--- title: "Compare brightwheel vs Playground 2026 | Capterra" description: "Unsure of what to choose? Check Capterra to compare brightwheel and Playground based on pricing, features, product details, and verified reviews." source_url: "https://www.capterra.com/compare/144060-220200/brightwheel-vs-Playground" page_type: "comparison" language: "en" --- # brightwheel vs Playground Features and Cost Comparison Last updated August 26th, 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 (3,257)](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 (3,257)](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 [3,257 reviews](#user-reviews) Positive 3,135 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 JB JB Based on [194 reviews](#user-reviews) Positive 187 Neutral 3 Negative 4 ## Summary * * * Key features rated by users Features selected based on 4,939 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[3,257](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..." [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..." [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..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6573710) 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..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6491915) GL Gilberto L. Senior Consultant > "The platform has simplified many aspects of school management, such as communicating with parents, tracking attendance, and..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6573710) 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..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6561498) 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) 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) 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..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6594330) 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) 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) 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) 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..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6578420) 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..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___5027920) 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) 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) 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) BB Bonnie B. Digital Systems Manager > "It's easy to use for teacher's either from the app or from the browser." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___7167815) 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) 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) 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) DS Dipali S. CEO > "Brightwheel offers an impressive suite of features that streamline communication, documentation, and administrative tasks within..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6153498) 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) 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) 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..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#GetApp___5069836) 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) 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..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6358383) 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) 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) 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) 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) 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...." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___4868050) 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) 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) 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..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6358383) 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) 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) 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) 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) 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) LB Leighann B. Director > "I did not like the billing platform." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6798864) 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) 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) 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) 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) 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) 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) 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) 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) 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) 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) 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) 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..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___4323572) 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) 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..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___4032806) 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) 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) JP Jeremy P. Integrations Solutions Consultant > "Brightwheel provides an easy way to get photos, videos, status updates, and messages from my kids teachers on their day." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___5097858) 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) AT Abbie T. Parent > "Its nice to have communication w the staff during day so you can get updates on your kid." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6614838) 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) SH Shaqueisha H. Parent > "I like that users can manage their accounts and balances." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6500741) 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..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___4900462) KW Kandy W. Director > "Since I'm the Director, Lead Teacher, AND do 100% of the admin work, it has been a huge time saver for me!" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6631592) HF Helen F. Cleaner > "Sometimes I couldn’t download the pictures" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6199650) 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) CN Connie N. Director > "The only think I don't like is that I can't delete admissions forms or delete a student from our account." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___4458663) CC Cassie C. insurance coordinator > "I absolutely loved being able to see my daughter through out 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) KT Kathy T. Office Manager > "Simple system with a big reward, easy way to keep track of kid throughout the day" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6515782) 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) LB Leighann B. Director > "It got me through the first year of running my first childcare center, but ultimately I switched products." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6798864) VR Verified Reviewer PQE > "This software does not allow you to see multiple kids at once on a feed without going back and forth. " [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#GetApp___4254633) AT Abbie T. Parent > "Overall good, it is nice to communicate live w teachers, administrators, school staff, during the day." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6614838) Robert E. Analyst > "There was a time where I intentionally did not want to use auto pay." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___5048682) GL Gilberto L. Senior Consultant > "Thanks to Brightwheel, the entire team has been able to work more efficiently and in a coordinated manner." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6573710) 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) DS Dipali S. CEO > "Brightwheel offers an impressive suite of features that streamline communication, documentation, and administrative tasks within..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6153498) JS Junsup S. section chief > "The interface is a bit confusing, there is some onboarding, and it takes some time." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___4464764) AL Arielle L. Contract Specialist > "I like the interface, it’s easy to navigate and view all areas I need to see." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6780643) 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) CC Cho C. ceo > "It's great to be able to intuitively check your child's progress." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6366568) CO Chidi O. Manager Design Assurance Engineer > "It’s a simple UX, but maybe too simple and not enough functions." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___4696059) PG Probal G. Project Manager > "I had used similar software in the past but this one I found very good in all aspects and a very user friendly interface." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6293638) PJ Pawan J. Subject matter expert > "Slightly difficult to use Initially." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___4116731) CM Courtney M. Owner > "The ease of parent, communication and the integration with payroll" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___6603041) EM Esraa M. Technology/Service Providers > "Disadvantages are quite a few" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___3371152) Shivam D. system engineer > "Additionally, "brightwheel" offers an API that enables developers to build custom integrations with other software solutions." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___4709830) 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) JS Junsup S. section chief > "This software was easily integrated into our program and my parents like it." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___4464764) VR Verified Reviewer Office Manager > "Customer service for a few issues has been slow, I want to say due to COVID, and hope response time will improve." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/#Capterra___2530851) [View Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/reviews/) 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) 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 > "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) 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 > "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) 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 quarterly..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___7015039) 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) 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) 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) 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) 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) 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 > "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) 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) 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) 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) 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) 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) 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) 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) 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) 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) 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) 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) 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) 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) 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) 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) 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) CJU Chiamaka Juliet U. Care giver > "It isn’t user friendly." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___7034556) 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) 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 > "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) 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) 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) 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) 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) 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) JG Jermaine G. Executive Director > "Children of Joy would love to do it because I see the potential in Playground and that's why I made the switch from a 30+ year..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___6627934) 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) KJ Kassidy J. Director > "I am excited to use the other features as I start enrolling students and know I can reach out to her as questions arise." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___7006863) 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) 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) 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) 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) 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) AW Aliyah W. Director > "Parent communication is a breeze, and families love being able to know in real time what their children are doing." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___7003628) 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) 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) 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) AW Aliyah W. Director > "The CRM is excellent as managing new families is automatically created once families show interest." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___7003628) 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) CW Christen W. Owner > "Every platform is and has been different with their own special quirks, however, Playground has been my absolute favorite and I'm very..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___7015039) 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) MC Maria C. Owner, director, and teacher > "I make the invoices on a recurring setting and its one less thing to worry about within my busy day." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___6533720) 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) HL Hannah L. Owner Director > "The ability to send photos is a great way to send evidence of learning home each day." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___6545614) 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) JR Jenna R. CEO > "I'm very impressed with everything Playground offers and there's no need to have multiple apps for different things in the business." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___7008658) 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) CW Christen W. Owner > "I loved that the transition was so smooth along with it being user friendly for everyone, families, my team and myself! If you can use..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___7015039) 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) BD Brittany D. Executive Director > "Also, the planning portion so we can put the overall what we did for the week is great." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___7015376) 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) 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) 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) DJ Diamond J. IT Support and Marketing > "Playground makes communication between parents and staff simple and organized." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___7037498) CJU Chiamaka Juliet U. Care giver > "It isn’t user friendly." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___7034556) AL Amanda L. provider > "I like that playground tracks all my spending which saves me a ton of time with taxes." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___6484074) 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) 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) 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) DJ Diamond J. IT Support and Marketing > "I love how easy it is to manage attendance, send messages, and share updates with families." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___7037498) 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) 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) 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) 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) 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) DP David P. Director > "Playground makes center management easy through its intuitive design and full-featured feature set." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/#Capterra___6532392) 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) [View Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/220200/Playground/reviews/) ## User interface 4.66 (3,257) [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 26/43 - Activity Dashboard - Activity Tracking - AI Copilot - Alerts/Notifications - API - Attendance Tracking - Autonomous Task Execution - 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 - Multi-step Planning - Parent Portal - Payment Processing - Proactive Assistance - 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 40/43 - Activity Dashboard - Activity Tracking - AI Copilot - Alerts/Notifications - API - Attendance Tracking - Autonomous Task Execution - 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 - Multi-step Planning - Parent Portal - Payment Processing - Proactive Assistance - 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 (3,257)](https://www.capterra.com/p/144060/brightwheel/reviews/) vs [Procare Solutions](https://www.capterra.com/p/23486/Procare-Child-Care-Management/)[4.59 (2,809)](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 (2,809)](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 (3,257)](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 (3,257)](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 (3,257)](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 (3,257)](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 (3,257)](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)