Moodle Proctoring Plugin Comparison

Q: What is the difference between a Moodle proctoring plugin and a lockdown browser?

A lockdown browser like Safe Exam Browser secures the device by blocking tabs, copy-paste, and other apps, but it cannot see the candidate. A proctoring plugin captures the webcam and microphone and flags integrity events during the attempt. They are complementary, and Moodle can run both on the same quiz.

Q: Which Moodle proctoring plugins integrate natively versus through LTI or an extension?

Native plugins install into Moodle and appear in the quiz settings, so proctoring is a per-quiz toggle and students stay in the LMS. ProctorLink and the open-source quizaccess_proctoring plugin work this way. Extension tools like Proctorio and lockdown-plus-cloud stacks like Respondus link via LTI, deep links, or a separate client. Confirm the current model with each vendor.

Q: Does the free open-source Moodle proctoring plugin do the same thing as ProctorLink?

The community quizaccess_proctoring plugin captures webcam images at intervals and stores them in Moodle at no licence cost, which suits low-stakes quizzes. It has no automated analysis, so a human scans every image, and limited audio, screen, and concurrency handling. ProctorLink adds AI event detection, a flagged-event review timeline, on-premise storage, and high-concurrency support. Choose by stakes and scale.

Q: What features should a Moodle proctoring plugin comparison actually measure?

Measure six dimensions: integration model (native plugin, LTI, extension, or portal), detection depth (image-only versus AI across camera, audio, and screen), review workflow (raw video versus a flagged-event timeline), data residency (vendor cloud versus your own Moodle server), student setup (browser-only versus a required client), and proven concurrency at your peak. Price matters, but review time and reliability often cost more.

Q: Where does student and exam data live with each type of Moodle proctoring plugin?

Cloud services, including many extension and lockdown-plus-recording tools, store session video and flags in vendor-controlled storage. Native plugins keep data closer: the open-source plugin stores images in your Moodle database, and ProctorLink offers on-premise storage with retention you control. If you have data-protection duties, treat storage location as a shortlisting filter and ask each vendor to document where and how long data is kept.

Q: How should I run a fair comparison of Moodle proctoring plugins before buying?

Build a scoring sheet from the dimensions that matter (integration, detection, review workflow, data residency, student setup, concurrency), then pilot two or three finalists on the same Moodle quiz with a realistic mock cohort on the devices and browsers your candidates use. Time reviewer effort and ask for references at your cohort size. A one-quiz pilot plus a reference check beats any feature table.

Moodle proctoring plugins fall into four groups: native AI plugins (ProctorLink), the free open-source image-capture plugin (quizaccess_proctoring), lockdown browsers (Safe Exam Browser), and lockdown-plus-cloud or extension proctors (Respondus Monitor, Proctorio). They differ most on integration model, detection depth, review workflow, and where student data is stored. For high-stakes exams that stay inside Moodle and keep evidence on your own servers, a native AI plugin such as ProctorLink is the closest fit.

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The Six Dimensions Worth Comparing

Feature lists on vendor pages are long, but a Moodle proctoring comparison really comes down to six dimensions. Score each candidate on these and the differences that matter become clear quickly.

Integration model: native quiz-access plugin, LTI, browser extension, or a separate portal. This decides how far students and reviewers leave Moodle.
Detection depth: image-only capture versus AI events across camera, microphone, and screen activity.
Review workflow: raw recordings a human must watch end to end, or a flagged-event timeline that surfaces only suspicious moments.
Data residency: vendor cloud storage versus artefacts kept on your own Moodle server.
Student setup: browser-only versus a required download, extension, or lockdown client.
Proven concurrency: evidence at your peak cohort size, not lab tests with a handful of users.

This guide compares named options against those dimensions. If you are still defining what “best” means for your institution, start with Best Moodle proctoring plugin, then use the tables below to place specific plugins.

Named Moodle Proctoring Options at a Glance

These are the options most Moodle teams encounter, grouped by how each one connects, what it detects, and where the data lives. Capabilities change between releases, so confirm the current details with each vendor before you shortlist.

