Best Childcare Management Software in 2026
Updated
In short: AfterSchool HQ is ranked #1 of 31 as of 8 October 2026, ahead of Bloomwell and Cheqdin. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Bloomwell. The lowest first paid tier on this page is myKidzDay at $1/mo.
Childcare management tools cover routines that connect staff, children, and families, from attendance and enrollment to billing and communication. Compare attendance tracking, enrollment forms, and billing and payments, then consider family messaging, staff scheduling, and parent app availability. Free plans and paid-from pricing provide additional context when assessing fit and cost. AfterSchool HQ, Cheqdin, and OWNA are among the options shown. Weigh the listed workflows against the day-to-day needs of your setting and the ways staff and families need to stay informed.
31 childcare management software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
7 of the 25 here have a free tier you can use, 0 have open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AfterSchool HQWeb · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 2 | BloomwellWeb · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $49/mo | 6.5 | |
| 3 | CheqdinWeb · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $68/mo | 6.5 | |
| 4 | OWNAWeb · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $39/mo | 6.5 | |
| 5 | KangarootimeWeb · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 6 | NeztioWeb · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $79/mo | 6.4 | |
| 7 | 6cricketsWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.3 | |
| 8 | QikKidsWeb · Windows · Mac · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 5 of 6 | — | 5.8 |
| 9 | BrightwheelWeb · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 10 | ProcareWeb · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | $25/mo | 5.5 |
| 11 | Xplor EducationWeb · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 12 | KidsoftWeb · Android · iPhone | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 13 | Sandbox SoftwareWeb · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | $47/mo | 5.2 |
| 14 | ChildCare SageWindows · Mac | One bar | — | — | 2 of 6 | $895/mo | 5.1 |
| 15 | Discover ChildcareWeb · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 16 | EZChildTrackWeb · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 17 | FamlyWeb · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | $49/mo | 5.1 |
| 18 | HubWorksWeb · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | $64.92/mo | 5.1 |
| 19 | illumineWeb · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 20 | KidyAppWeb · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | TRY 13.33/mo | 5.1 |
| 21 | UniqdaWeb · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 22 | XAPWeb · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 23 | Harmony WebWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.0 |
| 24 | LillioWeb · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.0 |
| 25 | myKidzDayWeb · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | $1/mo | 5.0 |
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Enrollment forms | Attendance tracking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AfterSchool HQ | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 2 | Bloomwell | 6.5 | Free plan | $49/mo | No | — | — | Yes |
| 3 | Cheqdin | 6.5 | Free plan | $68/mo | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 4 | OWNA | 6.5 | Free plan | $39/mo | Yes | 39 /mo | Yes | Yes |
| 5 | Kangarootime | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 6 | Neztio | 6.4 | Free plan | $79/mo | Yes | 79 /mo | Yes | Yes |
| 7 | 6crickets | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 8 | QikKids | 5.8 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 9 | Brightwheel | 5.5 | No | — | — | — | — | — |
| 10 | Procare | 5.5 | No | $25/mo | — | — | — | — |
| 11 | Xplor Education | 5.5 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 12 | Kidsoft | 5.4 | No | — | — | — | — | — |
| 13 | Sandbox Software | 5.2 | No | $47/mo | No | 47 /mo | Yes | Yes |
| 14 | ChildCare Sage | 5.1 | No | $895/mo | No | — | No | Yes |
| 15 | Discover Childcare | 5.1 | No | — | No | — | Yes | Yes |
| 16 | EZChildTrack | 5.1 | No | — | No | — | Yes | Yes |
| 17 | Famly | 5.1 | No | $49/mo | No | 49 /mo | — | — |
| 18 | HubWorks | 5.1 | No | $64.92/mo | No | — | — | — |
| 19 | illumine | 5.1 | No | — | No | — | — | — |
| 20 | KidyApp | 5.1 | No | TRY 13.33/mo | No | — | — | Yes |
| 21 | Uniqda | 5.1 | No | — | No | — | — | Yes |
| 22 | XAP | 5.1 | No | — | No | — | — | — |
| 23 | Harmony Web | 5.0 | No | — | No | — | — | — |
| 24 | Lillio | 5.0 | No | — | No | — | — | — |
| 25 | myKidzDay | 5.0 | No | $1/mo | No | 1 /mo | — | — |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which childcare management software is ranked first on Freedom251?
AfterSchool HQ is ranked #1 of 31 with a score of 6.5. Bloomwell is second and Cheqdin third.
How many of these have a free plan?
7 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, myKidzDay has the lowest first paid tier we found: $1/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation.