Software · head to head
Canopy vs Brightwheel
Canopy
Software
Router-based parental control for whole home protection
- From
- $99.99/year
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Brightwheel has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Canopy device counts gate the tiers, at 1 on Essential, 3 on Plus and up to 10 on Premium; Brightwheel pricing is quote-only, driven by enrolment capacity and number of locations, and requires filling in a multi-step form to obtain
- They diverge on capability: Canopy covers WiFi-level filtering, Brightwheel covers Daily activity reports.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Canopy and Brightwheel actually diverge.
| Attribute | Canopy | Brightwheel |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $99.99/year | Free |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Founded | 2019 | 2015 |
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Canopy
- WiFi-level filtering
- Content blocking
- Screen time limits
- Real-time notifications
- Usage tracking
- Custom categories
- Schedule management
- Device management
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
Both cover
- Cloud deployment
- Web support
- Ios support
- Android support
- English language support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Canopy
- Filtering explicit content across a child's devicesnot Brightwheel
- Sexting prevention and image screeningnot Brightwheel
- Screen time limits and schedulesnot Brightwheel
- Location alerts for a child's phonenot Brightwheel
- Accountability partner arrangements for adultsnot Brightwheel
Brightwheel
- Childcare centre attendance and check-innot Canopy
- Parent communication with photos and daily reportsnot Canopy
- Billing and tuition collection from familiesnot Canopy
- Staff scheduling and ratio trackingnot Canopy
- Learning assessments and developmental recordsnot Canopy
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Canopy
- Device counts gate the tiers, at 1 on Essential, 3 on Plus and up to 10 on Premium
- AI chatbot filtering and lingerie or swimwear filtering require the Plus tier
- Phone and chat support are Premium only
- Requires Android 9, iOS 12, macOS 10.13, Windows 10 or ChromeOS, so older devices are unsupported
- The trial is one week
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
Pricing, plan by plan
Canopy
$99.99/year- Standard$99.99/year
- WiFi filtering
- Content blocking
- Screen time controls
Brightwheel
Free- FreeFree
- Messaging
- Daily reports
- Photo sharing
- Plus$100/month
- All Free features
- Billing & payments
- Staff management
Which should you pick?
Choose Canopy if
- You need wifi-level filtering.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want content blocking.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is Canopy or Brightwheel better?
- Neither clearly leads. Canopy starts at $99.99/year and Brightwheel at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Canopy or Brightwheel?
- Brightwheel has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $99.99/year for Canopy and Free for Brightwheel.
- Does Canopy or Brightwheel run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Brightwheel for free?
- Yes. Brightwheel has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Canopy starts at $99.99/year.
- What is Canopy best used for?
- Canopy is most often used for filtering explicit content across a child's devices, sexting prevention and image screening, screen time limits and schedules, location alerts for a child's phone. Of those, filtering explicit content across a child's devices and sexting prevention and image screening are not what Brightwheel is typically brought in for.
- What can Canopy do that Brightwheel cannot?
- Canopy covers WiFi-level filtering, Content blocking, Screen time limits, Real-time notifications. Brightwheel covers Daily activity reports, Parent messaging, Photo and video sharing, Attendance tracking. Both handle Cloud deployment, Web support, Ios support, Android support.