Software · head to head
Find My Kids vs Brightwheel
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Find My Kids screen time limiting on Android depends on the accessibility services permission; 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: Find My Kids covers Real-time GPS tracking, Brightwheel covers Daily activity reports.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Find My Kids and Brightwheel actually diverge.
| Attribute | Find My Kids | Brightwheel |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | subscription |
| Platforms | Ios, Android | Web, Ios, Android |
| Founded | 2016 | 2015 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Find My Kids
- Real-time GPS tracking
- Location history
- SOS button
- Loud signal
- App usage stats
- Screen time control
- Geofencing
- Battery status
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
- Data encryption
- Cloud deployment
- Ios support
- Android support
- English language support
- Spanish language support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Find My Kids
- Viewing a child's live location and the route they travelled during the daynot Brightwheel
- Getting alerts when a child arrives at or leaves school, home or another saved placenot Brightwheel
- Sending a loud signal that rings through silent mode and receiving SOS alertsnot Brightwheel
Brightwheel
- Childcare centre attendance and check-innot Find My Kids
- Parent communication with photos and daily reportsnot Find My Kids
- Billing and tuition collection from familiesnot Find My Kids
- Staff scheduling and ratio trackingnot Find My Kids
- Learning assessments and developmental recordsnot Find My Kids
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Find My Kids
- Screen time limiting on Android depends on the accessibility services permission
- The app requires camera and photo access to set a child avatar and microphone access to send voice messages in chat
- Tracking requires the child to carry a phone running the paired child app
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
Find My Kids
Free- FreeFree
- Basic location
- SOS button
- Limited history
- Premium$2.99/month
- Real-time tracking
- Unlimited history
- Multiple children
Brightwheel
Free- FreeFree
- Messaging
- Daily reports
- Photo sharing
- Plus$100/month
- All Free features
- Billing & payments
- Staff management
Which should you pick?
Choose Find My Kids if
- You need real-time gps tracking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Ios, Android.
- You also want location history.
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 Find My Kids or Brightwheel better?
- Neither clearly leads. Find My Kids starts at Free and Brightwheel at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Find My Kids or Brightwheel?
- Find My Kids starts at Free and Brightwheel at Free.
- Does Find My Kids or Brightwheel run on more platforms?
- Find My Kids runs on Ios, Android. Brightwheel runs on Web, Ios, Android.
- Can I use Find My Kids for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Find My Kids best used for?
- Find My Kids is most often used for viewing a child's live location and the route they travelled during the day, getting alerts when a child arrives at or leaves school, home or another saved place, sending a loud signal that rings through silent mode and receiving sos alerts. Of those, viewing a child's live location and the route they travelled during the day and getting alerts when a child arrives at or leaves school, home or another saved place are not what Brightwheel is typically brought in for.
- What can Find My Kids do that Brightwheel cannot?
- Find My Kids covers Real-time GPS tracking, Location history, SOS button, Loud signal. Brightwheel covers Daily activity reports, Parent messaging, Photo and video sharing, Attendance tracking. Both handle Data encryption, Cloud deployment, Ios support, Android support.