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 0.00 USD per free, 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 489.00 USD per year, and the 2-year term costs 978.00 USD per 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 489.00 USD per year.

Modules & Apps cost 79.00 USD per year for a one-year term, with examples including Assignment, Classroom, Exam and SSO. The 2-year term costs 158.00 USD per 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 29.00 USD per year for one year, or 58.00 USD per 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 1319.00 USD per month for Core and 208.00 USD per 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 39.00 USD per 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 90.00 EUR per 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.

	Embark	OpenEduCat
Free plan	No	Yes
Free trial	No	No
Paid from	—	$2.42/mo
Open source	No	No
Platforms	Android, iOS, Web	Android, api, iOS, Linux, self-hosted

Embark vs OpenEduCat

Embark

OpenEduCat