Three SIS Platforms, Three Different Schools
Choosing a student information system is one of the most consequential technology decisions a school makes. The SIS touches every department — admissions, attendance, grading, transcripts, parent communication, and state reporting. Switch costs are high, so getting it right matters.
This comparison covers three platforms that serve different segments of the K-12 market: PowerSchool (enterprise), Infinite Campus (mid-market), and CampusFlow SIS (small to mid-size schools). Each has genuine strengths — the question is which strengths match your school's needs.
Enrollment and Admissions
PowerSchool
PowerSchool offers PowerSchool Enrollment, a separate module for online registration and enrollment. It handles re-enrollment, new student registration, and document uploads. The workflow is comprehensive but requires configuration — expect 2-4 weeks of setup with vendor support.
Infinite Campus
Infinite Campus includes online registration as part of its core platform. Parents can complete enrollment forms, upload documents, and track application status. The enrollment workflow is well-designed but follows a fixed structure that may not fit non-traditional admissions processes.
CampusFlow SIS
CampusFlow treats admissions as a pipeline — similar to how a CRM tracks sales prospects. Each applicant moves through customizable stages (applied, document review, interview, accepted, enrolled). Built-in interview scheduling with calendar integration eliminates the back-and-forth of coordinating admissions interviews.
Verdict: CampusFlow's pipeline approach is the most flexible for schools with selective admissions or multi-step enrollment. PowerSchool and Infinite Campus handle standard enrollment well but are less adaptable to unique workflows.
Attendance Tracking
PowerSchool
Period-by-period and daily attendance with teacher-facing mobile apps. Supports complex bell schedules, rotating periods, and block scheduling. Automated parent notifications via email or text. Strong absence pattern reporting for intervention planning.
Infinite Campus
Similar period and daily attendance with a cleaner teacher interface. The Campus Mobile app lets teachers take attendance from their phone. Real-time dashboards show attendance trends across the school. Good integration with state chronic absenteeism reporting.
CampusFlow SIS
Daily and period-based attendance with automated parent alerts. Dashboard shows attendance patterns and flags students approaching chronic absence thresholds. Simpler than PowerSchool's attendance module but covers what most small schools need without configuration overhead.
Verdict: For complex schedules (block, rotating, multi-track), PowerSchool has the most flexibility. Infinite Campus offers the best balance of power and usability. CampusFlow covers standard attendance needs with minimal setup.
Grading and Transcripts
PowerSchool
PowerTeacher Pro is a full-featured gradebook supporting traditional, standards-based, and hybrid grading. Transcript generation is automated with customizable templates. GPA calculation handles weighted and unweighted scales across different course types.
Infinite Campus
Integrated gradebook with standards-based grading support. Good transcript automation. The grading interface is clean and teachers generally report faster grade entry compared to PowerSchool.
CampusFlow SIS
Core gradebook with GPA tracking and transcript generation. Supports standard letter and percentage grading. Best suited for schools with straightforward grading policies. Schools using complex standards-based rubrics across many courses may need more configuration.
Verdict: PowerSchool wins on grading flexibility and complexity. Infinite Campus is the most teacher-friendly. CampusFlow handles standard grading well for schools that do not need extensive customization.
Pricing Comparison
SIS pricing is notoriously opaque. Here are approximate ranges based on publicly available data and school reports:
- PowerSchool: $8-15 per student per year for the base SIS. Add-on modules (enrollment, analytics, assessment) can double or triple the cost. Implementation fees of $25,000-$100,000+ depending on district size.
- Infinite Campus: $5-12 per student per year. Lower implementation costs than PowerSchool ($10,000-$50,000). Some state editions have negotiated pricing.
- CampusFlow SIS: Starts at $2 per student per month for schools under 1,000 students. No implementation fee — self-service setup in days. All features included in one tier.
Implementation Timeline
- PowerSchool: 3-12 months depending on district size and data migration complexity.
- Infinite Campus: 3-9 months with vendor-guided implementation.
- CampusFlow SIS: 1-5 days for core setup. Data import from CSV or API. No vendor-required implementation.
Which SIS Should You Choose?
Choose PowerSchool if: You are a large district (5,000+ students) with dedicated IT staff, complex scheduling, and need deep state reporting across multiple schools.
Choose Infinite Campus if: You are a mid-size district (1,000-5,000 students) that wants a modern interface, good mobile apps, and a balance of features and usability.
Choose CampusFlow SIS if: You are a small school or charter (under 2,000 students) that needs a fast, affordable SIS without months of implementation. Especially strong for schools with admissions-heavy workflows (charters, private, magnet schools).