openSIS vs PowerSchool SIS

openSIS9.4Visit PowerSchool SIS6.2Visit

Higher score openSIS #1 in Student Information Systems 9.4/10 Free plan · paid from $4/mo (annual) · 15-day trial Free plan✓ 1 of 5 features Visit openSIS

vs

PowerSchool SIS #11 in Student Information Systems 6.2/10 Pricing on request ✓ 1 of 5 features Visit PowerSchool

• openSIS fits best

  Budget-conscious schools needing broad SIS coverage

• PowerSchool SIS fits best

  Schools wanting established core SIS functions

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Side by side

Feature	openSIS 9.4/10 Visit ↗	PowerSchool SIS 6.2/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	6.2
Ranking	#1 in Student Information Systems	#11 in Student Information Systems
Best for	Budget-conscious schools needing broad SIS coverage	Schools wanting established core SIS functions
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Paid
Starting price	Not published	Not published
Free plan	✓ (best)	Not published
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Mobile	Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android	Web, iOS, Android
Support	Email, Phone, Tickets, Docs	Email, Live chat, Phone, Community
Compliance	ISO 27001, GDPR	SOC 2, ISO 27001
Integrations	16 integrations	6 integrations
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features openSIS 1/5 · PowerSchool SIS 1/5
Enrollment workflows	Not published	Not published
Transcript management	Not published	Not published
Student portal	Not published	Not published
API access	Not published	Not published
Attendance tracking	✓	✓
Specs
Hosting	Not published	Not published
Our review
Pros	Free plan plus a 15-day trial supports budget-conscious evaluation. Covers records, attendance, grading, portals, billing, and admissions. Connects with LMS, payment, accounting, communication, and SSO tools.	Covers records, attendance, grading, scheduling, and compliance reporting Provides parent and student portals with real-time academic information Supports Ed-Fi and SIF interoperability plus Microsoft integrations
Cons	Core Startup is limited to 50 students and 100 parent accounts. Advanced integrations, API access, and single sign-on require Advanced. Staff-based pricing can cost more on monthly billing than annual billing.	Pricing requires a sales process Enrollment and transportation are outside the core SIS offering Its breadth may exceed the needs of schools seeking a narrow SIS
Our verdict	openSIS is a cloud-based student information system for K-12 schools, colleges, training programs, and virtual education providers. It brings together student records, admissions, scheduling, attendance, grading, billing, communications,… Read the review →	PowerSchool SIS is a configurable student information system for K-12 schools and districts, including public, charter, private, and international institutions. It brings together student and demographic records, attendance tracking,… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• openSIS — where it wins

  • Free plan plus a 15-day trial supports budget-conscious evaluation.
  • Covers records, attendance, grading, portals, billing, and admissions.
  • Connects with LMS, payment, accounting, communication, and SSO tools.

  Where it doesn't

  • Core Startup is limited to 50 students and 100 parent accounts.
  • Advanced integrations, API access, and single sign-on require Advanced.
  • Staff-based pricing can cost more on monthly billing than annual billing.

• PowerSchool SIS — where it wins

  • Covers records, attendance, grading, scheduling, and compliance reporting
  • Provides parent and student portals with real-time academic information
  • Supports Ed-Fi and SIF interoperability plus Microsoft integrations

  Where it doesn't

  • Pricing requires a sales process
  • Enrollment and transportation are outside the core SIS offering
  • Its breadth may exceed the needs of schools seeking a narrow SIS

• openSIS9.4/10 · Free plan · paid from $4/mo (annual) · 15-day trial

  Broad SIS coverage with a free plan and staff-based pricing from $4 monthly.

  Visit openSISFull verdict →
• PowerSchool SIS6.2/10 · Pricing on request

  A broad SIS for schools needing records, instruction, family access, payments, and reporting.

  Visit PowerSchoolFull verdict →