Plugin / tool	Type	Integration	Detection	Data storage	Best fit
ProctorLink	Commercial plugin	Native quiz-access plugin. Proctoring is a per-quiz toggle; students stay in Moodle.	AI events: multiple faces, absence from camera, tab switching, ambient audio.	On-premise option. Flagged stills and logs on your own Moodle infrastructure.	High-stakes and large exams that need AI review and data control at scale.
Proctoring (quizaccess_proctoring)	Open-source community plugin	Native quiz-access plugin. Captures images inside the Moodle attempt.	Interval webcam image capture. No automated analysis out of the box.	Images stored in your Moodle database.	Low-stakes class quizzes that need a basic photographic record at no licence cost.
Safe Exam Browser (quizaccess_seb)	Open-source lockdown	Native quiz-access rule. Requires the SEB client before the attempt starts.	Device lockdown only. No camera or microphone monitoring.	No media captured; configuration and logs stay in Moodle.	Securing the device against tabs, copy-paste, and other apps, usually alongside a proctor.
Respondus Monitor + LockDown Browser	Commercial lockdown + cloud	Separate LockDown Browser client plus a cloud service; configured per quiz.	AI-assisted webcam recording reviewed in the vendor dashboard.	Session recordings in vendor cloud storage.	Institutions already standardised on LockDown Browser for all attempts.
Proctorio	Commercial browser extension	Browser extension linked to Moodle via LTI or a deep link.	AI events with configurable webcam, screen, and behaviour recording.	Vendor cloud storage with export access.	Mixed-LMS estates that want one extension across several platforms.

The open-source plugin and Safe Exam Browser are both worth knowing well. The community proctoring plugin gives you free image capture, and Safe Exam Browser secures the device. Neither analyses behaviour on its own, which is where the commercial AI options differ. For how that automated analysis works, see What is AI proctoring?

Feature-by-Feature Matrix

The four categories behave differently on the dimensions that decide day-to-day cost and compliance. Read across each row to see how a native AI plugin, the free image-capture plugin, a lockdown-plus-cloud stack, and an extension proctor compare.

Feature	Native AI plugin (ProctorLink)	Open-source plugin	Lockdown + cloud	Browser extension
Integration model	Native Moodle quiz-access plugin	Native Moodle quiz-access plugin	Client + cloud service	Browser extension via LTI
Student stays in Moodle	Yes	Yes	Launches a separate browser client	Extension overlay; may leave Moodle for LTI
Software students must install	None. Runs in the browser	None. Runs in the browser	LockDown Browser download	Browser extension install
AI event detection	Faces, absence, tab switch, audio	None. Image capture only	AI-assisted recording review	Configurable AI events
Reviewer workflow	Flagged-event timeline; judge suspicious moments only	Human scans captured images	Priority-ranked recordings in vendor dashboard	Flagged recordings in vendor dashboard
Data residency	On-premise on your Moodle server	Your Moodle database	Vendor cloud	Vendor cloud
Licence model	Subscription or credit packs	Free and open source	Institutional licence	Institutional licence
Proven high concurrency	2,000+ concurrent (SPPU entrance grid)	Depends on your Moodle hosting	Vendor cloud scales; verify at your peak	Vendor cloud scales; verify at your peak

ProctorLink flagged-event review timeline inside Moodle showing timestamped integrity events for an exam attempt — A native plugin surfaces flagged events on a timeline inside Moodle, so reviewers judge only suspicious moments instead of watching full recordings.

AI event detection separates the commercial plugins from image-only capture: faces, absence, tab switches, and ambient audio are flagged automatically.

Which Plugin Fits Which Situation

There is no single winner. The right plugin depends on exam stakes, cohort size, and your data rules. Use this quick guide to match a scenario to a category, then pilot the finalists.

Your situation	Where to start
Occasional low-stakes class quizzes, tight budget	Open-source proctoring plugin for basic image capture inside Moodle.
You only need to lock the device, not watch the room	Safe Exam Browser, usually added on top of a proctoring plugin.
High-stakes or large exams, native Moodle, data control	ProctorLink for AI event review, flagged timelines, and on-premise storage.
Several LMSs beyond Moodle in one procurement	An extension-based proctor via LTI, accepting vendor-cloud storage.

Many institutions combine categories: a lockdown browser to secure the device plus a proctoring plugin to watch the candidate. For the settings that reduce cheating before any plugin is added, see How to prevent cheating in Moodle exams, and for how automated and human oversight differ, see AI proctoring vs live proctoring.

Where ProctorLink Lands in the Comparison

ProctorLink is built as a native Moodle proctoring plugin rather than a separate portal or extension. In comparison terms that puts it in the native-AI column: proctoring toggles on inside the standard quiz settings, students never leave the LMS, AI flags integrity events during the attempt, and reviewers work from a flagged-event timeline instead of raw video.

