Top 16 Open Source and Free School Management Software

Running a school in an organized manner and efficiently, is no easy task. With multiple verticals to manage throughout the year, your school needs those tools that help in running operations smoothly. To do so, you should consider investing in a school management software.

It’s a solution that maintains your students’ information and allows teachers, parents and students to communicate with each other.

List of 16 Free and Open Source School Management Software:

• Megam Education
• SchoolTime
• OpenSIS
• feKara
• QuickSchools
• Gibbon
• Fedena
• SchoolTool
• TS School
• OpenEduCat
• AscendSMS
• MyClassCampus
• SchoolGen
• Veyon
• RosarioSIS
• FenixEdu

If you don’t have the budget to buy a school management system, there are free and open source school management software available to get you started. The five free school management software listed below are the best of the bunch and will help you in running your school successfully.

• Megam Education

An education software, Megam Education, helps a school in increasing its productivity both in the traditional classroom and the remote learning setup.

The software helps the teaching staff in gaining more insights about the student and making informed decisions to prepare the students for the curriculum better. Class teachers can make a detailed report on individual students and can chart their individual assessment. 

Megam school management software comes with a digital portfolio feature that gives a voice to students. This school ERP software also helps in manging the admission & enrolment process, attendance, timetable, fee management and classroom scheduling.

Megam school management software further helps the management conduct online meetings with parents and teachers, which gives a more conclusive assessment of the pupil’s performance.

Megam Education’s Key Features Include:   

• Application Process of the student  
• Helpdesk support  
• Academic history of students  
• It aids to better communication between the school and students  
• Assessment of assignment is easy   
• Financial aid  
• Healthcare  
• Career services  

Pros: Empowers the student in achieving more by promoting communication, collaboration and critical thinking.  

Cons: The transportation management feature can get better.

• SchoolTime

School Time is a highly recommended free school management software that’s suited perfectly for smaller educational institutions. Elementary schools or schools with a small number of students, can gain a lot out of this free school management software.

Its user-friendly ensures that your teachers and staffers don’t spend hours understanding the in & out of this software and can use it from the get-go.

School Time Key features includes: –

• Board Management
• Grading Modules
• Notification Settings
• Task Statistics
• Library Databases
• Exam Management
• Attendance Automation
• Dormitory Management

It’s a solution that was made using Python and can also run on Linux Ubuntu.

Pros: You can use its free version without any complication and use it for an unlimited period.

Cons: However, there is a limit to the number of students accessing its free version at a time.

• OpenSIS

OpenSIS free school management software is a well-constructed solution that helps school administrators immensely with its features. Its community version is free, and the software is best suited to small and medium sized institutions.

OpenSIS Key features includes: –

• Maintain Transcripts & Health Records
• Track Attendance
• Demographic Information
• Faculty Messaging
• Library management
• Contact management
• Classroom management
• Scheduling
• Gradebooks
• Custom Reporting

You can also integrate OpenSIS with Moodle LMS, to easily manage information related to staff, students and teachers.

Pros: You can also integrate OpenSIS with Moodle LMS, to easily manage information related to staff, students and teachers.

Cons: The free version lacks certain features, such as, class management portal, billing, rules compliance management, etc.

• feKara

feKara is a free school management software which is the ideal solution to manage your school as per your requirement. This powerhouse of a software works best when used by small-scale institutes with few students.

Its simple installation process and clean interface along with its huge list of features, makes it a must-have solution that schools absolutely need.

feKara Key features includes: –

• Attendance Management
• School Event Calendar
• Email Integration & Mobile App
• Report Generation
• Finance
• Course & Batch Information Management

Use feKara on the go, with its handy mobile application that lets you stay connected even when you aren’t at school premises.

Pros: You can use feKara on the go, with its handy mobile application that lets you stay connected even when you aren’t at school premises.

Cons: feKara school management software’s features work well only when the number of students in your school is less than 50 and teachers are not more than five. As your school size grows, you will have to upgrade to its premium version.

• QuickSchools

QuickSchools’ intuitive design ensures that the software is easy to use. When you use this best free school management software, you get unlimited access to training materials.

