How to choose a school ERP in India: a practical checklist
To choose a school ERP in India, list the modules you need, then check where data is stored, how it handles the DPDP Act, which languages it supports, how fees work with UPI, whether it can message parents on WhatsApp, and how migration, training, pricing and data export are handled. Ask for a demo on your own data. Acadika publishes its prices, from ₹10,000 a year plus ₹3 per student per month.
Included in the Core plan and above, from ₹10,000/year + ₹3 per student per month (+ GST).
What you get with Acadika
Start with your needs
Write down the five tasks that take the office most time. Judge every vendor on those, not on a long module list.
Data and privacy
Ask where data is stored, who can see it, and how the vendor approaches the DPDP Act. Be wary of anyone claiming a certification they cannot show.
Fees and UPI
Fee collection should support UPI, receipts, concessions, late fees and a clear defaulter view.
Most parents use WhatsApp. Ask whether messaging is live today or planned, and what it costs.
Migration and training
Ask who moves your data in, how long training takes and what support costs.
AI with guardrails
If the vendor offers AI, check that it asks before it changes records and keeps a log.
What should a school look for in a school ERP?
Begin with modules. At minimum, an Indian school needs student and staff records, attendance, timetable and substitutions, exam scheduling, fee management, and communication with parents. Add complaint handling and an academic calendar if the office handles many requests.
Then test the daily workflow, not the feature list. Ask the vendor to show a teacher on leave being covered, a month of fee invoices going out, and a circular reaching parents. Bring your own sample data so the demo is realistic.
- Modules: attendance, timetable, substitutions, exams, fees, circulars, complaints, calendar.
- Languages: does the interface support Hindi, Punjabi or your regional language? Acadika supports English, Hindi and Punjabi.
- Mobile use: most teachers use phones. Check the browser experience and whether a native app exists. Acadika works in the browser and has no native app.
- Boards: confirm CBSE, ICSE or state board needs such as report cards, if you need them. Ask for a demo of exactly that.
How do you check data safety, DPDP readiness and exit terms?
Ask where servers are, who at the vendor can see your data, and how each school's records are kept apart. Acadika runs on Google Cloud in Mumbai and scopes every record to the school. No vendor should claim to be "DPDP compliant" in a vague way; ask what they actually do for consent, retention and deletion, and read the privacy policy.
Also ask about exit before you sign. Can you export students, fees and attendance in a usable format? What happens to your data when the contract ends? A vendor that answers clearly on exit is usually confident in its product.
- Data location: India-hosted servers, and the name of the cloud provider.
- Access: roles and permissions, so teachers see only what they need.
- Retention and deletion: how long data is kept, and how to ask for deletion.
- AI: what data goes to AI models, and whether the AI asks before acting. Acadika's Nova prepares each change and runs it only after a person confirms, with an undo log.
- Export: formats available, and the cost, if any.
How should a school compare price, support and rollout?
Ask for a written quote for your student count with everything in it: modules, users, setup, training, payment gateway, messaging and support. Many vendors do not publish prices, so put the quotes side by side in one sheet. Acadika's price list is public, and our school ERP pricing guide shows the yearly cost for 300 to 2,000 students.
Plan the rollout before you buy. A go-live checklist, a CSV import with a preview, and a named person who answers your calls matter more than a slightly lower price. Start with one or two modules, such as fees and attendance, and add others once staff are comfortable.
Questions to ask every school ERP vendor
| Area | Ask | A good answer |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | What is the full yearly cost for our student count? | A written quote that includes GST, setup and support |
| Data location | Where is our data stored? | A named cloud provider and region in India |
| DPDP | What do you do for consent, retention and deletion? | Specific practices and a privacy policy, not a vague "compliant" claim |
| Fees | Can parents pay by UPI without logging in? | Pay links or QR with auto receipts |
| Is parent messaging live, and what does it cost? | A clear status and per-message terms | |
| AI | Does the AI act on its own? | No: it proposes, a person confirms, and actions are logged |
| Migration | Who moves our existing data? | CSV import with preview and named support |
| Exit | Can we export everything if we leave? | Yes, in standard formats |
This checklist is general guidance for any vendor.
Frequently asked questions
List your must-have modules, ask for a demo on your own data, and check data location, DPDP practices, language support, UPI fees, WhatsApp messaging, migration help, pricing transparency and data export terms. Compare written quotes for your student count.
At least student and staff records, attendance, timetable and substitutions, exam scheduling, fee management with online payments, and parent communication. Complaints and an academic calendar help too. Acadika includes all of these in its Core plan.
It depends on the vendor. Ask where data is hosted, how schools are kept apart, who has access, and what happens to data on exit. Acadika is built with India's DPDP Act in mind, hosts in Mumbai and scopes every record to your school.
AI is useful if it saves office time, but it should be safe. Look for AI that proposes changes and waits for confirmation, keeps a log and supports your languages. Acadika's Nova works this way, in English, Hindi and Punjabi.
Ask for a CSV import with a template and a preview before anything is saved, plus help from the vendor. Acadika offers CSV roster import with a dry-run preview and founder-assisted migration for pilot schools.
Principals should look for a clear overview of students, staff, fees and complaints, easy approvals such as leave cover, honest pricing and a vendor who supports rollout. Ask to see the dashboard with realistic data.
Related
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