Beanstack vs. Accelerated Reader

When it comes to selecting a platform for reading motivation and management, making a decision can be a challenging task. To assist you in comparing Beanstack with Accelerated Reader, we have created a comprehensive chart with one goal in mind: helping you choose a platform that aligns with your reading program goals.

Masthead Waves

Key Features

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Accelerated Reader

Allows users to create, participate in, and manage reading challenges

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Accelerated Reader

Provides tools and best practices for rallying around community reading goals

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Includes a Streaks systems to encourage readers to log every day

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Accelerated Reader

Facilitates school competitions among classrooms, grades, and individual students

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Accelerated Reader

Includes recognition and incentive tools including virtual badges, tickets, and drawings

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Accelerated Reader

Includes Friends and Leaderboards features that lets users share their reading log

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Accelerated Reader

Facilitates Bingo challenges including reading, activity, and review goals

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Accelerated Reader

Includes a reading fundraising system to help schools and libraries raise money

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Accelerated Reader

Offers teachers the ability to create custom reading challenges for their classrooms

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Accelerated Reader

Provides system for "verifying" students as having demonstrated reading integrity

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Accelerated Reader

Includes "Take A Closer Look" system for flagging unusual logging entries

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Accelerated Reader

Provides system for "freezing" students with unusual log entries

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Accelerated Reader

Includes a system for detecting and preventing counterfeit logging

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Accelerated Reader

Allows for daily logging limits and log limit warnings

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Uses social tools including leaderboards to create transparency and community monitoring

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Accelerated Reader

Includes optional fill-in-the blank or multiple choice questions for some titles

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Provides highly-rated mobile app with over 75,000 reviews

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Scans ISBN numbers in a single step using the web and mobile apps

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Accelerated Reader

Include timer in the web and mobile app for tracking reading sessions

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Accelerated Reader

Facilitates reading list challenges that allow specific titles to be featured in a reading challenge

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Accelerated Reader

Offers readers the option to write book reviews

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Accelerated Reader

Includes tools to easily upload data for readers using paper only

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Accelerated Reader

Offers teachers and librarians the ability to log for entire classes or individual students to track sustained silent reading and read alouds

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Accelerated Reader

Includes family registration

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Provides customizable data and insights dashboard

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Shows trends in Lexile Level for independent reading by student, classroom, grade level, and school building

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Provides custom and scheduled reports

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Accelerated Reader

Includes reporting, insights, and leaderboards based on readers, classrooms, and grades for teachers and librarians

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Provides system for teachers to quickly scan in each book in their classroom libraries

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Accelerated Reader

Highlights classroom library books to students for each of their teachers

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Accelerated Reader

Motivates students to read books in their classroom libraries

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Accelerated Reader

Provides school and district level administrators insight into classroom libary connections

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Accelerated Reader

Integrates with Clever, ClassLink, and other single sign on and school rostering systems

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Imports reading automatically from ebook platforms, including Boundless and Epic!

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Accelerated Reader

Includes a tandem connection feature allowing users to link individual library and school accounts

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Accelerated Reader

Connects to the library's catalog for book lists and suggestions

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Integrates with Alexa and voice technology

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Accelerated Reader

Each client provided an individual client success manager

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Each client site given regular quality assurance reviews

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Kick-off calls and staff training opportunities

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Complementary and professionally designed customizable marketing resources

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Custom designed landing pages, reading challenges, and virtual badges

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Accelerated Reader

Access to Facebook user group with over 3,000 members

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Accelerated Reader

Regular Q&A sessions with school success experts

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Accelerated Reader

Featured webinars, school roundtables, and on-demand EDU training

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Accelerated Reader

Helpdesk support, customized troubleshooting, and dedicated customer support

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Annual sponsored summer and winter reading challenges

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Accelerated Reader

Publishes and delivers original high interest nonfiction content

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Provides annual reports evaluating data and trends

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Offers printable reading logs that compliment virtual reading challenges

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Accelerated Reader

Improve Independent Reading Habits Without Quizzes

Beanstack offers a unique alternative to AR by incorporating gamification elements that reward and reinforce independent reading habits, without the limitations of restrictive levels. With Beanstack, you get a high-quality, efficient, and impactful tool that is making a positive difference for students in school districts nationwide. Plus, teachers can effortlessly monitor students' independent reading without the added pressure of Accelerated Reader quizzes.

What Customers Are Saying

“I find Beanstack very easy to use and it doesn't take much of my time. Thank you for providing us with this tool to encourage students to read more!”
Michele O'Brien Prairie du Chien Area School District, Wisconsin
“Beanstack has revolutionized reading at our school in a month. I wanted to change the culture of our school to be about reading and that's happening.”
Karen Firstbrook Spring Grove School, California
“Beanstack is a great way for students and teachers to manage reading logs and see what they love to read. It is a great tool for librarians as well, as we can easily access reports and challenges to keep readers engaged!”
Megan Gaynor Solon Springs School District, Wisconsin
“Beanstack is easy to use as a student and as a teacher. The students love to complete challenges and log their reading minutes. It has been more successful than any other school-wide tracking program we have tried.”
Julie Pszczola Cobb County School District, Georgia