The whole school, without the per-student bill.
Sycamore is a capable, long-running school system priced at $4 per student per month, with a $2,500 minimum onboarding fee and an 18-month minimum contract. TeachHero gives microschools, small private schools, and co-ops enrollment, tuition, communication, a website, and classwork for one flat price by school size. A 75-student school pays $89 a month.
TeachHero vs Sycamore, side by side
Sycamore has sold school software since 1999, and it publishes its pricing, so this comparison is easy to check. Both platforms keep enrollment, billing, and family communication in one system. The differences are what you pay, how long you commit, and how much of a traditional student information system your school actually needs.
TeachHero is our product — read this comparison with that in mind.
| What matters to a small school | TeachHero | Sycamore |
|---|---|---|
|
Software price How the monthly bill is calculated |
Flat, from $89/mo | $4 per student/mo |
|
Onboarding & data import Students and families moved in for you |
Included free | $2,500 minimum |
|
Contract What you commit to on day one |
Month-to-month | 18-month minimum |
|
Time to go live From decision to families using it |
Set up in an afternoon | 4–8 weeks |
|
Enrollment & applications Online forms, waitlists, re-enrollment |
Included | Included |
|
Tuition & billing Invoices, payment plans, autopay |
Included | Included |
|
Card processing, all in Per card payment |
3.2% + 30¢ | 3.9% + 30¢ |
|
Bank (ACH) processing, all in Per bank payment |
0.8% + $1, max $6 | 0.8% (max $5) + 1% |
|
Pass processing fees to families Families cover card & bank fees at checkout |
Included, where allowed | Absorb, pass on, or split |
|
Family communication Announcements, email, messaging |
Included | Included |
|
Text alerts SMS to families' phones |
$15/mo add-on | Built in, Twilio charges apply |
|
Classwork & gradebook Lessons, homework, grading, attendance |
Included | Included |
|
Volunteer management Sign-ups, shifts, hours tracked per family |
Included | Sign-ups; hours not listed |
|
School website Public pages linked to enrollment |
No-code builder, included | Custom build, quoted separately |
|
Native parent app iOS and Android |
Web portal | iOS & Android |
|
Donations & fundraising Campaigns, goals, donor records |
Not offered | Built in |
|
Traditional SIS depth Health records, master scheduling, state reporting, athletics |
Not the focus | Strong fit |
Comparison based on Sycamore's public website, including its pricing and payments pages, as of November 2026. Sycamore's go-live estimate is its own. Processing rates are the standard rates each vendor publishes. “Not listed” means we could not find the capability in Sycamore's public materials — not that it is impossible there. Features, packaging, and pricing change; please verify details with each vendor.
The real numbers
What year one costs at your size.
Per-student pricing is simple to understand, and it grows with every family you enroll. Here's the software bill at Sycamore's published list price next to TeachHero's annual plans, including each platform's onboarding.
| Enrolled students | TeachHero, year one | Sycamore, year one |
|---|---|---|
| 40 students |
$890 Small plan · onboarding included |
$4,420 $1,920 license + $2,500 onboarding |
| 75 students |
$890 Small plan · onboarding included |
$6,100 $3,600 license + $2,500 onboarding |
| 150 students |
$1,690 Growing plan · onboarding included |
$9,700 $7,200 license + $2,500 onboarding |
| 300 students |
$2,790 Established plan · onboarding included |
$16,900 $14,400 license + $2,500 onboarding |
A $1,000 tuition payment by card
- TeachHero
- $32.30
- Sycamore
- $39.30
A $1,000 tuition payment by bank (ACH)
- TeachHero
- $6.00
- Sycamore
- $15.00
Sycamore figures use its published list price ($4 × students × 12 months) and its $2,500 minimum onboarding fee, as of November 2026. Sycamore says final pricing varies by school size, group affiliation, and add-ons, and it offers volume discounts to larger schools. TeachHero figures are annual plan prices; monthly billing is $89, $169, or $279 a month, and only actively enrolled students count toward your plan. TeachHero processing is Stripe's standard rate plus TeachHero's small platform fee. Sycamore processing is its published standard rate, including its 1% Sycamore fee. Both platforms let families cover processing fees at checkout; TeachHero does so where local rules allow.
Priced by school size
Enroll another family without a bigger bill.
On per-student pricing, every new enrollment raises the software bill. TeachHero's plans are flat by school size: Small covers up to 75 students, Growing up to 150, and Established up to 300. A 30-student microschool pays the same $89 a month as a 75-student school.
- Every feature in every plan — classwork, volunteers, and your website included
- Only actively enrolled students count; applicants, alumni, and prospects are unlimited
- Save two months with annual billing
- The only add-on is Text Alerts, at $15 a month
Up to 75 enrolled students · every feature
No big bet up front
See it working before you commit.
A $2,500 onboarding fee and an 18-month contract make sense for a large school that changes systems once a decade. For a 40-student school, that's a lot to commit before a single family has logged in. With TeachHero, you request a free trial, our team imports your school's data for free, and monthly plans are month-to-month.
- No credit card to start your trial
- Done-for-you onboarding: we import your students, families, and classes, free
- Monthly plans are month-to-month — cancel anytime from inside the app
- 30-day money-back guarantee, and your data stays yours to export
Right-sized for you
Built for the team you actually have.
Sycamore serves private schools from small to large, with the depth a registrar and a business office expect. TeachHero is built for the founder doing everything, or the one to three people who run a small school office.
Microschool founders
Ten to 80 students and every hat. One flat price, and setup you can finish in an afternoon.
Small private school offices
Enrollment, tuition, family email, and your website in one place instead of a stack of separate tools.
Co-op and hybrid directors
Class registration, per-class tuition, and volunteer hours tracked per family, on the same platform.
When Sycamore may be the better fit
We'd rather be honest than win the wrong customer. Sycamore is a strong choice if your school has several hundred students or several campuses, or if you need a traditional student information system: health records, master scheduling with rotating bell schedules, state reporting, athletics eligibility, lunch accounts, and aftercare billing. It also fits if families expect a native iOS and Android app, if you want donations and fundraising in the same system, or if you operate internationally across currencies. And it has more than 25 years of history and US-based phone support behind it.
TeachHero is built for small schools that want the essentials done well, at a flat price, without a long commitment.
Every feature. One flat price.
If per-student pricing and an 18-month contract are more than your school needs, try the platform built for small schools. Request a free trial and start setting up your school today.
No credit card to start your trial.