The honest comparison
Looking for a SchoolMate alternative?
SchoolMate is an aggressively priced system for local language schools in Europe. The comparison below shows the structural differences: the price model, the 1,000-student cap — and the international depth beyond it.
Request a demo with your dataFidelo and SchoolMate, side by side
| Criterion | Fidelo | SchoolMate |
|---|---|---|
| Price model | Fixed price per administrative user (€20–95/month), students unlimited | Monthly flat rate by active students, ~€75–318/month full stack (per their public calculator, 08/2026), no contract |
| Scaling limit | No student cap | Model capped at 1,000 active students; custom quote beyond |
| Self-service entry | 30-minute demo + test import of your data | 30-day trial; setup, import and training free (per their website) |
| Agent management & commissions | Yes — plus a dedicated agency product | Not advertised on their website (as of 08/2026) |
| Host families & accommodation | Core capability incl. matching criteria | Optional accommodation module |
| Activities & excursions | Yes | Not advertised on their website (as of 08/2026) |
| Website languages | Six languages (EN, DE, ES, FR, IT, TR) | English, Spanish, Italian |
| GDPR & hosting | German company, hosting in your region, GDPR/BDSG, DPA on request | EU company (Madrid) |
| On the market since | 2005 | ~2018 (per web archive) |
We are the makers of Fidelo — read this page accordingly. All statements about SchoolMate come from the vendor's public website or public directories (as of August 2026), without guarantee. If something is out of date, tell us — we will correct it.
The honest verdict
To be fair: for a small, price-sensitive local school, SchoolMate is a strong offer — modular, billed by active students with no contract, with a self-service trial and free setup. The structural differences: its model is capped at 1,000 active students, and a strong season raises your bill, while Fidelo charges a fixed price per administrative user with unlimited students. Agency commissions and activity/excursion depth are not advertised at SchoolMate — for schools in the study-travel business, that is the decisive layer.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is Fidelo a real alternative to SchoolMate?
For local schools, both compete directly — with opposite price models: SchoolMate bills by active students, Fidelo by administrative users with unlimited students. The comparison becomes one-sided when agencies, commissions, activities or more than 1,000 students are part of your operation: that is where Fidelo’s depth lies.
What does the price-model difference mean in practice?
With billing by active students, a strong season or a growth year raises your bill automatically. With Fidelo’s per-user model, students, courses and bookings are unlimited — the invoice only changes when your back-office team grows.
Can you migrate our data out of SchoolMate?
We import from practically any system that can export its data (CSV, Excel, SQL). Before you commit, we run a test import of your enquiries, bookings, invoices, payments and contacts — you review your own school in Fidelo before go-live.
What does Fidelo cost?
Every price is public: from €20 per administrative user per month, across four packages and six volume tiers. Students, teachers and agents are free and unlimited. The pricing page has full tables and an interactive calculator — no quote required.
Question not answered? Talk to us
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See Fidelo with your own data
The fastest way to finish this comparison: a demo built around your workflows — with a test import of your records if you like.
- 30 minutes, no obligation — a walkthrough built around your workflow
- We import your existing data for you
- Reply within one business day
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Prefer to talk it through? +49 221 975807 56
Fidelo Software GmbH
Schanzenstraße 27
51063 Köln, Germany