ParentCom vs School Signals
ParentCom
parentcom.com
School Signals
schoolsignals.netSide by side
| Figure | ParentCom | School Signals |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | — |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 3 | 0 |
| Spec score · School Communication Software | 8.3 (#5) | 7.3 (#22) |
| Audience | Its solutions are presented for primary schools and educational establishments, with extended functions for school districts, counties, and municipalities. | The platform is designed for private schools, public schools, charter schools, school districts, PTA/PTO groups, and community organizations. |
| Integrations | The Communication Cockpit can publish messages to social platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. | School Signals says it can sync with PowerSchool, FACTS, and Blackbaud; other SIS integrations may be requested. |
| Messaging | The app supports school news, calendar items, personal messages, and push notifications to parents. | The School Feed supports posts for the whole school, grade levels, classrooms, or groups, with connected notifications and delivery reports. |
| Purpose | ParentCom provides school-parent communication through branded school apps, websites, and a shared Communication Cockpit. | School Signals is a unified platform for school communication, events, and parent participation. |
| Security and privacy | ParentCom says it is affiliated with the Education Privacy Covenant. | The marketing-site privacy policy says the company uses reasonable physical, administrative, and technical safeguards, but does not guarantee absolute protection. |
| Support | The Light and Business app licenses include unlimited online support, while Pro includes unlimited online and telephone support. | The maker describes personal support and supported onboarding, with help available as questions arise. |
| Trial | Schools can request a free trial app; the page does not state a trial duration. | Schools can create a free 30-day trial, and the maker says no payments are due during the trial. |
Plans
ParentCom
- Business AppPriced on request
- Light AppPriced on request
- Pro AppPriced on request
In their own words
ParentCom
ParentCom provides branded school apps and websites for communication between schools and parents, managed through a shared Communication Cockpit. The CMS lets schools publish to online channels in one step and is included free with every solution. Schools can send news, calendar items, personal messages, and push notifications to parents’ phones. Class Book lets schools share photos and stories from the school day for parents to like or respond to. Parents can submit sickness reports and holiday requests through the app. Other listed features include forms, surveys, PDF support, staff contacts, and volunteer recruitment. The app can link with school websites and social platforms, while the cockpit can post to Facebook and Twitter. ParentCom lists Light App, Business App, and Pro App licenses; the latter two add personal inboxes, requests, Class Book, custom layouts, and other features at their respective tiers. Plans and prices require a request for the full overview. The platform is available in English, Dutch, Spanish, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, and Norwegian; the CMS is available in English and Dutch. Schools can request a free trial app, with no duration stated.
School Signals
School Signals brings school and classroom communication, events, and family participation into one platform for classrooms and districts. Its School Feed lets staff post to the whole school, a grade, a classroom, or a group, with delivery reports and notifications. Families and staff can exchange private messages, and updates can arrive by email, SMS, app push, or voice message; recipients can choose instant or daily notifications. The platform also includes event RSVPs, volunteering, calendars, online forms, documents, directories, PTA groups, athletics communication, and conference scheduling. AI tools assist with writing and translation and flag foul language for review. Listed translation coverage is 13 languages; the site describes 11 commonly spoken U.S. languages as the default, with more available on request. Schools can sync with PowerSchool, FACTS, and Blackbaud. Families can access the service on desktop, tablet, or mobile web without installing an app, or use the family and staff app for push notifications. Pricing starts at $14.95/mo, with no free plan and a 30-day trial.