SchoolGrid vs TimetableMaster

SchoolGrid is a browser-based master-scheduling app for elementary schools. It brings classrooms, specialists, interventions, lunch, recess, instructional minutes, and paraeducator coverage into one scheduling workflow. Its auto-scheduler drafts schedules from configured school constraints, and users can review and revise them in Timeline, Agenda, and Calendar views. Schedules can be exported as PDF or CSV files or published to Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive. SchoolGrid says it does not request student names, rosters, grades, or student accounts and is not designed to store student records. The app requires no installation. The Free plan is free and offers a 30-day scheduling and publishing evaluation, with up to 15 drafts during that period. Plus costs $99 a year and includes para and student-support coverage, exports, publishing, and five monthly Schedule Transfer credits. Pro costs $499 a year and supports up to three schools or sites, unlimited drafts, 15 monthly setup credits, priority email support, and three hours of video onboarding.

TimetableMaster generates school timetables and handles substitutions, staff leave, calendars and student course choices. Its generator places lessons around teacher availability, room capacity, building transitions and workload limits, with a drag-and-drop editor for changes. When staff are absent, it ranks possible cover teachers using subject familiarity, availability and existing cover workload; it can assign and notify a substitute in one click. Staff can request full or half days off, and approved leave feeds into cover planning. Calendars include holidays, exams, events and activities. The student-choice module gathers course preferences, creates sections, assigns faculty and rooms, and produces conflict-free schedules for individual students. Integrations include Veracross, PowerSchool, ManageBac and SchoolBase; other systems can exchange CSV or Excel files. TimetableMaster generates an import file for a school's SIS importer rather than writing directly into the SIS. A Pro trial runs for 10 days without a credit card, but PDF and Excel timetable downloads require a paid plan. The desktop app requires an internet connection; offline mode is described as coming soon.