Pearspark vs Transparent Classroom
For small private schools and microschools. Pricing verified September 29, 2026. Written by the Pearspark team (how we compare).
The short answer
Transparent Classroom is purpose-built Montessori record-keeping at $2 per child per month — lesson tracking, observations, and parent updates. It isn't a full SIS: report cards, transcripts, scheduling, and library live elsewhere. Pearspark covers those school operations at $50/month including 20 students; some Montessori schools run both.
Pearspark
All-in-one platform for small private schools: records, academics, admissions, library, volunteers, scheduling and the portal.
Pricing: $50 a month including 20 students, then $2.50 a student a month, stepping down to $1.00 at volume. No setup fees, month to month, 30-day free trial.
Setup is self-serve: the importers preview every row before anything is written, and email support is free when you're stuck.
Transparent Classroom
Montessori record-keeping — lesson tracking, observations, and a parent window into the classroom.
Pricing: Transparent Classroom lists $2 per child per month, billed only for actively enrolled children, with unlimited classrooms and staff.
What each costs at small-school sizes
| Students | Pearspark | Transparent Classroom |
|---|---|---|
| 25 students | $62.50/mo | $50/mo |
| 50 students | $125/mo | $100/mo |
| 100 students | $250/mo | $200/mo |
| What the price includes | Everything in one plan: records, attendance, gradebook, standards-based grading, report cards, transcripts, admissions, scheduling, tuition billing with family autopay, lending library, equipment booking, volunteer check-in, messaging, and an installable parent app with push notifications. No setup fee, month-to-month. No fundraising CRM, no subsidy billing, and no SMS broadcast — announcements reach families as push notifications and email instead. | $2 per actively enrolled child covers Montessori lesson tracking, observations and the parent window, with unlimited classrooms and staff. Report cards, transcripts, scheduling, admissions, billing and library are outside it. |
Transparent Classroom pricing from its published list rates as of September 29, 2026. Sources are below. Always confirm current pricing with the vendor.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Pearspark | Transparent Classroom |
|---|---|---|
| Student records (SIS) | Partial | |
| Attendance | ||
| Gradebook & report cards | Partial | |
| Standards-based grading & mastery | Partial | |
| Records protected if the school closes | ||
| Transcripts & GPA | ||
| Missing-data reports & scheduled delivery | ||
| Admissions pipeline | Partial | |
| Class scheduling & rooms | ||
| Lending library & checkout | ||
| Equipment & room booking | ||
| Volunteer tracking & check-in | ||
| Parent & student portal | ||
| Messaging | Partial | |
| Self-serve transcript & gradebook import | ||
| Tuition billing & payments | ||
| Published pricing (no sales call) | ||
| Fundraising & donor CRM | ||
| SMS / text broadcast to families | ||
| Subsidy & agency billing |
= varies by plan or not published; check with the vendor. We mark unknowns as unknowns rather than counting them against Transparent Classroom. The last three rows are jobs Pearspark does not do, listed for the same reason: a school that runs an annual fund, texts its families, or bills an agency should find that out here. Pearspark reaches families by push notification through the installable parent app, and by email, not by text. Underlined feature names open the Pearspark page for that capability, so you can check what our ✓ actually means.
Where Transparent Classroom shines
- Montessori lesson tracking in its own shape: presented → practiced → mastered
- A parent window with photos and observations
- Month-to-month, billed only for actively enrolled children, so it pauses over summer
Worth knowing
- Not a general SIS — traditional report cards, GPA, and transcripts aren't the model
- No admissions pipeline, library circulation, volunteers, or scheduling
- Less fit the moment a program adds non-Montessori upper grades
When Transparent Classroom is the better choice
When Pearspark is the better choice
The parts this comparison turns on
Common questions
Is Pearspark a Montessori record-keeping system?
Can a Montessori school use both?
Which is cheaper?
Sources
Last reviewed September 29, 2026. Spotted something out of date? Email us and we'll fix it.
Transparent Classroom in a wider comparison
See Pearspark for yourself
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