Key takeaways
- Edval, the timetabling suite from Edval Education (part of Tes) often searched for as Timetabler, is premium and deep; its master timetabler runs as a single-user Windows desktop product. Smootables is a hosted, planning-first cloud tool.
- 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 an Edval (Timetabler) alternative?
If your school uses Edval, or you are evaluating it from the best school timetable software 2026 roundup, this page is for you. Edval, from Edval Education (now part of Tes) and 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: Edval 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 optimisation, 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 optimisation. 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.
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 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 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 | Edval (Timetabler) | 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 (Australia) | Cloud SaaS on AWS and Microsoft Azure, browser-based, multi-user (Finland) |
| 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 | Optimisation across many alternate timetables; staffing analysis flags over and understaffing | 12 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 |
| Pricing | Annually renewable subscription; quote-based, described by independent comparisons as premium and potentially expensive for smaller schools | Evaluated through a demo and pilot; the comparison that usually matters is planner hours saved |
| 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 a single-user desktop master timetabler
- Modeling multi-year plans, vocational pathways, and work-based learning without a parallel spreadsheet
- Running pre-generation validation on a known-tight period
- Comparing scenarios with timetable branches instead of overwriting drafts
- Checking workload before any timetable is generated
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 model from Edval (teachers, rooms, classes, and teaching plans) using its export or integration options.
- 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 Edval 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 Edval (Timetabler) and Smootables
Is Smootables a direct replacement for Edval (Timetabler)?
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 optimisation 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.