Counseld › Counseld vs notebooks and spreadsheets
Counseld vs notebooks and spreadsheets
Most school counsellors start with a notebook, a spreadsheet, or both. Here is how they compare with Counseld for the work counsellors actually do: writing session notes, keeping records confidential, following up, and reporting to the principal.
Quick comparison
| Task | Notebook | Spreadsheet | Counseld |
|---|---|---|---|
| Writing a session note | Handwritten after each session | Typed into cells | Voice note up to 2 minutes, typed text, or a photo of a handwritten note, structured into concern, observations, plan and follow-up |
| Finding a student’s history | Digging through paper files | Filtering rows | Full history one search away on the student profile |
| Monthly report for the principal | Built by hand | Patched together from several sheets | Principal-ready narrative with charts, drafted from your logged data for any month or date range |
| Confidential notes | Depends on where the notebook is kept | Anyone with the file can read it | Separate protected layer only you can access; every view or export is logged |
| Follow-ups and scheduling | Separate diary | Separate calendar | Built-in calendar with day, week and month views and recurring events |
| Spotting patterns across the caseload | Manual | Manual | Suggested concern category and severity, which you confirm before saving |
| Languages | Any | Any | Speak in English or any of 22 Indian languages, or a mix; the note comes back in English |
| Cost | Free | Free | Free to start (14 days of full access with 10 AI-structured sessions, then free with 5 a month); paid plans from ₹349/month including 18% GST |
Is Counseld better than a notebook for school counselling notes?
For most counsellors, yes. A notebook is free and private, but every note is written by hand, history is hard to search, and monthly reports have to be rebuilt from scratch. Counseld turns a voice note of up to 2 minutes, a few typed lines, or a photo of a handwritten note, into a structured note, keeps the full history one search away, and drafts principal-ready reports from your own data.
Can I keep using paper notes with Counseld?
Yes. You can photograph a handwritten note and Counseld structures it into concern, observations, plan and follow-up. Plain typed notes are always free and do not use a session.
Is a spreadsheet enough to track a school counselling caseload?
A spreadsheet works for simple lists, but it is not built for confidential notes. It has no separate confidential layer, no log of who viewed or exported a record, and reports have to be patched together by hand each month. Counseld keeps confidential notes in a protected layer only you can access and logs every view or export.
How much does Counseld cost compared with free tools?
Notebooks and spreadsheets cost nothing up front. Counseld starts at ₹349 a month for 30 sessions (Lite), ₹699 a month for 70 sessions (Pro) or ₹3,999 for 500 sessions over 6 months, all including 18% GST. You can start free: 14 days of full access with 10 AI-structured sessions, then a Free plan with 5 AI-structured sessions a month.
When is a notebook still the right choice?
If you see only a handful of students a term and never need to report on your work, a locked notebook can be enough. Once you are running several sessions a day, handling teacher referrals and writing monthly reports, the hours spent rewriting and compiling notes add up. That is the work Counseld is built to take off your plate.
Try it on your own caseload
Free to start — 14 days of full access with 10 AI-structured sessions, then free forever with 5 AI-structured sessions a month. No card needed until you upgrade.