2024 School Parent Communication System Comparison Chart
As a school or school district, you have many options for automated mass notification to send alerts to parents, students, and staff. We asked a consultant to research the options and compile a comparison chart. Information was gathered from the respective vendors’ websites, brochures, recorded demos, and in some cases from their customers. BrightArrow strives to provide you up-to-date and accurate information so you consider all your options as objectively as possible. If you see inaccurate information, please notify us, including a link, image, or video supporting the claim, so that we can update the chart to keep you informed in a precise manner.
| Features | BrightArrow | PowerSchool SchoolMessenger | Finalsite Connect | RAVE SwiftK12 Ending: July 1, 2024 | Infinite Campus Messenger | One Call Now | ParentSquare Remind | Apptegy |  |
Reason for partial flag: | ||
| Mass Notification | ||||||||||||
| System has the ability to send notifications via: | ||||||||||||
| Phone (land-line, mobile) |  |
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| SMS Text Messages | |
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| App Push Notifications | |
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| Social Media (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) | |
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| Email Link to Voice Message | |
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| Two-Way Instant Messaging | |
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| Text Messaging | ||||||||||||
| Unlimited length text messages | |
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Some messages limited to 140 characters, others are limited to 1000 characters | ||||||||
| Automatic translation of text message to contacts' languages, over 100 languages | |
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Supports fewer than 100 languages | ||||
| Work across all major wireless carriers and wireless phone models in North America | |
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| Ability to send messages in an expedited fashion during emergencies | |
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| Entirely automated opt-in procedure for text messages to new phones | |
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| Intelligent handling of reply texts based on customer's preferences | |
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| Automated opt-in/opt-out | |
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| Uses short code true texting (SMPP) in U.S. and long-code true texting (SMPP) in Canada | |
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| Mail Merge fields: Display data from SIS or other databases (transportation, meal, etc.) |  |
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Minimal date options in merge fields | |||||||
| Optional feature that can require a designated person review and approve messages before they go out | |
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| Ability to schedule messages into the future | |
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| Text based surveys | |
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| Voice Calls | ||||||||||||
| Able to record a message from receiving or initiating a call, play back, preview, and re-record the message | |
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Only offers one or the other option for recording a message | ||
| Automatic translation of text-to-speech voice calls, over 20 languages | |
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Do not support 20 languages | ||||
| Ability to dial-in, enter a code, and launch a voice message without using the web or app | |
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| Have the ability to customize the telephone number display (caller ID) | |
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| Mail Merge fields: Display data from SIS or other databases (transportation, meal, etc.), plus date options | |
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Supports a limited number of database fields for mail merge and/or minimal date options in merge fields | |||
| Automated opt-out | |
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| Phone survey functionality | |
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| Multipart messaging | |
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| Deduping voice calls | |
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| Toll-free caller ID number to allow message play-back upon call back | |
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| Accurate detection of live answer vs voice-mail to ensure delivery of phone message | |
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Detection problems with voice mails with pauses in the middle causing partial messages to be delivered | |||||
| Emails | ||||||||||||
| Limitations on SPF, Reply-To, DKIM, and other mechanisms that are important to ensure emails are not blocked by SPAM filters | |
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Limitations on SPF, Reply-To, DKIM, and other mechanisms to minimize SPAM detection | ||||
| Can add CC, BCC, and "reply to" in email description | |
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| Ability to create emails using a full HTML editor for inserting graphics, attachments, links, and other features |  |
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| Automatic translation of email to contacts' languages, over 100 languages | |
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Supports fewer than 100 languages | |||
| Report emailing, such as report cards, customer specific financial reports, at no extra charge | |
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| CAN-SPAM and CASL compliant | |
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| Automated unsubscribe | |
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| Mail Merge fields: Display data from SIS or other databases (transportation, meal, etc.), including subject line plus dates | |
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Supports a limited number of database fields for mail merge and/or not in subject line or date options | ||||
| HTML templates: Users can create customized email templates and use them as branded emails |  |
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| Email preview | |
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| Intelligently deduping emails across lists | |
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| Image management with uploading, preview, and searches | |
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Constraints/limitations in the image management | ||||
| List and Contact Management | ||||||||||||
| Ability to create lists via an import from a spreadsheet, with auto-detection of fields and matching stored contact records | |
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Rigid requirement regarding the columns and column headers; no auto-detection | |||
| Ability to create copies, list subsets, superset lists, all of which can be linked or unlinked | |
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List can be derived from other lists, but the linking mechanisms have some limitations | ||
| Unlimited self-updating groups/lists (dynamically change based on source data) | |
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| Have the ability to export existing recipient and contact information to Excel or a CSV file | |
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| Ability to build a list based on specific fields | |
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| Real-time filter for granular selection of contacts | |
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| Configurable list view to allow intelligence, searching, sorting, favorites and subfolders for organization of lists | |
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| Message Management | ||||||||||||
| Message templates to quickly find and send pre-configured messages | |
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| Able to create automated messages launch at a specific time each week without user interaction | |
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| System allows user to pre-create messages for future purposes | |
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| Message and list pair can be pre-configured to send messages with two clicks | |
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| Messages can be locked into lists to ensure consistency | |
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| System | ||||||||||||
| Ability to deliver notifications 24/7 with 99.99% availability | |
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| No hardware needed beyond PC stations | |
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| Service provided through web-login and mobile app | |
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| No data is sold or given to telemarketers or other solicitors | |
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| Ability to secure database, only allow users with appropriate credentials to access given information | |
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| Single sign-on integration using LDAP, ADFS, Azure, Google, PowerSchool, Blackboard and others | |
