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brightwheel description
Brightwheel is a popular software solution designed for childcare centers, preschools, and daycares to manage daily operations. It offers tools for tasks such as online billing and payments, parent communication, staff management, and lesson planning. Brightwheel is accessible via a mobile app and web browser, aiming to simplify administrative tasks and improve communication within the childcare setting.
Who is brightwheel best for
Brightwheel simplifies daily operations for childcare providers. Parents love the real-time photo and video updates, easy communication, and detailed daily reports. Some users find the billing adjustments and staff-only communication challenging. Overall, Brightwheel streamlines childcare management with a user-friendly interface.
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Best for small to medium-sized childcare businesses.
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Ideal for childcare centers, preschools, and daycares.
brightwheel features
| Supported Brightwheel enables educators to create and manage lesson plans, potentially aligning them with learning frameworks. |
| Supported Brightwheel supports attendance tracking, including check-in/out times and reporting. |
| Supported Brightwheel supports online enrollment through digital forms and admission management. |
| Supported Brightwheel offers messaging, announcements, newsletters, and a daily activity feed for parents. |
| Supported Brightwheel supports staff scheduling and time off management. |
| Supported Brightwheel supports creating and managing staff schedules. |
| Supported Brightwheel offers automated recurring invoices and online payments via various methods. |
We evaluate the sentiment that users express about non-functional aspects of the software
Value and Pricing Transparency
Customer Service
Ease of Use
Reliability and Performance
Ease of Implementation
brightwheel reviews
We've summarised 2540 brightwheel reviews (brightwheel Software Advice reviews, brightwheel GetApp reviews, brightwheel TrustPilot reviews, brightwheel Capterra reviews and brightwheel G2 reviews) and summarised the main points below.
- Real-time photo and video sharing with parents, allowing them to stay connected to their child's day.
- Easy communication with parents through the messaging system.
- Streamlined billing and online payment options, convenient for both parents and administrators.
- Detailed daily reports for each child, tracking activities, meals, naps, and more.
- Comprehensive record-keeping, storing student information, attendance, and communications in one place.
- Difficult to keep student schedules up-to-date, especially with varied attendance (drop-in, part-time, full-time).
- Billing features, while generally liked, have become more complex after a recent update, making it harder to track transactions, credits, and refunds.
- Limited customization for billing. Difficult to adjust individual invoices within a billing plan, often requiring pausing and restarting the plan.
- Occasional syncing issues between the app and website, leading to discrepancies in information and delayed updates.
- Messaging system lacks direct teacher-to-teacher communication. All messages are visible to all staff and administrators.
brightwheel pricing
The commentary is based on 126 reviews from brightwheel Capterra reviews, brightwheel G2 reviews, brightwheel GetApp reviews and brightwheel Software Advice reviews.
Brightwheel's pricing is a common topic in reviews. While many appreciate the free features and value of the paid versions, some find the premium subscriptions expensive, especially for smaller programs or in comparison to other software. Others express frustration with payment processing fees and occasional billing complexities.
Users sentiment
See the brightwheel pricing page.
brightwheel alternatives
KINDERPEDIABetter fit for larger organizations. Caters to K-12 schools, not just childcare. Has stronger website traffic momentum.Read more
SmartcareBetter fit for larger enterprises. Has stronger momentum in terms of website traffic and employee growth. Billing errors are a recurring issue. Reporting features are cumbersome.Read more
IllumineBetter fit for medium-sized businesses. Caters to a wider range of industries including Finance, Banking & Insurance, E-commerce, Retail, and Software/IT. Has more momentum in terms of website traffic and employee growth. Lacks staff scheduling, waitlist management, and tuition management features.Read more
Google ClassroomBetter for broader educational use cases beyond childcare. Free, unlike brightwheel. Integrates with Google tools. Lacks childcare specific features like billing and waitlists.Read more
LineLeader by ChildcareCRMBetter for lead management and has CRM capabilities. Grows faster than brightwheel. Includes online registration.Read more
DrivEdBetter for corporate training and employee onboarding. More suitable for Software, IT, Marketing, and Professional Services. Positive pricing sentiment with transparent pricing plans. Highly customizable with strong customer support.Read more
brightwheel FAQ
What is brightwheel and what does brightwheel do?
Brightwheel is a software solution for childcare centers, preschools, and daycares. It streamlines daily operations with tools for online billing, parent communication, staff management, and lesson planning. Accessible via mobile app and web, brightwheel simplifies administrative tasks and enhances communication.
How does brightwheel integrate with other tools?
Brightwheel integrates with several tools to enhance its functionality. It connects with billing and payment processors, streamlining tuition collection. Furthermore, brightwheel integrates with communication platforms to facilitate seamless parent-teacher interaction.
What the main competitors of brightwheel?
Brightwheel's main competitors include Procare Solutions, LineLeader by ChildcareCRM, Kinderpedia, Smartcare, and Illumine. These platforms offer similar features for childcare management, such as billing, parent communication, and staff scheduling.
Is brightwheel legit?
Brightwheel is a legitimate software solution for childcare management. User reviews highlight easy parent communication and streamlined billing as key benefits. It's a safe and popular choice for childcare centers seeking improved operational efficiency and parent engagement.
How much does brightwheel cost?
Brightwheel's pricing is not publicly available. Contact brightwheel directly for pricing details regarding their plans and add-ons.
Is brightwheel customer service good?
Brightwheel's customer service receives positive feedback, with users highlighting the helpful and responsive support team. Users mention quick responses and effective problem-solving by the support staff, contributing to a generally positive customer service experience.
Reviewed by
Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.
Tymon is a seasoned CTO who loves finding the perfect tools for any task. He recently headed up the tech department at Batmaid, a well-known Swiss company, where he managed about 60 software purchases, including CX, HR, Payroll, Marketing automation and various developer tools.