The 6 best FACTS (RenWeb) alternatives
For small private schools & micro schools · pricing verified July 2026 · written by the Pearspark team — Pearspark is #1 on this list and we say so plainly (how we compare)
FACTS (formerly RenWeb) is the enterprise suite of private-school software — SIS, tuition management, need-assessed financial aid and advancement under one roof, sold by quote. Schools that go looking for an alternative are usually small ones for whom that is all too much: no published price, capabilities sold as separate line items, and implementation that is a project rather than an afternoon.
Every alternative below publishes at least a starting rate — the thing FACTS doesn't — and is ranked for small private schools rather than diocesan networks.
Why schools look for a FACTS alternative
- No published pricing — procurement means sales calls, quotes and contracts
- Modular pricing: capabilities are often separate line items on the quote
- Implementation and training are projects, not an afternoon
- Far more system than a school of 20–100 students needs
Each point is sourced on the full Pearspark vs FACTS comparison.
What each costs at small-school sizes
| System | 25 students | 50 students | 100 students |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pearspark (ours) | $62.50/mo | $125/mo | $250/mo |
| Gradelink | $121/mo + $275 setup (≤50 tier) | $121/mo + $275 setup (≤50 tier) | $164/mo + $275 setup (51–100 tier) |
| Sycamore | $100/mo | $200/mo | $400/mo |
| Alma | Quote required | Quote required | Quote required |
| QuickSchools | $29.70/mo Gaia · $44.70 Apollo (30-student minimum) | $49.50/mo Gaia · $74.50 Apollo | $99/mo Gaia · $149 Apollo |
| SchoolCues | From $75/mo (no per-student rate published) | From $75/mo (no per-student rate published) | From $75/mo (no per-student rate published) |
| Staying with FACTS | Quote required | Quote required | Quote required |
Vendor list pricing as of July 2026 — see sources below. Always confirm current pricing with the vendor.
The alternatives, ranked
Pearspark
Our product — judge accordinglyPearspark is the opposite trade from FACTS: the whole price is published ($50/month including 20 students, then $2.50/student stepping down to $1.00), setup is self-serve, and everything — records, gradebook, transcripts, admissions, tuition billing, library, volunteers — is one plan rather than a quote of modules. What it deliberately doesn't do is FACTS's deep end: need assessment from tax documents and advancement. Schools that want a formal assessment keep FACTS Grant & Aid or SSS for that and import the decisions as awards.
Pricing: $50/mo including 20 students, then $2.50/student/mo stepping down to $1.00 at volume. No setup fees, no contract, 30-day free trial.
Gradelink
A well-established student information system popular with private and faith-based schools.
Why it's on this list: The most common landing spot for schools leaving FACTS: long-established with faith-based schools, strong academics and enrollment tools, published tier pricing from $121/month — plus a $275 setup fee.
Best for: Private schools of 75–400 students that want a mature, widely used SIS.
At 25 students: $121/mo + $275 setup (≤50 tier) · at 100: $164/mo + $275 setup (51–100 tier)
Full comparison: Pearspark vs GradelinkSycamore School
An all-in-one K-12 SIS priced per student, popular with independent schools.
Why it's on this list: All-in-one with integrated payments (Sycamore Pay) at a published $4/student/month and no monthly minimum — a rate card where FACTS has a quote form.
Best for: Independent schools of 100–400 students that want per-student pricing and integrated payments.
At 25 students: $100/mo · at 100: $400/mo
Full comparison: Pearspark vs SycamoreAlma SIS
A modern, well-reviewed K-12 SIS serving independent, charter, and district schools.
Why it's on this list: The modern-interface pick, well reviewed by teachers and scaling to charters and districts. Buying still starts with a demo and a quote, so it trades one procurement cycle for another.
Best for: Independent and charter schools of 150+ students that want a modern SIS and don't mind quote-based buying.
At 25 students: Quote required · at 100: Quote required
Full comparison: Pearspark vs AlmaQuickSchools
A full K-12 SIS with the cheapest published per-student rate in this comparison — and a 30-student minimum underneath it.
Why it's on this list: A conventional full SIS at the lowest published per-student rate here — from $0.99/student with a 30-student minimum. The budget landing spot if the FACTS quote was the whole problem.
Best for: Schools of 40 students and up that want a conventional SIS at the lowest published per-student rate and don't mind that report cards and the parent portal sit one tier up.
At 25 students: $29.70/mo Gaia · $44.70 Apollo (30-student minimum) · at 100: $99/mo Gaia · $149 Apollo
Full comparison: Pearspark vs QuickSchoolsSchoolCues
An all-in-one system for small schools with a wide module list and a published monthly floor rather than a rate card.
Why it's on this list: Aimed squarely at small schools with limited budget and staff, with unusually deep parent communication — text alerts, newsletters, yearbooks, alumni — from a published $75/month floor.
Best for: Small schools that want one vendor for records, billing and heavy parent communication, and are comfortable asking for a quote rather than reading a rate off a page.
At 25 students: From $75/mo (no per-student rate published) · at 100: From $75/mo (no per-student rate published)
Full comparison: Pearspark vs SchoolCuesWhen staying with FACTS is the right call
Choose FACTS if you want a family's need assessed for you — an expected family contribution calculated from tax documents FACTS collects and verifies — or enterprise tuition finance and advancement, where FACTS is a payments company at its core and goes far deeper. Pearspark administers aid but assesses none of it: sliding-scale bands a family picks from, automatic sibling discounts, percent or per-bill awards applied during billing, and ESA and SGO money tracked as third-party funding. Also choose FACTS if you're part of a diocese or network standardized on it. For a 15-student micro school, FACTS is more system — and more procurement — than the job needs.
Common questions
What is the best FACTS (RenWeb) alternative for a small private school?
It depends what you're keeping FACTS for. If it's the SIS and billing, Pearspark ($50/month including 20 students, everything bundled), Gradelink (tiers from $121/month) and Sycamore ($4/student) all publish their rates and set up in days rather than a project. If it's need-assessed financial aid, no system on this list replicates FACTS Grant & Aid — schools commonly keep a assessment service and run a lighter SIS around it.
Is there a FACTS alternative with published pricing?
That's most of this list. Pearspark publishes its full schedule ($50/month + $2.50/student after 20, stepping down to $1.00), Sycamore lists $4/student/month, Gradelink lists its tiers, QuickSchools lists $0.99–$2.99/student, and ThinkWave tiers from about $17/month. Alma, like FACTS, requires a quote.
Can I migrate from FACTS/RenWeb without losing records?
Yes — students, transcripts and gradebooks export from FACTS as CSV files. Pearspark imports each with a dry-run preview (what will be created, what didn't match) before writing anything, so the permanent record moves intact.
See Pearspark for yourself
Poke around a real school — admin, teacher, and parent views — no sales call. Sample data resets daily.
Sources
- FACTS (factsmgt.com)
- Capterra: FACTS SIS
- Gradelink pricing plans
- Capterra: Gradelink pricing
- Gradelink features (module list)
- Gradelink: Service Hours Reporting
- Sycamore School product page
- Capterra: Sycamore School
- Alma (getalma.com)
- Capterra: Alma SIS
- Alma solutions (102-feature list)
- Alma integrations (library = Follett Destiny)
- QuickSchools pricing
- SchoolCues homepage (pricing section)
- GetApp: SchoolCues pricing
- SoftwareAdvice: SchoolCues profile
Last reviewed July 2026. Spotted something out of date? Email us and we'll fix it.