Large district SIS from Follett · Deployed in 25+ states
Follett Aspen. Beautiful name.
The implementation is the thorny part.
Aspen (Follett Aspen) is designed to check procurement boxes: every module, every report type, every integration a district RFP could ask for. The catch is in the usage. A 2.9 out of 5 on Capterra isn’t a bad break – it’s a pattern. Teachers find it slow, parents find it confusing, admins spend weeks on setup.
Alma gives K-12 educators everything they actually need, without the complexity no one asked for.
Where Aspen’s thorns show
“Attendance set up is painful. You may only submit 3 changes per reload before the system produces an error. Am I being tortured?”
– Verified Capterra reviewer · Education Management
“Aspen’s visual interface is cluttered and hard to navigate. Many features are buried in menus that require long instruction sheets to figure out.”
– Verified G2 reviewer · Education Management
“This software is not ready for prime time. It has been an embarrassment as a corporate roll out.”
– Verified GetApp reviewer · Non-incentivized review
Alma vs. Aspen
Aspen complexity is famous. Alma simplicity is too.
Alma delivers what Aspen promises – without the implementation marathon or the user complaints.
| Category | Alma | Follett Aspen |
|---|---|---|
| Intuitive interface for all staff | Designed for IT experts, not educators | |
| Built-in AI analytics (BeaconAI) | Requires configuration to surface insights | |
| API available out of the box | ||
| Fast, predictable implementation | Heavy change management required | |
| Capterra rating | 4.3 stars | 2.9 stars |
| Responsive, accessible support | Webinars and community forums | |
| State reporting compliance | ||
| Configurable for any school or district | ||
| Standards-based grading | Limited | |
| Drag-and-drop report card design | Basic | |
| Family portal included | ||
| FERPA & student data privacy |
Why districts choose Alma over Follett Aspen.
Alma’s depth doesn’t come with Aspen’s complexity – teachers can use it, admins can configure it, families can navigate it.
Built for educators, not systems administrators
Aspen is powerful enough for large enterprise districts. But power means nothing if your teachers need an instruction sheet to take attendance. Alma is both powerful and approachable.
What this means for your school
- Faster onboarding for new staff
- Fewer IT support tickets
- Higher adoption across roles
- Accessible on any device, any time
Intelligence without the configuration overhead
Alma’s BeaconAI surfaces at-risk students and attendance trends automatically. Aspen can surface insights too, but requires significant configuration to get there.
Included capabilities
- At-risk student identification
- Attendance trend analysis
- Performance benchmarking
- Natural language data queries
Real people. Fast answers.
Alma’s support team knows your whole platform, not just one product in a portfolio. Fast responses, real expertise, no bounced tickets.
How support works
- Dedicated onboarding specialist
- Live support throughout the school year
- Proactive outreach, not reactive fixes
- Ongoing training resources included
Go live without a change management program
Aspen’s own documentation describes a heavy change management requirement. Alma’s implementation is structured and efficient, designed to fit your school calendar, not a corporate rollout plan.
What smooth looks like
- Structured data migration support
- Role-specific training tracks
- Live before the bell rings
- No surprise costs mid-project
“Unlike other SIS’s, Alma actually looks and feels like it was made in the 2010’s. Their customer service has been great, and the cost has been at least 50% less than quotes we were getting from major competitors. Many reasons to switch to Alma.”
Verified Alma Customer · via Capterra
The bottom line
Aspen is complex by design.
Alma is simple – on purpose.
Built for the classroom, not the server room
Aspen is built for large enterprise districts with dedicated IT staff. Alma is built for the teachers, counselors, and admins who need their SIS to work without a manual.
AI without the configuration overhead
Alma’s BeaconAI surfaces at-risk students, attendance trends, and performance signals automatically. No expert configuration required to get meaningful insights.
Support that picks up the phone
Alma’s support team answers directly. No waiting for the next webinar, no community forum workarounds, no escalation chains.
Go live without the corporate rollout
Aspen requires heavy change management by its own admission. Alma’s onboarding fits your school calendar and gets your team confident before students arrive.
Ready for implementation without the thorns?
See how Alma’s integrated platform compares to Aspen’s patchwork in a demo built around your district.
