SchoolOpEx vs Gradelink
Choose SchoolOpEx if you want every feature in one published price with no setup fee, and can start in summer 2027. Choose Gradelink if you need a system running today. For 60 students, Gradelink’s own calculator shows $175 a month plus a $275 setup fee; SchoolOpEx is $80 a month, or $640 a year.
From each company’s own website, checked Nov 2, 2026.
Choose SchoolOpEx if
- You want every feature in your plan, online enrollment and signatures included
- You want no setup fee, and messages translated for families (planned at launch)
- You can wait until summer 2027, or apply as a founding school for April 2027
Choose Gradelink if
- You need a system running before summer 2027
- You want a parent app in the App Store and Google Play
- You want text and voice messages to families, with its SmartSend Pro add-on
Price for your size, paying monthly
Gradelink bills monthly, so this compares monthly with monthly. SchoolOpEx also bills yearly at 8 times the monthly price. Before payment processing fees and sales tax. Gradelink’s figures come from the price calculator on its own site.
| Students | SchoolOpEx | Gradelink |
|---|---|---|
| 20 students | $20 a monthUp to 20 students; no setup fee; online enrollment included | $106 a monthPlus $275 one-time setup; online enrollment (EnrollMe) adds $20.75 a month and $497 setup |
| 30 students | $50 a monthUp to 50 students; no setup fee; online enrollment included | $129 a monthPlus $275 one-time setup; online enrollment (EnrollMe) adds $20.75 a month and $497 setup |
| 60 students | $80 a monthUp to 100 students; no setup fee; online enrollment included | $175 a monthPlus $275 one-time setup; online enrollment (EnrollMe) adds $25 a month and $497 setup |
| 120 students | $175 a monthUp to 300 students; no setup fee; online enrollment included | $225 a monthPlus $330 one-time setup; online enrollment (EnrollMe) adds $50 a month and $497 setup |
Side by side
“Not stated” means Gradelink’s own pages did not say, which is not the same as no. SchoolOpEx’s column says “At launch” until each part ships.
| Question | SchoolOpExOpens summer 2027Sources | GradelinkSchool information systemSources |
|---|---|---|
| How it is priced | By enrolled students; every feature in every plan | A monthly price by enrolled students, from a calculator on its site |
| Setup fee | None; optional done-for-you requests from $77 | $275 one-time ($330 at 120 students); its EnrollMe add-on adds $497 |
| Contract | None; pay monthly or yearly | Monthly, with no long-term contract, says its pricing page |
| Paid add-ons | None; more room for photos and files is optional | EnrollMe online enrollment, SmartSend Pro texts and voice; other options by quote |
| Extra fee on family payments | None | Through PaySimple or FACTS; with FACTS, families pay $50 a year and 2.85% by card |
| Report cards | At launchFilled in from the gradebook; teachers add comments and approve | Yes, customizable |
| Leaving: your data | At launchDownload everything free, any time, and for 90 days after you cancel | Download to CSV, and for 30 days after leaving |
| Online enrollment and signatures | At launchWith signatures on any phone | With its EnrollMe add-on |
| Messages translated for families | At launchSpanish and Arabic | Not stated; the family portal comes in English, Spanish or Chinese |
| Selling personal information | Never sold, and never used to train AI | Says it has not sold personal data in the last 12 months |
What SchoolOpEx fills in for you
- TeachersA teacher fills in the week’s lesson plans.Homework becomes assignments, and Friday’s summary for families is drafted from the plans.The teacher adds a highlight or a photo and taps Send.
- TeachersTeachers grade through the term.Report cards fill in from the gradebook, with weights and attendance.Teachers add comments, and each card is approved before families see it.
- The officeAttendance opens with everyone marked present.Families of a child absent with no reason hear within the hour, and the office sees which classes are still open.Staff decide who to follow up with.
- The officeA bill comes due.Reminders go out before and after the due date, and stop when it is paid or autopay is on.You set the schedule and can pause it for any family.
Planned for launch in summer 2027. Weekly summaries and report cards never go to families until a person sends or approves them. Everything SchoolOpEx fills in
Moving from Gradelink
- What comes over
- Families, students, contacts, staff and classes from Gradelink’s CSV downloads, which its pricing page says cover everything.
- What does not
- Saved payment cards, which families add once from a one-tap link, and anything Gradelink does not export.
- When to move
- Gradelink’s terms give 30 days after leaving to download your data, so download before you cancel. Families hear nothing from SchoolOpEx until you invite them.
Questions
Questions schools ask about switching from Gradelink
How much does Gradelink cost for 60 students?
Gradelink’s price calculator shows $175 a month for 60 enrolled students, plus a $275 one-time setup fee, with online enrollment (EnrollMe) at $25 a month and $497 setup on top. SchoolOpEx is $80 a month or $640 a year for up to 100 students, with every feature included and no setup fee.
Does SchoolOpEx charge for online enrollment or messages?
No. Every plan includes every feature, online enrollment, signatures and messages included. The only optional extra is more room for photos and files.
Can we move from Gradelink in the middle of a school year?
Yes. Families, students, staff and classes come over from Gradelink’s CSV downloads, and nothing is saved until you approve the preview. Saved cards cannot be copied, so families add a payment method once.
Can we start using SchoolOpEx now?
Not yet. SchoolOpEx opens in summer 2027. Founding schools get free early access in April and May 2027.
Gradelink sourcesChecked Nov 2, 2026
Prices from each company’s own website, checked Nov 2, 2026. Prices change, so check with each company. Product names are trademarks of their owners; SchoolOpEx is not affiliated with them. Something out of date? Tell us at [email protected] and we will correct it. See every comparison
Join the waitlist
SchoolOpEx opens in summer 2027, in time for the 2027 to 2028 school year. Join the waitlist to hear the day it opens. Before then, we only write when there is real progress to show.
- Prices are published, and every plan includes every feature
- Schools invited from the waitlist get setup tasks done free for their first 90 days
- One click to leave the list, any time
You’re on the list.
We will write the day SchoolOpEx opens, and before then only when there is real progress to share.
Add [email protected] to your contacts so our email reaches you.