Updated · 7 min read · By the EduRit team
Short answer
Choose a school ERP by what your staff will use every day: attendance, fees, exams, and a parent app parents actually open. Compare the total cost over three years, including extras such as SMS packs and setup, and test it with your own data in a free trial. Confirm that your school owns its data and can export it.
1. Start with the daily work
Most of a school ERP's value comes from four things used every day: attendance, fees, homework and notices, and exams. If those are slow or clumsy, staff go back to paper. Ask to see each one on a phone, since teachers mark registers between periods.
2. Look hard at the parent app
- Does a parent with two children see both in one login?
- Do parents get a notification when their child is absent or new homework is set?
- Is the app in the languages your parents read, such as Hindi?
- Does it work on an iPhone, through an app or a browser?
3. Compare the total cost, not the headline price
Add up three years: the yearly fee or per-student charge, setup and data migration, SMS or WhatsApp packs, payment gateway charges, and any fees for extra users or custom report cards. A low headline price with paid extras often costs more than a higher all-inclusive one.
4. Check how you'll move in
You should be able to import students and staff from Excel, with every row checked before it is saved, and have parent logins created as you go. Ask who prepares the files and how long a school your size usually takes.
5. Data ownership, export, and security
- Your school should own its data, and the vendor should never sell it or use it for advertising.
- You should be able to get a full export if you leave.
- Roles should limit what each person sees, with an audit log of changes.
- Children's photos and documents should never sit at public links.
- Ask how the vendor will help you meet the DPDP Act 2023.
6. Fit for how your school runs
Check the things that differ from school to school: more than one branch, Class 11–12 taking attendance per lecture, elective subjects, your board's grading, and how many students and staff your plan allows.
7. Support after go-live
Ask how you raise a problem, how quickly you get an answer, and whether help is included or charged.
8. Try it with your own data
A demo uses the vendor's sample school. A trial with your real classes and a few real teachers shows whether it fits. Mark a week of attendance, raise a fee invoice, and post a notice to parents before you decide.
Questions to ask every vendor
- What is the total price for our size over three years, with every extra included?
- What does the parent app do, and in which languages?
- Can we import from Excel, and who helps?
- Who owns our data, and how do we export it if we leave?
- What can't the product do today?
Where EduRit fits
| Need | EduRit today |
|---|---|
| Attendance, fees, exams, homework, timetable, notices | Yes, on every plan |
| Android app for parents, students, and teachers | Yes, in English, Hindi, and Marathi |
| iPhone | In any browser; no iPhone app yet |
| Excel import with logins created | Yes, with help from our team |
| Pricing | Published yearly price, no per-student or setup fee |
| Online fee payment | Yes, by UPI, card, or net banking into the school's own Razorpay account |
| SMS or WhatsApp to parents | No; push notifications in the app instead |
| Free trial | 14 days with every module |