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Only supports some of the lists SSO mechanisms | |||||
| Includes usage of expansive API to allow embedding of communications feature anywhere in work (no additional charge) | |
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| Fully Compliant with FCC TCPA | |
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| Less than 0.67% of capacity used on average for voice calls (even less for email/text) | |
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| Includes parent-facing app to receive/retrieve messages, push notifications, and adjust settings (no additional charge) | |
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| Multiple redundant SAS 70 type 2 certified | |
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| No single point of failure | |
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| Reports of Sent Messages | ||||||||||||
| Transmission reports that show details for each message type: answer, voicemail, busy, unreachable, etc. | |
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| Ability to to automatically send the report to any administrator via email, or exported as a file | |
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| User Accounts | ||||||||||||
| Includes user licenses for all staff/teachers (no additional charge) | |
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| Allows an unlimited number of phone numbers and email addresses for each student, parent, or faculty member | |
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| System administrator can create an unlimited number of users to separate and control access to different groups, lists, and reports | |
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| System allows shared lists and groups for different users, and groups of users, including read-only access links | |
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Sharing of lists and groups have limitations both with licensing and read-only functionality | ||||
| Parent Portal | ||||||||||||
| Mobile App Parent Portal to subscribe, manage preferences and prior message vault | |
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| Web based community recipient portal: Subscribe, unsubscribe, manage preferences and prior message vault | |
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| Parent Portal allows parents to add phones/emails outside of SIS contact data for temporary usage | |
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| Two-way community communication portal organized by department and school | |
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| Automated Notification | ||||||||||||
| Automated absence notification individualized per campus, including auto-translation | |
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Does not include auto-translation | |||
| Other automated notifications (e.g. low lunch balance alerts) added any time |  |
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Hard-coded choices | |||
| Emergency Alert Features | ||||||||||||
| SafeCast | |
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| Anti-Bullying Hotline | |
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| Designate messages as emergency to ensure they are sent out in front of all other messages (no additional charge) | |
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Available to a limited degree, at an extra charge | ||||||||
| Weblink and call/text anonymous (no additional charge) | |
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| Anonymous tip reporting via web/mobile app | |
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| Support | ||||||||||||
| 24/7 unlimited phone and email support | |
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| Unlimited training through remote web sessions | |
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| Rapid implementation to minimize effort of district staff | |
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| Customer resource site with tips, tricks and videos | |
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| Direct Integration | ||||||||||||
| Synergy |  |
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| Michigan Data Hub | |
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| DASL | |
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| Infinite Campus | |
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| Blackbaud EMS | |
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| Illuminate | |
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| PowerSchool | |
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| Wen-GAGE | |
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| Aeries | |
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| TxEIS | |
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| Edsembli | |
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| Aspen | |
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| Genius SIS for Virtual Schools | |
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| eSchoolPlus | |
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| Mindex | |
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| Chalkable | |
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| Q (Aequitas Solutions) | |
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| Senior Systems | |
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| Rediker | |
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| JMC | |
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| SchoolWise | |
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| Sycamore | |
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| Salesforce | |
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| Google Sheets | |
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| Skyward | |
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| Over 100 data sources | |
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| PowerSchool | ||||||||||||
| Embedded into PowerSchool user-interface | |
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| Ability to schedule daily absent/tardy calls by individual school | |
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| Low lunch balance notification | |
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| Integration with PowerSchool Parent Portal | |
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| Integration with PowerTeacher and PowerTeacher Pro Gradebook | |
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| Automatic calculate attendance totals for special messaging of cumulative absences/tardies | |
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| Ability to send PDF, PowerSchool object reports , and MBA reports | |
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Only some report types available, extra charge for feature | ||||||
| PowerTeacher includes filtering for teachers to send, such as current "final grade" and assignments missed | |
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| COVID-19 tracking notification feature | |
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| Mail merge of any PowerSchool field into voice calls, texts, and emails, including in subject of email | |
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| Free emailing report cards with posting to Parent Portal | |
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| Flexible encryption of PDF reports for emailing, including all birthdate formats | |
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| Support for PowerSchool Contacts | |
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Constraints on which contacts can be loaded | ||||||
| Email teachers who are late in submitting attendance | |
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| Two-Way Instant Messaging Communication | ||||||||||||
| Two-way IM communication between parents, students, and admins | |
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| Ability to send attachments, permission slips, images, videos, and other files | |
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| Easy for parents to join and engage | |
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| Seamless integration using text, emails, and push notifications | |
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| Automated synchronization with student database for populating class rosters | |
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| Custom Branded Mobile App | ||||||||||||
| Custom app branded for each school that includes full information about classes, schedules, meals, announcements and all other school information | |
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| Other Features | ||||||||||||
| Online payments | |
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| Teacher conference scheduling | |
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| Invoices | |
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| Volunteer sign-up | |
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| KEY | ||||||||||||
| Partial | |
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| Yes | |
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| Included with additional charge | |
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| Included with premium charge | |
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| Partial compliance, full compliance with additional charge | |
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