CommonLit
CommonLit is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides standards-aligned ELA curriculum, benchmark assessments, and professional development to K-12 schools and districts (grades 3-12) across the United States via a freemium-to-paid subscription model.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What CommonLit does
CommonLit is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational technology organization founded in 2014 by educator Michelle Brown, serving K-12 schools, districts, teachers, and students in grades 3-12 across the United States. Its core product, CommonLit 360, is a full-year English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum for grades 6-12 comprising research-backed, standards-aligned full-length texts, classroom-ready print and digital lesson materials, and skills-based lesson plans. The platform is accessed via web and mobile applications and supports rostering and LMS integrations with school technology infrastructure (Clever and Google SSO are supported for identity).
The company's business model combines a freemium core platform — free individual teacher accounts with access to the text library and basic lesson materials — with a paid "School Essentials PRO" subscription tier sold via annual licensing to schools and districts. This paid tier bundles the CommonLit 360 curriculum, three benchmark assessments per school year for reading growth tracking, professional development (virtual, in-person, and on-demand), and curriculum pilot support. The enterprise sales motion is supplemented by direct website self-serve, LMS-integrated distribution, content marketing through case studies and webinars, and a robust social media presence. CommonLit is sustained through a mix of subscription revenue, grants (notably $3.89M from the U.S. Department of Education in 2016 and $3.5M from Google in 2018), and donations, and holds EdReports alignment and ESSA Evidence Badge recognitions. Compliance posture includes GDPR, FERPA, COPPA, and alignment with the NIST Cybersecurity Framework.
CommonLit firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CommonLit
- Legal name
- CommonLit, Inc.
- Website
- https://commonlit.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- CommonLit is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides standards-aligned ELA curriculum, benchmark assessments, and professional development to K-12 schools and districts (grades 3-12) across the United States via a freemium-to-paid subscription model.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CommonLit industry classification
Industry- Product category
- K-12 ELA Curriculum and Assessment
- NAICS
- Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Standards Alignment & Curriculum Mapping (State/National) (EDAJAFAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Assessment, Testing & Analytics Platforms (Formative/Summative) (EDAJAMAC), Live Polling, Quizzing & Formative Assessment Engagement Tools (EDAFAGAB)
Keywords
Where CommonLit is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
CommonLit business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- School/District Licensing: Annual licensing fees for School Essentials PRO tier offering premium curriculum, assessments, and professional development to K-12 schools and districts.
- Workbook Sales: Physical and digital workbooks available for purchase, complementing the digital platform.
- Freemium Core Platform: Free access to core text library and basic features for individual teachers, with premium features reserved for paying school/district accounts.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free tier for individual educators |
| Subscription | Annual | School Essentials PRO paid tier |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
CommonLit product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CommonLit provides a comprehensive English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum and assessment platform for K-12 schools and districts. Its flagship offering, CommonLit 360, is a full-year, standards-aligned ELA curriculum for grades 6-12, complemented by benchmark assessments, a free text library, skills-based lessons, and professional development services for educators.
Product overview
CommonLit is a nonprofit educational technology organization offering a comprehensive, integrated ELA program for grades 3-12. The core product is CommonLit 360, a full-year ELA curriculum supplemented by benchmark assessments, professional development services, and curriculum pilot programs. The platform includes a Text Library and Skills-Based Lessons as core instructional resources, with Workbooks providing print materials. Additional services include Rostering & LMS Integrations for technical implementation. The program is designed around four guiding principles: students engaging with grade-level content, teachers driving outcomes, deep engagement fostering learning, and social learning. The platform provides print and digital materials, assessment data, and implementation support in one affordable program.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- CommonLit 360 A full-year, standards-aligned English Language Arts curriculum for grades 6-12, designed for K-12 schools and districts to deliver comprehensive ELA instruction.
- Benchmark Assessments Diagnostic and progress-monitoring assessments for ELA used by K-12 schools and districts to measure student reading and literacy growth.