Though, it also comes with guides and walk throughs which ensure that users can understand & use the platform easily. Its powerful Student Information System (SIS), is beneficial for maintaining comprehensive student records and accessing them at the drop of a hat.

QuickSchools Key features includes: –

• Customizable Gradebook Software
• Homework & Assignments Management
• Classroom & Attendance Management
• Parent Portal to Track Their Ward
• Admissions Management Platform

All the tools that a school would need to manage their operations and automate administrative tasks is available on QuickSchools.

Pros: All the tools that an educational institute would need to manage their operations and automate administrative tasks is available on QuickSchools. From students’ performance to the communication with parents, this free school management software streamlines every process.

Cons: With its free version, you will not get customization features.

• Gibbon

Gibbon is a free open source school management system software which helps teachers and school administrators in simplifying their daily tasks & in streamlining their work process. This also comes with teaching tools for teachers such as rubrics, assessment sheets, planning tools, and library catalog.

Gibbon Key features includes: –

• School Administration Tools
• Accounts & Payroll
• Scheduling Management
• Faculty Management
• Invoicing
• Timetable Maker

Your school should consider investing into Gibbon to witness a lot of positive change in its management.

Pros: It helps teachers with seamless planning and assessment and keeps teachers updated with all students’ information.

Cons: You need to maintain the data on your own server.

• Fedena

Fedena is open source school management software used for streamlining student database and other management processes of a school. Aside from document manager, this platform has various core modules, pro and Pro plus modules to help run an educational institution efficiently.

Also, there isn’t any limit on the number of students, teachers and parents using Fedena open source school management software.

Fedena Key features include:-

• Employee/teacher login
• SMS integration
• Google SSO
• Custom import
• Data export
• API access
• Payment gateway integration
• Tally integration
• Automatic time table generator
• Azure integration

Pros: The software is one of a kind as it is based on Ruby on Rails. You can easily generate a student’s complete transcript report through Fedena.

Cons: Students’ reports need to be more exhaustive.

• SchoolTool

School Tool management system supports in managing administrative processes of a school. The software is written in python. The tool gives access to learner’s assessments, ensures hassle-free communication between parents, teachers and students, helps conduct student performance reviews and attendance updates.

SchoolTool Key features include:-

• Contact management
• Gradebooks
• Discipline tracking
• School calendar management
• wxPython for the administrative client
• Attendance tracking
• Student management
• ZODB for object storage
• RESTful HTTP communications.

Pros: The web-based, open source solution is of great utility for teachers as the software has strong organisational features. As an educator, you can make use of skill assessment documents, class attendance sheets and daily participation journals for a classroom.

Cons: Not quite useful for human resource and financial management.

• TS School

TS School provides software tools for making managerial tasks such as organising student and staff activities more efficient. There is a robust human resources module that helps staff manage attendance and payroll. Available in multiple languages, this free school management software is meant for streamlining hostel processes too.

TS School Key features include:-

• Student portal
• Enrolment management
• Scheduling
• Attendance tracking
• Student info management
• Event calendar
• Financial planner
• Library records
• Behaviour management
• Staff management

Pros: Use features such as customisable reports and inventory support to your advantage. This school management software is ideal for creating error free records documents and quick follow up of classroom management strategies and activities.

Cons: The free version of TS School lacks features for reporting and inventory management.

• OpenEduCat

OpenEduCat is comprised of modules designed for managing faculty, classrooms, examination and student activities. The open source school ERP software also provides integrated school financial management solutions to educational institutes. Also, schools and colleges can conduct enrolment and examination in an organized manner with OpenEduCat.

OpenEduCat Key features include:-  

• Skill tracking
• Payroll and expenses management
• Complete financial management suite
• Class room scheduling
• Faculty profile
• Integration with HR department
• Automated fees reminder
• Assets and liabilities
• Detailed compliance reports
• Statistical reports and charts
• Multiple evaluation methods

Pros: Parents and teachers can use the student portal of OpenEduCat for going through information related to students as health reports, student profile, admission in single/ multiple courses and a learner’s activities as well as achievements.

