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Education · head to head

Aeries Student Information System vs Gimkit

Aeries Student Information System logo

Aeries Student Information System

Education

Student information system built around California state reporting for public school districts

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Gimkit logo

Gimkit

Education

Game-based learning built by students

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Gimkit has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • They diverge on capability: Aeries Student Information System covers CALPADS reporting, Gimkit covers Game modes.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Aeries Student Information System and Gimkit actually diverge.

Attributes where Aeries Student Information System and Gimkit differ
AttributeAeries Student Information SystemGimkit
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotefreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, WindowsWeb, IOS, Android
FoundedUnknown2017

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Education).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Aeries Student Information System

  • CALPADS reporting
  • Attendance accounting
  • Scheduling and gradebook
  • Self-hosted or hosted
  • Parent and pupil portals
  • Query and report writer

Only in Gimkit

  • Game modes
  • In-game currency
  • Live games
  • Assignments
  • Reports
  • Question import
  • Audio questions
  • Game themes

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Aeries Student Information System

  • A Californian district that wants CALPADS submissions produced natively rather than by an external consultant each reporting windownot Gimkit
  • County offices of education that must support many small districts on one shared instancenot Gimkit
  • Districts with existing Microsoft SQL Server capability that prefer to keep the student record on their own infrastructurenot Gimkit
  • Replacing a legacy system where average daily attendance accuracy is directly tied to funding receivednot Gimkit

Gimkit

  • Review gamesnot Aeries Student Information System
  • Formative assessmentnot Aeries Student Information System
  • Student engagementnot Aeries Student Information System
  • Test prepnot Aeries Student Information System

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Aeries Student Information System

  • The core advantage is California specific. A district outside California pays for a system whose main differentiator does not apply to its state reporting obligations.
  • The third party application ecosystem is smaller than that of the national vendors, so some education technology suppliers support it only through generic rostering rather than a native integration.
  • The self-hosted option shifts patching, backup and database administration to district staff, and districts that choose it for cost reasons often lack the staffing to sustain it.
  • The interface reflects a long product history and is dense, so training time for new registrars and office staff is longer than for more recently rewritten competitors.
  • Reporting flexibility depends on staff who understand the underlying data model, and when that person leaves, the district loses a large amount of undocumented institutional capability.

Gimkit

Nothing recorded yet. See the Gimkit review.

Pricing, plan by plan

Aeries Student Information System

On request
  • Aeries Student Information System$undefined/year
    • Quoted per pupil per year
    • Hosted and self-hosted licensing differ
    • Implementation and data conversion quoted separately

Gimkit

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 5 kits
    • Basic game modes
  • Pro$9.99/month
    • Unlimited kits
    • All game modes
    • Reports
  • School/District$undefined/month
    • All Pro features
    • Admin tools
    • Rostering

Which should you pick?

Choose Aeries Student Information System if

  • You need calpads reporting.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Windows.
  • You also want attendance accounting.
Aeries Student Information System review

Choose Gimkit if

  • You need game modes.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want in-game currency.
Gimkit review

Questions people ask

Is Aeries Student Information System or Gimkit better?
Neither clearly leads. Aeries Student Information System starts at On request and Gimkit at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Aeries Student Information System or Gimkit?
Gimkit has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Aeries Student Information System and Free for Gimkit.
Does Aeries Student Information System or Gimkit run on more platforms?
Aeries Student Information System runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows. Gimkit runs on Web, IOS, Android.
Can I use Gimkit for free?
Yes. Gimkit has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Aeries Student Information System starts at On request.
What is Aeries Student Information System best used for?
Aeries Student Information System is most often used for a californian district that wants calpads submissions produced natively rather than by an external consultant each reporting window, county offices of education that must support many small districts on one shared instance, districts with existing microsoft sql server capability that prefer to keep the student record on their own infrastructure, replacing a legacy system where average daily attendance accuracy is directly tied to funding received. Of those, a californian district that wants calpads submissions produced natively rather than by an external consultant each reporting window and county offices of education that must support many small districts on one shared instance are not what Gimkit is typically brought in for.
What can Aeries Student Information System do that Gimkit cannot?
Aeries Student Information System covers CALPADS reporting, Attendance accounting, Scheduling and gradebook, Self-hosted or hosted. Gimkit covers Game modes, In-game currency, Live games, Assignments.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Aeries Student Information System: Is Aeries usable outside California?

Yes, and it is in use in several other states, but the state reporting depth that makes it compelling in California is not replicated everywhere, so it competes on general merit elsewhere.

Aeries Student Information System: Can we host it ourselves?

Yes. Aeries still supports district hosted deployment on Microsoft SQL Server, which is uncommon among current student information systems and is a genuine reason some county offices stay.

Aeries Student Information System: How does it handle FERPA?

The district remains the data owner and controller of the education record. Aeries acts under district direction, and access is controlled through district assigned roles and permissions.

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