EMS Academic Scheduling vs UniTime
EMS Academic Scheduling
accruent.com
UniTime
unitime.orgSide by side
| Figure | EMS Academic Scheduling | UniTime |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $750/mo | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 2 |
| Spec score · Exam Scheduling Software | 8.7 (#4) | 8.3 (#6) |
| Exam scheduling | Exam scheduling uses an optimizer to find rooms with required capacity and resources. | The examination module creates term schedules that minimize student exam conflicts and can schedule midterm and final exams. |
| Integrations | Official connectors include Outlook or Exchange, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Webex, HRIS, facilities systems, HVAC automation, digital signage and Polycom. | UniTime can run independently or interface with an existing student information system. |
| Intended users | Accruent describes EMS as tailored to higher education and commercial institutions; its higher education offering addresses students, faculty and staff. | The site describes UniTime as software for schools, colleges, and universities, with multiple university and departmental schedule managers coordinating schedules. |
| Purpose | EMS academic scheduling software helps institutions plan course schedules and identify suitable meeting spaces. | UniTime is an educational scheduling system for creating and managing course and exam timetables, room sharing, and student class assignments. |
| Self-hosting | Documentation covers on-premises installation of SQL database, Windows application servers, IIS web apps, desktop clients and Platform Services. | Distributions are platform-independent ZIP or tar.gz archives that deploy as a WAR on Apache Tomcat with MySQL or Oracle. |
| Support | Accruent provides a Customer Center, support, professional services and managed services links for customers. | The project states that free email support and commercial installation, configuration, maintenance, customization and training are available. |
| What it does | EMS Academic Scheduling assigns courses and exams to suitable rooms while coordinating campus space use. | UniTime is a distributed higher-education scheduling system for courses, exams, students and events. |
Plans
EMS Academic Scheduling
- Basic$9,000 a year
- EMS Academic SchedulingPriced on request
In their own words
EMS Academic Scheduling
EMS Academic Scheduling helps higher education and commercial institutions plan course timetables and find suitable meeting spaces. Automated course assignments can account for class size, seating layout and instructor preferences. For exams, its optimizer helps identify spaces with the required capacity and resources. Schedule views help users spot conflicts such as double bookings or too little transition time between classes. Integration with a student information system can automate course and instructor details and return room assignments to that system. EMS also describes analytics, digital signage and mobile booking for tracking campus space use. Listed integrations include Microsoft Exchange/Outlook, Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Webex, alongside Platform Services APIs. Custom integrations can connect hardware, campus systems, apps, visitor management, signage and HVAC. The browser-based Web App works on mobile devices and can be installed on-premises or accessed through an EMS cloud URL. Accruent lists ISO/IEC 27001, SOC 1 and SOC 2 among its security certifications and compliance information. EMS is paid, with pricing from $110/user/mo; the product page invites prospective customers to request a demo.
UniTime
UniTime is a free educational scheduling system for course and exam timetables, room sharing, and student class assignments. Course scheduling can account for student demand, curricula, historical patterns, faculty and room preferences, and relationships among classes. Its examination module builds term schedules intended to minimize student exam conflicts and can schedule midterms and finals. The web-based Events interface lets staff and students request events or search for available times and locations, with notices sent to organizers. Student scheduling assigns students to available class spaces using course requirements and timetable information, but cannot guarantee that every conflict will be resolved. UniTime runs as a server-client application with a web interface and platform-independent distributions. It can operate independently or connect to an existing student information system; documentation describes XML imports and exports and RESTful interfaces. Installation guidance covers Linux, Windows, and Mac. Administrators may configure SSL access through Tomcat and LDAP authentication. The application is distributed under Apache License 2.0. The installation page recommends UniTime 4.8 for production, while UniTime 4.9 is still in development.