The rule for calculating software’s total cost: a 3-year window with hidden costs included — not the first number on the price list. “One-time licence” looks cheap, but when hosting, backups, updates, the app and support fall on your hands, it becomes more expensive and riskier than a subscription over three years.
The total-cost sheet: two models side by side
| Cost item | One-time licence | Subscription (e.g. iilmaa) |
|---|---|---|
| Initial purchase | ৳5,000–50,000 | ৳0 |
| Monthly | ৳0 | ৳1,500–4,000 |
| Hosting & backups | your duty | included |
| Updates/new versions | bought again | included |
| Mobile app | separate project | included |
| SMS | separate contract | 500–3,000/month in plan |
| Support | often yearly | included |
Workflow steps
- Hold the same student count and compute both models’ 3-year totals.
- Ask for the source of every invisible cost, in writing.
- Check exit terms — see the data-export checklist.
- Decide the rule first: the cheapest is not the one with the smallest sticker; the one with no hidden costs is cheapest.
A usable sample: the vendor question list
Ask every vendor these 5 in writing:
- What is the 3-year total (hosting, updates, app, support included)?
- What is the SMS unit price and pack?
- Is the mobile app billed separately?
- Is data export free and complete?
- How does cost scale with student count?
iilmaa’s price list answers all five publicly in advance — what a vendor hesitates to write is the real information.
Limits and reality
- One-time licences are not all bad — if your own capable IT team can run hosting/backup/updates, the math differs.
- Cost is not the only measure — department coverage and support quality carry weight too.
Cost math FAQ
What per-student cost is reasonable?
iilmaa Gold: ৳1,500 ÷ 500 students = ৳3 per student per month. Compare against your fee structure — see the calculation on the pricing page.
Is a one-time licence ever good?
If your own capable IT team can run hosting/backup/updates — the math differs. Otherwise hidden costs win.
Should we pay annually?
If annual carries a discount (2 months free on iilmaa) and the decision is certain — yes; otherwise monthly is flexible.