Software comparison · reviewed 2 August 2026
Earwig Academic alternative: Voyage compared
Earwig Academic publicly offers a broad, established package spanning evidence, assessment, parent engagement, reporting and analytics. Voyage is a younger, staff-facing product whose distinctive hypothesis is that pupil planning and operational workflow should sit in the same joined-up record as assessment evidence.
What Earwig Academic publicly documents
Earwig documents media evidence capture, timelines, custom tags, assessment against pre-configured or bespoke frameworks, individual EHCP-linked targets, progress tracking, reports, analytics, parent sharing and MIS synchronisation. Its packages range from self-setup options to a fully supported special-school service.
Where Voyage currently fits
Voyage currently connects person-centred profiles, EHCP outcomes, goals and targets with learning records, assessment, configured forms, approvals and worktrays. It is being offered as a close founding-school relationship, not as a mature feature-for-feature substitute for Earwig's reporting, analytics and family-engagement package.
Check the full Voyage product-status registerA practical, evidence-led comparison
The rows below describe documented capabilities and product maturity. They deliberately avoid scores, winner badges and unsupported negative claims.
| Area | Earwig Academic | Voyage |
|---|---|---|
| Product maturity | An established commercial platform with tiered packages and a publicly documented special-school customer base. | Being tested Preparing a small number of supported pilots after continued use with Princes Primary School. |
| Evidence | Documents an app for media records, custom tags, learning timelines and evidence linked to assessment. | Current product Supports written, photo and video learning records linked to planning and assessment; voice capture is not available. |
| Assessment and targets | Documents bespoke and library frameworks, grading, baselines, expectations, next steps and EHCP-linked individual targets. | Current product Supports framework-based assessment and a direct EHCP outcome-to-goal-to-target planning hierarchy. |
| Reporting and analytics | Documents pupil reports, group and school analytics, forecasting and PDF timelines. | Planned / discovery Assessment Matrix and Record Coverage views are available. Broader reporting and dedicated review packs remain development areas. |
| Parents | Documents selected record sharing and parent-created observations behind secure access. | Planned / discovery The current product is staff-facing; direct family access is a future discovery question. |
| Implementation | Offers self-managed and supported packages, including named-consultant support at the top tier. | Being tested Founding schools will receive hands-on discovery, configuration, onboarding and direct influence on priorities. |
Questions worth asking in any demo
- Which package includes the frameworks, support, training and reporting our school actually needs?
- Can planning, evidence, assessment and forms be followed as one pupil story?
- Which analytics are calculated, and can school leaders inspect the underlying records?
- How does parent access work and how is each record approved before sharing?
- What happens to our data, media and assessment history at the end of the contract?
Choosing for a special school?
We would be glad to learn about your current workflow—even if the right conclusion is that an established product already meets your needs.