Best Student Engagement Software in 2026
Updated
In short: Rubric is ranked #1 of 25 as of 5 October 2026, ahead of GivePulse and InScribe. The best-ranked option with a free plan is GivePulse. The lowest first paid tier on this page is GivePulse at $0.15/mo.
Student engagement software covers tools for communicating with learners, gathering feedback, and monitoring participation. Compared on automated campaigns, SMS outreach, and student surveys, the entries show different ways to support those interactions. Engagement analytics and risk alerts provide further criteria when you are looking for signals that students may need attention. Check LMS integration for fit with your learning systems, and weigh free-plan availability against paid-from pricing. Rubric and GivePulse are among the named options, alongside InScribe and Modern Campus CMS. Suitable, Civitas Advising, EAB Navigate360, and Nearpeer offer additional entries to compare. Consider which outreach methods and insight features align with the way you work with students.
25 student engagement software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
3 of the 25 here have a free tier you can use, 0 have open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RubricWeb · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 2 | GivePulseWeb · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $0.15/mo | 6.5 | |
| 3 | InScribeWeb · Android · iPhone · API | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.6 |
| 4 | Modern Campus CMSWeb · Android · iPhone · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.6 |
| 5 | SuitableWeb · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.6 |
| 6 | Civitas AdvisingWeb · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 7 | EAB Navigate360Web · Android · iPhone · API | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 8 | NearpeerWeb · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | $1,250/mo | 5.5 |
| 9 | PathifyWeb · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 10 | StunoaWeb · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 11 | CampusESPWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 12 | ConexED RetainWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 13 | Early AlertWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 14 | MainstayWeb · API | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 15 | MongooseWeb · API | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 16 | StarfishWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 17 | Civitas Learning Student Impact PlatformWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 18 | UniOneWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 19 | YOU at CollegeWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 20 | UnibuddyWeb · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 21 | Watermark Student Success & EngagementWeb · Android · iPhone | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 22 | CampusGroupsNo platforms listed | No signal | — | — | 0 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 23 | EmpowerWeb · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 24 | ZynvoWeb · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 5.1 | |
| 25 | Mentor CollectiveWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.0 |
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Engagement analytics | Automated campaigns |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rubric | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | — |
| 2 | GivePulse | 6.5 | Free plan | $0.15/mo | Yes | — | Yes | — |
| 3 | InScribe | 5.6 | No | — | — | — | Yes | — |
| 4 | Modern Campus CMS | 5.6 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 5 | Suitable | 5.6 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 6 | Civitas Advising | 5.5 | No | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | EAB Navigate360 | 5.5 | No | — | — | — | — | — |
| 8 | Nearpeer | 5.5 | No | $1,250/mo | — | — | Yes | — |
| 9 | Pathify | 5.5 | No | — | — | — | Yes | — |
| 10 | Stunoa | 5.5 | No | — | — | — | Yes | — |
| 11 | CampusESP | 5.4 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 12 | ConexED Retain | 5.4 | No | — | — | — | — | — |
| 13 | Early Alert | 5.4 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 14 | Mainstay | 5.4 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 15 | Mongoose | 5.4 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 16 | Starfish | 5.4 | No | — | — | — | — | — |
| 17 | Civitas Learning Student Impact Platform | 5.3 | No | — | — | — | — | — |
| 18 | UniOne | 5.3 | No | — | — | — | Yes | — |
| 19 | YOU at College | 5.3 | No | — | — | — | Yes | — |
| 20 | Unibuddy | 5.2 | No | — | No | — | Yes | Yes |
| 21 | Watermark Student Success & Engagement | 5.2 | No | — | — | — | — | — |
| 22 | CampusGroups | 5.1 | No | — | — | — | — | — |
| 23 | Empower | 5.1 | No | — | No | — | Yes | — |
| 24 | Zynvo | 5.1 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | — |
| 25 | Mentor Collective | 5.0 | No | — | — | — | — | — |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which student engagement software is ranked first on Freedom251?
Rubric is ranked #1 of 25 with a score of 6.6. GivePulse is second and InScribe third.
How many of these have a free plan?
3 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, GivePulse has the lowest first paid tier we found: $0.15/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation.