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Parenting & Family · head to head

Brightwheel vs Luma

Brightwheel logo

Brightwheel

Parenting & Family

The all-in-one childcare app

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Luma logo

Luma

Event Management

Delightful events for communities

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Brightwheel pricing is quote-only, driven by enrolment capacity and number of locations, and requires filling in a multi-step form to obtain; Luma 5% platform fee on paid events in free tier can add up for high-volume organizers
  • They diverge on capability: Brightwheel covers Daily activity reports, Luma covers Event pages.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Brightwheel and Luma actually diverge.

Attributes where Brightwheel and Luma differ
AttributeBrightwheelLuma
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
CategoryParenting & FamilyEvent Management
Founded20152020

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Brightwheel

  • Daily activity reports
  • Parent messaging
  • Photo and video sharing
  • Attendance tracking
  • Billing & invoicing
  • Staff time tracking
  • Learning assessments
  • Check-in/check-out

Only in Luma

  • Event pages
  • Registration
  • Calendar sync
  • Ticketing
  • Community features
  • Google Calendar
  • Apple Calendar
  • Zoom

Both cover

  • Stripe
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Brightwheel

  • Childcare centre attendance and check-innot Luma
  • Parent communication with photos and daily reportsnot Luma
  • Billing and tuition collection from familiesnot Luma
  • Staff scheduling and ratio trackingnot Luma
  • Learning assessments and developmental recordsnot Luma

Luma

  • Event planningnot Brightwheel
  • Ticket salesnot Brightwheel
  • Attendee managementnot Brightwheel
  • Virtual eventsnot Brightwheel
  • Event marketingnot Brightwheel

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Brightwheel

  • Pricing is quote-only, driven by enrolment capacity and number of locations, and requires filling in a multi-step form to obtain
  • No transaction or payment processing fees are disclosed anywhere on the pricing page

Luma

  • 5% platform fee on paid events in free tier can add up for high-volume organizers
  • Limited discovery features compared to established platforms like Meetup or Eventbrite
  • Smaller organizer community means fewer network effects than larger competitors

Pricing, plan by plan

Brightwheel

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Messaging
    • Daily reports
    • Photo sharing
  • Plus$100/month
    • All Free features
    • Billing & payments
    • Staff management

Luma

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited events
    • Unlimited guests
    • Up to 500 invites per week
  • Plus$59/month
    • No platform fee
    • 5,000 invites per week
    • Tax collection

Which should you pick?

Choose Brightwheel if

  • You need daily activity reports.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want parent messaging.
Brightwheel review

Choose Luma if

  • You need event pages.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want registration.
Luma review

Questions people ask

Is Brightwheel or Luma better?
Neither clearly leads. Brightwheel starts at Free and Luma at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Brightwheel or Luma?
Brightwheel starts at Free and Luma at Free.
Does Brightwheel or Luma run on more platforms?
Brightwheel runs on Web, Ios, Android. Luma runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Brightwheel for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Brightwheel best used for?
Brightwheel is most often used for childcare centre attendance and check-in, parent communication with photos and daily reports, billing and tuition collection from families, staff scheduling and ratio tracking. Of those, childcare centre attendance and check-in and parent communication with photos and daily reports are not what Luma is typically brought in for.
What can Brightwheel do that Luma cannot?
Brightwheel covers Daily activity reports, Parent messaging, Photo and video sharing, Attendance tracking. Luma covers Event pages, Registration, Calendar sync, Ticketing. Both handle Stripe, Web support, Ios support, Android support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Luma: Does Luma have a free plan?

Yes. Luma offers a free plan with unlimited events, unlimited guests, and up to 500 invites per week. Free users pay a 5% platform fee on paid events.

Source
Luma: How much does Luma Plus cost?

Luma Plus costs $59 per month when billed annually, or $69 per month for month-to-month billing. It removes the platform fee, increases invites to 5,000 per week, and adds tax collection and API access.

Source
Luma: Can I integrate Luma with other tools?

Yes. Luma Plus includes API access and supports enterprise CRM integrations for larger organizations managing events at scale.

Source
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Related pages

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