Gertrude

Gertrude is an open-source management system for crèches, micro-crèches and leisure centres. It fits operators that need French childcare administration, billing and scheduling in one place, whether installed locally or accessed online. The core download is unusually generous on usage, but organizations must arrange their own support and accept the trade-offs of a GPL project.

Overview

Developed for a parent-run crèche in Rennes in 2005, Gertrude has been freely downloadable since 2007 under the GPL licence. Its audience includes municipal, company, parent-run and nonprofit crèches, plus micro-crèches and leisure facilities. That focus matters: the system is shaped around childcare enrolment, fees and attendance rather than being a generic appointment calendar.

Two deployment routes cover different operating preferences. The online service is SaaS, needs an internet-connected computer and synchronizes actions with its server in real time. A local installation keeps records in an SQLite file and creates an automatic backup whenever the application opens. HTTPS protects data exchanges in both the SaaS and shared-server versions. Local deployment offers control over where data resides; the online route is better for teams that need synchronized access without maintaining their own installation.

Key features

Gertrude handles enrolments, attendance and check-in, family communication, fee calculation, billing, payments, and schedules for children and staff. It produces childcare contracts, invoices, tax certificates and attendance reports, with templates that can be customized. In practice, this gives administrators a single workflow from registration through collection and reporting instead of separate spreadsheets and document templates.

Billing support is particularly relevant in France. The software supports CAF PSU and PAJE pricing methods alongside custom rates, so facilities with local or unusual tariffs are not forced into a one-size-fits-all model. Compatibility with the TIPI payment platform serves collectivités, while exporting statistics to Filoué supports CAF reporting. These integrations are meaningful advantages for French public or subsidized providers, but less compelling for organizations outside those administrative systems.

An optional attendance module lets staff record arrivals and departures on an Android tablet and continue working when offline. That is useful at entrances with unreliable connectivity, although it is an add-on rather than part of the free download. Android mobile access is the stated mobile option; the broader product also runs on Linux, macOS, Windows and the web.

Pricing

The Gertrude (téléchargement) plan costs free. It is usable without a usage limit, making it suitable for a small association, a growing crèche or any operator able to handle setup and troubleshooting internally. The condition is important: the free software comes without assistance or warranty, so the apparent zero cost does not include operational reassurance.

Organizations can buy help à la carte. Installation, paramétrage et aide à la prise en main costs €150, paid once and covers three hours. Annual remote-support options are €100 a year for two hours by email or phone with an average response within 48 business hours, or €180 a year for three hours with a response within eight business hours. These suit teams that want a defined support allowance; neither changes the unlimited nature of the download.

The Module de pointage distant is €100, paid once per childcare site and includes acquisition and setup. It requires an annual assistance and maintenance contract, so its true ongoing cost is higher than the one-time figure alone. Custom adaptations under Programmation informatique sous licence GPL are billed at price on request, at 60€ per hour.

Gertrude en ligne has custom pricing: an annual subscription quoted according to services and number of sites. Initial training is required, two hours of remote assistance are included for new establishments, and options cost extra. It is the more managed choice for multi-site or less technical operators, while the local free edition is the clearer fit for budget-led organizations willing to self-support.

Platforms

Gertrude runs on Android, Linux, macOS, Windows and the web. Android is the platform specified for the optional check-in module. The online edition requires an internet-connected computer; local installations provide an offline-capable data store, while the separate tablet check-in module can also work offline.

Who it's for

Choose Gertrude if you run a French crèche, micro-crèche, municipal facility, parent cooperative, company nursery, nonprofit or leisure centre and need CAF-aware billing, formal documents and staff and child scheduling. It is especially attractive when unlimited use matters and someone in the organization can manage a GPL application or budget for installation and support.

Look elsewhere if you need a polished, fully supported consumer-style service with transparent subscription pricing, or if your operation depends on iOS mobile workflows: iOS is not among Gertrude's stated platforms.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Unlimited free downloading keeps software costs low even as enrolments grow.
• Pro: CAF PSU, PAJE and custom tariff support fits French childcare administration.
• Pro: Local SQLite storage with opening-time backups gives a straightforward self-managed deployment.
• Pro: Customizable contracts, invoices, tax certificates and attendance reports reduce repetitive paperwork.
• Con: The free edition includes no assistance or warranty, placing setup and recovery responsibility on the operator.
• Con: Online pricing is by quote, and required training and paid options make budgeting less predictable.
• Con: The check-in module requires a separate purchase and an annual maintenance contract.

Alternatives

For a wider comparison, see Early Childhood Education Software.

Kangarootime is the better pick for a web, iOS and Android setup with a free tier limited to one program, one school and five staff, or a paid tier for up to 10 schools and unlimited staff.

NestliCare suits operators wanting a free-forever service with unlimited children and staff across Android, iOS and web, without a paid plan.

MyKidReports is worth considering for a small service that can stay within five children on its free tier, with one staff account and one room.

BloomKidz fits nurseries preferring a paid mobile app with published monthly bands, starting at 24.99 GBP for 1–30 children.

CubbyTrack is a web alternative with a free trial and a home-provider tier for up to four active children.

ParentLink offers a free-forever web plan capped at 15 children, five staff users and three rooms.

Discover by Xplor is an option for Android, iOS and web users seeking a paid SMS product or a free family app.

Procare suits smaller centres and in-home providers seeking a paid web, iOS and Android service from $25 a month; classroom management is unavailable to in-home users.

Verdict

Gertrude is a strong choice for French childcare and leisure organizations that want comprehensive enrolment, billing, attendance and reporting without a usage ceiling, and that can self-manage an open-source installation or pay for targeted help. Its main reason to choose it is the combination of unlimited free core software and CAF-specific administration. Its main reason to look elsewhere is the support and pricing uncertainty around the online edition, plus the lack of an iOS platform.