PeopleMuster

Best staff attendance and HR software for schools

PeopleMuster ranks first for schools because one price of $3 per person a month covers staff attendance, leave, term dates, policies, the laptops on loan and the IT help queue, with no tier above it. Breathe HR ranks second for a flat monthly price set by headcount band.

How this was judged

Ranked on how much of a school's staff admin one published price covers, then on how predictable the bill is for about sixty staff.

Six HR products were compared on 24 September 2026 against the jobs a school office runs for its staff. Those jobs are who came in and when, leave, term breaks, written policies, equipment, and joining or leaving. Each price was read from the vendor's own pricing page and is quoted as printed, in its own currency. Disclosure: PeopleMuster is our product, and it sits where the method puts it.

The ranking

01

PeopleMuster

$3 per person a month, every module included, no tiers. $30 per person a year on annual billing, which is two months free.
Who it suits
A school or college that wants teaching and support staff on one record, with their check-ins, leave and signed-out laptops in it.
Where it wins
Staff check in at a ZKTeco terminal in the staff room or on a browser card inside their shift window. Leave types carry their own yearly quotas. Term breaks sit on the holiday calendar that attendance respects, and staff ask the policy assistant before they email the office.
02

Breathe HR

Per business per month by headcount band, from £24 for 1 to 10 people up to £579 for 151 to 200. About 15% off on annual billing, 14-day trial. Verified 24 September 2026.
Who it suits
A school in the UK that wants one flat monthly figure set by the size of its staff.
Where it wins
A flat price per band, so hiring one more teacher inside the band changes nothing.
Where it falls short
Priced in pounds only, and the bill steps up when headcount crosses into the next band.
03

BambooHR

Core $10, Pro $17, Elite $25 per employee a month. A flat rate from $250 a month at 25 employees or fewer. Verified September 2026.
Who it suits
An independent school with an HR lead who wants a mature employee record and public tiers.
Where it wins
The tiers are published, and a small staff can pay one flat monthly rate.
Where it falls short
Pro is $17 against Core's $10, so features above Core raise the per-head price.
04

Zoho People

Essential HR $1.50 per user a month, $1.25 billed yearly. Professional $2.50, Premium $3.50, Enterprise $5 and People Plus $10 monthly. Five-user minimum on paid plans. Verified 24 September 2026.
Who it suits
A school already on Zoho apps that wants the lowest entry figure.
Where it wins
The lowest published entry price here, a free edition for up to five users and a 30-day trial.
Where it falls short
Five paid tiers, so the entry price is the bottom rung, and the figure shown depends on your region.
05

Connecteam

Priced per hub. Basic $29 a month billed yearly ($35 monthly) for the first 30 users, then $0.50 to $1.00 per extra user. Advanced $49 ($59), Expert $99 ($119). Free for up to 10 users. Verified 24 September 2026.
Who it suits
A small school that wants a free plan for up to ten staff.
Where it wins
Free up to ten users, and a 14-day trial on the paid hubs.
Where it falls short
Each hub is priced on its own, so a school buying more than one hub pays for each.
06

Calamari

Per employee a month, by module: Time Off $2.50 ($2 yearly), Time & Attendance $3 ($2.50), Core HR $2.50 ($2), Performance $3 ($2.50). Ten-seat minimum. Verified 24 September 2026.
Who it suits
A school that wants leave and attendance from a vendor that prices each module separately.
Where it wins
Each module has a clear published price and a 14-day trial.
Where it falls short
The bill is the sum of the modules you pick, with a ten-seat minimum.

Questions people ask

Can a school keep term breaks out of the absence figures?

Yes. Enter each break on the company holiday calendar, and PeopleMuster's attendance respects those dates. Staff aren't marked absent on a closed day, and the capacity grid shows the day as H.

How do staff check in without a fingerprint terminal?

With the browser check-in card on the staff dashboard, once an admin turns it on. By default it opens 60 minutes before shift start and closes 120 minutes after. A missed window becomes a punch request the office reviews.

What does PeopleMuster cost for a school with 60 staff?

$3 per person a month, so sixty staff pay one hundred and eighty dollars a month with every module included. Annual billing is $30 per person a year, which is two months free. Every new customer gets 14 days free with no card.

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