How much does school management software cost in Nigeria?

What drives the price of school software

Six things decide most quotes.

Student numbers

Most school software is priced per student, so the bill follows enrolment. Ask when the count is taken: once a term, or whenever a child joins or leaves.

The modules you switch on

Results, report cards and fees usually sit in the base price. CBT, biometric attendance, student wallets, the school bus and the library are often extra, so a low quote may cover less than you think.

Accounts for staff and parents

Some products charge for each person who signs in. A school of 400 students can have several hundred parent accounts, so a small per-user charge grows fast.

Equipment at the school

A server at the school keeps exams and attendance running when the internet is down. Biometric devices and card readers are bought once, but need power, space and someone to look after them.

Set-up and moving your records

Bringing students, parents, staff and fee balances out of paper or spreadsheets takes work. Ask what is included, and who checks the result.

Training

A system nobody can use is money lost. Ask how many sessions are included, and what training a new member of staff costs next year.

The ways vendors charge

• Per student, per term or per month. The common model: cost follows the size of the school.
• A flat licence. One fee whatever the enrolment. Simple, but a small school pays what a large one does.
• A one-off purchase with yearly maintenance. A large payment up front, then a yearly fee for updates and support.
• Per user. A charge for each member of staff or parent who signs in.
• A charge on each payment. The software is cheap or free, and a fee is taken on every school fee paid through it. Work out what that comes to over a term.

None of these is wrong in itself. What matters is the total over a full session, for your student numbers, with the modules you will really use.

Costs that are easy to miss

• Payment gateway charges. The gateway takes a fee on each online payment. Ask who pays it: the school or the parent.
• Internet and devices. Staff need phones or computers, and the school needs data.
• The price at renewal. Ask what next session will cost, and get it in writing.
• Leaving. Ask how you get your records out, and what that costs.

Questions to ask before signing

1. What is the total for one full session, for my student numbers?
2. Which modules are in that figure, and which are extra?
3. Do staff and parent accounts cost anything?
4. Is there a set-up fee, and is moving our records included?
5. How long is the contract, and what happens if we stop?
6. How do we get our data out?
7. What happens to exams and attendance when the internet is down?
8. Who do we call when something goes wrong, and at what hours?

Our guide to choosing school management software turns these into a checklist for every demo.

What SchooWare charges

SchooWare is priced per enrolled student. These figures are on our pricing page.

• Monthly: from ₦149.99 per student a month, billed 12 months a year, with a one-term minimum.
• Termly: ₦499.99 per student a term.
• Per session: 3 terms paid upfront, less 15%.
• Larger schools: 10% off from 301 students and 20% off from 1,001 students. Discounts combine, up to 25% in total.
• Staff and parents: no per-user charges. Staff, guardian and admin accounts are unlimited.
• Set-up: no set-up fee and no long contract.

For a school of 100 students on the core platform, that is ₦14,999 a month. All portals and the mobile app are included.

Some parts are added per student per term: face check-in, wallets and the tuck shop, CBT, and the group of library, transport, medicals and inventory. The pricing page lists what each adds.

The offline add-ons run on a server at the school. They are billed flat per term or month, or spread per child per term.

The pricing page has an estimate calculator: enter your student numbers and modules to see the total. Then put the same eight questions to us that you would put to anyone else.