Overview

Gradelink combines classroom records, student information, and school finances in one SIS. Administrators, admissions and business staff, teachers, parents and students, and dioceses or districts are all within its intended audience. That range makes it a plausible central system for a school, rather than a narrow gradebook or billing utility.

Personalized phone and email support, staff training, help-site access, and automatic updates can ease implementation and ongoing administration. Gradelink says it imports school data and configures report cards, GPA, attendance, terms, gradebooks, and transcripts within 5–10 business days after it receives requested materials.

Key features

Academics and student records

Attendance, class scheduling, lesson plans, gradebooks, standards-based grading, report cards, and transcripts connect day-to-day teaching with formal academic records. Demographic and medical records, student photos, and IEP tracking extend the SIS beyond grades. This breadth is useful when a school wants staff working from a shared record, but schools needing only one or two of these functions may find the broader subscription hard to justify.

Billing and integrations

Accounts receivable, billing statements, automated lunch and incidental billing, and multiple tuition rates cover several common school-office tasks. Included integrations span Apple School Manager, FACTS Tuition Management, Google Classroom, Microsoft School Data Sync, and NCEA reporting. Google Classroom grade syncing is available to all users at no additional charge, while ClassLink automatically syncs rosters. These connections can reduce separate data-entry steps for schools using those services.

Security, privacy, and support

Web and mobile connections use SSL encryption; backups run nightly to local and remotely encrypted storage, and each school has a separate database. Gradelink’s terms say it will not sell School Personal Information or use or disclose it for commercial or marketing purposes. Personalized phone and email support, staff training, help access, and updates are included, a meaningful counterweight to the work of moving school records into an SIS.

Pricing

Gradelink is a paid monthly subscription that can be canceled at any time without penalty. The Student Information System starts at $106 / mo, with a $275 one-time setup fee; the quote calculator’s example is for 25 enrolled students, and the enrolled-student count affects the quote. Standard service is required for add-ons, so schools should confirm their enrollment-based price and service needs before budgeting.

Gradelink Student Information System: 106.00 USD per month (billed $106 / mo), plus $275 one-time setup. This is the core option for schools seeking the SIS functions; enrollment affects the quote.
Gradelink Payments: 0.00 USD per month (billed $0/mo). Transaction fees may be covered by the school or passed to families, so zero monthly cost does not mean transactions are cost-free.
SmartSend Pro add-on: 16.67 USD per month (billed $16.67/mo) for unlimited texts, emails, and voice messages. It requires Gradelink SIS, making it an extension rather than a standalone alternative.
EnrollMe add-on: 20.83 USD per month (billed $20.83/mo + $497 setup) for online enrollment and custom forms. It also requires the SIS, and its setup charge raises the first-year cost.

There is no free plan. The SIS’s enrollment-based quote and setup charge are the main tradeoffs against its broad scope; the two paid add-ons make sense for schools that need their specific communications or enrollment tools, not as cheaper ways into the core product.

Platforms

Gradelink supports Android, iOS, macOS, web, and Windows. Its Student/Parent app for iOS and Android shows schedules, grades, attendance, and upcoming homework, but requires Gradelink Standard Service. Schools should factor that requirement into any plan comparison rather than assume mobile access follows automatically from the core subscription.

Who it's for

Gradelink is a strong fit for schools looking to connect academic records, student information, billing, and family-facing access, particularly where its listed integrations match the school’s existing tools. It is less compelling for a school seeking a free SIS, a single-purpose classroom tool, or a mobile app without the Standard Service requirement.

Pros and cons

Pros: Academic records, student records, and billing functions share one SIS, covering work across teaching and business offices.
Pros: Google Classroom grade syncing is included at no additional charge, and ClassLink automatically syncs rosters.
Pros: Personalized support, staff training, and a stated 5–10-business-day setup process after materials arrive give schools implementation help.
Cons: The SIS starts at $106 / mo and adds a $275 setup fee, while the enrolled-student count affects the quote.
Cons: The Student/Parent app requires Standard Service, a condition schools must account for when choosing service.
Cons: SmartSend Pro and EnrollMe require the SIS, and EnrollMe adds a $497 setup charge.

Alternatives

Schools prioritizing a self-hosted free option should consider RosarioSIS: its free software requires PHP and a SQL database, and the school manages updates. openSIS also offers a free, open-source Community Edition that schools install and manage independently; it suits teams prepared to run their own system. For a free, open-source platform with self-managed hosting, Gibbon is another option.

Fedena is worth comparing for schools considering its Standard plan at 999.00 USD per year, which includes 20 Core Modules, 17 Standard Modules, unlimited users, and one-to-one online training. OpenEMIS Admissions offers free open-source software with no licensing fees for schools focused on admissions. Institutions with a verified .edu.in email address can consider EMBASE Pro Suite for its 14 Day Free Trial with full access and no payment required to start.

Populi Financial Aid is a paid alternative at 1999.00 USD per month, billed month-to-month, with stated storage, transfer, email, and SMS allowances.

For broader browsing, see Student Information Systems and School Management Software.

Verdict

Choose Gradelink if your school wants academic records, student information, billing, and integrations consolidated in a supported SIS. Its main advantage is the breadth of school workflows in one system, backed by support and setup assistance. Look elsewhere if a free platform, independently managed hosting, or mobile-app access without the Standard Service requirement matters more than that consolidation.

	EMPOWER SIS	Gradelink
Paid from		$16.67/mo
Platforms	Web	Android, iOS, macOS, Web, Windows
Attendance tracking	Yes	Yes
Gradebook	Yes	Yes
Fee management	Yes	Yes
Admissions and enrollment	Yes	Yes
Free plan		No
Paid from		106 /mo
Parent portal		Yes

EMPOWER SIS vs Gradelink

EMPOWER SIS

Gradelink