What you actually pay for with open source
The software is free. The system is not.
- Server or VPS hosting, typically Rs.1,500-6,000/month for a school-sized instance
- SSL, domain and email delivery for notices
- Initial setup and configuration - often a paid consultant
- Version upgrades and security patches
- Automated backups plus a tested restore
- Someone reachable when it goes down mid-term
Who should genuinely self-host
Schools with an in-house IT person or a long-term vendor relationship, groups large enough to justify a dedicated instance, and institutions with a policy requirement to keep data on their own infrastructure. In those cases open source is often the better long-run answer.
Who should not
A single school with 150-500 students, no IT staff, and an office already stretched during admissions. The failure mode is predictable: it works for a term, an upgrade breaks something, nobody owns it, and the school quietly returns to spreadsheets with a half-migrated database left behind.
Mobile apps are usually the gap
Most open source school systems are web-first. Parent adoption in India depends on a real app with push notifications for absence and fee dues. Building and maintaining Android and iOS apps on top of a self-hosted backend is a project in itself, not a weekend task.
A fair comparison
AcadLynk is cloud SaaS at Rs.2,399/month for up to 200 students. Against a self-hosted setup you are trading control and customisation for hosting, upgrades, backups, apps for all five roles, and support you can call. If customisation depth matters more than that, choose open source and budget for maintenance properly.
Either way, protect your exit
Whichever route you pick, confirm two things in writing: you can export all student, fee and attendance data in a standard format, and backups are automated and tested. Data portability is what keeps any vendor - or any self-hosted decision - reversible.
AcadLynk plans and pricing
AcadLynk offers simple, transparent pricing for buyer guide and every other module, with a free 14-day trial on all plans, free done-for-you onboarding, and no setup fees. Most schools go live in about seven days.
| Plan | Best for | Students | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | Single small school | Up to 200 | Rs.2,399/month |
| Premium | Growing school | Up to 500 | Rs.3,499/month |
| Enterprise | Multi-branch groups | Custom | Custom pricing |
Everything included in AcadLynk
Every AcadLynk plan is an all-in-one platform built for Indian schools across CBSE, ICSE and state boards.
- 18+ modules covering admissions, enrollment, attendance, timetables, homework, examinations and fees
- Parent and student mobile app with real-time attendance alerts, fee reminders and notices
- Five role-based logins: Super Admin, Admin, Teacher, Student and Parent
- Automatic report cards, promotions and academic-year management
- Online fee collection with automatic reminders and digital receipts
- White-label branding and a custom domain, with isolated data per branch
- Encrypted data, secure authentication and a 99.9% uptime guarantee
More about AcadLynk
How much does AcadLynk cost?
AcadLynk pricing starts at Rs.2,399/month for up to 200 students, Rs.3,499/month for up to 500 students, and custom Enterprise pricing for multi-branch school groups. Every plan includes a free 14-day trial.
Is there a free trial?
Yes. Every plan includes a free 14-day trial with access to all features and no credit card required, so you can test AcadLynk on a real class before deciding.
How long does setup take?
Most schools go live in about seven days. AcadLynk includes free done-for-you onboarding and imports your existing student, staff and fee data for you.
Is my school data secure?
Yes. AcadLynk uses encrypted data, secure role-based authentication for five user types, and a 99.9% uptime guarantee, with isolated data for each school or branch.
Which boards does AcadLynk support?
AcadLynk supports CBSE, ICSE and state-board schools, including academic-year cycles, grading, automatic report cards and promotions.
Frequently asked questions
Is open source school management software really free?
The licence is free. Hosting, setup, upgrades, backups and support are not, and for a single school those usually exceed a low-cost subscription.
Is AcadLynk open source?
No. AcadLynk is cloud-hosted SaaS. You own and can export your data, but the code is not open source.
What is the biggest risk with self-hosting?
No clear owner for upgrades and backups. Most failures happen at an upgrade or after a server issue when nobody is responsible for recovery.
Do open source options include parent mobile apps?
Usually not as polished native apps. Most are web-first, and parent adoption in India depends heavily on push notifications from a real app.