Top Childcare management software for new-age preschools and daycare 2023: A Multi-parameter comparison
Mukta Bulsara
Published 27th January 2023
Need for childcare software and how to choose one
Numerous startups are now aiming to digitalize the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) space. While some EdTech products are making educational material more effective and widespread, various childcare management software systems focus on automating and simplifying childcare centers’ operations for enhanced productivity and occupancy rate.
Once you understand how preschool daycare apps can benefit your organization, it’s time to zero in on one. In this article, we will look at some of the most popular apps/software across the globe and compare them based on some key factors –
- Price
- Key features
- Language and currency support
- Device compatibility
- Customer support
While all of them are well-known products in their own capacity, the comparison with help you decide which one works best for your center’s unique requirements. Here we go.
Also read: 5 ways technology is transforming child care centers
Table of Contents
Illumine is an all-in-one childcare & preschool management software designed for the digital management of each aspect of a childcare center’s operations. It’s a complete childcare Software. Illumine’s USP is that it is highly customizable to cater to global customers’ local requirements. How do they do this? They harbor a strong in-house technology expertise. Illumine is one of the very few apps that support multiple payment currencies – good news for the centers wishing to open international branches.
Illumine stands tall on multiple criteria
- Childcare Leads CRM – One of the strongest features you will not see in most of the top players. Illumine’s lead generation software helps you automate your follow-ups, and lets you schedule tours and emails with a click of a button. It lets you automatically capture leads from your website, landing pages, calls, Facebook, and more. Boost number of school visits and registrations.
- Parent Communication – Illumine’s parent communication feature covers a wide range of communication needs between parents and the school. It allows one-to-one as well as one-to-many communication. Highlight the criticality of communication with categories such as – messages, notes, concerns, check-in/check-out, announcements, emergency alerts, and reminders.
- Flexibility – With a ‘glocal’ approach to offering services, almost everything is customizable – “your center, your way”
- Automated Billing System – A robust well-knit billing system that takes care of calculating and generating invoices, tracks dues, and updates status. The maximum you might have to do is click the download button.
- Customer Support – Illumine is one of the very few who still provide one-on-one technical support over the phone and WhatsApp.
Pros
- Process automation – A high degree of automation in Billing and payments, Lead Management, and Enrollment assists in saving time, better financial operations, and increased enrollment
- Parent communication feature allows for personal and group messaging
- The main dashboard and the Leads dashboard allow directors to quickly glimpse the current status for better decision-making.
- Customization in forms and reporting helps daycares and preschools meet their unique needs
Cons
- Not suitable for home daycares because of the small size of operations
- Does not offer any free package
Features at a glance
Parameter | |
Price | Standard - $1.00 per student per month |
Language | Arabic and English, extendible to Bulgarian, German, English, French, Hindi, Malay, Dutch, Chinese |
Currency | All currencies |
Customer Support | Dedicated Whatsapp |
Key Features | Automated Billing software |
API Support | Yes |
Customisations Support | Yes |
Multi-center Support | Yes |
Device Compatibility | Windows, Mac OS,IOS, Android |
HiMama is a visually rich, easy-to-use childcare management software that facilitates paperless processes in childcare centers. HiMama offers a simple way to capture and share your child’s experiences, from all the adventurous moments to the key milestones. For directors, the software also has strong monitoring and staff management functions.
Pros
- Attendance Tracking: Himama’s Attendance tracking system is very comprehensive with real-time updates about check-in/check-out, classroom ratio, digital signatures for approval, etc.
- Parent communication: Offers secure real-time communication with parents sharing messages, concerns, and photos.
Cons
- Billing automation is limited to automatic invoice generation and recording payments. Reporting for bookkeeping purposes is not so great.
- Customizations: Does not allow for much-needed customizations, especially in custom branding, curriculum, and currency support making it difficult for schools to overlap their needs with features.
- Reporting and analytics are not as extensive as some of the other childcare apps like Illumine, especially in the areas of billing and lead generation.
Features at a glance
Parameter | |
Price | Base price - 30$ per classroom |
Language | English for School app |
Currency | Supports only USD |
Customer Support | Email/Help Desk |
Key Features | Activity Dashboard, Student and Staff Dashboards |
API Support | No |
Customisations Support | No |
Multi-center Support | No |
Device Compatibility | Windows, Mac OS,IOS, Android |
Storypark allows you to share images, videos, observations, and ideas with parents easily. Storypark was created under the supervision of early childhood experts and has features that enable educators to maintain a child’s daily activity, track it over time, and get developmental insights from the same.
Pros
- Billing solution has add-ons like easy online payment, and scheduled payment plans
- Good financial reporting
- Customizable lead capture forms
Cons
- Activity dashboard and parent communication features are not as evolved as some of the other childcare apps like Illumine
- Ease of use is reported to be not so great
- Performance on mobile app lags
- Attendance tracking and management
Features at a glance
Parameter | |
Price | 30-day trial: Free |
Language | English, Japanese |
Currency | Supports only USD |
Customer Support | Email/Help Desk |
Key Features | Activity Dashboard |
API Support | No |
Customisations Support | No |
Multi-center Support | Yes |
Device Compatibility | Windows, Mac OS,IOS, Android |
Kangarootime empowers directors to operate their businesses efficiently with automated payments and billing, a digital classroom, and a parent contact tool. With Kangarootime’s childcare management software, you can expand your company, manage your team, and establish relationships with the child’s parents.
