openSIS vs Populi Financial Aid
openSIS
opensis.com
Populi Financial Aid
populiweb.comSide by side
| Figure | openSIS | Populi Financial Aid |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $0.33/mo | $1,999/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 8 | 1 |
| Spec score · Student Information Systems | 9.0 (#1) | 7.9 (#7) |
| Spec score · Course Registration Software | 8.9 (#2) | 7.9 (#10) |
| Spec score · Higher Education Software | 8.8 (#2) | 7.8 (#6) |
| Integrations | Listed integrations include Moodle, Canvas, Google Classroom, Microsoft Teams, Office 365, Azure AD, Stripe, PayPal, QuickBooks, Salesforce, Zoho CRM, HubSpot, Twilio-SendGrid and Authorize.net. | Populi lists a Web API, LTI, webhooks, and SSO for connecting school systems; its LMS supports Zoom and BigBlueButton video conferencing. |
| Purpose | openSIS is a Student Information System for managing student information, enrollment, attendance, scheduling, grades, reporting, and other school operations. | Populi combines college academics, admissions, financial aid, billing, donations, and reporting in one platform. |
| Support | The pricing page says support includes self-service, bot assistance, email, telephone, and social media, with training available. | Customer support and training are included; phone support is available Monday through Friday, 6 AM to 5 PM Pacific Time. |
Plans
openSIS
- Community EditionFree
- Core Startup$4 a year
- Core Startup$5 a month
- Essential$8 a year
- Essential$10 a month
- Advanced$12 a year
- Advanced$14 a month
- District / State / EnterprisePriced on request
In their own words
openSIS
openSIS is a student information system for school operations, including student and staff records, enrollment, attendance, scheduling, grades and reporting. Its listed tools also cover health information, admissions, billing, discipline, lesson plans and analytics. The maker describes it for K–12, higher education, vocational and career technical schools, and virtual education. Schools can install and manage the free, open-source Community Edition themselves or choose SaaS plans. The SaaS Mobile Connect app provides access to attendance, grades, assignments, schedules, billing and school communication on iOS and Android. Listed integrations include Moodle, Canvas LMS, Microsoft Teams, Google Classroom, Stripe, PayPal, QuickBooks, Office 365, Azure Active Directory and Google Workspace. Core Startup costs $4 per staff member per month, billed annually, and is limited to 5 staff, 50 students and 100 parents at one school. Essential costs $8 per staff member per month, billed annually, and includes unlimited students, parents and schools. Advanced costs $12 per staff member per month, billed annually, and includes API access with full documentation. A 15-day trial is available.
Populi Financial Aid
Populi Financial Aid is the financial aid feature in Populi, a hosted platform that also combines college academics, admissions, billing, donations, and reporting. Its Aid tools support packaging, disbursing, and reporting without a third-party servicer. The platform connects directly to the Department of Education for SAIG mailbox documents, COD award syncing, and response resolution. FAFSA information feeds student profiles and aid applications, where staff can review error codes, aid counselings, and MPNs. Other tools include Satisfactory Academic Progress reporting, preset disbursement timetables, built-in Pell tables, and batch disbursements. A financial aid API can connect to servicers and bring disbursed awards into student accounts. Populi is hosted and browser-based, needs no local installation, and says it works on Mac, Windows, and Linux computers. Support and training are included, with phone support Monday through Friday, 6 AM to 5 PM Pacific Time. The monthly price includes 2,000 GB of file storage and 200 GB of data transfer; extra amounts are charged separately. The pricing note says from $199/mo, while the listed Populi plan is $1,999 a month.