Zyra

Updated July 2026

CounselMore vs Zyra: An Honest Comparison for Independent Counselors

CounselMore prices per active student, starting at $35 per month for 5 students, which makes it the cheapest way to start for a very small caseload. Zyra is a flat $149 per month with unlimited students and built-in AI. Below roughly 10 students, CounselMore usually costs less; as a caseload grows, Zyra's flat plan and AI tools become the stronger value. Last updated July 2026.

Feature

CounselMore

Zyra

  • Unlimited students
  • Built-in AI tools
  • Student & parent portals
  • Team / firm plans

At a glance

CounselMore

Founded 2016 by Margaret Rothe, a working IEC. Per-active-student tiered pricing from $35 per month for 5 students, with plans running $35 to $225+ per month depending on tier (CounselMore's own About page). Professional single-counselor plans cited at $95 or $176 per month. Per-student cost drops at higher tiers; upgrades carry a one-year commitment. 25% new-member discount on each tier. Free 30-day trial. Known for its community (Friday Study Halls, Mentorship Circle), deep Google Drive integration, parent portals, and the College List Pro builder. Sources: counselmore.com/plans, /about, helpdesk.counselmore.com, Lumiere Education (Oct 2025), verified July 2026.

Zyra

Professional $149/month flat with unlimited students, parents, and applications. Team $249/month, Enterprise (Let's Talk). AI search, AI Roadmaps, AI Essay Assistant, Student CRM, parent and student portals, tasks, notes, file storage.

Comparison table

CounselMore and Zyra, side by side, verified July 2026.

CounselMore vs Zyra feature and pricing comparison
CriteriaCounselMoreZyra
Built forSolo IECs and HS counselorsIndependent counselors and firms
Pricing modelPer active student, tieredProfessional, Team, and Enterprise
Price$35/mo (5 students) up to $225+/mo; solo professional plans cited at $95 or $176/moProfessional $149/mo · Team $249/mo · Enterprise Let's Talk
Per-student feesYes, pricing scales with active studentsNone. Unlimited students on every plan
Free trial30 daysFree trial on Professional and Team
AI capabilitiesNo AI features advertised on its site as of July 2026AI University, Major, and Career Search; AI Roadmaps; AI Essay Assistant
Practice managementApp tracker, assignments, broadcast station, admissions reportsStudent CRM, task management, notes, file storage
PortalsParent portals (a signature feature) and student portalDedicated Parent Portal and Student Portal
College list toolsCollege List Pro builder with large college databaseAI University Search
CommunityFriday Study Halls, Mentorship CircleNot a community product
IntegrationsDeep Google Drive integration, Calendly, moreEnterprise tier: API, SIS/CRM integrations, SSO
Team / enterpriseMulti-counselor plans $225+/moTeam plan with seats, dashboard, analytics; Enterprise with white label

Where each wins

Where CounselMore wins

  • Lowest entry price. $35 per month for 5 students is the cheapest verified starting point in the category. For a counselor with a handful of students, it is hard to beat.
  • Founded by a working IEC. Margaret Rothe built it around a practicing counselor's workflow.
  • Community. Friday Study Halls and the Mentorship Circle give newer counselors a real peer network, something no other platform in this comparison offers.
  • Google Drive depth. If a practice lives in Google Drive, CounselMore's integration is among the most mature available.
  • College List Pro. A dedicated list-building product with a large college database.

Where Zyra wins

  • Flat, predictable pricing at scale. Unlimited students for $149 per month. With CounselMore, cost rises with every active student; at professional caseloads its own cited plans reach $95 to $176 per month and climb from there.
  • Built-in AI. AI search across universities, majors, and careers, AI Roadmaps, and an AI Essay Assistant. CounselMore does not advertise AI features on its site as of July 2026.
  • No per-student math. Adding a student never changes the bill, so growth is never taxed.
  • Firm and enterprise paths. Team seats, shared databases, analytics, permissions, then white labeling, API, and SSO at Enterprise.

Pricing

CounselMore vs Zyra - verified July 2026.

CounselMore vs Zyra pricing comparison
DetailCounselMoreZyra
Pricing modelPer active student, tieredProfessional, Team, and Enterprise
Price$35/mo (5 students) up to $225+/mo; solo professional plans cited at $95 or $176/moProfessional $149/mo · Team $249/mo · Enterprise Let's Talk
Per-student feesYes, pricing scales with active studentsNone. Unlimited students on every plan
Free trial30 daysFree trial on Professional and Team

CounselMore - published pricing

CounselMore pricing, verified from its own site and helpdesk in July 2026: per-active-student tiers starting at $35 per month for 5 students, with plans ranging from $35 to $225+ per month (CounselMore About page). Third-party reporting cites professional single-counselor plans at $95 or $176 per month and multi-counselor plans at $225+ (Lumiere Education, October 2025). Per-student cost drops at higher tiers, upgrades carry a one-year commitment, and every tier carries a 25% new-member discount. Free 30-day trial.

Zyra plan options

  • Professional

    Independent practice

    $1490/yr

    1 seat · unlimited students · AI + CRM + portals

  • Team

    Counseling firms

    $2490/yr

    2 seats · shared workspace · +$39/mo extra seats

  • Enterprise

    Large firms

    Let's Talk

    Unlimited seats · white-label · API, SSO, CSM

No per-student fees · annual saves ~17% · free trial on Professional & Team

On price: Lowest entry price. $35 per month for 5 students is the cheapest verified starting point in the category. For a counselor with a handful of students, it is hard to beat.

Who should choose which

Choose CounselMore if you run a small caseload, want the lowest possible starting cost, and value a peer community and Google Drive-centered workflow. Choose Zyra if your caseload is growing, you want AI in the daily workflow, and you prefer one flat price that never changes as you add students.

FAQ

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Sources

This comparison is based on publicly available information from CounselMore's website and cited third-party sources, verified as of July 2026. CounselMore is a trademark of its respective owner. Zyra is independent and not affiliated with CounselMore.