Watermark Student Success & Engagement vs Starfish

Watermark Student Success & Engagement8.4Visit Starfish8.2Visit

Higher score Watermark Student Success & Engagement #3 in Academic Advising Software 8.4/10 Pricing on request ✓ 4 of 5 features Visit Watermark

vs

Starfish #4 in Academic Advising Software 8.2/10 Pricing on request ✓ 4 of 5 features Visit EAB

• Watermark Student Success & Engagement fits best

  Institutions needing mobile student success tools

• Starfish fits best

  Teams needing practical student-success workflows

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature	Watermark Student Success & Engagement 8.4/10 Visit ↗	Starfish 8.2/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.4	8.2
Ranking	#3 in Academic Advising Software	#4 in Academic Advising Software
Best for	Institutions needing mobile student success tools	Teams needing practical student-success workflows
Pricing model	Paid	Paid
Starting price	Pricing on request	Pricing on request
Free plan	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Mobile	Cloud
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android	Web
Support	Tickets, Live chat, Phone, Community, Docs · 24/7	Live chat, Phone, Docs
Built for	Mid-market, Enterprise	Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Watermark Student Success & Engagement 4/5 · Starfish 4/5
Degree audit	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Degree planning	✓	✓
Early alerts	✓	✓
Intervention workflows	✓	✓
Student planning portal	✓	✓
Specs
Mobile access	Mobile	Web
Our review
Pros	Combines alerts, interventions, advising records, pathways, and planning Native iOS and Android student app available as an add-on module Integrates with major SIS, LMS, calendar, survey, and analytics tools	Combines early alerts, appointments, cases, cohorts, and referrals Supports degree planning, success plans, and off-track notifications Adds workflow automation, analytics, kiosk support, and student access
Cons	Pricing requires institutional quotes rather than published plan rates Academic Planning is an add-on module with subscription-dependent availability Degree auditing is not part of the documented positioning	Pricing is handled through contact-sales engagement Designed for institutional partnerships rather than self-serve adoption Web access may not suit teams seeking a dedicated mobile experience
Our verdict	Watermark Student Success & Engagement brings advising, early alerts, engagement tracking, predictive risk indicators, intervention management, reporting, and student communication into one higher-education platform. It is designed for… Read the review →	Starfish is EAB’s higher-education student-success platform for colleges and universities. It brings together early alerts, progress surveys, appointment scheduling, case and cohort management, analytics, degree planning, success plans,… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Watermark Student Success & Engagement — where it wins

  • Combines alerts, interventions, advising records, pathways, and planning
  • Native iOS and Android student app available as an add-on module
  • Integrates with major SIS, LMS, calendar, survey, and analytics tools

  Where it doesn't

  • Pricing requires institutional quotes rather than published plan rates
  • Academic Planning is an add-on module with subscription-dependent availability
  • Degree auditing is not part of the documented positioning

• Starfish — where it wins

  • Combines early alerts, appointments, cases, cohorts, and referrals
  • Supports degree planning, success plans, and off-track notifications
  • Adds workflow automation, analytics, kiosk support, and student access

  Where it doesn't

  • Pricing is handled through contact-sales engagement
  • Designed for institutional partnerships rather than self-serve adoption
  • Web access may not suit teams seeking a dedicated mobile experience

• Watermark Student Success & Engagement8.4/10 · Pricing on request

  A broad advising and engagement suite for institutions prioritizing mobile student support.

  Visit WatermarkFull verdict →
• Starfish8.2/10 · Pricing on request

  A broad student-success platform for coordinating alerts, advising, planning, and interventions.

  Visit EABFull verdict →