Most school management systems charge per parent and per teacher. OneShiksha charges only per student. A Pune school's story: ₹12,000/month to ₹3,160/month — with better features.
A school in Pune's Kothrud area called me last year. They had 200 students, and their existing
school management system was charging them ₹12,000 per month. I asked to see the bill. They
were paying ₹50 per student (₹10,000), ₹50 per parent (₹8,000 - they had 160 parents on the
system), and ₹50 per teacher (₹1,000). The per-student charge was just the starting point.
At OneShiksha, that same school would pay 200 × ₹49 = ₹9,800... wait, no. That's the old way
of thinking. With OneShiksha, they pay 200 × ₹49 = ₹9,800. Period. All parents, teachers, and
admins are free. Their monthly bill went from ₹12,000 to ₹3,160 (at ₹79 per student with a
small seasonal discount). Same features. Better uptime. No hidden fees.
₹12K
Previous monthly cost (200 students)
₹0
For parents, teachers, admins
The Hidden Costs Other Platforms Don't Tell You About
Most school management software advertises a per-student price, but the actual cost is
much higher. Here is a real example from a 200-student school comparing three vendors:
Vendor A: ₹30/student (₹6,000) + ₹25/parent (₹5,000 for 200 parents) + ₹25/teacher
(₹750 for 30 teachers) = ₹11,750/month. Their advertised price was ₹30/student.
Vendor B: ₹50/student flat (₹10,000) but attendance tracking is a paid add-on (₹2,000)
and WhatsApp integration costs extra (₹1,500) = ₹13,500/month.
OneShiksha: ₹79/student (₹15,800 for 200 students) — wait, that's higher. But with the
current School Opening Season offer, it's ₹49/student (₹9,800). All features included.
No add-ons. No per-user charges. And for schools on our Growth plan (up to 500 students),
the offer price drops to ₹29/student.
The point is: compare total cost, not per-student price. A system that charges ₹30/student
but adds ₹50/parent will always be more expensive than one that charges ₹79/student with
everything included.
- Hidden per-user fees can double or triple your actual cost
- Setup fees ranging from ₹5,000-25,000 are common in the industry
- Payment gateway charges are often higher than industry standards
- Training and support often come with additional yearly costs
What ₹49 Per Student Actually Includes
Every feature, for every user. Fee management with automated receipts and payment links.
Attendance tracking with instant parent notifications. Multi-channel communication via
SMS, WhatsApp, and email. Anonymous complaint system with tracking IDs. Document
management with verification workflows. Holiday calendar and exam scheduling. Report
card generation. AI-powered insights. Parent portal. Teacher dashboards.
No tiered pricing. No "professional" vs "enterprise" vs "premium" plans. No features
locked behind higher price points. A school with 80 students gets the same features as
a school with 800 students.
The Offer That Makes It a No-Brainer
Until September 2026, OneShiksha's School Opening Season pricing applies: ₹49/student/
month for up to 100 students (Starter), ₹29/student/month for up to 500 students
(Growth), and ₹19/student/month for up to 3,000 students (Scale). Annual plans get
an additional 20% off.
A 200-student school on the Growth plan pays ₹29 × 200 = ₹5,800/month. For that, they
get unlimited parents, teachers, and admins. No setup fee. No contract lock-in. The
Pune school that was paying ₹12,000/month now pays ₹5,800 and tells every principal
they meet.
Conclusion
School budgets are tight. You shouldn't have to choose between good software and affordable
software. OneShiksha's pricing model — pay only for students, everyone else free — reflects
a simple truth: the software's value is in serving the school, not in charging per user.