Pros
- Allows schools to offer flexible enrollment and last-minute drop-in care
- Automated billing and payment
Cons
- It levies credit card payment processing fees
- Staff check-in and checkout process is not tightly knit. Has loopholes allowing check-in/out to be done remotely
- Lesson planning and curriculum support
- Basic lead management offering, unlike Illumine which offers a complete automated solution
Features at a glance
Parameter | |
Price | Basic: 8$ per class |
Language | English |
Currency | Supports only USD |
Customer Support | Email/Help Desk |
Key Features | Activity Dashboard |
API Support | Yes |
Customisations Support | No |
Multi-center Support | Yes |
Device Compatibility | Windows, Mac OS,IOS, Android |
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Brightwheel is a childcare management software solution platform that facilitates operations for childcare, daycares, and preschools. It specializes in streamlining the processes for the school administrators and staff in centers with mid to low capacity.
Pros
- The parent app is relatively user-friendly.
- Children’s daily activities are organized well for viewing and allow better planning.
- Offers comprehensive billing automation
Cons
- Brightwheel does not offer a Leave Management system for staff.
- Does not support a bulk download of pictures from gallery
- Attendance tracking and management are not straightforward. One who checks in a child needs to first navigate to the classroom and then perform check-in. Transferring children to different classrooms also requires performing a checkout first.
- Brightwheel does not offer a Lead management system, whereas Illumine’s Lead Management system is automated, helping schools to close in on the desired occupancy rate.
Features at a glance
Parameter | |
Price | 65$ per month up to 25 students. |
Language | English |
Currency | Supports only USD |
Customer Support | Email/Help Desk |
Key Features | Activity Dashboard |
API Support | No |
Customisations Support | No |
Multi-center Support | Yes |
Device Compatibility | Windows, Mac OS,IOS, Android |
Procare is an integrated childcare management system to mitigate day-to-day activities at one’s day, preschool, or after-school programs. Their solution is functional with any device through either web or mobile applications. Some of their features include contactless check-in/out, parent communication with photo/video/newsletter capabilities, online registration, attendance monitoring, automatic online billing, regular activity, and performance tracking, medical screening monitoring, and employee time clock.
Pros
- Supports year-end tax statements for financial reporting. Procare claims to offer next-business-day settlement
- Procare also supports small in-home daycare centers
Cons
- Procare’s parent app is reported to be not very user-friendly
- Collection and submission of different kinds of customizable online forms. Illumine has aced this feature.
- Procare charges payment transaction fees from the schools.
- Procare offers limited features related to learning and development. There is lesson planning, however, there is nothing to relate lesson plans with milestones and curriculum goals.
Features at a glance
Parameter | |
Price | All-in-one price Price on request |
Language | English |
Currency | Supports only USD |
Customer Support | Email/Help Desk |
Key Features | Activity Dashboard |
API Support | No |
Customisations Support | No |
Multi-center Support | Yes |
Device Compatibility | Windows, Mac OS,IOS, Android |
Sandbox is a user-friendly and convenient all-in-one child care management software. They provide comprehensive childcare management, seamless parent engagement, and business growth resources. Sandbox was designed keeping the needs of educators in mind, and it now has over 140,000 users in North America.
Pros
- Sandbox offers attendance-based billing
- Allows parents to pay online through the app
Cons
- Maintaining child-adult ratio may be inefficient as the movement of children between classrooms is not tracked.
- Reports and form customization are very limited
- Sandbox charges transaction fees to the school
- Does not offer Lead Management System
Features at a glance
Parameter | |
Price | 0-24 - 47$/mon |
Language | English |
Currency | Supports only USD |
Customer Support | Email/Help Desk |
Key Features | Admissions management |
API Support | No |
Customisations Support | No |
Multi-center Support | Yes |
Device Compatibility | Windows, Mac OS,IOS, Android |
Tadpoles is changing the childcare and preschool market by assisting with smoothing out activities and parent correspondence through innovation. They work with childcare centers worldwide to deliver management solutions planned explicitly to help understudy child’s accomplishments and parental inclusion. Tadpoles assist instructors with improving correspondences and draw in parents in the learning cycle by sharing photographs, recordings, progress reports, and other significant data.
Pros
- With basic features, it is suitable for small home daycare settings.
- Works online and offline
Cons
- Admin features are very limited with not enough edit, modify, and delete access
- Tadpoles’ parent app limits the nature and frequency of communication that parents can send to school or individual teachers
Features at a glance
Parameter | |
Price | $2.25 per active child/mon |
Language | English |
Currency | Supports only USD |
Customer Support | 24/7 (Live Rep) |
Key Features | Custom billing plans and invoicing |
API Support | No |
Customisations Support | No |
Multi-center Support | No |
Device Compatibility | Windows, Mac OS,IOS, Android |
Choosing a childcare app that meets your need
It can be tough to choose a childcare software which aptly fits the needs of your center. It needs a lot of research and trials. This article helps you with a ready list. The needs and concerns of an individual center are unique and hence there cannot be a one-size-fits-all solution. Check out our guide on what factors to consider while opting for childcare software that best meets your center’s needs. Of course, this is not a static list. Software keep evolving with new features and updates every month and we will keep this article up-to-date.
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