Pharos Uniprint

Pharos Uniprint is print-management software for colleges and universities that need to secure shared printing and manage its costs. It is strongest for institutions with established on-premises infrastructure, varied printer fleets and campus billing needs; schools seeking a cloud-only service or mobile-app SSO should look elsewhere.

Overview

Uniprint brings print access, release controls and cost recovery into one campus-oriented system. Its on-premises design is intended to fit existing infrastructure and multi-vendor printer fleets, so it suits institutions that want to retain local deployment while applying consistent controls. That same design makes it a poor fit for organizations that require a cloud-only platform.

Key features

Jobs require authentication before release, with end-to-end encryption and Zero Trust security principles supporting the workflow. Pharos says Uniprint uses an ISO 27001-certified platform. These safeguards address the practical risk of unattended jobs at shared campus printers.

Quotas, policy rules, departmental chargebacks, billing integrations, payment gateways and detailed usage reporting give administrators several ways to constrain spending and allocate costs. Supported billing systems include Aramark, Blackboard TIA and Blackboard SaaS, GMC, CBORD Odyssey, CBORD CS Gold and NuVision. This is a useful fit for campuses already using those systems; institutions with other billing arrangements should verify compatibility.

Students and faculty can submit jobs by email or from web-enabled devices, including off-campus and mobile devices, and use Pharos Print Center to manage jobs and balances. ChromeOS printing is supported. The Pharos Print mobile app, however, depends on Uniprint 9.0 R2 Update 1 or later, MobilePrint 2.1 or later, Print Center 2.4 or later and a certificate-authority-signed security certificate. Those prerequisites make mobile deployment something campus IT must plan rather than assume.

Print Center supports CAS and Shibboleth SSO, but the Android and iOS apps and Pharos Station Print Center Mode do not. Institutions that require consistent SSO across those access points should treat that limitation as a material drawback. Browser-based administration and school-theme customization of Print Center support campus-specific management and presentation. Pharos Insights adds on-demand, cloud-based analytics about printer fleets and printing trends.

Pricing

Pharos Uniprint has custom pricing. The product is paid, and pricing is available on request; no seat, quota, trial or renewal terms are provided. Colleges and universities should request a quote against their deployment and campus requirements before comparing total costs.

Platforms

Uniprint supports Windows, macOS, Chrome OS, iOS, Android and web access, alongside Linux and self-hosted deployment. That range accommodates mixed campus environments, while the on-premises architecture remains a central constraint for institutions prioritizing cloud-only operations.

Who it's for

Uniprint is aimed at colleges and universities that need secure release, print quotas, policy controls and departmental cost recovery across an existing, potentially multi-vendor fleet. Its billing integrations and reporting are especially relevant to campuses that need to allocate and monitor print spending. It is less suitable for schools that need mobile-app SSO or want to avoid on-premises infrastructure.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Authentication before release and end-to-end encryption support safer shared printing.
• Pros: Quotas, chargebacks, policies and integrations support campus cost control and recovery.
• Pros: Email, web, mobile and ChromeOS printing cover a broad range of campus access needs.
• Cons: On-premises deployment rules out a cloud-only approach.
• Cons: Mobile printing has several software and certificate prerequisites, and the mobile apps do not support SSO.
• Cons: Custom pricing means institutions must obtain a quote to assess the cost.

Alternatives

ezeep is worth considering when a free starting tier or freemium pricing matters more than Uniprint's campus billing focus: its Personal plan is free for up to 10 users, one connector and unlimited user print jobs, with 50 API pages per month per organization. It also offers a free trial.

PrinterLogic may suit buyers comparing queue-based pricing: its listed Usage Based monthly plans include 109.60 USD for 50–99 print queues and 121.80 USD for 25–49 print queues. YSoft SAFEQ Platform is another paid print-management option with custom pricing.

MyQ X offers a free plan and an Enterprise option with advanced print management and integrations; consider it if a freemium option is a priority. Print Manager has a 495.00 USD one-time Enterprise Small Business Edition license for 35 users and five printers per print server, making it a distinct option for that stated scale.

QZ Tray is a freemium alternative with a free plan and trial. LRS VPSX and Synappx Cloud Print are other paid options to compare.

Verdict

Choose Pharos Uniprint if your college or university needs secure shared printing combined with quotas, departmental recovery and integrations suited to campus operations. Its strongest reason to buy is that breadth of cost control and access support across an on-premises, multi-vendor environment. Look elsewhere if cloud-only deployment or SSO in the mobile apps is essential.