SchoolStackThe licence price on a quote is the easiest number to compare and the least useful one. A cheaper system that needs twice the training, a paid integration and a data migration can cost more over three years than the expensive one. Before you sign, work out the total cost of ownership.
The costs to add up
Look at every cost over the length of the contract, usually three to five years.
Licence fees. Check how they’re calculated: per student, per staff member, per school or a flat fee. Ask what happens when enrolment changes, and what the price is in years two and three. Annual increases are common and often in the small print.
Implementation and setup. Many vendors charge a one-off fee for setup. Ask exactly what’s included.
Data migration. Moving data from your old system can be included, charged separately, or left to you. If it’s left to you, count the staff time.
Training. How many hours are included? Is it live or recorded? What does extra training cost when new staff join?
Integrations. Connecting to your SIS, single sign-on, finance system or LMS may need a paid add-on, a third-party connector or developer time.
Hardware and devices. Some systems need specific devices, scanners, card readers or a minimum browser version.
Staff time. This is the cost most often forgotten. If a system adds ten minutes of admin a day for each of your office staff, that is a real cost over a year. The reverse also applies: a system that saves time is worth paying more for.
Support. Is phone support included, or only email? Is there a premium tier, and will you need it during busy periods like report season?
Exit costs. What does it cost to leave? Can you export all your data, in what format, and is there a fee? A system that’s hard to leave becomes expensive at renewal time.
A simple worksheet
Copy this table into a spreadsheet and fill it in for each option you’re considering. Use the full contract length.
| Cost | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Licence fees | |||
| Setup and implementation | |||
| Data migration (fees or staff time) | |||
| Training | |||
| Integrations and add-ons | |||
| Hardware | |||
| Extra staff time (or time saved, as a negative) | |||
| Support upgrades | |||
| Total |
Estimate staff time in hours and multiply by an average hourly cost. Rough numbers are fine. The goal is to compare options on the same basis.
Questions to ask in negotiation
- Can you fix the price for the full contract, or cap annual increases?
- Is setup or training included if we sign for three years?
- Is there a discount for a group of schools buying together?
- Is there a price for schools of our size, rather than the standard per-student rate?
- What happens to our price if enrolment falls?
Group purchasing often makes a real difference. Trusts, districts, dioceses and local authorities can usually negotiate better terms than a single school.
Free isn’t always free
Free apps can be the right choice. Google Classroom and Khan Academy are free and well made. But check how a free product is paid for. If the business model depends on advertising or selling premium features to families, make sure that doesn’t conflict with your privacy policy. Our privacy checklist covers what to look for.
Free tiers also change. Several popular classroom apps have reduced their free plans over the years. Before you build a whole school’s routine around a free tier, check what the paid plan costs, in case you need it later.
Summary
Compare options on total cost over the full contract, not on the licence fee. Count staff time, migration and integrations. Get price increases capped in writing, and check how easy it is to leave before you agree to stay.