Brightwheel vs Famly

Brightwheel8.8Visit Famly8.5Visit

Higher score Brightwheel #2 in Early Childhood Education Software 8.8/10 Pricing on request ✓ 5 of 5 features Visit Brightwheel

vs

Famly #5 in Early Childhood Education Software 8.5/10 14-day trial Free trial✓ 5 of 5 features Visit Famly

• Brightwheel fits best

  Multi-site centers needing comprehensive operations

• Famly fits best

  Centers needing deep childcare and learning tools

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Side by side

Feature	Brightwheel 8.8/10 Visit ↗	Famly 8.5/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.8	8.5
Ranking	#2 in Early Childhood Education Software	#5 in Early Childhood Education Software
Best for	Multi-site centers needing comprehensive operations	Centers needing deep childcare and learning tools
Pricing model	Paid	Paid
Starting price	Pricing on request	£79/mo
Free plan	Not checked yet	—
Free trial	—	14 days
Deployment	Cloud, Mobile	Cloud, Mobile
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android	Web, iOS, Android
Support	Live chat, Email, Community, Docs	Email, Live chat, Phone, Community, Docs
Compliance	PCI DSS, 2FA	GDPR, ISO 27001
Integrations	7 integrations	5 integrations
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Brightwheel 5/5 · Famly 5/5
Enrollment management	✓	✓
Family communication	✓	✓
Attendance and check-in	✓	✓
Billing and payments	✓	✓
Lesson planning	✓	✓
Specs
Mobile apps	Both	Both
Child capacity	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Combines enrollment, billing, attendance, learning, compliance, and staffing tools Supports multi-site roles, permissions, reporting, and web and mobile access Connects with Gusto, calendar platforms, and childcare-related integrations	Combines enrollment, attendance, billing, learning, and family communication Monitors child-staff ratios and supports daily care logs Offers web, iOS, Android, API access, and partner integrations
Cons	Pricing is quote-based rather than publicly tiered Brightwheel does not currently hold SOC 2 certification Some learning, curriculum, assessment, and payroll capabilities are optional add-ons	There is no permanent free plan Pricing varies by region and UK/Ireland plans exclude VAT Advanced multi-site capabilities are reserved for the Custom plan
Our verdict	Brightwheel is a cloud-based childcare management platform for preschools, child care centers, educators, staff, and families. It brings enrollment forms, admissions packets, applications, waitlists, billing, online payments, attendance,… Read the review →	Famly is a cloud-based early childhood platform for nurseries, preschools, daycares, and other early years providers. It brings enrollment, waitlists, attendance, sign-in and sign-out, child-staff ratio monitoring, family messaging, daily… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Brightwheel — where it wins

  • Combines enrollment, billing, attendance, learning, compliance, and staffing tools
  • Supports multi-site roles, permissions, reporting, and web and mobile access
  • Connects with Gusto, calendar platforms, and childcare-related integrations

  Where it doesn't

  • Pricing is quote-based rather than publicly tiered
  • Brightwheel does not currently hold SOC 2 certification
  • Some learning, curriculum, assessment, and payroll capabilities are optional add-ons

• Famly — where it wins

  • Combines enrollment, attendance, billing, learning, and family communication
  • Monitors child-staff ratios and supports daily care logs
  • Offers web, iOS, Android, API access, and partner integrations

  Where it doesn't

  • There is no permanent free plan
  • Pricing varies by region and UK/Ireland plans exclude VAT
  • Advanced multi-site capabilities are reserved for the Custom plan

• Brightwheel8.8/10 · Pricing on request

  A broad web and mobile platform for managing multi-site early education operations.

  Visit BrightwheelFull verdict →
• Famly8.5/10 · 14-day trial

  A broad childcare platform covering operations, learning, family communication, and payments.

  Visit FamlyFull verdict →