Brightwheel is the biggest name in childcare software — check-in, daily reports, messaging, billing and admin in one app, used by tens of thousands of programs. Here's the practical owner's view.
How Brightwheel pricing works
Brightwheel doesn't publish simple pricing — plans are quote-based through a sales call, typically per-program subscriptions that scale with size and features. Owners commonly report costs in the $150–$400+/month range for centres, plus payment-processing fees on tuition. Always get a current quote; pricing changes.
Setting it up
- Book a demo/sales call and get your quote.
- Onboarding sessions: import rosters, set rooms and ratios, configure billing plans.
- Invite staff, then send parents app-download invitations.
- Expect a few weeks to fully settle in — the platform is deep, which cuts both ways.
What it does well — and the common frustrations
Good: mature feature set, polished parent app, strong billing. Frustrations owners cite: price creep as features move between tiers, payment processing cuts on tuition, sales-call-gated everything, and feeling small in a very big customer base when support matters.
Brightwheel vs Mitten at a glance
| Brightwheel | Mitten | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Quote-based; centres commonly report roughly $150–$400+/mo depending on size and plan (verify with the vendor — pricing changes) | Free ≤5 children, then $20/mo + $2/child (e.g. 20 kids ≈ $48/mo) |
| Setup | Sales call / demo, onboarding sessions | Self-serve — live in minutes, no call required |
| Tuition payments | Often takes a processing cut | 0% platform cut |
| Payroll prep | Varies / add-on | Included — hours → gross pay + stubs |
| AI daily notes & recaps | Varies / premium | Included free |
| Your data | Stored on the vendor's terms | Never sold or shared; full export anytime; Canadian-built |
| App store | Parents download an app | No download — installs to the home screen |
Run your daycare on Mitten — free to start
Switching is free — we migrate your roster from Brightwheel, parents join via a link (no app-store download), and you're live in an afternoon.
Start free — no card needed → See the live demoFrequently asked questions
- How much does Brightwheel cost?
- Quote-based; centres commonly report roughly $150–$400+/mo depending on size and plan. Pricing is quote-based and changes — always confirm with the vendor. For comparison, Mitten publishes its pricing: free up to 5 children, then $20/mo + $2 per child.
- Is there a cheaper alternative to Brightwheel?
- Mitten is typically a fraction of the cost — free for your first 5 children, then $20/mo + $2/child, with payroll prep and AI notes included and no payment-processing cut on tuition.