Key takeaways
- Tes Timetable, from Tes and powered by Edval (often searched for as Timetabler), runs deep algorithmic optimization, exploring up to 30,000 alternate timetables per second, on a single-user Windows desktop core. Smootables is a hosted, planning-first cloud tool built for several planners at once.
- Edval is strong for complex master scheduling, elective and option lines, and daily operations; Smootables adds multi-year planning, vocational pathways, and pre-solve 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 Tes Timetable alternative?
If your school uses Tes Timetable (formerly Edval), or you are evaluating it from the best school timetable software 2026 roundup, this page is for you. Tes Timetable, from Tes and powered by Edval (still widely searched for as Timetabler), is a timetabling suite: a master timetabler (Edval and Edval 10), cloud Edval Daily for daily operations, and Edval Choice for student subject selection. It is powerful for complex schedules, and the vendor reports use by over 1400 schools across 16 countries. This is a fair comparison, not a takedown.
The short version: Tes Timetable centers deep master scheduling and daily operations, with a master timetabler that runs as a single-user Windows desktop product while a cloud migration is in progress. Smootables is a hosted, school year planning-first cloud tool. The two differ in deployment, planning depth, and how much year and pathway modeling sits in the product before generation.
Where does Edval work well, and where do cloud, planning-first schools look elsewhere?
Edval is a strong fit for premium institutions with complex schedules that want deep optimization, elective handling, and daily operations, often with consultant support. The columns below show where Edval works well and where cloud, planning-first schools may prefer the Smootables model.
Where Edval works well
Institutions with complex master schedules that want deep algorithmic optimization. Edval uses more than 60 algorithms to auto-staff and auto-room timetables, and a Tes-branded listing cites exploring up to 30,000 alternate timetables per second. It has strong student-choice and option-line handling with class-list management, plus staffing analysis that flags over and understaffing.
Edval Daily overlays daily variations such as cover, swaps, and exam-block scheduling, Edval Choice captures subject selection online, and Edval integrates with over 70 student-information and management systems via LISS, SIF, or flat file. Independent guidance recommends Edval for premium institutions wanting teacher-friendly schedules and consultant support.
Where cloud, planning-first schools look elsewhere
Edval's master timetabler (Edval 10) is a single-user Windows desktop product with a cloud migration in progress, while Edval Daily and Edval Choice are cloud-based. Independent comparisons describe setup as rigorous, roughly two weeks with data migration, and pricing as premium and quote-based, which can be expensive for smaller schools. One long-term reviewer also reported bugs after updates that could destabilize data and called rooming clunky; treat that as a single review, not a documented pattern.
For vocational college timetable software buyers and schools with mixed cohorts, multi-year planning, workload, individual pathways, and pre-solve validation sit outside a master-scheduling-plus-daily-operations model. Smootables puts period planning, workload, pathways, resources, validation, and editing into one hosted, multi-user model.
How is Smootables different from Edval?
Smootables shares automatic generation against hard and soft constraints. It runs in the cloud with multi-user access instead of a single-user desktop master timetabler, 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 CP-SAT with enforced hard constraints (clash-free teacher/room/group scheduling, room capacity and availability, teacher weekly hours, breaks, pinned placements, and lesson dependencies) and 6 weighted soft constraints, 13 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. Where Edval's 60-plus algorithms run the actual optimization on that single-user Windows desktop core, the planning model is what a Smootables planner works in directly, in the browser, with several planners in it at once.
How does Smootables compare to Edval in 2026?
The table contrasts Edval and Smootables across workflow, deployment, planning depth, validation, pathways, AI, pricing, and integration. Edval is strong for deep master scheduling and daily operations; Smootables is a hosted, planning-first tool, so several rows reflect where the data lives and how the product is run.
