#1 childcare app
Discover the best childcare app for your preschool program
Discover the best childcare app for your preschool program
Brightwheel is the all-in-one childcare app to automate payments, boost teacher productivity, and improve communication with families.
See why brightwheel is the best childcare app
4.9 Stars | 100,000+ reviews
Never miss a moment
The best childcare app for real-time communication
All-in-one childcare management app
Brightwheel is trusted as the best childcare app to help programs save time and improve family communication
Brightwheel is trusted as the best childcare app to help programs save time and improve family communication
Get paid on time, every time
Enable families to view invoices, manage autopay, and much more, all on their phone.
Message families from your phone
95% of admins and staff report that brightwheel improves communication with families.
Boost productivity on the go
Save up to 20 hrs per month on admin tasks with brightwheel’s all-in-one solution.
Keep data private and protected
Enhance your account safety with 2FA, data encryption, and 24×7 fraud monitoring.
Get paid on time, every time
Enable families to view invoices, manage autopay, and much more, all on their phone.
Message families from your phone
95% of admins and staff report that brightwheel improves communication with families.
Boost productivity on the go
Save up to 20 hrs per month on admin tasks with brightwheel’s all-in-one solution.
Keep data private and protected
Enhance your account safety with 2FA, data encryption, and 24×7 fraud monitoring.
Work smarter and create deeper connections with families
Manage your program from your mobile phone
- Access business-critical information from your phone, even when you’re not near your computer
- Easily engage with families using real-time messages and grant select staff the same access
- Stay compliant with contactless check-ins, staff-to-child ratio monitoring, health checks, and sleep checks
- Upload receipts for expenses directly in the app, allowing you to get rid of paper receipts
“Brightwheel has really helped facilitate our day-to-day life and what we do. I love being able to see it on my phone, so no matter where I go I can simply pick up brightwheel and see what’s going on with each student, family and staff member at all 9 locations.”
Mandy D.
Chief Operating Officer at Blossom Crew in Chicago, IL
Reduce your workload, increase efficiency
- Access lesson plans and record observations with a mobile device
- Keep families updated on their child’s development with progress reports
- Add Experience Curriculum to enhance program quality with digital lessons and hands-on learning materials
“The lessons and lesson plans in brightwheel are my favorite. We are able to look back and see what activities the kids have done, and everything is well-organized. The app is very straightforward and easy to use. I love the bright icons you can tap on!”
Andrea R.
Toddler & Preschool Teacher at Little Feet Child Care in Tigard, OR
Share more memorable moments with families
- Get insight into your child’s day with real-time updates using photos or videos
- Communicate instantly with staff and admins via in-app messaging
- Seamless and secure payments through the mobile app
“With brightwheel invoices, you don’t have to write a check. It’s all online, easy to use, can be done anywhere, and you can pay with a debit card or credit card.”
Abby C.
Parent
Early education resources
Achieve your enrollment goals
Learn actionable ideas to increase your student headcount:
- How to create the best marketing strategy
- Ways to optimize your online presence to attract families
- Practical tips to establish trust with existing and prospective families
- The most effective way to manage your enrollment pipeline
What customers are saying about brightwheel’s childcare app
Brightwheel gets an A+ when it comes to parent satisfaction. We send out surveys to our families, and a huge piece they love is how brightwheel brings them into the room.
The app has done wonders to foster family and staff relationships. The teachers show off the amazing things they are doing in the classroom. I cannot imagine how we’d operate without brightwheel.
Brightwheel is the best way to communicate with parents. It’s better than email. I sometimes miss an email, but I don’t miss brightwheel messages because it’s right there.
The ability to communicate with the teachers on a regular basis, and get updates, as well as sign in and out and all the awesome features of [brightwheel] really make my life easier.
I absolutely love the brightwheel app!! I never really have to worry about my payment. I just set it in a separate account and let it deduct automatically. No getting kicked out or charged late fees.
Brightwheel gets an A+ when it comes to parent satisfaction. We send out surveys to our families, and a huge piece they love is how brightwheel brings them into the room.
The app has done wonders to foster family and staff relationships. The teachers show off the amazing things they are doing in the classroom. I cannot imagine how we’d operate without brightwheel.
Brightwheel is the best way to communicate with parents. It’s better than email. I sometimes miss an email, but I don’t miss brightwheel messages because it’s right there.
Brightwheel helped us streamline everything into one cohesive system. Parents are more responsive now, and staff feel more supported. Us administrators have more time to be present at the school.
The ability to communicate with the teachers on a regular basis, and get updates, as well as sign in and out and all the awesome features of [brightwheel] really make my life easier.
I absolutely love the brightwheel app!! I never really have to worry about my payment. I just set it in a separate account and let it deduct automatically. No getting kicked out or charged late fees.
Why brightwheel is the best childcare app
Choosing the right childcare app can transform how your program operates. Here’s why brightwheel stands out as the best childcare app for early education programs:
All-in-one platform
Manage attendance, billing, daily reports, messaging, and more—all in one secure app.
Exceptional family communication
Share real-time updates, photos, videos, and messages, keeping families connected and informed.
Time-saving tools for staff
Simplify daily tasks like check-ins, incident reports, and classroom documentation, freeing up hours each week.
Paperless billing and payments
Automate invoices, set up autopay, and access financial reporting digitally for smoother operations.
User-friendly mobile experience
Easy for teachers and families to use, with an intuitive mobile design that works on any device.
Trusted by thousands of programs
Brightwheel supports programs of all sizes nationwide, earning high praise from educators and families alike.
Secure and compliant
Protects sensitive data with industry-leading security and privacy standards.
Frequently asked questions about childcare apps
Brightwheel is chosen by thousands of childcare programs as the best childcare app because it combines powerful features with ease of use. From seamless family communication to digital billing and attendance tracking, brightwheel offers an all-in-one solution that saves time, improves family engagement, and helps programs operate more efficiently—all while keeping data safe and secure.
The best childcare app for family communication makes it simple to share updates in real time, send photos, and keep families engaged in their child’s day. Brightwheel is trusted by thousands of programs as the best childcare app for family communication, allowing teachers to message families instantly, share daily reports, and build stronger connections between home and school.
A childcare app helps save valuable time by streamlining everyday tasks like check-in and check-out, daily reports, lesson planning, and billing. With brightwheel, staff can complete administrative work faster, reduce paperwork, and focus more time on what matters most—caring for children and supporting their development.
Administrators and teachers at early education centers tend to be busy. Childcare apps can reduce their workload and free more time to work on their programs. Our team researched the best apps for childcare providers and suggests these tools:
- brightwheel
- Canva
- Google Forms
- Grammarly
- Kahoot!
- 1Password
- Motivosity
Many early education centers use brightwheel, the most secure childcare app that offers a comprehensive set of features for managing childcare centers. Get the full review and learn how to support your educators with our selected list of childcare apps to enhance their work.
You can download the brightwheel app from the App Store or from the Google Play Store. Once your education program is set up, you can easily share links with staff, teachers, and families so they can download the app on their devices.
Yes, the brightwheel childcare app is available for both Android and iOS devices. It can be downloaded from the App Store for iOs users or from the Google Play Store for Android users. The app is designed to provide a seamless experience on both platforms, and syncs in real-time with the desktop app so you never miss an update.
Yes. As a guardian or staff member, you can now select the display language between English and Spanish for your brightwheel experience. Guardians can choose their language on both the mobile app and the web, while staff can do so on the mobile app. Simply update your language preference in your Profile.
If the locale of the device you’re using is set to Spanish, this will automatically be detected and displayed in your account.
Yes, with brightwheel’s expense management feature, you can upload receipts from your phone, cutting down on unnecessary waste from stacks of paper receipts.
Seamlessly switch to brightwheel from other childcare management software
Easy onboarding trainings
Get access to guided training through brightwheel Academy, a comprehensive learning tool to help you, your staff, and families master using brightwheel.
Speedy support team
Brightwheel has the industry’s largest support team and will ensure that you get quick answers through live chat whenever you need them. Brightwheel’s support team plays a pivotal role in enabling new users to maximize every feature of the software.
Roster and rate card upload tool
Switching to brightwheel is easy when you upload your student rosters. The brightwheel team will import your roster and tuition rates into your brightwheel account so you have all of the information you need from day one.
One simple, transparent price
You won’t pay more as you use more features on brightwheel. Your price is based on enrollment capacity and you get access to all features on the platform.
Brightwheel vs. Procare
Switch to brightwheel, the leading mobile-first childcare app, for superior billing, messaging, and attendance tracking, all seamlessly synced in real time across devices.
Review the latest ECE insights & resources about childcare apps
Affordable & Compatible Devices for brightwheel
Our recommendations for the tablets and mobile devices that are compatible with brightwheel.
Strengthening Relationships with a Preschool Parent Communication App
Learn how preschool parent communication apps improve family engagement, progress tracking, event coordination, and resource sharing.
Teacher’s Toolbox: Best Free Apps for Daycare Providers
The ultimate teacher’s guide for the best free apps for daycare providers. Give your teachers a competitive edge and stand out to families.
Choose the #1 childcare app today
Get started in minutes, share the app with teachers and families, and bring everyone together.
