Graduway (Gravyty) alternatives for Indian institutions
By CA Shrenuj Jalan, Founder, Connect My Alumni · Updated on
What is Graduway?
Graduway is an alumni and community platform that became part of Gravyty, a company offering software for advancement and alumni relations. It is generally associated with mentoring, career networking and branded alumni communities, typically for universities with dedicated alumni teams. Pricing is quote-based; check Gravyty’s website for current products and plans, which may have changed since this page was reviewed.
Why do institutions look for Graduway alternatives?
The reasons are usually about fit rather than quality. Custom enterprise contracts, often priced in foreign currency, can be hard to approve for Indian schools and smaller colleges. Some teams want to start small with a free plan, set the platform up themselves, or use Indian payment methods such as UPI for donations. Others need modules beyond mentoring — elections, chapters, admission referrals, galleries — in the same product.
Which Graduway alternatives should we consider?
Descriptions are based on each vendor’s public positioning; verify details directly.
| Alternative | Why teams shortlist it | Pricing model |
|---|---|---|
| Connect My Alumni | Built for Indian institutions: INR billing, UPI donations, mentorship and jobs, verification, branded microsite, self-service setup | Free up to 100 alumni; paid from ₹11,995/month (billed annually) |
| Almabase | Mature engagement and fundraising platform | Quote-based; check their site |
| Hivebrite | Customisable white-label community platform | Quote-based; check their site |
| Vaave | Established Indian alumni platform | Quote-based; check their site |
Related: Almabase alternatives · Hivebrite alternatives · Vaave alternatives
Which kinds of institutions usually fit each option?
Large universities with a dedicated alumni relations team, an established mentoring programme and the budget for an enterprise contract are the traditional audience for platforms like Graduway. Schools, colleges and smaller universities in India often have one or two people running alumni relations alongside other duties, and need a tool they can launch themselves, pay for in rupees and grow into.
If you sit between the two — a multi-campus group or a university with several alumni associations — shortlist both kinds of platform and compare them on the work your team will actually do every week: verifying sign-ups, running events, sending campaigns, answering mentoring requests and reporting to leadership. The platform that makes that routine easiest is usually the right one.
How does Connect My Alumni handle mentoring and careers?
If mentoring is the main reason you use Graduway, look closely at this area. Connect My Alumni includes mentorship matching between alumni and students or younger alumni, a job board where alumni and staff post roles, and career requests where students ask for help. Engagement scores and leaderboards recognise alumni who contribute. Alongside that, the platform covers events, donations, chapters, forums, elections and a branded microsite, so you can run the whole alumni programme in one place.
How should we evaluate alternatives?
Shortlist two or three platforms and run the same test on each: import a sample of your real alumni data, set up a branded portal, create an event with RSVPs, run a test donation and send a test email. Ask each vendor for written pricing at your alumni count, including any setup, payment gateway and renewal charges. Check how verification works, how alumni control their privacy, and how easily you can export your data if you leave.
| Question to ask | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| What is the total annual cost at our alumni count? | Quote-based pricing can vary widely by contract |
| Is billing available in INR? | Simplifies budget approval for Indian institutions |
| Which payment gateways are supported for donations? | Alumni in India expect UPI |
| How does verification work? | Keeps the directory trustworthy |
| How do we export all our data? | Avoids lock-in |
| What support is included? | Small teams need help during launch |
How hard is it to switch platforms?
Switching is mostly a data exercise. Export alumni records from your current platform as CSV, map the columns to the new platform’s fields, de-duplicate and import. Export events history and donation records separately for your archive. Then send alumni a re-invitation explaining the change and asking them to confirm their details, which doubles as a DPDP-friendly consent refresh. Keep the old platform read-only until the new one is verified, and redirect old portal links.
Official sources: Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (MeitY)
Related: Consent and the DPDP Act
What does Connect My Alumni cost?
Pricing is published in INR: a free Starter plan for up to 100 alumni, with paid plans from ₹11,995/month (billed annually) and a 14-day free trial. Enterprise adds unlimited alumni, custom domain, white-label branding and API access.
Related: Pricing · Request a demo
Frequently asked questions
Is Graduway the same as Gravyty?
Graduway became part of Gravyty. Check Gravyty’s website for how the products are currently named and packaged.
What is a good Graduway alternative for India?
Connect My Alumni is built for Indian institutions with INR pricing, UPI donations and mentorship. Almabase, Hivebrite and Vaave are also worth evaluating.
Does Connect My Alumni include mentorship?
Yes. It includes mentorship matching, a job board and career requests.
How much does Graduway cost?
Pricing is quote-based. Ask Gravyty for a written quote at your alumni count.
Can we move our data from Graduway?
Yes. Export your data as CSV, map it in Connect My Alumni’s import, de-duplicate and invite alumni to confirm their profiles.
Put this into practice
Start on the free plan, or book a walkthrough with your own alumni data.