Top Hat
Course authoring software
Classroom management software
Curriculum management software
Digital learning platforms software
Talent management software
Training eLearning software
Education software
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
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$35 USD per 4-month term
Free Trial unavailableFree version unavailable
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- Professional services (engineering, legal, consulting, etc.)
- Real estate and property management
- Education and training
What is Top Hat
Top Hat is a digital learning platform used primarily in higher education to deliver interactive course materials, assessments, and in-class engagement activities. Instructors use it to create and assign content (including readings and questions), run live polls/quizzes, and track participation and performance. The platform combines courseware authoring with classroom response and basic learning analytics, and it is commonly deployed alongside an institution’s LMS via integrations.
Strong in-class engagement tools
Top Hat supports live polling, quizzes, discussions, and attendance/participation workflows designed for synchronous classroom use. These features help instructors run active-learning sessions without requiring separate audience-response software. The student experience is optimized for mobile and web participation during class.
Built-in courseware authoring
Instructors can assemble readings, slides, questions, and interactive elements into a structured course experience within the platform. This reduces reliance on external authoring tools for common assessment and content formats. It also supports frequent low-stakes assessment and content updates during a term.
LMS and roster integrations
Top Hat commonly integrates with campus systems for roster sync and grade passback, which reduces manual administration for instructors and teaching assistants. Integration support helps institutions standardize deployment across courses. This is important in environments where an LMS remains the system of record.
Higher-ed centric focus
Top Hat’s feature set and workflows are primarily designed for colleges and universities rather than corporate training departments. Organizations looking for talent management capabilities (e.g., performance, skills, succession) typically need additional systems. For enterprise L&D, it may not cover broader HR and compliance requirements end-to-end.
Not a full LMS replacement
While it delivers content and assessments, institutions often still rely on an LMS for program-level administration, multi-course reporting, and broader governance. Some curriculum management and cross-course controls may be limited compared with platforms built primarily for LMS administration. As a result, Top Hat is frequently deployed as a complementary layer rather than the core learning system.
Content portability constraints
Course experiences built natively in the platform may not export cleanly to other systems in standardized formats, depending on the content types used. This can increase switching costs if an institution changes platforms or needs to reuse materials elsewhere. Teams should validate export options and long-term content ownership requirements during procurement.
Plan & Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Term (4 months) | $35 USD | Access to Top Hat platform for one semester. May include assigned Top Hat interactive textbook (price adjusted if assigned). |
| 1 Year (12 months) | $58 USD | Access to Top Hat platform for 12 months. May include assigned interactive textbook (price adjusted if assigned). |
| 4 Years (48 months) | $96 USD | Access to Top Hat platform for 4 years (best choice for campus-wide use). |
| Institution / Department | Custom pricing | Tailored institution-wide solutions, contact sales; includes implementation services, training, and discounts on interactive textbooks. |
Seller details
Top Hat Monocle Corp.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
2011
Private
https://tophat.com
https://x.com/tophat
https://www.linkedin.com/company/top-hat/