Inside Moodle: no second portal, download, or account for students.
AI-first review: multiple faces, absence, tab switching, and ambient audio flagged with timestamps.
Your data: on-premise storage keeps flagged images and logs on your own infrastructure with retention you control.
Proven at scale: published deployments at entrance-exam concurrency, not lab demos.

Published figures from ProctorLink Moodle deployments:

SPPU ran 70 PG entrance papers for 12,000 students, with 15,205 proctored sessions and 2,000+ candidates online at once, mostly on mobile browsers.
RT-MSSU kept flagged media on-premise while running AI monitoring to satisfy regulatory retention rules.
Ashoka University secured high-stakes hiring exams with dual proctoring and on-premise video storage.

Across published deployments, ProctorLink has supported more than one million proctored exam sessions (methodology note below). More detail lives on the case studies page.

What customers say on G2

Institutions evaluating proctoring tools often look for independent feedback outside vendor case studies. ProctorLink is listed on G2, where Moodle administrators and training teams share verified product reviews.

Read ProctorLink reviews on G2 →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a Moodle proctoring plugin and a lockdown browser?

They solve different halves of the same problem. A lockdown browser such as Safe Exam Browser (the quizaccess_seb plugin) secures the device: it blocks new tabs, copy and paste, screenshots, and other applications while the quiz runs. It does not watch the candidate, so it cannot detect a second phone, notes off to the side, or a person feeding answers off-camera. A proctoring plugin adds that missing layer by capturing the webcam and microphone and flagging integrity events during the attempt. In a full comparison you will often see both categories listed together, but they are complementary rather than interchangeable. Many institutions run a restricted browser to secure the device and a proctoring plugin such as ProctorLink to observe the candidate, and Moodle lets you enable both on the same quiz.

Which Moodle proctoring plugins integrate natively versus through LTI or an extension?

Does the free open-source Moodle proctoring plugin do the same thing as ProctorLink?

What features should a Moodle proctoring plugin comparison actually measure?

Where does student and exam data live with each type of Moodle proctoring plugin?

How should I run a fair comparison of Moodle proctoring plugins before buying?

Sources & references

Deployment statistics and product behaviour described in this guide link to the sources below.

Explore ProctorLink

Comparing Moodle proctoring plugins? See how a native AI plugin installs, what it costs, and where it is already running.

Schedule a Demo

See per-quiz proctoring inside your own Moodle in a 30-minute walkthrough.

View Pricing

Subscription tiers for steady exam cycles and credit packs for seasonal peaks.

Moodle Integration

Install guide, plugin download from moodle.org, and compatibility notes.

Best Moodle Proctoring Plugin

How to define shortlisting criteria before you compare specific plugins.

Case Studies

SPPU, RT-MSSU, and Ashoka University: integrity at university scale.

Prevent Cheating in Moodle Exams

The quiz settings that cut cheating before any plugin is added.

More Proctoring Guides

What is Online Proctoring?

Online proctoring supervises remote exams via webcam and microphone inside your LMS, logging rule violations with timestamps so reviewers judge flagged cases, not every session.

What is AI Proctoring?

AI proctoring uses machine learning to automatically detect suspicious exam behaviour such as multiple faces, tab switching, and absence from the camera.

Best Moodle Proctoring Plugin

A comparison of leading Moodle proctoring plugins for universities that need native LMS integration, AI monitoring, and institution-owned data.

Online Proctoring Software for Universities

How university exam offices choose online proctoring software for entrance grids, finals, and multi-faculty calendars, including stakeholder RFPs and centre-vs-online cost tradeoffs.

Online Proctoring Software for Certification Exams

How certification bodies and training providers use online proctoring for identity proofing, item-bank protection, and defensible, audit-ready credentialing exams.

AI Proctoring vs Live Proctoring

A side-by-side comparison of AI proctoring and live human proctoring for cost, scale, accuracy, and exam security.

How to Prevent Cheating in Moodle Exams

Practical steps to reduce cheating in Moodle quizzes using proctoring settings, question banks, timing controls, and AI monitoring.

Online Exam Proctoring in India

A guide to online exam proctoring for Indian universities and certification providers, including compliance, pricing in INR, and local case studies.

Compare ProctorLink on Your Own Moodle

The fastest way to settle a plugin comparison is a pilot. ProctorLink installs as a native Moodle plugin, flags integrity events for fast review, and keeps evidence on your server. Run it on a real quiz and time the reviewer workload.

Schedule a Demo View Pricing