Prices, from the source
Daycare software prices in 2026, checked weekly
Ten daycare platforms, priced from their own pricing pages: the software price, what the free plan actually includes, and the fee on parent payments. Five publish a price; five make you ask. The cheapest published price is $0, which is NestliCare, with every feature and no child cap; the only cost is the processing fee when a parent pays online. Every row links to its source and the whole table is re-checked each week.
· Last checked September 12, 2026 against each vendor’s own pricing page.
Vendors that publish a price
Ordered by software price, lowest first. Wording in quotes is the vendor’s own.
| Software | Software price | Free plan | Fee on parent payments | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NestliCare | $0. Every feature, unlimited children, staff, and locations. No paid plan exists. | The whole product is free, not a tier. | 2.9% + $0.50 per card payment, 1% capped at $6 per bank (ACH) payment, in the US. Parents cover it at checkout by default; the daycare can absorb it instead. Cash and check: $0. | Pricing page |
| MyKidReports | $0.99 per child per month, priced in tiers of 10 (6 to 10 children = $9.90 per month). | Free up to 5 children with 1 staff account. | Standard processing fees via Stripe and Deluxe. | Pricing page |
| myKidzDay | $1.00 per child per month, or $10.00 per room per month ("additional fees apply for 11+ children" on per-room pricing; 10% off for non-profit centers). | No. "Free for parents and staff"; centers start on a free trial. | Not stated on the pricing section. | Pricing page |
| Daily Connect | $16 per month billed annually with 10 children included, then $1.60 per child. Nannies and small family daycares: $8.99 per month (3 children max) or $12.99 per month (6 children max). | No. 14-day free trial. | "Standard payment processing fees apply" when using parent billing. | Pricing page |
| Bloomily | $99 per month per location, every feature included. | Free for "licensed home daycares and small in-home programs" with up to 18 children. | 3.5% on cards, 1% on bank transfers; the program chooses whether families or the program covers it. | Pricing page |
Vendors that price by quote
No number on the pricing page as of the last check. What each page does say is quoted.
| Software | What the pricing page says | Free plan | Fee on parent payments | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| brightwheel | Premium is "customized for each program rather than published as a price list"; the price "is based on enrollment capacity." | Yes: "1 staff member, less than 20 students & unlimited family members." Excludes family messaging, video sharing, newsletters, emergency SMS alerts, online forms, waitlist management, meal reports, lesson planning, observations, staff messaging, and contactless check-in. | Card, FSA, and bank payments each carry "a service fee specific to your program." The rate is not published. | Pricing page |
| Procare | "One low monthly price," not published. The in-home edition is for "up to 15 children" with "zero contracts, set-up fees, per-child charges." | No. | Not published. | Pricing page |
| Lillio (formerly HiMama) | Not published. Pricing requires booking a call or demo. | No. | Not published. | Pricing page |
| Playground | Not published. The pricing page schedules a demo. | No. | Not published. | Pricing page |
| Kangarootime | No pricing page exists; the site offers a demo and pricing is by quote. | No. | Not published. | Pricing page |
How this page is checked
- Every week a script re-reads each pricing page linked above and compares the price-bearing text with the previous week.
- If nothing moved, the "last checked" date advances. If something did, a person reads the change, updates the row using the vendor’s own wording, and adds a line below.
- Nothing on this page comes from review sites, third-party roundups, or sales calls. If a vendor does not publish a number, the row says so rather than guessing.
Changelog
- : Page published. Every row re-read from the vendor’s own pricing page on this date; no differences from the September 3 check behind the Brightwheel alternatives page.
Daycare software pricing, answered plainly
- How much does daycare software cost per month?
- Among vendors that publish a price, the range in September 2026 runs from $0 (NestliCare, every feature) through per-child pricing around $1 per child per month (MyKidReports, myKidzDay), a flat $16 per month with 10 children included (Daily Connect), to $99 per location per month (Bloomily). Brightwheel, Procare, Lillio, Playground, and Kangarootime do not publish a price; you get a quote after a sales conversation.
- Why do so many daycare software companies not publish prices?
- Quote-based pricing lets a vendor price by enrollment capacity and adjust per program. It also means the advertised software price and the payment processing fee are two separate negotiations. When you ask for a quote, ask for the total at your actual enrollment including the payment service fee, set-up, training, and SMS or messaging charges.
- Is there daycare software with no per-child fee?
- Yes. NestliCare charges nothing per child, per staff member, or per location. Bloomily charges a flat $99 per location. Daily Connect includes 10 children in its base price and charges $1.60 per additional child. MyKidReports and myKidzDay are priced per child.
- What does "free" mean on each free plan?
- It differs a lot. NestliCare is free for every feature at every size, with revenue coming from the processing fee on online tuition payments. Brightwheel’s free plan is limited to one staff member and fewer than 20 students and leaves out messaging, forms, waitlists, and lesson planning. MyKidReports is free up to 5 children. Bloomily is free for licensed home daycares up to 18 children. Daily Connect offers a 14-day trial, not a free plan.
- How is this page kept accurate?
- A script re-reads every pricing page linked below each week and compares the price-bearing text with the previous week. If anything moved, a person reads the change, updates the row with the vendor’s own wording, and adds a dated line to the changelog. Only then does the “last checked” date advance. It was last checked on September 12, 2026.
- What is the real cost of NestliCare?
- The software is $0 with no paid plan. When a parent pays tuition online, the standard processing fee applies: 2.9% plus 50 cents per card payment, or 1% capped at $6 per bank transfer, in the US. By default the parent covers it at checkout, and the daycare can choose to absorb it. Cash, check, and subsidy payments cost nothing to record.
The other products named on this page are trademarks of their respective owners. NestliCare is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by any of them. Their prices, plan limits, and fees are quoted from their own websites as of the date shown at the top of this page and may have changed since; we correct errors the same day they are reported.