Best Student Engagement Software in 2026
Updated
In short: Rubric is ranked #1 of 24 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of GivePulse and InScribe. The best-ranked option with a free plan is GivePulse. The lowest first paid tier on this page is GivePulse at $0.15/mo.
Supporting student participation can involve timely outreach, ways to gather feedback, and signals that a student may need attention. Compare automated campaigns and SMS outreach with student surveys, engagement analytics, and risk alerts to see which capabilities are listed. LMS integration, free-plan availability, and paid-from pricing give you additional factors to weigh. The ranking starts with Rubric and GivePulse, followed by Modern Campus CMS and Pathify; Suitable, Civitas Advising, Unibuddy, and InScribe are also among the first entries. Consider which forms of communication and insight fit the learning environment and the support approaches you want to coordinate.
24 student engagement software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
Recognised 40% · Phone app 26% · Documented 20% · Free plan 14% of the score
- 1 Rubric iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.9Free Engagement analytics: YesSMS outreach: Yes
- 2 GivePulse iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.8$0.15/mo Engagement analytics: YesSMS outreach: Yes
- 3 InScribe iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.3 Engagement analytics: Yes
- 4 Modern Campus CMS iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.3 Engagement analytics: YesAutomated campaigns: YesSMS outreach: Yes
- 5 Pathify iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.2 Engagement analytics: YesSMS outreach: Yes
- 6 Suitable iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.2 Engagement analytics: YesAutomated campaigns: Yes
- 7 Civitas Advising iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.1
- 8 Unibuddy iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.0 Engagement analytics: YesAutomated campaigns: YesSMS outreach: Yes
- 9 Nearpeer iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.6 Engagement analytics: Yes
- 10 Watermark Student Success & Engagement iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.6
- 11 Empower iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.5 Engagement analytics: Yes
- 12 ConexED Retain No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.8
- 13 Early Alert No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.8 Engagement analytics: YesAutomated campaigns: YesSMS outreach: Yes
- 14 CampusESP No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.7 Engagement analytics: YesAutomated campaigns: YesSMS outreach: Yes
- 15 Mainstay No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.7 Engagement analytics: YesAutomated campaigns: YesSMS outreach: Yes
- 16 Starfish No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.7
- 17 Civitas Learning Student Impact Platform No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.6
- 18 CampusGroups No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.4
- 19 Mongoose No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.3 Engagement analytics: YesAutomated campaigns: YesSMS outreach: Yes
- 20 UniOne No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.1 Engagement analytics: YesSMS outreach: Yes
- 21 YOU at College No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.1 Engagement analytics: Yes
- 22 Zynvo No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.1 Engagement analytics: Yes
- 23 Mentor Collective No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 4.9
- 24 Stunoa No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 4.9 Engagement analytics: Yes
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which student engagement software is ranked first on Samsung Mobile US Press?
Rubric is ranked #1 of 24 with a score of 7.9. GivePulse is second and InScribe third.
How many of these have a free plan?
2 of the 24 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, GivePulse has the lowest first paid tier we found: $0.15/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked mobile-first: a phone app alongside the web or desktop product, a free tier and the depth of its documentation. Paid placements never change a rank.