- Professional Development Training and coaching services for teachers and school leaders on implementing CommonLit's ELA curriculum and assessment tools.
- Skills-Based Lessons Targeted instructional lessons focused on discrete reading and writing skills, offered to teachers and schools as part of the curriculum suite.
- Workbooks Printed CommonLit ELA workbooks available for purchase by schools and teachers to supplement digital curriculum.
- Curriculum Pilots Structured pilot programs that allow schools and districts to evaluate the CommonLit curriculum before full adoption.
Quantifiable outcome
- Students using CommonLit saw significant reading gains of 2-6 additional months of learning
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use CommonLit
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
CommonLit technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Feature4 records
CommonLit partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
CommonLit competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Newsela: Newsela offers a content-rich literacy platform for K-12 with differentiated texts, assessments, and instructional supports, closely overlapping CommonLit's text library, ELA instruction, and assessment use cases for the same teacher and district buyer.
- Amplify Education: Amplify provides full ELA curricula for K-12 along with benchmark assessments and professional development, directly competing with CommonLit 360 in district ELA adoptions.
- Lexia Learning (Cambium Learning Group): Lexia offers K-12 reading and literacy intervention programs (Lexia Core5, PowerUp) targeting similar teachers and schools with structured literacy instruction and assessment.
- ReadWorks: ReadWorks is a nonprofit providing free, standards-aligned reading comprehension passages and units for K-12, directly comparable to CommonLit's free text library and lesson offering for the same teacher base.
Broad incumbents
- Renaissance Learning: Renaissance provides Star Assessments, Accelerated Reader, and myON digital reading, overlapping CommonLit's benchmark assessment and text library categories for K-12 ELA buyers.
- i-Ready (Curriculum Associates): Curriculum Associates sells i-Ready diagnostic assessments and ELA/math instructional programs, competing with CommonLit's benchmark assessments and ELA curriculum at the district level.
- HMH (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt): HMH is a major ELA publisher offering Into Reading and Into Literature curricula alongside assessments and PD, a broad incumbent that CommonLit competes against for district ELA adoptions.
- Imagine Learning: Imagine Learning offers supplemental ELA solutions including Imagine Language & Literacy, overlapping CommonLit's K-12 reading instruction and assessment use cases for districts.
- Savvas Learning Company: Savvas offers myView Literacy and other K-12 ELA curricula with associated assessments, a broad incumbent competing for the same district ELA adoption budgets as CommonLit 360.
Emerging players
- Khan Academy: Khan Academy provides free K-12 instructional content and practice across subjects including ELA, serving overlapping teacher and student segments though with a broader, less assessment-heavy product.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
CommonLit social profiles
Digital presenceCommonLit compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
CommonLit financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CommonLit leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
CommonLit funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CommonLit M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CommonLit
What does CommonLit do?
CommonLit provides a comprehensive English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum and assessment platform for K-12 schools and districts. Its flagship offering, CommonLit 360, is a full-year, standards-aligned ELA curriculum for grades 6-12, complemented by benchmark assessments, a free text library, skills-based lessons, and professional development services for educators.
Is CommonLit a public or private company?
CommonLit is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was CommonLit founded?
CommonLit was founded in 2014. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is CommonLit based?
CommonLit is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does CommonLit make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. School/District Licensing is the primary driver. The others are workbook Sales and freemium Core Platform.
Who are CommonLit's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Newsela, Amplify Education, Lexia Learning (Cambium Learning Group) and ReadWorks. Broad incumbents are Renaissance Learning, i-Ready (Curriculum Associates), HMH (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), Imagine Learning and Savvas Learning Company. Khan Academy is listed as an emerging player.
Does CommonLit have an API?
No public API is recorded for CommonLit.
What industry is CommonLit in?
CommonLit's product category is K-12 ELA Curriculum and Assessment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJAFAD, Standards Alignment & Curriculum Mapping (State/National), with a secondary code of EDAJAMAC, Assessment, Testing & Analytics Platforms (Formative/Summative). Its NAICS code is 611691 and its SIC code is 7373.