OpenEduCat

OpenEduCat is an education platform for institutions, with cloud hosting and on-premise deployment. Institutions can select modules as needed, add more over time, and use a pricing model that states there are no per-student fees. Its systems connect student information with admissions, fees, library, hostel, and other institution systems, while the SIS supports real-time collaboration around student data. Community Edition supports standards including SCORM, xAPI, and LTI 1.3, as well as SSO options such as SAML, Shibboleth, OAuth2, Azure AD, and Google Workspace. Assessments, certificates, API access, and Android and iOS apps are listed. The Free Edition has no course, assignment, or learner cap; capacity depends on hardware. It is licensed under LGPL-3.0, with public source code on GitHub, and institutions own their data. Self-hosting supports Linux, Python 3.10+, and PostgreSQL 14+. Community Edition is free; the required OpenEduCat Core costs $489 a year. A 15-day trial does not require a credit card, and the site lists a No Refund Policy.

OpenEduCat combines student information workflows with modular education features and multiple deployment options. Its no-cap Free Edition still depends on available hardware, while paid deployments require the Core plan.

OpenEduCat suits institutions seeking modular education software with cloud or on-premise deployment. Its listed systems and apps address teams managing student records and institutional functions.

OpenEduCat is a modular platform for academic and campus operations, bringing student information workflows together with education features. Institutions seeking to connect those functions in one system are its strongest fit. The uncapped Community Edition is free, but paid deployments need a Core license.

Overview

More than 70 modules run on a single database, with real-time collaboration around student data and connections to admissions, fees, library and hostel systems. That breadth can help institutions coordinate administrative and academic work in one place; it also means choosing which modules to add rather than buying a single, fixed package.

Institutions can deploy OpenEduCat in the cloud or on-premise. The Community Edition is open source under LGPL-3.0, with public source code on GitHub. It has no time limit or course, assignment or learner cap, though the capacity of a self-hosted installation depends on its hardware. Institutions own their data, and self-hosting does not impose student limits or require license call-home.

Key features

Assessment and certificate support, along with Assignment, Classroom and Exam modules, cover common academic workflows. The platform’s native links to campus systems make it a broader institutional option than a tool focused on one task.

Community Edition supports SCORM, xAPI and LTI 1.3, plus SAML, Shibboleth, OAuth2, Azure AD and Google Workspace single sign-on. API access is also available. Android and iOS apps extend access to mobile devices. OpenEduCat describes FERPA-aligned handling, audit trails and enterprise-grade security; these are relevant assurances for institutions managing student data, but do not remove the need to assess deployment and security requirements internally.

Pricing

The Community Edition costs nothing, with no learner cap and no time limit. It is the most direct choice for institutions able to provide and maintain suitable hardware. Its capacity depends on that hardware, rather than a published learner quota.

Paid deployments require OpenEduCat Core. The one-year Core plan costs $489 a year, and the 2-year term costs $978 a year; both are required bases for every deployment. The 2-year offer says buy two years and get the third year free. A separate Core listing also prices one year at $489 a year.

Modules & Apps cost $79 a year for a one-year term, with examples including Assignment, Classroom, Exam and SSO. The 2-year term costs $158 a year and carries the same buy-two-get-the-third-year-free offer. Institutions pay for modules they need and can add more as they grow, with no per-student fees stated on the pricing pages. This modular approach avoids a student-based charge but requires budgeting for Core as well as selected modules.

The cloud-only 25 Users Cloud Pack costs $29 a year for one year, or $58 a year for a 2-year term; the latter also includes the buy-two-get-the-third-year-free offer. The stated 25-user capacity makes this a limited cloud option, not a substitute for Community Edition’s uncapped learner allowance. On-premise one-time licensing costs $1,319 a month for Core and $208, paid once for Modules & Apps. A 15-day trial is offered without a credit card, and the site’s policy is no refunds.

Platforms

OpenEduCat supports Android, iOS, API access, Linux and self-hosting. Self-hosting requires Linux, Python 3.10+ and PostgreSQL 14+. Cloud hosting is also an option for institutions that do not want to run the system on their own infrastructure.

Who it's for

OpenEduCat is a reasonable fit for institutions that want student information, learning features and campus operations connected, and that value a choice of cloud or on-premise deployment. Community Edition particularly suits organizations prepared to manage their own hardware and hosting. Institutions that need a paid deployment should account for mandatory Core licensing, then select and budget for the modules they need.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Community Edition has no learner cap or time limit, making it a substantial free option for institutions with adequate hardware.
• Pro: More than 70 modules, campus-system integrations and support for learning standards and several SSO options bring academic and administrative functions together.
• Pro: Cloud and on-premise deployment, data ownership and self-hosting without license call-home offer institutions control over where their data resides.
• Con: Paid deployments must include Core, so the modular model does not let buyers pay only for optional education modules.
• Con: Free-tier capacity depends on hardware, placing practical limits on institutions without suitable infrastructure and administrators to maintain it.
• Con: The no-refund policy and a 15-day trial leave little room to reverse a paid commitment after purchase.

Alternatives

For a dedicated scheduling tool with an Android app, API, iOS, macOS, self-hosted, web and Windows platforms, consider EMS Academic Scheduling; it is paid, with pricing available by demo or sales request. Skoolia is another paid option with a free trial and a published AI Timetable plan at $39 a month for one school, 10 active timetable projects, up to 150 active staff and up to 100 active classes.

aSc Timetables offers an unlimited free trial without purchase until after generating a schedule, though export is unavailable in the trial. For examination-focused institutional software, Cloudilya Examination Management ERP has custom institutional pricing depending on modules and institution size, typically paid annually in advance. Schoolyi uses quote-based licensing tied to factors including school size, campuses, launch modules, migration, integrations, support and deployment.

Wise Timetable publishes a €90 a month license, payable monthly, twice a year or yearly. Untis offers a base package with modules and extensions, with pricing by sales request. GNWebSoft Exam Management System is another paid Android, iOS and web option.

Institutions comparing category-specific tools can also browse Exam Scheduling Software, School Accounting Software, Course Registration Software, Education CRM Software and Learning Management Systems.

Verdict

Choose OpenEduCat if your institution wants a connected platform for student information, academic modules and campus systems, especially if you can use its free self-hosted edition or need control over deployment and data. Its breadth and uncapped free plan are the clearest reasons to choose it. Look elsewhere if you need a narrowly focused scheduling or examination tool, or if mandatory Core licensing and hardware responsibilities do not fit your budget or operations.