College management software is usually priced as a monthly or annual subscription, with plans that differ by the number of students, staff users and campuses, and by which modules are included. To compare prices fairly, look beyond the headline monthly fee at the limits, the modules you actually need, one-time setup and migration costs, and charges from other providers such as SMS and M-PESA.
The common pricing models
- Tiered plans. A few plans (for example small, growing and large institutions), each with limits on students, staff and campuses, and more modules in higher tiers. Easy to budget for.
- Per student. A fee for each active student, per term or per year. Fair when numbers change a lot, but harder to predict.
- Per module. You pay for each module separately. Can look cheap at first, then grow as you add finance, exams or a portal.
- One-off licence. A large payment upfront, often with a yearly maintenance fee. Check what updates and support the maintenance fee covers.
What the price actually includes
Two quotes with the same monthly figure can cover very different things. For each quote, write down:
- Limits: how many students, staff users and campuses, and what happens when you exceed them.
- Modules: admissions, student records, fees, M-PESA, attendance, exams, the student portal, SMS and WhatsApp, reports. Mark the ones you need now and those you will need within two years.
- Users: whether lecturers and students count as paid users.
- Support: how you get help, and whether it costs extra.
- Updates: whether new features are included in your plan.
Costs outside the subscription
Some services run on your institution's own accounts with other providers, so their charges come from them, whichever software you use:
- SMS: charged per message by your SMS provider (for example Africa's Talking).
- M-PESA: transaction charges under your paybill or till agreement with Safaricom.
- Card payments: fees charged by the card payment provider.
- WhatsApp Business: Meta may charge for some conversations.
Ask each vendor whether they resell any of these with a mark-up, or whether you connect your own accounts and pay the provider directly.
One-time costs
- Setup: configuring your courses, intakes, fee structures and roles.
- Data migration: moving your existing students, staff and balances. Ask whether there is a self-service import tool, or whether the vendor does it for you, and at what cost.
- Training: online walkthroughs, or on-site sessions for each department.
How to compare quotes fairly
- Use the same student number, staff number and campuses for every quote.
- List the modules you need and confirm each quote includes them.
- Add the one-time costs to the first year's subscription.
- Estimate your SMS volume and payment charges separately; they are the same whichever software you choose if you use your own accounts.
- Ask about trial periods and money-back guarantees, so you can confirm the fit before committing.
See Soma360's plans and pricing for a worked example of what to look for.