TrustRadius: an HG Insights company

FACTS Student Information System vs. Skyward Student Management System

Save this comparison

Save this comparison

Add Product

Recommended Comparisons

    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    FACTS Student Information System

    Score7 out of 10
    N/AFACTS Student Information System (formerly RenWeb) is a Student Information System that handles admissions, student information, billing, report cards, grading, attendance, and parent access, among others. FACTS is a property of Nelnet Business Solutions.N/A

    Skyward Student Management System

    Score7.7 out of 10
    N/ASkyward, headquartered in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, offers the Skyward Student Management System, a k-12 student information system which provides classroom tools (e.g. gradebook, attendance tracking, etc), Family Engagement tools with portal, as well as admin and student services task management.N/A
    Pricing
    FACTS Student Information SystemSkyward Student Management System
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    FACTS Student Information SystemSkyward Student Management System
    Free Trial
    NoNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    FACTS Student Information SystemSkyward Student Management System
    Considered Both Products
    FACTS
    No answer on this topic
    Skyward
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    100%
    Would buy again
    7 Answers
    83%
    Would buy again
    5 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    100%
    Delivers good value for the price
    6 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Happy with the feature set
    100%
    Happy with the feature set
    7 Answers
    83%
    Happy with the feature set
    5 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation went as expected
    100%
    Implementation went as expected
    6 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Features
    FACTS Student Information SystemSkyward Student Management System
    Student and Faculty Administration
    Comparison of Student and Faculty Administration features of FACTS Student Information System and Skyward Student Management System
    Feature
    FACTS Student Information System
    9.5
    5 Ratings
    14% above category average
    Skyward Student Management System
    6.9
    4 Ratings
    18% below category average
    Integrations with 3rd-Party Education Technology8.01 Ratings5.92 Ratings
    Online Registration Management9.94 Ratings00 Ratings
    District Communications, such as messaging and alerting10.05 Ratings7.03 Ratings
    Roster Management10.05 Ratings8.34 Ratings
    Platform Customization6.84 Ratings3.12 Ratings
    Teacher Self-Service9.95 Ratings6.33 Ratings
    Student Data Security10.05 Ratings8.74 Ratings
    Community Support10.04 Ratings3.01 Ratings
    Class Scheduling10.04 Ratings9.02 Ratings
    State and National-level Reporting9.93 Ratings8.52 Ratings
    Compliance Support9.93 Ratings00 Ratings
    Teacher and Parent Mobile Application9.94 Ratings9.52 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    FACTS Student Information SystemSkyward Student Management System
    Small Businesses
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Medium-sized Companies
    Schoolmint Hero
    Score9.7 out of 10
    Schoolmint Hero
    Score9.7 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Schoolmint Hero
    Score9.7 out of 10
    Schoolmint Hero
    Score9.7 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    FACTS Student Information SystemSkyward Student Management System
    Likelihood to Recommend
    10.0
    (9 ratings)
    7.7
    (16 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    9.0
    (2 ratings)
    Usability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.0
    (2 ratings)
    Support Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    6.0
    (2 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    FACTS Student Information SystemSkyward Student Management System
    Likelihood to Recommend
    FACTS
    We base our entire student data on the Student ID that is produced in FACTS. We create user accounts for technology and online textbooks as well as their lunch account, all based on the Student ID. We also can run many different reports using the SID as the data constant and all the other information variables are available as needed to report.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Skyward
    There is nothing specific that I would say sets it apart from any other LMS, but once you are used to the user interface and various features, it does everything that is needed and integrates well enough with other software to function. Probably isn't necessary in a smaller setting, but for multiple building districts, it is certainly robust enough to handle data collection and storage.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    FACTS
    • Easy to use grade book
    • Simple way to store and access health information, behavior reports, and family contact information.
    • We use FACTS in the residential aspect of our organization.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Skyward
    • Flexibility. This multitude of fields available makes it easy to capture data the way we want or need to.
    • Quick response to trouble tickets. The company strives to reach out to the customer within an hour and start the process of resolution.
    • User focused. Improvements to the system always look at how the end user experience can be enhanced.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    FACTS
    • It could use more space for uploading classroom media.
    • It could lessen the number of new open windows or frames for various functions that can be done on the same screen.
    • It could incorporate more social-media like tools to make it more native for students and parents.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Skyward
    • Confusion when it comes to student grades- sometimes there are two different letter grades for a student for what is posted as "TR1" and "PR1." How does a teacher know which of these grades will be posted to a student's report card? How does a teacher know what the student's actual grade is for a particular course?
    • Switching between the Educator Access Plus and Student Management tabs can be complicated, especially for those new to the system. Why can't everything be in one place?
    • I recognize that Skyward logs out after a certain period of inactivity to preserve privacy of users, but is there a way to change those settings so that Skyward does not log out as frequently? It is difficult to keep having to log back in completely again.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    FACTS
    It's user-friendly, the customer service is great, and we have a significant amount of time invested in training our faculty and staff to use many aspects of FACTS within their areas of responsibility. I really like the variety of reports I can generate which gives important data to our administration and Board.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Skyward
    It is the system I am most comfortable with, so having to learn a new system outweighs any problems I have with Skyward.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    FACTS
    No answers on this topic
    Skyward
    It takes some time to get used to navigating the features and layers, but once you know your way around it, it's pretty good.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    FACTS
    No answers on this topic
    Skyward
    Overall great job, issues were taken care of. People in support do care.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    FACTS
    No answers on this topic
    Skyward
    Yes, I was part of the implementation team.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Alternatives Considered
    FACTS
    Switched from Blackbaud to RenWeb now FACTS. We made the change for affordability and because more software components were included. Blackbaud required the purchase of multiple additional modules.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Skyward
    I, personally, have not used other Student Management Systems, but having used Skyward, I do not necessarily feel any overwhelming desire to seek out the competitive software programs. Skyward does what it says it will and provides my school district with an easy and organized way to share and access all of the relevant student and family information we need. It serves it's purpose well and meets our needs.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    FACTS
    • Has paid for itself many time over with the abilities it provides.
    • Can be managed by as few or as many as needed so per employee cost is great.
    • Reporting is great for almost any topic needed all the way to How many took the ACT in spring.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Skyward
    • Overall, Skyward has had a positive impact. One way is the student information that is shared and available to see. If I need to know something about a student’s academic history, Skyward has it.
    • Another way it has impacted our district is the way it has streamlined all of our payroll information. I can see check histories, different parts of my salary, and the year-end totals all in one place.
    • Skyward has also made a big impact on our district by making it easier to communicate with parents. All the parents’ contact information is available and email is even included in the program.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots