Comparison
LumenBoard vs. Pencil Spaces
Both are tutoring-built whiteboards with video and recording. The real difference is how the bill grows with your teaching hours.
| LumenBoard | Pencil Spaces | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Flat $15/mo (Tutor) or $29/mo (Tutor Pro) | Usage tiers, $6–$149/mo + per-hour overage |
| Included hours | Unlimited on every paid plan | 25–600 hrs/mo depending on tier, then metered |
| Overage rate | None — the price is the price | $0.60–$0.75 per user-hour past the included amount |
| Recording retention | 30 days (Tutor), 1 year (Tutor Pro) | 180 days on all plans |
| AI lesson notes / parent recaps | Included on Tutor Pro | Not advertised as of July 2026 |
| Free tier | 2 rooms, capped hours, no card required | None currently listed (Mini starts at $6/mo) |
Pricing model
LumenBoardFlat $15/mo (Tutor) or $29/mo (Tutor Pro)Pencil SpacesUsage tiers, $6–$149/mo + per-hour overageIncluded hours
LumenBoardUnlimited on every paid planPencil Spaces25–600 hrs/mo depending on tier, then meteredOverage rate
LumenBoardNone — the price is the pricePencil Spaces$0.60–$0.75 per user-hour past the included amountRecording retention
LumenBoard30 days (Tutor), 1 year (Tutor Pro)Pencil Spaces180 days on all plansAI lesson notes / parent recaps
LumenBoardIncluded on Tutor ProPencil SpacesNot advertised as of July 2026Free tier
LumenBoard2 rooms, capped hours, no card requiredPencil SpacesNone currently listed (Mini starts at $6/mo)
Pencil Spaces pricing verified from pencilspaces.com/pricing in July 2026 — confirm current rates before deciding, as both companies’ pricing can change. Pencil Spaces has separately listed a $9/mo single-seat “Pro” plan with unlimited hours as “coming soon”; it wasn’t live at the time of writing.
Where each one actually wins
Pencil Spaces’ usage tiers can cost less than LumenBoard in a genuinely light month — if you only teach a handful of hours, its $6 Mini plan undercuts a flat $15 subscription. The tradeoff shows up the moment your hours grow: LumenBoard’s price doesn’t move, and Pencil Spaces’ does, every month, for as long as you teach more.
If you teach a steady weekly roster — the same handful of students, most weeks of the year — a flat price is usually the cheaper and more predictable choice within a couple of months. Do the arithmetic on your actual average hours before switching either direction.