• AscendSMS

AscendSMS offers collaborative tools for organising communication and management activities of a school. The platform serves as a link between teachers, students and educators for streamlined educational practices.

Grading systems and library database can be well managed with this software. AscendSMS is widely used by catholic schools and other prestigious institutes.

Ascend SMS Key features include:-

• Facility management
• Attendance tracking
• Library management
• Fee scheduling
• Student info tracker
• Scheduling
• Time table and SMS
• Fleet management
• Transport info
• SMS integration

Pros: You can use the software for checking health records, transcripts and other custom reports. Its advanced communication and reporting tools will make things quite streamlined at your educational institute.

• MyClassCampus

MyClassCampus software solutions are designed to make school management practices more precise and practical. The platform provides real time data and school bus GPS tracking for ensuring safety of the students. Then there is also QR code for scanning profiles, SMS gateway and online fee payment integration with your mobile device.

MyClassCampus Key features include:-

• Hardware integrations
• Result generation module
• Inventory control
• Inquiry management
• Hostel and mess reports
• Gate-pass information system
• HR management
• Financial integration tools
• Time table scheduler

Pros: The real time attendance data that based on fingerprint and face recognition is the unique feature of this open source software. As a user, you can try the wireless attendance machine for connecting instantly with the server.

• SchoolGen

SchoolGen platform organises managerial tasks of different departments in a school. Through this, parents and guardians can access the relevant assessment tools, online educational resources and other real time information.

The centralised education administrative database within this software is crucial for recording data, managing reports and handling financial information.

SchoolGen Key features include:-

• Transport tracking
• Salary generating
• Book tracking
• Payroll management
• Salary disbursement
• Cataloguing
• Customisable student report card formats
• Student information system
• Auto grade conversion

Pros: Parents and guardians can also use this management tool for monitoring the progress report, grades, assessment marks and assignments.

• Veyon

Veyon open source school management software is used for managing classrooms and monitoring computers. VPN connection within the software is used for connecting students online when not in school.

Through the demonstration mode, an educational institute can broadcast information in real time to remote computers.

Veyon’s Key features include:-

• Modular architecture
• Rewritten core
• LDAP Pro
• Network discovery
• WebTabs
• Internet access control
• Student monitors

Pros: Make use of Veyon’s monitoring module for here you can access all the updated information related to school activities or sessions.

• RosarioSIS

RosarioSIS provides learning management solutions to schools for more accountable educational processes. The software supports multiple languages and is compatible with tablets and smartphones. Various add-on features such as scheduling, grades, billing and student demographics are provided by this school management system.

RosarioSIS’ Key features include:-

• Curriculum management
• Online calendar
• Analytics/reports
• Special education
• Discipline report
• Food service details
• Attendance overview
• Students billing module
• Moodle learning management system

Pros: As a parent or guardian, it is easy to access online pdf discipline report of a student with RosarioSIS school management system.

• FenixEdu

FenixEdu offers solutions for streamlining academic and administrative activities of a school. The software has inbuilt tools that provide tutorials and sub-projects for a more robust performance. The documentation page is thus the very core feature of this software.

FenixEdu’s Key features include:-

• Email integration
• Fee status
• Event management
• Time-table management
• Fundraising channel
• Library books’ tracking

Pros: The centralised working system is designed in such a way that both teachers and parents/guardians can receive regular updates regarding meetings, co-curricular activities, grading updates, educational tours and student reports.

Other Popular Free and Open Source College Management System

Open source school management software is meant for making the classroom monitoring and administrative activities more efficient. Most of these systems come with a user friendly interface so that not just the entire installation process but also usage mechanism is hassle free.

Remote access, multiple language and sharing options, personal study calendars and tracking reports are core support features of this digital platform. Some of the best and free open source college management systems are:

• Teachers ASE
• Insight
• LanSchool Lite
• NLET School
• EDUMAAT
• Entab
• HDSchool

At last, with a free school management software, you can ensure that your school runs smoothly & efficiently. Pick any of the above free school management software and leverage the advantages at your own educational institute.