Software comparison · reviewed 2 September 2026
Voyage and Earwig Academic: a practical comparison
Earwig Academic publicly offers a broad, established package spanning evidence, assessment, parent engagement, reporting and analytics. Voyage brings pupil planning, assessment evidence and day-to-day staff processes into one connected record.
At a glance
Consider Earwig Academic
when you want an established, broad package spanning evidence, reporting, analytics and parent engagement.
Consider Voyage
if your priority is bringing pupil planning, EHCP outcomes, targets, records, assessment, forms and day-to-day staff processes together.
Worth bearing in mind
Voyage uses a directly supported implementation model. Earwig’s broader reporting suite and direct family access are not included.
The Earwig Academic approach
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.
How Voyage differs
Voyage connects person-centred profiles, EHCP outcomes, goals and targets with learning records, assessment, configured forms, approvals and worktrays.
Explore Voyage capabilitiesA practical comparison
The table compares what each product offers today; it isn’t intended as a scorecard.
Scroll sideways to see every column.
| Area | Earwig Academic | Voyage |
|---|---|---|
| Background and implementation | An established commercial platform with tiered packages and a publicly documented special school customer base. | Supported implementation Developed through a specialist-school partnership, with configuration and onboarding supported directly by the Voyage team. |
| Evidence | Documents an app for media records, custom tags, learning timelines and evidence linked to assessment. | Current scope Voyage supports written, photo and video records; audio-only capture is not included. Records can be linked to planning and assessment. |
| Assessment and targets | Documents bespoke and library frameworks, grading, baselines, expectations, next steps and EHCP-linked individual targets. | Included Voyage 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. | Current scope Voyage currently provides assessment-matrix and record-coverage views rather than the broader reporting suite documented by Earwig. |
| Parents | Documents selected record sharing and parent-created observations behind secure access. | Current scope Voyage is currently staff-facing and does not include direct family access. |
| Implementation | Offers self-managed and supported packages, including named-consultant support at the top tier. | Supported implementation Voyage implementations include direct configuration, onboarding and support. |
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?
Tell us how things work in your school and what you’d like to improve. We’ll help you work out whether Voyage is worth a closer look.