Switch from Mimosa to Academic Scheduler
Mimosa Scheduling Software is used by schools and universities in over 80 countries, with a strong optimisation engine and room scheduling. But it is a Windows desktop program whose last listed release, 7.2.0, dates from September 2018, and its official website has been offline since 2020. Academic Scheduler is a cloud timetable app at $10–$20/month that runs in any browser and on phones, with a 14-day free trial.
A maintained, browser-based alternative to Mimosa
Why schools look for a Mimosa alternative
Mimosa is a capable, flexible scheduler with loyal users. These are the practical reasons schools are now moving on.
No visible updates or vendor website
The last release listed on Mimosa's updates page is version 7.2.0 from September 2018. By late 2020 mimosasoftware.com showed only an 'under construction' page, and the domain was later used by an unrelated site. Download portals such as heise now mark the software as no longer available.
Windows-only desktop program
Mimosa is installed on a Windows PC and saves its timetable in a local .mfw file. Mac and Linux users were told to run it through an emulator such as VirtualBox, Parallels or Wine, and there is no browser or phone version for building timetables.
Publishing online needs your own web server
Mimosa generates HTML timetables and calendar files, and its Schedule Data Server add-ons are PHP applications you host yourself. They were free, but supplied as-is, without warranty or support, so someone has to install and maintain them.
Licences tied to computers and student numbers
A Single-User Licence allowed use on one computer only and could not open files created on other computers. Sharing files across staff required a Site Licence priced by the size of the student body, up to €8,000.
What Academic Scheduler does differently
Four areas where a cloud product changes the day-to-day work.
Runs in any browser, including phones
There is nothing to install and no file to copy between computers. Your timetable data lives in one cloud account that the people you choose can open from any device.
- Works on Windows, Mac, Chromebooks and phones
- No emulator, installer or .mfw files
- Multi-branch organisation login for school groups
Sharing without hosting anything
Publish timetables to staff, students and parents with a password-protected, read-only share link or a QR code. You don't need a web server, PHP or an IT department.
- Password-protected read-only share links
- QR codes for noticeboards and classrooms
- PDF (A4 landscape) and Excel (.xlsx) export
Built for the school week, including cover and exams
Edit Mode blocks teacher double-booking and enforces weekly subject limits as you work. Substitution shows free teachers for each period with same-subject teachers highlighted, and exam timetables stop a class from getting the same subject twice.
- AI fill of empty periods (review before you save)
- Substitution with one-click email to the cover teacher
- Exam timetables by exam type and date range, with PDF
Academic years built in
Copy last year's setup into a new academic session to start the next year, while past years stay available as read-only records. Teacher workload charts show how periods are spread across your staff.
- Copy last session to start a new year
- Past sessions kept read-only
- Teacher workload charts
Academic Scheduler vs Mimosa — Feature by Feature
| Feature | Academic Scheduler | Mimosa Scheduling Software |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Cloud web app (any browser, phones) | Windows desktop (Mac/Linux via emulator) |
| Pricing model | Monthly, from $10/mo | One-time licence, €500–€8,000 (2018 list) |
| Free option | 14-day trial, no card | Yes — free edition up to 80 entries, 30-day trial |
| Recent updates and vendor website | Yes | No — last listed release 7.2.0 (2018) |
| Works offline | No | Yes |
| Automatic optimisation | AI fill of empty periods | Yes — six optimisation algorithms |
| Rooms and equipment scheduling | No | Yes |
| Course scheduling and student sectioning | No | Yes |
| Teacher double-booking prevention | Yes | Yes |
| Substitution management | Yes | Not published |
| Online publishing | Share links + QR codes | HTML export + self-hosted PHP add-ons |
| Export formats | PDF, Excel (.xlsx) | HTML, CSV, iCalendar, vCalendar, print |
| Data import | No | Yes — clipboard and text files |
| Interface languages | English, French | Not published |
A monthly plan vs a one-time licence
Academic Scheduler costs $10–$20/month, listed publicly and cancellable any month. Mimosa was sold as a one-time licence that included free upgrades and support, but no current price list or ordering page is online.
- Unlimited schedule generation
- Conflict & clash detection
- PDF & Excel export
- Secure shareable links
- Everything in Basic
- Collaborative sharing
- Substitution management
- Priority support
- Everything in Pro
- Exam timetable creation
- Exam clash prevention
- Analytics dashboard
Mimosa Scheduling Software: Mimosa's last published price list (marked valid to 31 December 2018) offered one-time licences with free lifetime upgrades and email and phone support: a Single-User Licence for one computer at €500, and a Site Licence at €800 below 800 students, €1 per student from 800 to 8,000, and €8,000 above that. Mimosa Pro, with double capacity, was included free in Site Licences for 2,000 or more students. A free Small School Edition (up to 80 entries) and a 30-day trial were also offered. The vendor website is no longer online, so these prices may not be available today (as listed on mimosasoftware.com, October 2019 archive).
Switch from Mimosa to Academic Scheduler in 3 steps
Start your free trial
Sign up in a couple of minutes with email or Google. There's no credit card and nothing to install, and you get 14 days to try it.
Re-enter your school data
Academic Scheduler can't import Mimosa (.mfw) files or spreadsheets. Keep your Mimosa reports open and add your periods, subjects, teachers with their availability, and classes with weekly lessons through our setup screens.
Build and share your timetable
Place lessons in Edit Mode, where teacher double-booking is blocked, or let AI fill empty periods for you to review. Then share a password-protected link or QR code, or export to PDF and Excel.
No credit card required · 14-day free trial · Cancel anytime
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about switching from Mimosa Scheduling Software to Academic Scheduler.
Ready to Make the Switch?
Join 350+ institutions that create conflict-free timetables in hours, not days. No credit card required.
14-day free trial · No credit card · Cancel anytime