| Dimension | Tes Timetable (Edval) | Smootables |
|---|---|---|
| Workflow | Rigorous setup, then automated master scheduling with manual allocation; daily operations via Edval Daily | Planning-first, then generate a timetable from the plan in one step |
| Deployment | Master timetabler (Edval 10) is a single-user Windows desktop product with a cloud migration in progress; Edval Daily and Edval Choice are cloud-based | Cloud SaaS on Microsoft Azure, browser-based, multi-user |
| Year and period planning | Master timetabling and daily operations; no academic-year planning layer described at capture | First-class part of the model |
| Individual pathways and work-based learning | Strong elective and option-line generation and class-list management; no work-based-learning or individual-pathway model described at capture | Group, individual, and per-placement exemption support in the core model |
| Pre-solve validation | Optimization across many alternate timetables; staffing analysis flags over and understaffing | 13 validation checks before generation, with typed infeasibility reports |
| Automation and AI | More than 60 algorithms for auto-staffing and auto-rooming; explores many alternate timetables | CP-SAT solver plus a built-in AI planner assistant for in-app actions |
| Company location | Australia (Edval Education, part of Tes) | Finland |
| Pricing | Annually renewable subscription; quote-based, described by independent comparisons as premium and potentially expensive for smaller schools | Self-serve annual licenses by teacher-record band on pricing; serviced work is quoted |
| Integration and export | Integrates with over 70 student-information and management systems via LISS, SIF, or flat file | PDF and Excel export plus read-only teacher views; SIS and calendar integrations are available |
What should schools validate when replacing Edval 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, instead of running the actual master-scheduling algorithm on one person's Windows desktop while Daily and Choice stay in the cloud around it
- Modeling vocational pathways and work-based learning in the same planning model, the layer Edval's suite documents as master scheduling, daily cover, and subject selection, not year-level planning
- Running pre-solve validation before the roughly two-week setup and data migration independent comparisons describe for Edval, instead of after it
- Comparing scenarios with timetable branches instead of re-running one of Edval's 60-plus algorithms and re-checking the staffing analysis by hand
- Checking workload before any timetable is generated, not from the over/understaffing report Edval's auto-staff and auto-room pass returns afterward
What is the migration path from Edval?
Moving off Edval is a parallel run, not a big-bang switch. Compare TimetableMaster alternative if you are also evaluating other cloud generators. The steps below export your Edval 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 structure from Edval, including the elective and option-line data it generates.
- Import into Smootables with column mapping; option structures come across as course and pathway data rather than as a fixed grid.
- Model the year and workload layer directly in Smootables, alongside the option structure.
- Generate one term and compare it with the Edval build for the same term: option satisfaction, gaps and planner hours.
- Publish one year group or campus from Smootables while Edval stays live for the rest.
- Move the remaining scopes at the next planning cycle.
Questions schools ask when comparing Tes Timetable (Edval) and Smootables
Is Smootables a direct replacement for Tes Timetable (Edval)?
It can be for planning, generation, editing, and export. Edval's strengths are deep master scheduling, elective handling, and daily operations. Smootables adds hosted multi-user access, year planning, vocational pathways, and pre-solve validation. Many schools pilot Smootables when they want cloud access and a planning layer before the solve.
Edval's master timetabler runs on Windows. Does Smootables need installation?
No. Smootables is cloud SaaS and runs in a browser, with multi-user access. Edval's master timetabler (Edval 10) is a single-user Windows desktop product with a cloud migration in progress, so a hosted model is one of the clearest differences.
We rely on Edval Choice and Edval Daily. Does Smootables cover those workflows?
Smootables centers planning, generation, editing, and AI-assisted changes rather than a separate subject-selection or daily-cover suite. If online subject selection or daily cover is essential, describe those needs during a pilot so we can confirm the fit before you commit.
Edval integrates with 70+ SIS systems. What about Smootables?
Smootables offers integrations with SIS and calendar systems. If a specific student-information system is important, describe it during a pilot so we can confirm the integration path before you commit.
Edval is powerful for complex schedules. Why consider Smootables?
Edval's optimization is strong. The reasons to consider Smootables are different: hosted multi-user access, multi-year planning and workload in the same product, vocational pathways, and validation that catches problems before a solve.
Edval cites 1400+ schools, a 99% renewal rate, and 95% support happiness. Should we trust those numbers?
Treat vendor scale statistics as unverified unless they cite a review platform or independent source. Our competitor capture noted the 1400+ schools, 99% renewal rate, and 95% support-happiness figures on Edval's own pages, self-reported rather than sourced to a review platform. Evaluate both tools on your own pilot data instead.