Clipboard Core
A full-featured platform designed for comprehensive school extra-curricular management.
Clipboard Lite
A free version specifically created for schools that don't yet have Clipboard and are part of a Compete association.
Quick Comparison Summary
Feature Category | Core | Lite |
Compete Participation | ✅ Full | ✅ Full |
Fixture Management | ✅ School and Association | ⚠️ Association Only |
Team Management | ✅ Advanced | ✅ Basic |
Communication | ✅ Staff, Students & Parents | ⚠️ Staff Only |
Session Management | ✅ Full | ❌ Not Available |
Live Support | ✅ Email and In-app Chat | ❌ Not Available |
Cost | 💰 Paid Subscription | 🆓 Free |
Detailed Feature Comparison
Available in Both Core and Lite:
Team Nominations - Submit Teams to association Competitions
Fixture Participation - Receive and manage Fixtures from associations
Results Entry - Coaches can enter match results via mobile devices
Fixtures Inbox - Receive and accept Fixture changes and updates
Basic Notifications - Transactional notifications about Fixtures and Results
Competition Viewing - Access to Ladders and Fixture information
Mobile Access - Mobile-friendly interface for coaches and staff
Fixture Management Capabilities
Core Schools Can:
Create their own Fixtures - Schedule friendly Fixtures, training Sessions, and internal competitions
Full fixture control - Complete editing, scheduling, and management capabilities
Session integration - Link Fixtures to training sessions and internal Activities
Advanced scheduling - Complex Fixture arrangements and custom competitions
Lite Schools Can:
Association fixtures only - Can only manage Fixtures created by the association
Limited editing - Cannot create new Fixtures independently
Basic management - Accept/decline association Fixtures, enter/accept/decline Results
Communication Features
Core Schools Get:
Comprehensive notifications - Full range of transactional and bulk messaging
Bulk messaging capabilities - Send communications to multiple users
Advanced notification controls - Customise who receives what information
Parent/guardian messaging - Direct communication with families
Staff notifications - Send push notifications about schedule changes and Fixture updates
Integration capabilities - Connect with communication platforms like Digistorm, Schoolbox and many other systems
Lite Schools Get:
Essential notifications only - Basic transactional notifications about Fixtures
Staff-focused - Primarily for staff members
No bulk messaging - Cannot send mass communications
Team Management
Core Schools:
Full Team lifecycle - Create, manage and archive Teams across all Seasons
Team-based attendance - Mark rolls and track Fixture/Session attendance
Student participation - View which Teams students have joined across all years
Drag-and-drop Team management - Easily move students between Teams
Historical tracking - Complete Team history and performance records
Multi-Season planning - Prepare Teams for upcoming Seasons while current ones are active
Lite Schools:
Basic Team management - Create and manage Teams for association participation
Nomination management - Nominate Teams in the association's Competitions
Limited history - Basic team records, less comprehensive tracking
Session and Activity Management
Core Schools:
Full Session management - Create, schedule and manage Sessions/Fixtures
Activity integration - Link sessions to Competitions and Teams
Attendance tracking - Roll-marking capabilities for all Activities
Resource management - Venue and equipment scheduling
Comprehensive reporting - Detailed activity and attendance reports
Lite Schools:
No session management - Cannot create or manage training sessions
No attendance tracking - No roll-marking functionality
Limited activity management - Focus only on competition participation
Additional Modules (Core Only)
Core schools have access to additional modules at an extra cost:
Activity Selection - Student course and activity selection system
Incident Management - Track and manage student incidents
Timesheets - Casual staff timesheet management
Resources - Log and manage equipment
Support Levels
Core Schools:
Live support during business hours - Direct access to the support team
Technical assistance - Help with setup, configuration and troubleshooting
Training resources - Comprehensive training materials and guidance
Priority response - Faster response times for support requests
Lite Schools:
No live support - Self-service support only
Limited assistance - Basic help through documentation
Community support - Rely on association and peer support
Upgrade Path
From Lite to Core:
Seamless transition - All your Compete data transfers over
No data loss - Teams, results, and history are preserved
Training provided - Support team helps with the transition
Gradual rollout - Can implement features progressively
What Happens to Compete Access:
Unchanged - Full Compete participation continues
Enhanced - Additional fixture management capabilities
Integrated - Compete data integrates with other Core features
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Lite schools compete equally with Core schools?
Yes! Lite and Core schools have identical capabilities within association competitions. The difference is in internal school management, not competition participation.
Do we lose anything by starting with Lite?
No. Lite is designed as a perfect entry point. You can upgrade to Core later without losing any data or functionality.
Can we mix Core and Lite schools in the same association?
Absolutely. Associations commonly have a mix of both types of schools and they work seamlessly together.
How do we upgrade from Lite to Core?
Contact Clipboard, and we'll guide you through a smooth transition process with no data loss.
Does Lite have all the competition features?
Yes. Every competition feature available to Core schools is also available to Lite schools.
Summary
Clipboard Lite provides everything needed to participate fully in association competitions, while Core offers comprehensive school management capabilities. For schools focused primarily on sports competition participation, Lite is an excellent solution. Schools needing broader administrative capabilities will benefit from Core's additional features and support.
The choice between Core and Lite doesn't affect your school's ability to compete - it's about how much additional school management functionality you need beyond sports competitions.