HeadMaster vs School Dismissal Manager (SDM)
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
HeadMaster
This app allows parents and students to access school-related information like homework, grades, and calendar events. It also provides functionality for parents to view billing details and make payments securely.
- Access homework assignments
- View grades
- Check calendar events
- Access billing information
- Make online payments
- View school announcements
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HeadMaster Mobile is a free and easy-to-use native app from ACS Technologies available for parents and students who use HeadMaster Online. With HeadMaster Mobile, parents and students can access homework, grades, and calendar events. Parents can also access their billing information and make payments. Features •Access school events, announcements, and homework assignments for each student. •View detailed balances and make online payments. Requirements •HeadMaster Online access.
School Dismissal Manager (SDM)
Easily communicate your child's dismissal instructions to their school. Schedule routine and exceptional dismissal plans for up to two weeks in advance. Receive reminders for changes and streamline car line pickup.
- Schedule dismissal instructions
- Set exceptions for any day
- Add notes to instructions
- Receive dismissal reminders
- Car line check-in
- Streamline dismissal process
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Parents, if your school uses School Dismissal Manager (SDM), this app lets you schedule your child's school dismissal instructions for any day within the next two weeks. Your child's typical everyday instruction is already set, so only exceptions need to be entered. Pick from your school's dismissal options and add a note if needed. Notify your school of your wishes in just a few seconds. Get a reminder on days your child has a dismissal exception. Your school will supply you with new login credentials at the start of the school year. Login, set your own password, then SDM is always only a click away. If your school uses SDM's FastLane for car line management, you can check in from the car line driveway. Your check in calls your children from their classrooms and lets the car line admin know you have arrived. This makes your school's car line faster, easier, and safer for your children. This app only works for parents in schools that use School Dismissal Manager (SDM) to streamline their dismissal process. For more information: https://www.schooldismissalmanager.com.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: School Dismissal Manager (SDM) at 2.5 against HeadMaster's 1.5. School Dismissal Manager (SDM) also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 10 months). HeadMaster's advantage is iOS requirement (6.1 vs 16.6). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
School Dismissal Manager (SDM) holds the better App Store score, 2.5 against 1.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 65 and 82 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 4% of HeadMaster's written reviews are positive against 11% of School Dismissal Manager (SDM)'s.
HeadMaster ships an update every 10 months, School Dismissal Manager (SDM) monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | HeadMaster | School Dismissal Manager (SDM) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 1.5 (65 ratings) | 2.5 (82 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 4.2% of reviews | 10.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 65 | 82 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 10 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 6.1 — better | 16.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 51 MB | 44 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | ACS Technologies Group, Inc. | School Dismissal Manager |
Customer experience
HeadMaster
School Dismissal Manager (SDM)
In-app purchases
HeadMaster
No in-app purchases
School Dismissal Manager (SDM)
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is HeadMaster free?
Is School Dismissal Manager (SDM) free?
Which has better reviews, HeadMaster or School Dismissal Manager (SDM)?
Do HeadMaster or School Dismissal Manager (SDM) have ads?
Which is updated more often, HeadMaster or School Dismissal Manager (SDM)?
Other comparisons
