Key takeaways
- FET is free, open-source desktop timetabling software with a powerful constraint engine; Smootables is a hosted, planning-first cloud tool.
- FET runs offline on Windows, macOS, and Linux and generates fully automatically; Smootables adds year planning, workload, and validation before generation.
- Pre-solve validation and typed infeasibility reports surface planning issues before a generation run.
- Pilot one term in parallel, then switch publication scope when results match.
Who should consider a FET alternative?
If your school uses FET (Free Timetabling Software), or you are weighing it against the cloud tools in the best school timetable software 2026 roundup, this page is for you. FET is free and open-source software licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License v3, and it runs as a cross-platform desktop application on Windows, macOS, and Linux, plus a command-line version. Its constraint engine is powerful, and independent comparisons rank it highly on value. This is a fair comparison, not a takedown.
The short version: FET is a free, offline generator you install and run yourself. Smootables is a hosted, school year planning-first cloud tool. The two differ in where the software runs, how much year and pathway modeling sits in the product before generation, and whether a vendor supports setup and migration.
Where does FET work well, and where do hosted, planning-first schools look elsewhere?
FET is a strong fit for schools and universities that are comfortable installing desktop software and want a free, flexible generator. The columns below show where FET works well and where schools that want hosted planning, validation, and support may prefer the Smootables model.
Where FET works well
Schools, high schools, and universities that want a genuinely free, open-source generator (AGPL v3) with no licence cost, running on Windows, macOS, and Linux, and on very modest hardware. FET generates fully automatically with a large catalog of time and space constraints, plus semi-automatic and manual allocation.
FET also offers operating modes for different school systems, including a Terms mode used in Finland, and a scriptable command-line version for generation without a screen. Reviewers who criticise the interface still describe the engine as powerful and flexible.
Where hosted, planning-first schools look elsewhere
FET's official materials describe automatic generation, constraints, and file-based output, not an academic-year planning layer, a hosted cloud service, or a vendor support contract. The manual states FET has no undo option and advises saving the dataset regularly, and reviews describe a bare, text-oriented interface with a steep initial learning curve.
For vocational college timetable software buyers and schools with mixed cohorts, the work sits in year planning, workload, pathways, and validation before a solve. Smootables puts period planning, workload, pathways, resources, validation, and editing into one hosted model, with piloting and data-migration help.
How is Smootables different from FET?
Smootables shares the core idea of automatic generation against hard and soft constraints. It runs in the cloud instead of on a desktop, and it starts earlier in the lifecycle. The planning model holds academic years, terms, periods, courses, modules, pathways, workload, and individual student assignments. Generation runs against that model (see automatic school timetabling), so validation can catch likely infeasibility before the solve. For a step-by-step creation guide with Smootables workflow at each stage, see how to create a school timetable.
The solver uses Google OR-Tools CP-SAT with 11 hard constraints and 6 weighted soft constraints, 12 pre-generation validation checks, typed infeasibility reports, a waiting area for deferred lessons, and timetable branches for scenario recovery. A built-in AI planner assistant lets planners describe changes in natural language and review bulk updates on the same planning model the solver uses.
How does Smootables compare to FET in 2026?
The table contrasts FET and Smootables across cost, deployment, planning depth, validation, editing, pathways, AI, and output. FET is strong as a free, powerful offline generator; Smootables is a hosted, planning-first tool, so several rows reflect where the data lives and how the product is run.
| Dimension | FET | Smootables |
|---|---|---|
| Cost and licensing | Free and open-source under the GNU AGPL v3, with no licence cost | Commercial cloud SaaS, evaluated through a demo and pilot |
| Deployment | Cross-platform desktop app for Windows, macOS, and Linux, plus a command-line version; runs offline | Cloud SaaS on AWS and Microsoft Azure, browser-based, multi-user |
| Year and period planning | Official materials describe generation and constraints, not an academic-year planning layer | First-class part of the model |
| Pre-solve validation | Constraint handling during generation; timetables produced as HTML, XML, and CSV files | 12 validation checks before generation, with typed infeasibility reports |
| Editing and undo | The official manual states there is no undo option and advises saving the dataset regularly | In-app editing with timetable branches for scenario recovery |
| Individual pathways and work-based learning | Large constraint catalog for class-based scheduling; no work-based-learning or individual-pathway model described in official materials | Group, individual, and per-placement exemption support in the core model |
| Automation and AI | Fully automatic generation using a heuristic recursive-swapping algorithm | CP-SAT solver plus a built-in AI planner assistant for in-app actions |
| Publication and export | Timetables exported to HTML, XML, and CSV, viewed in a browser | PDF and Excel export plus read-only teacher views; SIS and calendar integrations are available |
What should schools validate when replacing FET in 2026?
When deciding whether Smootables is the right replacement, these are the scenarios where the hosted, planning-first model usually shows the biggest difference:
- Giving several planners hosted, multi-user access without sharing a desktop file
- Modeling individual pathways and work-based learning without a parallel spreadsheet
- Running pre-generation validation on a known-tight period
- Editing with timetable branches instead of re-running and regenerating a file
- Getting vendor help with setup and data migration
What is the migration path from FET?
Moving off FET is a parallel run, not a big-bang switch. Compare manual timetabling alternatives if you are also evaluating spreadsheet workflows. The steps below export your FET data, import it into Smootables, validate before scheduling, and run one term in parallel before you change the published source of truth.
- Export your current data from FET (its timetables and data files support CSV and XML).
- Import the model into Smootables using structured import with column mapping, or AI-assisted extraction for older exports.
- Validate the model in Smootables. Pre-solve validation will surface mismatches that are easier to resolve before scheduling.
- Run one term in parallel. Keep FET as the published source of truth while you verify the Smootables result.
- Switch publication for one scope (campus, program, or term) once the parallel run looks correct.
- Roll out to the rest of the school in subsequent cycles. We support piloting and data migration so testing Smootables is fast and practical.
Questions schools ask when comparing FET and Smootables
Is Smootables a direct replacement for FET?
It can be for planning, generation, editing, and export. FET is a free desktop generator with a powerful constraint engine. Smootables is a hosted cloud tool that adds year planning, workload, pathways, and pre-solve validation, with vendor support for setup and migration. Many schools move when they outgrow a single desktop file or want validation before the solve.
FET is free. How does Smootables justify a cost?
FET has no licence cost, which is a real advantage. The comparison that usually matters is planner hours saved across setup, validation, and regeneration, plus hosted multi-user access and vendor support. Evaluate both on your own data and count the time each one takes end to end.
We run FET on Linux and like that it is offline. Do we lose that with Smootables?
Smootables is cloud SaaS, so it runs in a browser rather than offline on your own machine. You gain hosted multi-user access, backups, and validation before generation. If offline desktop operation is a hard requirement, FET remains a fit for that specific need.
FET has no undo. Does Smootables handle changes differently?
Yes. FET's manual states it has no undo option and advises saving the dataset regularly. Smootables supports in-app editing and timetable branches, so you can compare scenarios and recover a previous version instead of re-running a file.
FET's constraint engine is powerful. Why switch?
The engine is not the reason to switch. The gain is the work around it: hosted access for several planners, year planning and workload in the same product, validation that catches problems before a solve, and support for migration.