School Signals vs TalkingPoints
School Signals
schoolsignals.net
TalkingPoints
talkingpts.orgSide by side
| Figure | School Signals | TalkingPoints |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 0 | 5 |
| Spec score · School Communication Software | 7.3 (#22) | 8.1 (#7) |
| Integrations | School Signals says it can sync with PowerSchool, FACTS, and Blackbaud; other SIS integrations may be requested. | TalkingPoints lists Clever, ClassLink, OneRoster and other SIS integrations, plus SSO. |
| Messaging | The School Feed supports posts for the whole school, grade levels, classrooms, or groups, with connected notifications and delivery reports. | The platform supports two-way communication between educators and families, including messages delivered over SMS text. |
| Purpose | School Signals is a unified platform for school communication, events, and parent participation. | TalkingPoints is a PreK–12 family engagement platform for building partnerships between schools and families. |
| Security | The marketing-site privacy policy says School Signals uses reasonable physical, administrative, and technical safeguards, but does not guarantee absolute protection. | TalkingPoints states that it uses TLS, encryption at rest, SSO, audit logs, intrusion detection and periodic penetration testing. |
| Support | The maker describes personal support and supported onboarding, with help available as questions arise. | Support is available through in-app or website chat and [email protected]. |
| Translation | The platform translates communication into families’ preferred languages and offers multilingual text-to-speech voice messages. | Messages can be translated with AI and human translators in more than 150 languages, including a K–12 glossary. |
Plans
TalkingPoints
- FamiliesFree
- Individual teacher accessFree
- Personal Teacher AccountFree
- School and District PlansPriced on request
- Schools and districtsPriced on request
In their own words
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.
TalkingPoints
TalkingPoints is a PreK–12 family engagement platform for communication between schools and families. Educators and families can exchange messages, including through SMS text, and the service translates messages into more than 150 languages using AI and human translator support. Individual teachers can use translated messaging for free, with in-app tips and guidance for building relationships. Families can use the free website or iOS and Android apps; text replies are available at schools with a paid plan. Optional district offerings address attendance improvement, district communications, and academic improvement. Message Mentor helps educators draft and improve family messages. TalkingPoints integrates with Clever, ClassLink, and other student information systems for rostering. Schools and districts can use organization-wide deployment with administrative controls and integrations, with quote-based pricing. The service offers professional learning in person, virtually, or in blended formats. TalkingPoints says it encrypts data in transit and at rest, restricts access to designated users, and does not sell or rent personal information or use it for advertising or commercial purposes. The listed free plan for individual teachers costs nothing.