Best Student Engagement Software in 2026
Updated
In short: Mainstay is ranked #1 of 21 as of 3 October 2026, ahead of Rubric and Pathify. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Rubric.
21 student engagement software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
| # | Platform | Score | Why | From | Free plan | Paid from | Engagement analytics | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Mainstay | 7.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | Yes | View |
| 2 | Rubric | 7.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 3 | Pathify | 6.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | Yes | View |
| 4 |  Suitable | 6.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | Yes | View |
| 5 |  CampusGroups | 6.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | — | View |
| 6 | Civitas Advising | 6.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | — | View |
| 7 | CampusESP | 6.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | Yes | View |
| 8 | Civitas Learning Student Impact Platform | 6.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | — | View |
| 9 |  ConexED Retain | 6.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | — | View |
| 10 |  InScribe | 6.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | Yes | View |
| 11 |  Mongoose | 5.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | Yes | View |
| 12 |  Unibuddy | 5.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | Yes | View |
| 13 |  Early Alert | 5.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | Yes | View |
| 14 |  Nearpeer | 5.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | Yes | View |
| 15 |  Starfish | 5.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | — | View |
| 16 |  Mentor Collective | 5.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | — | View |
| 17 |  Zynvo | 5.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 18 |  UniOne | 5.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | Yes | View |
| 19 |  YOU at College | 4.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | Yes | View |
| 20 |  Stunoa | 4.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | Yes | View |
| 21 |  Empower | 4.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | Yes | View |
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which student engagement software is ranked first on Inferse?
Mainstay is ranked #1 of 21 with a score of 7.9. Rubric is second and Pathify third.
How many of these have a free plan?
1 of the 21 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes, open and connectable first: a public API, open-source code, the depth of its documentation and a free tier to try it on. Model lists are sorted by the figure in their title, exactly as each provider publishes it. Paid placements never change a rank.