What Are Schools Spending on Their SMS & LMS?

Hi everyone,

I’m looking to gather some information on the average costs associated with School Management Systems (SMS) and Learning Management Systems (LMS) in schools. If you’re involved in this area or have relevant insights, I’d really appreciate your input!

  • What SMS & LMS does your school currently utilize?
  • What is the annual cost (or cost per student, if applicable)?
  • Do you feel it’s worth the investment? What are the pros and cons?

If possible, please include your school’s size (number of students) to help contextualize the information. It would be particularly useful to hear about SMS platforms that also offer LMS features or integrate well with LMS systems. I’ve heard good things about Compass, but I’d love to learn about other alternatives as well. Thank you!

One thought on “How Much Does Your School Pay for Its SMS & LMS?”

  1. Hey there!

    I’d be happy to share some insights regarding school management systems (SMS) and learning management systems (LMS).

    1. Which SMS & LMS does your school use?
      My school uses PowerSchool as our SMS and Canvas as our LMS.

    2. How much does it cost per year?

    3. PowerSchool: We pay approximately $15,000 per year for licensing, which covers around 500 students. This breaks down to about $30 per student.

    4. Canvas: The cost is around $8,000 per year, which also covers the same student count, resulting in about $16 per student.

    5. Is it worth the price? Any pros/cons?

    6. PowerSchool Pros:
      • User-friendly interface for both staff and parents.
      • Comprehensive features that cover attendance, grading, and reporting.

    7. PowerSchool Cons:

      • The customer support can be slow at times.
      • Some functionalities can be overwhelming for new users.

    8. Canvas Pros:

      • Highly intuitive design that makes remote learning seamless.
      • Strong integration with various educational tools and resources.
    9. Canvas Cons:
      • Occasionally, updates can lead to bugs that disrupt usability.
      • Some features may be underutilized due to steep learning curves.

    In terms of alternative SMS/LMS options, Compass is indeed a great choice for schools looking for a system that integrates both functionalities. Other systems worth considering could be Schoology and Blackboard—both are commonly used and have solid integration capabilities.

    As for the size of our school, we’re a medium-sized institution with around 500 students, which does allow us to negotiate some pricing. Hope this helps, and I’d love to hear what other schools are using!

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