If your organization is evaluating LanSchool for classroom management across multiple schools, campuses, or departments, you may be wondering which product is the best fit for your environment.
LanSchool offers two classroom management solutions:
LanSchool Classic: An on-premises classroom management solution that primarily uses your organization's local network for communication between teacher and student devices.
LanSchool Air: A cloud-hosted classroom management solution that allows teachers and administrators to access classroom management tools through a web browser.
Both products provide tools to monitor student activity and help teachers manage classroom devices. However, they differ in deployment, infrastructure requirements, supported devices, and network architecture.
The following comparison can help your IT team evaluate which solution best meets your organization's technical and operational requirements.
| Feature | LanSchool Classic | LanSchool Air |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | On-premises | Cloud-hosted |
| Teacher interface | Installed desktop application | Web-based interface |
| Student installation | Student client software | Student agent and browser extension, depending on device |
| Communication | Primarily through the local network | Cloud-based communication over the internet |
| Server requirements | LanSchool Connection Service recommended | No customer-managed LanSchool Connection Server required |
| Classroom access | Through the installed Teacher Console | Through a supported web browser |
| Administration | Managed through installed software and administrative tools | Managed through the cloud-based administrator interface |
Each product has different system requirements for teacher and student devices.
LanSchool Classic
Teacher and student devices must run a supported version of Windows or macOS.
The LanSchool Teacher Console must be installed on instructor devices.
The LanSchool Student client must be installed on student devices.
The LanSchool Connection Service (LCS) is recommended to manage communication between teacher and student devices.
LCS requires a dedicated workstation or virtual machine running Windows Server 2016 or higher, with hardware requirements depending on the number of users.
LanSchool Air
Teachers and administrators access LanSchool Air through a supported web browser.
Instructor devices can include Windows, Mac, Chromebook, Android, and iPad devices.
Student devices must have the LanSchool Air agent and required browser extension installed.
Supported student devices include Chromebooks managed through Google Workspace, Windows 10/11 devices, and supported macOS devices.
A customer-managed LanSchool Connection Server is not required.
For complete and current operating system, hardware, and browser requirements, see:
LanSchool Classic
LanSchool Air
For the complete list of regional firewall exceptions, network addresses, and ports, see the LanSchool Air System Requirements.
LanSchool Classic
LanSchool Classic is installed and configured within your organization's environment.
Typical deployment involves:
Installing the LanSchool Teacher Console on instructor devices.
Deploying the LanSchool Student client to student devices.
Configuring the LanSchool Connection Service, if used.
Configuring network communication and firewall permissions.
Registering and managing product licenses.
IT administrators can deploy the software using their organization's existing software deployment tools and procedures.
LanSchool Air
LanSchool Air is cloud-hosted and does not require your organization to host the LanSchool classroom management server.
Typical deployment involves:
Setting up your organization's LanSchool Air account.
Configuring the required student device agent and browser extension.
Deploying the student components using your device management solution.
Configuring firewall and content filtering exceptions.
Setting up teacher accounts, classes, and roster integrations as needed.
For deployment instructions, see the LanSchool Air Setup Guide.
Both products provide classroom management features that help teachers monitor student devices and manage classroom activities.
Common capabilities include:
Viewing student screens.
Sharing the teacher's screen with students.
Pushing websites to student devices.
Limiting access to approved or blocked websites.
Sending messages to students.
Blanking student screens.
Monitoring student activity.
Some features and their availability differ depending on the product and student operating system.
For example, LanSchool Classic provides remote control capabilities on supported Windows and Mac student devices. LanSchool Air provides a different set of device monitoring and classroom management tools through its cloud-based interface.
For a feature overview, see:
There is an important difference between LanSchool Classic and LanSchool Air when it comes to Chromebook support.
LanSchool Classic
LanSchool Classic does not support Chromebook student devices. The LanSchool Classic Student software must be installed on a supported Windows or Mac computer.
LanSchool Air
LanSchool Air supports Chromebook student devices through Google Workspace for Education.
The LanSchool Air student components must be deployed through the Google Admin Console.
The required LanSchool Air browser extension and student components must be configured.
Teachers can monitor supported Chromebook student devices through the LanSchool Air web interface.
If your organization primarily uses Chromebooks or plans to deploy classroom management software across a Chromebook environment, LanSchool Air is the supported solution.
For additional information, see the LanSchool Air System Requirements.
Both products require appropriate configuration within your organization's IT environment.
LanSchool Classic
Teacher and student communication primarily occurs over the local network.
Internal firewall and network permissions must be configured to allow required communication.
Organizations manage the deployment and network infrastructure within their own environment.
LanSchool Air
Communication with LanSchool Air services takes place over the internet.
Network traffic is secured using TLS.
Required cloud service addresses must be allowed through organizational firewalls, proxies, and content filters.
Student agents and browser extensions must be deployed and managed on supported devices.
Your IT and security teams should review the applicable deployment documentation and evaluate each product against your organization's security policies.
The best solution depends on your organization's infrastructure, device environment, network configuration, and classroom management requirements.
LanSchool Classic may be a good fit if:
Your organization prefers an on-premises deployment.
You want classroom communication to primarily use your local network.
Your IT team manages local software installations and supporting infrastructure.
You require specific Classic features, such as supported Windows or Mac remote control capabilities.
LanSchool Air may be a good fit if:
Your organization prefers a cloud-hosted classroom management solution.
You want teachers and administrators to access classroom management tools through a web browser.
Your organization uses managed Chromebooks, Windows, or Mac student devices.
You prefer not to maintain a customer-managed LanSchool Connection Server.
We recommend reviewing the system requirements and Quick Start Guides for both products to determine which solution best aligns with your organization's needs.
Yes! If your organization is considering a deployment of LanSchool Classic or LanSchool Air and needs additional information, our team can help you determine which product may best meet your requirements.
You can also request a free trial to evaluate the products and explore their classroom management features before making a purchasing decision.
For additional assistance with product comparisons, licensing, demonstrations, or deployment questions, please contact the LanSchool team through our support or sales channels.
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