor360 is a paid remote-proctoring alternative with pricing available through sales or a demo.
SMOWL is a paid alternative with a free trial and options including computer monitoring or browser lock, in-person digital exams and LMS integration.
YuJa Engage is another paid option to consider.
Proctortrack offers customized pricing by quote, requested with an organization email and estimated student count.
Browse more Exam Proctoring Software or Online Proctoring Software to compare other options.
Verdict
Choose Respondus Monitor if your institution already has LockDown Browser and wants recorded webcam sessions, browser controls and instructor review across supported learning systems. The combination is its central strength; the required campus-wide license and absence of live proctoring are the reasons to look elsewhere.
