# Compare brightwheel vs Playground 2026 | Capterra > Unsure of what to choose? Check Capterra to compare brightwheel and Playground based on pricing, features, product details, and verified reviews. Source: https://www.capterra.com/compare/144060-220200/brightwheel-vs-Playground --- # brightwheel vs Playground Features and Cost Comparison Last updated March 13th, 2026 Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team.[Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) Your comparison: brightwheelPlayground2/4 selected [brightwheel](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/)[4.7 (3,255)](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/reviews/) [Playground](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/)[4.8 (194)](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/reviews/) [## brightwheel](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/)[4.7 (3,255)](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/reviews/) Starting Price Contact vendor Value-for-Money 4.5 Functionality 4.5 Ease of Use 4.6 Customer Service 4.6 Reviews Sentiment Based on [3,255 reviews](#user-reviews) Positive 3,133 Neutral 102 Negative 20 [## Playground](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/)[4.8 (194)](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/reviews/) Starting Price Contact vendor Value-for-Money 4.7 Functionality 4.7 Ease of Use 4.7 Customer Service 4.9 Reviews Sentiment TM JB Based on [194 reviews](#user-reviews) Positive 187 Neutral 3 Negative 4 ## Send this comparison chart to my inbox ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox. ## Summary * * * Key features rated by users Features selected based on 4,910 reviews from daycare software users. about the Fit Score methodology. Fit Score methodology Our Fit Score reflects how reviewers rate a product’s performance against a set of features reviewers rate as most important. A higher score indicates the product is rated better in delivering what reviewers most care about. If the Fit Score is not shown for a specific product, that only means there are currently not enough relevant data points to develop a meaningful score. It does not indicate that the product should be excluded from further evaluation. Best for Methodology 74%Fit Missing features Feature ratings Check-in/Check-out NA Data Security 4.6 Parent Portal 4.7 Payment Processing 4.6 Student Information/Records 4.6 83%Fit High performer Feature ratings Check-in/Check-out 4.8 Data Security 4.8 Parent Portal 4.7 Payment Processing 4.6 Student Information/Records 4.4 User satisfaction User satisfaction 4.7 User reviews[3,255](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/reviews/) Ease of use 4.6 Functionality 4.5 Value for money 4.5 Customer support 4.6 User satisfaction 4.8 User reviews[194](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/reviews/) Ease of use 4.7 Functionality 4.7 Value for money 4.7 Customer support 4.9 Price starts from Price starts from \-- - Free version - Free trial Price starts from \-- - Free version - Free trial Best for Best for It is designed for early care and education providers who manage childcare centers, preschool, daycare, after school, Sunday school, camps, and more. Best for Playground is a child care management software used by child care centers, in-home providers, before/after school programs, Montessori preschools, and more. ## User reviews Pros & cons TB Tamika B. Teacher Assistant > "Features like attendance tracking, parent engagement tools, and learning assessments empower educators to focus more on teaching and..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6565460) MC Madolyn C. Administration > "The feature that I least like about brightwheel is that it is a little difficult to update your deposit account if you do happen to..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6583289) GL Gilberto L. Senior Consultant > "With features like real-time communication, student progress tracking, and payment management, this platform simplifies the day-to-day..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6573710) Nicholas B. Senior Accountant > "This code doesn't change, however, for a parent who doesn't do the primary drop offs and pickups, I found myself struggling to..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6449196) SJ Stacy J. Director > "We are part of the Expense trial and we are liking it so far - we are able to take each bank transaction and add what they debit or..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6358383) BB Brittney B. Marketing Project Coordinator > "They have a message for messaging admins but you don’t get to see who those people are so when I send a message I never know who sees..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6491915) Logan H. Director > "I love how I can use it to quickly communicate with parents about schedules, behaviors, and how any staff member can see the..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6867989) JR Jessica R. Lead Teacher > "It's not clear how you make a template, or if that would even be helpful. And there aren't any example templates or template tutorials..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6561498) GL Gilberto L. Senior Consultant > "The platform has simplified many aspects of school management, such as communicating with parents, tracking attendance, and organizing..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6573710) RW Rachel W. Director > "The set up of facility rooms is a little difficult to make work with our AM and PM schedule of students." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6772244) SJ Stacy J. Director > "We like the scheduling piece so the \[sensitive content hidden\] can enter weekly schedules and teachers are able to see the schedules..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6358383) TT Tabitha T. Director > "I also do not like that when you pull a classroom list up you have to have any and all children who are able to go in that room. When..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___4868050) SM Sanaa M. Teacher > "It can be downloaded as an easily accessible app on both mobile devices and computers." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___7051227) AM Amanda M. Lead teacher > "It's also a bit difficult to be able to know which features are used from tablet, phone or desktop that can be kind of cumbersome" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6437314) BO Bryanna O. Office Manager > "You can pay your bill, contact teachers, look at pictures and feel secure that our littles are being taken care of as they should be." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6594330) LC Laverne C. Owner > "Not enough character space when sending urgent messages and enough time to do videos" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6417936) KF Kathryn F. Administrative Assistant > "It can replace emails and phone calls/texts and allows all communication to go through the app." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6558109) JS Jill S. Director > "Also had some issues with the time clocking in and out feature and reports from that." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6542460) SM Sanaa M. Teacher > "Brightwheel is a highly convenient childcare and student management platform." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___7051227) SJ Stacy J. Director > "I don't care for the mulitple screens you need to go through to do billing or scheduling." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6358383) JB Joyce B. Administrator > "I was very happy with the parent interaction and the easy with the billing. If we were looking to increase our classroom visibility..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6578420) SH Shaqueisha H. Parent > "There is no way to contact my daughter's after-school program through the platform." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6500741) KO Kaleigh O. Floater Teacher > "Brightwheel provides a lot of specific options so that daily logs are concise and organized." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6702427) KB Katie B. Director/Co-Owner > "a few more options for adding information or symbols to students would be nice-doesn't really hide inactive students, which can be..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___5027920) BJ Belineda J. Family support resource Specialist > "I know the teachers and admin have to make efforts to utilize the features more but maybe a way to make it easier can make the..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6878805) KF Kathryn F. Administrative Assistant > "It can be expensive for schools and daycares to purchase and execute." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6558109) HS Hailey S. Teacher > "I love that Brightwheel allows me to be a more active participant in my child's daycare experience." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6825090) RC Rebecca C. Owner Director > "Some parents were put off by the weekly fees to pay through the system." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6403171) JB Joyce B. Administrator > "It allows parents easy access to staff and to have a in real time picture of the child's day. " [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6578420) LB Leighann B. Director > "Any time I needed to issue a refund it was confusing to log correctly." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6798864) AJB Al-Jeva B. Owner and director > "I love the payments side && being able to upload pictures and videos for parents to see children." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6393317) BB Brittney B. Marketing Project Coordinator > "The messaging feature is a little confusing to me but that could just be user error." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6491915) DS Dipali S. CEO > "Brightwheel offers an impressive suite of features that streamline communication, documentation, and administrative tasks within early..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6153498) JM Jade M. Application Dept > "The app never updated when I needed information about my child" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6564938) JS Jessica S. Parent > "The picture feature makes it fun and gives me something to look forward to throughout my day." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6822169) EG ECLC G. Executive Director > "The cost, the constant troubleshooting and the fact it's another required app" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6523543) SJ Stacy J. Director > "We love the communication piece with families, billing is easy to do and is paid online, parents can see the daily happenings as they..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6358383) MG Melina G. Assistant > "Sometimes it is difficult to get in touch with customer support." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6303067) DS Darlene S. Front Office Assistant > "I like that is takes out payments automatically without me having to manually do it each time a payment is due." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6382769) VR Verified Reviewer Bookkeeper > "WONDERFUL...until Billing changes that took a child's at-a-glance and all-inclusive account and broke it into several links within..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#GetApp___5069836) OG Olivia G. Teacher > "It’s very easy to share pictures with parents and other staff." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___7137151) MW Madeline W. Daycare Owner and Operator > "The invoices does not seem to work as well on a phone or mobile device, works better on a computer, so have to go to the computer to..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___4900462) CC Cassie C. insurance coordinator > "The information provided helped me ask my daughter specific questions about her day." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___7012139) SK Shubham K. education > "subscription fees is the thing which may be least liked sometime" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6311733) SK Shubham K. education > "Brightwheel is an software platform designed to streamline operations for early childhood education programs." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6311733) KJ Kynisha J. Owner/ Director > "The billing feature delays payments by a few days so it's not deposited into your account immediately." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___4805067) KW Kandy W. Director > "I also love being able to send photos in real time to familes throughout the day." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6631592) CTU Chan'Tal U. Director > "I don't like that I cant delete a child from my Brightwheel all the way." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6698735) OG Olivia G. Teacher > "It is cheaper than what my company was using before and I love that." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___7137151) CK Cissy K. Assistant and Enrollment Director > "It took me a little too long to learn the financial process... but I'm old school!" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6777161) DS Darlene S. Front Office Assistant > "I like how can view messages from the teachers & see what my daughter is doing at school through out the day." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6382769) LB Lisa B. Operations Manager > "There was a pretty high cost compared to some other management software." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6392198) BJ Belineda J. Family support resource Specialist > "It makes it easier as parents work throughout the day can feel connected to their children." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6878805) BC Brenda C. Owner/teacher > "I notice that when I message staff together and they respond, staff can't see each other's message." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___5035918) SV Shelly V. Director > "The things I like about this is the staff tracking, student tracking and enrollment, messaging staff and parents and so much more" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___5022146) LB Leighann B. Director > "I did not like the billing platform." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6798864) TH Tynei H. Childcare Director > "My days are very busy, the app helps me show parents everything their children has done throughout the day and parents LOVE it!" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6464500) Andrea Yarlyn Q. owner > "Well, I have experienced some slowness in loading the platform, especially when there are many users accessing it simultaneously." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___5032154) NO Nneka O. Parent > "In addition, I like how his daycare can send invoices and newsletters." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6677429) CM Cates M. parent > "When app updates are pushed through, the updates are not well announced or explained." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6167444) JB Jeffrey B. Sales > "the simple features inside the app, when checking on my child during the day." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6569210) JR Jennifer R. Director > "Somtimes is does not load and then we have to restart our ipads." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6234604) TB Tamika B. Teacher Assistant > "Bright Wheel is a beautiful tool for informing parents and improving the classroom experience." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6565460) JE Jovanna E. HR Generalist > "It can be difficult to find the invoices for daycare." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6007648) BH Bryan H. Director of Technical Operations > "We've used several access/management apps for out child's daycare and of them this one has been the best. " [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6475297) OP Odette P. Daycare provider > "Some services are no provide in Canada, such as payments method." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6272193) MM Madison M. Assistant Teacher > "I like how it provides a simplified application that is helpful for both parents and teachers alike." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6698806) VP Vivian P. Executive Assistant > "Accessing documents was sometimes difficult to access and can use improvement." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___4878517) BG Bill G. AE > "Brightwheel is simple and helps me keep track of what my daughter is up to." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6579543) JN Jacob N. Marketing Coordinator > "A former daycare my child attended used the same app right before we moved to a different daycare. When I signed up I had to contact..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___4323572) MW Maryellen W. Director and owner > "It gives us a quick way to inform parents about classroom information. " [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6345722) GJ Gregory J. Technical Support Specialist > "For me, the check in/out feature was a little strange, and I would sometimes be unable to sign in due to issues scanning the bar code..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___4032806) Shalinda A. executive > "This upgrade has significantly reduced the administrative workload in the management office." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6322782) NW Nicole W. lead teacher/ owner > "Trying to learn and navigate the billing side has been a bit tough." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___4953308) RW Rachel W. Director > "It houses all of the features we need for our child care program." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6772244) JM Julie M. Director > "The only thing I don't like is in the contacts it doesn't list phone numbers for each person as a home/work/cell." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___3698692) BB Bonnie B. Lead Systems Analyst > "Check-in is a breeze and we love being alerted on the front end if a child is sick." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6681444) TP Tina P. Teacher > "I don’t like that it doesn’t have a feature that allows parents/teachers to post about lost items in the classroom." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___3696856) RY Rachael Y. Parent > "I love being able to easily message my child's teacher or the admin at school" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6449210) Ashley N. S. Communications Director > "I am unable to message my child's teachers directly." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6046925) [View Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/reviews/) TM Taneaha M. Owner and Director > "It makes communication with families easier, keeps student and staff information organized, and supports smoother scheduling, billing,..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___7068771) LS Latasha S. Business Operations Manager > "Staff messaging also lacks flexibility, there’s no simple way to message an entire class at once or easily select only their assigned..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___7025957) JB Justin B. Owner > "The standout feature of Playground is its ability to centralize every chaotic moving part of running a childcare center into one sleek,..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___7111759) GR Galen R. Owner and Director > "Unfortunately having to use tryplayground for URLs is inconvenient and makes it a little harder than necessary to point families to it." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___7017324) JB Justin B. Owner > "Beyond the backend, the real-time communication tools are a massive win; the ability to send instant photo updates and digital daily..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___7111759) CW Christen W. Owner > "I wouldn't necessarily say I don't like it, however I would allow centers the opportunity to be able to pay monthly rather than..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___7015039) JB Justin B. Owner > "It effectively replaces a fragmented mess of spreadsheets, paper checks, and clunky apps with a single, polished ecosystem that saves..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___7111759) Emma R. Owner and Director > "There were also a few features that required additional costs that I didn’t fully realize upfront." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___7070775) KD Kayla D. Owner and Provider > "I like being able to keep track of payments and being able to keep track of attendance as well as my clock in and out times." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___7055473) AM Adrienne M. Owner-Director > "Payment isn’t next day and takes 1-3 days, you’re only able to cash out payments two days per week, staff cannot view each others..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___6420689) JB Justin B. Owner > "Administrators rave about the automated billing system, which virtually eliminates the headache of chasing down late tuition by offering..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___7111759) KM Karen M. Administrative Assistant > "As an Administrator, I can't do some things from the App such as fix other staff members time in or time out, and I can't run reports." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___6460373) CH Cordelia H. Owner > "This program is incredibly diverse and helps organize literally everything and anything you could need in both home daycare and large..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___7070676) ME Michele E. owner director > "also, the fact that the staff don't get that info put into their check stubs" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___7089175) CH Carrie H. Office Manager > "Our parents have loved having access to playground from their phone to get important reminders and updates, access the school events..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___6881218) KW Kristin W. owner treacher > "The expense reporting does not have much feature and doesn't generate forms that are helpful with taxes. " [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___6423911) CH Carrie H. Office Manager > "I love that for each announcement/post, as an Admin, I can choose to post on the app, send by email, send as an SMS text, or choose to..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___6881218) KB Kimla B. Executive Director > "I do wish it was easier to see student/staff scheduling in the app. As is, I do not use PG for staff scheduling for this reason. " [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___6429057) JM Jamie M. Owner of Childcare > "Our teachers are easily able to manage the app to sign children in and send pictures and messages." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___7101475) RM Rebecca M. Director > "Not as many features as our program needs." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___7090239) CH Carrie H. Office Manager > "The Playground makes it easy to quickly access data about the students or find a parent's contact information easily, as well as post..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___6881218) LH Leslie H. Respite Care Program Director > "I am unable to remove certain fields from the child overview (specifcally meal subsidy)." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___6410151) Emma R. Owner and Director > "Even though the platform is geared toward childcare centers, it isn’t overly “babyish” and works really well for a microschool setting." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___7070775) HL Hannah L. Owner Director > "Occasionally I have trouble remembering where some features are/have to search the help center to remember how to use certain functions." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___6545614) Emma R. Owner and Director > "It has significantly streamlined many of my business and administrative tasks, which has been a huge relief as a school owner." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___7070775) KB Kimla B. Executive Director > "This did not work for us, so I created a "fake" staff member so we could all use the same pin. " [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___6429057) TH Tayler H. Administrator > "Playground has helped our center improve communication, stay organized, and operate more efficiently day to day." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___7101375) LH Leslie H. Respite Care Program Director > "It doesn't have a good way for my staff to complete shift reports." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___6410151) DM Debbie M. Owner-Provider > "I like that I am able to easily check in/out students and the communication with the parents is a plus. " [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___7080365) CS CuRonda S. owner > "I don't like how when you trying to enter if a child potty time or what they eat it doesn't let you do it one at a time" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___6428609) DS Danielle S. Director > "We enjoy the ease of Playground in enrolling new families, setting up their automatic billing for weekly tuition, and parent..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___6413378) BF Bonita F. Educational Director > "Not clear on how to use Playground and having virtual calls do not help." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___6410116) LV Lynette V. director > "I really like that as an admin I have access to all the neccesary stuff without needing to move from app to app." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___7076294) EP Emily P. Owner and Teacher > "Lack of control and visibility of statement emails" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___6431885) VR Verified Reviewer Owner > "We have been using their main app for a while, but lately their CRM feature has been a gamechanger for us, saving hours every week." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___6852679) DC Diana C. Executive Director > "I am unable to use admin features on mobile." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___6560939) KJ Kayla J. daycare provider > "It has a space for everything and a great place to keep track of everything I need to." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___7059781) CB Christa B. Owner > "If you miss payroll one week, it's a pain to get everything back on track" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___6415996) AD Angela D. Owner > "I also will use the app to keep my families informed of our daily activities, meals, photos and more! " [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___6862457) JG Jermaine G. Executive Director > "So far it has been marginal at best, but it has a lot of features that are good ideas but not well thought out or executed. " [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___6627934) BR Brandy R. Owner and Operator > "Parents love the updates and I love how easy it is to document learning, track routines, and stay on top of paperwork." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___7050320) JM Jordan M. Coo > "Missing paperwork, and the support time is not admirable" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___6429776) TH Tony H. Owner > "Oh, let me not forget that apps allow you to make all your documents fillable, so we're about 90% paperless now." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___7006934) JR Jessica R. Owner > "The mobile app isn't as great from an administrative standpoint." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___6411898) AW Aliyah W. Director > "We also recently added the CRM, and within the first week, we were easily able to reach and enroll new families." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___7003628) SH Samantha H. Assistant Director of Early Childhood Programs > "Sometimes my page freezes and I am not sure why." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___6413458) TM Taneaha M. Owner and Director > "On demand support. Whenever I have a question, they are readily available and always have the resources to help." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___7068771) AO Alex O. Director > "There's not a place to document on the child's account or staff account. While there is a notes section, you can not print this out. " [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___5044201) GR Galen R. Owner and Director > "To get 90% of all operation functions covered by a single platform which is so much more reasonablly priced than the competitors makes..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___7017324) TS Tiffany S. Owner and operator of a family childcare program > "I don’t use it because I can’t afford to wait for payment." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___6431322) CH Courtney H. Program Director > "The ability to add multiple photos in one area for families to view and be able to caption are awesome." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___6421653) KV Katya V. Executive Director > "Sometimes the app can be slow or random numbers will be wrong - we always assume it is a glitch, close the app and it usually fixes it." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___5043937) KB Kim B. Director > "We like the convenience of online billing and the parents like the ability to pay online from the comfort of their own home." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___6421470) JW Jessica W. Youth Director > "Program set up was not consistent with our needs." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___6426837) KC Kayla C. Daycare Provider > "I’m new but I love the options it provides from communication to enrollment." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___7092984) CJU Chiamaka Juliet U. Care giver > "It isn’t user friendly." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___7034556) HF Heather F. Administrator > "We love the ease of communicating with parents and staff and that we have options of using Playground for Payroll and Expense tracking." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___6415818) SE Sherry E. Owner > "It can be a little overwhelming, BUT see my description of the overall experience." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___6557430) TH Tayler H. Administrator > "What we love most about Playground is how it keeps everything organized in one place." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___7101375) AA Amanda A. Operations Manager > "The statement dates were not correct and caused a lot of confusion for parents." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___5079509) KB Kim B. Director > "The convenience of online billing instead of pen and paper and the ability to track payments easily online." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___6421470) MJ Meredith J. Director > "Still new to us so I will give it more time, but so far it has been very frustrating" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___6425476) RF Rebecca F. Direcot > "The customer service is fantastic and they listen to the issues that we come across - any glitches are fixed quickly and they take my..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___6664509) MKB Mary Kay B. Administrator > "At this present time, I have not found anything that I can honestly say I don't like." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___6398849) AW Aliyah W. Director > "Our account manager has been there every step of the way, teaching our team how to use the system to maximize systems through Playground." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___7003628) AS Ashely S. Owner Miss Ashely > "It’s not very easy to run reports." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___6414122) AD Angela D. Owner > "My families also love the ease of communication and the ability to see snippets of their kos activities throughout the day!" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___6862457) EV Elana V. Business Manager > "We don't have an easy import into Quickbooks." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___5044321) BB Brooke B. Director > "Playground has everything my center needs in one place!" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___7096329) GF Glenda F. Child Care Provider > "Getting started was a bit rough but help is just a phone call away" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___6157019) JB Joy B. Owner Director Administrator > "The app and desktop use are flawless and cohesive too." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___7083757) EC Estie C. Director > "Checking in kids i dont find so easy from a phone." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___6055615) [View Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/reviews/) ## User interface 4.66 (3,255) [Playground](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/) 4.82 (194) ### Features Do these products fit your needs? Prioritize real-user-identified key features according to your needs to find your best fit. \--% Fit vs \--% Fit Activity Dashboard 207 Important Activity Tracking 150 Important AI Copilot 120 Important brightwheel 26/40 - Activity Dashboard - Activity Tracking - AI Copilot - Alerts/Notifications - API - Attendance Tracking - Billing & Invoicing - Calendar Management - Certification Tracking - Check-in/Check-out - Class Scheduling - Communications Management - Contact Database - Customer Accounts - Daily Reports - Data Security - Document Management - Electronic Signature - Employee Management - Enrollments/Onboarding - Generative AI - Immunization & Allergy Tracking - Incident Management - Lesson Planning - Meal/Nutrition Management - Milestone Tracking - Mobile Access - Multi-Language - Multi-Location - Parent Portal - Payment Processing - Records Management - Registration Management - Reporting & Statistics - Resource Scheduling - Role-Based Permissions - Student Information/Records - Task Management - Third-Party Integrations - Wait List Management [See all features](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#features) Playground Top features 40/40 - Activity Dashboard - Activity Tracking - AI Copilot - Alerts/Notifications - API - Attendance Tracking - Billing & Invoicing - Calendar Management - Certification Tracking - Check-in/Check-out - Class Scheduling - Communications Management - Contact Database - Customer Accounts - Daily Reports - Data Security - Document Management - Electronic Signature - Employee Management - Enrollments/Onboarding - Generative AI - Immunization & Allergy Tracking - Incident Management - Lesson Planning - Meal/Nutrition Management - Milestone Tracking - Mobile Access - Multi-Language - Multi-Location - Parent Portal - Payment Processing - Records Management - Registration Management - Reporting & Statistics - Resource Scheduling - Role-Based Permissions - Student Information/Records - Task Management - Third-Party Integrations - Wait List Management [See all features](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#features) ### Recognition brightwheel is recognized as a top-rated tool in 2 Capterra Shortlist reports Playground is recognized as a top-rated tool in 3 Capterra Shortlist reports ### Deployment & support brightwheel Deployment - Cloud, SaaS, Web-Based - Desktop Mac - Desktop Windows - Desktop Linux - On-Premise Windows - On-Premise Linux - Desktop Chromebook - Mobile Android - Mobile iPhone - Mobile iPad Support - Email/Help Desk - FAQs/Forum - Knowledge Base - Phone Support - 24/7 (Live rep) - Chat Training - In Person - Live Online - Webinars - Documentation - Videos Playground Deployment - Cloud, SaaS, Web-Based - Desktop Mac - Desktop Windows - Desktop Linux - On-Premise Windows - On-Premise Linux - Desktop Chromebook - Mobile Android - Mobile iPhone - Mobile iPad Support - Email/Help Desk - FAQs/Forum - Knowledge Base - Phone Support - 24/7 (Live rep) - Chat Training - In Person - Live Online - Webinars - Documentation - Videos ### Company Details brightwheel - By brightwheel - Located in United States - Founded in 2014 Playground - By Playground - Located in United States - Founded in ## Popular Comparisons [brightwheel](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/)[4.66 (3,255)](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/reviews/) vs [Procare Solutions](https://www.capterra.com/p/23486/Procare-Child-Care-Management/)[4.59 (2,801)](https://www.capterra.com/p/23486/Procare-Child-Care-Management/reviews/) Contact vendor for pricing Price Contact vendor for pricing 4.5 Features 4.4 4.6 Ease of Use 4.4 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/23486-144060/Procare-Child-Care-Management-vs-brightwheel) [Playground](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/)[4.82 (194)](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/reviews/) vs [Procare Solutions](https://www.capterra.com/p/23486/Procare-Child-Care-Management/)[4.59 (2,801)](https://www.capterra.com/p/23486/Procare-Child-Care-Management/reviews/) Contact vendor for pricing Price Contact vendor for pricing 4.7 Features 4.4 4.7 Ease of Use 4.4 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/23486-220200/Procare-Child-Care-Management-vs-Playground) [brightwheel](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/)[4.66 (3,255)](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/reviews/) vs [Lillio](https://www.capterra.com/p/134048/HiMama-Preschool-Child-Care-App/)[4.59 (3,623)](https://www.capterra.com/p/134048/HiMama-Preschool-Child-Care-App/reviews/) Contact vendor for pricing Price Contact vendor for pricing 4.5 Features 4.4 4.6 Ease of Use 4.6 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/134048-144060/HiMama-Preschool-Child-Care-App-vs-brightwheel) [Playground](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/)[4.82 (194)](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/reviews/) vs [Lillio](https://www.capterra.com/p/134048/HiMama-Preschool-Child-Care-App/)[4.59 (3,623)](https://www.capterra.com/p/134048/HiMama-Preschool-Child-Care-App/reviews/) Contact vendor for pricing Price Contact vendor for pricing 4.7 Features 4.4 4.7 Ease of Use 4.6 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/134048-220200/HiMama-Preschool-Child-Care-App-vs-Playground) [brightwheel](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/)[4.66 (3,255)](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/reviews/) vs [Daily Connect](https://www.capterra.com/p/180141/Daily-Connect/)[4.75 (306)](https://www.capterra.com/p/180141/Daily-Connect/reviews/) Contact vendor for pricing Price $1.4/month 4.5 Features 4.6 4.6 Ease of Use 4.7 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/144060-180141/brightwheel-vs-Daily-Connect) [Playground](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/)[4.82 (194)](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/reviews/) vs [Daily Connect](https://www.capterra.com/p/180141/Daily-Connect/)[4.75 (306)](https://www.capterra.com/p/180141/Daily-Connect/reviews/) Contact vendor for pricing Price $1.4/month 4.7 Features 4.6 4.7 Ease of Use 4.7 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/180141-220200/Daily-Connect-vs-Playground) [brightwheel](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/)[4.66 (3,255)](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/reviews/) vs [KINDERPEDIA](https://www.capterra.com/p/174857/KINDERPEDIA/)[4.82 (165)](https://www.capterra.com/p/174857/KINDERPEDIA/reviews/) Contact vendor for pricing Price €61/month 4.5 Features 4.7 4.6 Ease of Use 4.7 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/144060-174857/brightwheel-vs-KINDERPEDIA) [Playground](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/)[4.82 (194)](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/reviews/) vs [Famly](https://www.capterra.com/p/155536/Famly/)[4.71 (264)](https://www.capterra.com/p/155536/Famly/reviews/) Contact vendor for pricing Price $49/month 4.7 Features 4.5 4.7 Ease of Use 4.7 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/155536-220200/Famly-vs-Playground) [brightwheel](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/)[4.66 (3,255)](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/reviews/) vs [Famly](https://www.capterra.com/p/155536/Famly/)[4.71 (264)](https://www.capterra.com/p/155536/Famly/reviews/) Contact vendor for pricing Price $49/month 4.5 Features 4.5 4.6 Ease of Use 4.7 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/144060-155536/brightwheel-vs-Famly) [Playground](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/)[4.82 (194)](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/reviews/) vs [myKidzDay](https://www.capterra.com/p/135638/myKidzDay/)[4.54 (114)](https://www.capterra.com/p/135638/myKidzDay/reviews/) Contact vendor for pricing Price Contact vendor for pricing 4.7 Features 4.4 4.7 Ease of Use 4.6 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/135638-220200/myKidzDay-vs-Playground) [brightwheel](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/)[4.66 (3,255)](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/reviews/) vs [Parent](https://www.capterra.com/p/179039/Parent/)[4.60 (102)](https://www.capterra.com/p/179039/Parent/reviews/) Contact vendor for pricing Price Contact vendor for pricing 4.5 Features 4.5 4.6 Ease of Use 4.6 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/144060-179039/brightwheel-vs-Parent) [Playground](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/)[4.82 (194)](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/reviews/) vs [iClassPro](https://www.capterra.com/p/127097/iClassPro/)[4.51 (477)](https://www.capterra.com/p/127097/iClassPro/reviews/) Contact vendor for pricing Price $139/month 4.7 Features 4.1 4.7 Ease of Use 4.3 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/127097-220200/iClassPro-vs-Playground)