LearnSpace vs iUgo
Established NZ lesson planner with Te Mātaiaho teaching sequences
Last reviewed 2026-06-22. Visit iUgo
This is an honest comparison based on publicly available information. We acknowledge what iUgo does well before explaining where LearnSpace NZ may be a better fit for your kura, classroom, or whānau.
What iUgo does well
- Long-established NZ lesson planning platform
- Te Mātaiaho teaching sequences and structured literacy/numeracy integration
- Unit planning with curriculum mapping heritage
- Trusted by many NZ primary teachers over years
- NZ company with local support
Where LearnSpace leads
- PlanSpaceNZ plus four student apps in one ecosystem
- Purpose-built vision and handwriting AI
- School admin, whānau portal, and roll-based pricing
- Weekly releases shaped by NZ teacher advisory group
Side-by-side comparison
Compare
iUgo
LearnSpace NZ
Built for Aotearoa
NZ company — established NZ lesson planning platform
Built in Aotearoa by NZ teachers and engineers — not an offshore product adapted for NZ
NZ Curriculum / Te Mātaiaho
Te Mātaiaho teaching sequences and NZ Curriculum unit planning
Aligned to Te Mātaiaho and the refreshed NZ Curriculum from day one, with te reo and tikanga foundational
Year levels
NZ primary and intermediate
Years 1–8 primary and intermediate focus
Platform model
Lesson and unit planning tool — standalone from student apps
One ecosystem — schools, kaiako, and whānau share a single trusted platform with one login
Student-facing apps
No student-facing apps
Five live apps: PlanSpaceNZ, MyFeedback Pro (handwriting scan), Word Wand (camera literacy), Monster Maths Lab, Time Tiles (time telling)
Teacher tools
Unit plans, lesson planning, Te Mātaiaho sequences, curriculum mapping
Class management, app deployment, classroom utilities, curriculum-aligned planning, and progress dashboards
Whānau / family access
No dedicated whānau portal
Dedicated whānau portal with child progress, weekly recaps, and ad-free child UX
AI approach
Traditional planning with curriculum content — limited generative AI
Purpose-built AI — vision word scanning, handwriting recognition, and curriculum-aligned feedback modes
Privacy & child safety
NZ-hosted planning data; verify current privacy policy
Privacy by default — ad-free for tamariki, data minimised, encrypted, never sold; NZ-friendly hosting
Pricing transparency
Published plans on iugo.co.nz — verify current teacher and school rates
Public pricing: $2/ākonga/year (schools), $15/mo (teachers), $10/mo (families); 7-day trial from $2
Best for
Kaiako who want a proven NZ lesson planner with deep Te Mātaiaho unit planning — and use separate tools for student practice.
When LearnSpace is the better fit
- You want planning connected to student apps in one login
- Word Wand, MyFeedback Pro, or Monster Maths Lab would benefit your class
- Your kura wants school-wide deployment with roll-based pricing
- Whānau should see child progress through a family portal
When iUgo may suit you better
- You rely on iUgo's long-term unit planning workflows
- Your school already licenses iUgo and planning is your only digital need
- Te Mātaiaho teaching sequences in iUgo meet your planning requirements
Good to know: iUgo and PlanSpaceNZ both support kaiako planning — LearnSpace adds student apps, school deployment, and whānau access iUgo does not offer.
See the difference for yourself
Start a 7-day trial — PlanSpaceNZ, Word Wand, MyFeedback Pro, and Monster Maths Lab included.