The FET alternative for schools that need support
FET is a genuinely impressive piece of free software — a capable constraint solver that costs nothing, and for a school with a technical timetabler it can do the job. What it does not come with is your school data, substitution management, notifications or anyone to call. Edukali Time Table solves the same problem inside the platform that already holds your teachers, classes and rooms.
What FET does well
FET is a free, open-source automatic timetabling program.
- Free and open source, with no licence cost at all.
- A capable constraint solver with a long development history.
- Full local control for institutions that require it.
Why teachers pick Edukali
- Runs on your existing staff, class and room records — no data file to build and maintain.
- Substitution cover with automatic notification to affected teachers and classes.
- An AI assistant that answers questions about the live timetable by chat or voice.
- One platform: the same account runs courses, question papers, online exams, live quizzes, OMR and AI grading — results land in one gradebook.
- India-first pricing in ₹ with a free tier for individual teachers; white-label available for institutions.
Side by side
| Feature | Edukali | FET |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic clash-free generation | Yes | Yes |
| Free of licence cost | No | Yes |
| Runs on existing school data | Yes | — |
| Substitution cover + notifications | Yes | — |
| Q&A over the live timetable | Chat or voice | — |
| Vendor support | Yes | Community |
| Offline desktop operation | No | Yes |
Comparison reflects typical capabilities of each product category as of August 2026. All trademarks belong to their respective owners.
Frequently asked
Why pay when FET is free?
If you have a technical timetabler happy to maintain data files, free is a fair answer. Edukali is for schools that want it connected to their records and supported.
Does it work offline?
No. Local, offline operation is a genuine advantage of the open-source desktop tools.
Do we maintain a separate data file?
No, it uses the school records already in the platform.
What about substitutions?
Cover is assigned against the same constraints and notifications go out automatically.
Is there support?
Yes, vendor support is included rather than community-only.