Cheqdin

Overview

Cheqdin is childcare management software for providers coordinating enrolment, bookings, attendance, billing and parent updates. It is best suited to centres and clubs that need both regular and occasional care workflows in one service; it is less compelling for a provider that only wants a small parent-messaging tool.

Its broad operational coverage is the main draw, with web and mobile access for families as well as provider functions. The five-child free account is a narrow starting point, while paid plans step up by student capacity.

Key features

Customisable registration forms, enrolment pipeline management and unlimited waitlists help providers follow families from enquiry to a place. Contracted and ad hoc bookings can be configured with custom forms and occupancy tools, a useful combination for services balancing regular schedules with one-off care.

Billing supports rules-based recurring and ad hoc invoices, funding calculations and payment reminders. Live attendance tracking, staff-to-child ratio tracking and occupancy dashboards put presence and capacity in view together. Parents can use a secure portal and mobile app for messaging, daily diaries, photo sharing and ad hoc bookings, keeping family communication alongside operational work.

Cheqdin lists PayPal, GoCardless and Stripe, plus Xero and Mailchimp. It says customer data is encrypted at rest and in transit with AES 256-bit encryption, and that cloud data is hosted on AWS servers in London, United Kingdom. It also cites UK and EU data protection laws, including GDPR.

Pricing

Rise costs nothing and supports up to five students. It includes email support and online help-centre access, but no personalised training or record archiving at the limit. That makes it suitable for a very small provider assessing the service, not a centre that needs room to grow without moving plans.

Starter costs $68 a month for up to 75 students; Grow costs $99 a month for up to 150; Pro costs $149 a month for up to 275. These capacity tiers let providers match the subscription to their enrolment size, but the step from free to Starter is substantial for a small setting. Prices exclude taxes. Annual plans are advertised with a 20% saving, and subscriptions can be cancelled at any time. Cheqdin offers a free trial.

Platforms

Cheqdin runs on the web and on Android and iOS. Parents can use its portal and mobile app for updates and bookings, giving families access beyond the provider's web tools.

Who it's for

Cheqdin identifies schools, out-of-school clubs, activity centres, day nurseries, holiday clubs, childminders, hotel kids clubs and sport academies as audiences. Its mix of contracted and ad hoc bookings suits providers whose attendance patterns vary, while ratio tracking and billing tools are relevant to teams managing staffing and fees alongside enrolment.

Pros and cons

• Broad childcare workflow coverage: enrolment, bookings, billing, attendance and parent communication sit within one service, reducing the need to coordinate these functions across separate tools.
• Supports mixed booking patterns: contracted and ad hoc bookings, with occupancy tools, suit services offering both planned places and occasional care.
• Free tier is sharply capped: five students makes Rise a limited long-term option for most operating centres, and archiving is unavailable at the limit.
• Paid tiers are capacity-based: the student ceilings are clear, but smaller providers may find the first paid tier a large jump from the free allowance.

Alternatives

Childcare Management Software is a useful category starting point if you want to compare providers before settling on one service.

Choose AfterSchool HQ if a freemium service with Android, iOS and web access is preferable; its free plan charges transaction fees for activities processed through it. OWNA is another freemium option with a free plan covering curriculum planning, sign-in/out attendance, a parent app and compliance, or a Premium plan from $39/mth.

Kangarootime may fit a provider starting with one program, one school and five staff on its free plan, while its Premium plan supports up to 10 schools and unlimited staff. Neztio offers a free-forever Starter tier for up to 15 children and a Standard plan at $79 a month with unlimited children, so it merits a look when those published capacity terms fit better.

6crickets is worth considering when the need is a free marketplace listing, with commissions and referral fees applying to registrations. QikKids is another freemium alternative, with web, desktop and mobile platform support. Brightwheel uses custom pricing, so consider it if a tailored quote suits your decision process. Procare offers a home version at $25 a month, but classroom management is unavailable for in-home users.

Verdict

Cheqdin is a strong choice for childcare providers that need enrolment, flexible bookings, billing, attendance oversight and parent communication together. Its breadth is the clearest reason to choose it; the five-student free limit and paid capacity steps are the main reasons a small provider—or one seeking a lower-cost route beyond that cap—should compare alternatives.