5 Active Camp and Class Manager Alternatives for Simple Class Registration
If you’re looking for a registration solution for your arts education program, you’ve probably found dozens of tools that claim to be the perfect fit. Yet, when it comes right down to it, there are four things you really need, but not all solutions have.
- A delightful, simple experience for students and parents. Some registration tools try to upsell your students with services that have nothing to do with you and just create confusion. The right registration software supports you by enabling you to showcase your offerings in the best light and provide a simple, clear signup experience.
- A class registration solution designed for your needs. When registration tools try to serve everyone, they end up serving no one. You want a registration tool that’s specifically designed for arts education programs like yours.
- Affordable terms. Multi-year contracts and narrow cancellation windows trap you in relationships that are no longer serving you. By contrast, the best registration solutions give you the flexibility to make changes without financial penalties.
- Integration with other essential tools. These days, organizations run on a whole suite of technologies. The best registration software integrates with ticketing, donor management, and other tools you’re already using.
If you’re ready for a class registration system that ticks all of these boxes, connect with the CourseStorm team today. Or read on if you want an overview of all five Active Camp and Class Manager alternatives.
#1: CourseStorm for arts education programs
Key benefit: Draw patrons in with a delightful catalog and clear checkout experience
Beautiful imagery and a simple navigation experience can do wonders for your class registration rate. With CourseStorm, you can organize your offerings with clear categories, making it simple for people to find the classes and camps that interest them. Our built in image library allows you to browse royalty free images that you can use to bring your offerings to life. And compelling imagery means increased interest which means increased enrollments. CourseStorm can also integrate with your core website, keeping your brand and design consistent.
When it comes to the checkout experience, people expect smooth and effortless. Enter some basic information, click a button, and you’re done. At CourseStorm, we’ve refined our checkout and payment process to be as streamlined as possible. Plus, there are no third-party add-ons or extra offers to confuse customers. Just your class catalog in full color with all the details they need to make an informed decision.
Key benefit: Support from a small business focused on arts education programs
A Maine-based small business started by two friends who believe in the power of lifelong learning, CourseStorm is a camp and class registration software solution designed for arts education programs. We’re active in the arts and education communities, serving youth orchestras, art centers, academies of fine arts, theaters, museums and anyone else who brings arts education to their communities.
Every month, we engage in conversations with our clients and partners to gain a deeper understanding of what arts education programs want and need, not just from their registration solution, but to stay successful in the current climate.
These conversations directly influence CourseStorm design and features including customizable registration forms, flexible instructor access, automated waitlisting, payment plans, auto-marketing tools, “Just Ask” reporting, and more.
With CourseStorm, you can easily add classes in bulk from a spreadsheet and organize them into seasonal catalogs that go live and come off your website on specific dates.
Beyond feature development, our top-rated Customer Success team is made up of folks who come from nonprofits and education and strive to understand your organization’s unique needs and work with you to grow your impact.
Key benefit: Choose flexible terms that fit your program’s needs
With budgets for many arts organizations in flux, you want the reliability of a consistent subscription model without getting locked into a multi-year commitment. Coursestorm offers four subscription tiers with monthly and yearly payment options to match any budget.
Every tier includes the essential features you need to attract and register students: a catalog website; family accounts; rosters, waitlists & transfers; credit card processing; and basic reporting. You’ll also get onboarding support and help library access to make the set-up process as smooth as possible.
While other solutions set student fees as high as $5, CourseStorm keeps them affordable at $2.49 per registration. You only pay these fees when a student registers. There’s no upselling for you or your students!
Our plans are designed to align with arts education program needs at different stages of growth based on what we’ve seen work for our customers. As your program grows, you can easily step up to a more sophisticated plan to manage changing needs and higher demand.
Key benefit: Grow with a class registration tool that integrates with your core systems
Integrated systems save time and frustration for administrative staff and leadership. Most arts programs have multiple offerings like shows, memberships or merchandise in addition to their classes. A class registration solution that keeps learner information locked away from the rest of the organization means missing out on potential engagement and donations.
That’s why CourseStorm has formed partnerships with Spektrix, Leap Patron Manager (formerly Patron Manager), Little Green Light and more. Integrate your data across these tools to support fundraising, memberships, and patron engagement. For even more connectivity, explore our catalog of Zapier integrations, which sync CourseStorm data with over 5,000 apps including Google Apps, Salesforce, and popular email solutions.
As Kit Burke-Smith, education director at Garrison Art Center, put it: “We have so many different things going on. We have classes, events, a gallery, membership. Having registrations go through one well-designed system that integrates with our donor management system has not only been really helpful but it has allowed us to grow our education capacities. We've definitely grown our classes and enrollments over 100%.”
Ready to save time and keep customers happy with a flexible solution designed specifically for programs like yours? Get your free CourseStorm demo today.
#2: Sawyer
Sawyer is built for kids activity classes and camps, which they list directly in the “marketplace” on their website. Registrations through those listings incur a 30% marketplace fee, which gets smaller as you upgrade your plan. You’ll also pay a monthly flat fee in addition to that marketplace charge.
That price tag comes with some useful features. You can take registrations directly on your site, offer discounts, and integrate with Constant Contact or Mailchimp for marketing. Sawyer also automates customer refunds and reminders.
Features and capabilities:
- Marketplace listings
- Family profiles and group registration
- Add-ons like early drop-off and late pickup
- Weekly secure payouts
#3: JackRabbit
Another kid-focused registration software, JackRabbit is designed for gymnastics, dance, swim, cheer, and music programs. This is a great solution for youth activity centers that already use it for their year-round classes.
They offer a parent portal that lets parents track their child’s skill development and access account details. Parents can even watch classes with live streaming. JackRabbit does have a no monthly fee option, as long as you’re willing to charge parents an extra 1.25% on each transaction.
Features and capabilities:
- Student skill tracking
- Staff time clock
- Uniform and performance management
- Integrated point of sale system
#4: RegFox
RegFox is event registration software that also offers some functionality for classes. You can set up merchandise and product sale add-ons, which is great if you have tee shirts or other camp swag to sell. Other tools, like badge printing, are more useful for adult events.
The software does offer capability for onsite payments, design customization tools, and 3rd party integrations. Services like email marketing automation and text messaging come with an extra monthly fee attached.
Features and capabilities:
- Event CRM
- Check-in app
- Social media plug-ins
- Lots of page design options
#5: Regpack
Originally designed for billing automation, Regpack has some useful tools for managing payments. They’re a great fit for subscription-based programs, but lack some of the marketing and engagement integrations other platforms have.
Regpack charges a monthly fee “per license” that renews yearly. That means you’ll be charged for each person who has access to your administrative tools. Charges come out year round, even if you only take registrations a couple of months each year.
Features and capabilities:
- Customizable registration forms
- Payment plans
- Campers can reserve spots without paying
- Group registration
The ideal class registration solution for arts education
Your students, patrons, and staff deserve a registration solution that makes their lives easier. No upselling, no multi-year contracts, and no time wasted. We’ve worked hard over the last decade to make CourseStorm the camp and class registration solution of choice for arts and education programs across the country. Discover the simplicity, helpfulness and growth your program has been looking for. Connect with our team today and see if CourseStorm is right for your program and needs.
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