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Parenting · head to head

Brightwheel vs HiMama

Brightwheel logo

Brightwheel

Parenting

The all-in-one childcare app

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
HiMama logo

HiMama

Parenting

Childcare made simpler for everyone

From
$2/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Brightwheel has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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; HiMama no pricing rates published on vendor website; redirect to Lillio without public pricing page access
  • They diverge on capability: Brightwheel covers Daily activity reports, HiMama covers Daily activity updates.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Brightwheel and HiMama actually diverge.

Attributes where Brightwheel and HiMama differ
AttributeBrightwheelHiMama
Starting priceFree$2/month
Free tierYesNo
Founded20152012

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Parenting).

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
  • Billing & invoicing
  • Staff time tracking
  • Learning assessments
  • Check-in/check-out
  • Stripe
  • COPPA compliant
  • Secure payments

Only in HiMama

  • Daily activity updates
  • Curriculum planning
  • Developmental assessments
  • Digital check-in
  • Progress reports
  • Privacy controls
  • French language support

Both cover

  • Parent messaging
  • Photo and video sharing
  • Attendance tracking
  • QuickBooks
  • Data encryption
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support
  • 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.

Brightwheel

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

HiMama

  • Parent engagementnot Brightwheel
  • Daily documentationnot Brightwheel
  • Curriculum trackingnot Brightwheel
  • Staff managementnot 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

HiMama

  • No pricing rates published on vendor website; redirect to Lillio without public pricing page access

Pricing, plan by plan

Brightwheel

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

HiMama

$2/month
  • Basic$2/month
    • Daily reports
    • Photo sharing
    • Messaging
  • Plus$4/month
    • All Basic features
    • Curriculum planning
    • Assessments

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 billing & invoicing.
Brightwheel review

Choose HiMama if

  • You need daily activity updates.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want curriculum planning.
HiMama review

Questions people ask

Is Brightwheel or HiMama better?
Neither clearly leads. Brightwheel starts at Free and HiMama at $2/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Brightwheel or HiMama?
Brightwheel has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Brightwheel and $2/month for HiMama.
Does Brightwheel or HiMama 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. HiMama starts at $2/month.
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 HiMama is typically brought in for.
What can Brightwheel do that HiMama cannot?
Brightwheel covers Daily activity reports, Billing & invoicing, Staff time tracking, Learning assessments. HiMama covers Daily activity updates, Curriculum planning, Developmental assessments, Digital check-in. Both handle Parent messaging, Photo and video sharing, Attendance tracking, QuickBooks.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Brightwheel: How does Brightwheel determine pricing?

Brightwheel uses a custom pricing model based on your program's enrollment capacity, number of locations, and center status. Customers complete a questionnaire to receive customized pricing quotes.

Source
HiMama: How much does Himama cost?

Himama's pricing is not published on its website. The site redirects to Lillio (lillio.com), which does not display pricing publicly. Contact sales required for quote.

Source
Brightwheel: Is there a trial or special offer for Brightwheel?

Brightwheel promotes a limited-time offer: Get 3 months free of Professional Development with qualifying new accounts. Users must submit pricing request forms for additional details.

Source
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