The price is on the website
You shouldn’t need a sales process to learn what software costs. Our pricing page is a price — $149/month runs a single-site center, flat, with every feature listed. Brightwheel’s pricing page is a quote request.
Comparison
LittlesLink vs. Brightwheel
Both platforms help childcare programs run the day. The differences are in how you buy: LittlesLink publishes flat monthly prices, bills month-to-month, and takes payments through major gateways — launching with Stripe and its public standard rates. Here is a fair, sourced look at both.
Information verified against published materials as of July 10, 2026.
Choose LittlesLink if…
- You want to see the price on the website — not after a sales process
- You want a flat monthly cost that doesn’t grow with enrollment
- You prefer month-to-month over an annual, auto-renewing contract
- You want a choice of major payment gateways — launching with Stripe — instead of a captive processor
- You run an in-home or micro program — the $39 Home plan has no child cap
- Subsidy families and split billing are a big part of your enrollment
- Enrollment paperwork is drowning your office — our AI maps it into one parent form
Brightwheel may fit better if…
- You want curriculum, assessments, and payroll add-ons from the same vendor
- A free basic tier matters more than a full product at a flat price
We'd rather you pick the right tool than the loudest pitch — these are honest gaps, not fine print.
Side by side
Every Brightwheel claim below comes from their own published materials — sources are linked at the bottom of this page.
| Category | LittlesLink | Brightwheel |
|---|---|---|
| Published pricing | Flat monthly prices published on our site — $39 to $399 | Quote-only; pricing requires a sales conversation (per their pricing page) |
| Pricing model | Flat per month — no per-child fees on Home, Core & Pro | Priced by program size / enrollment capacity |
| Contract | Month-to-month | Annual term, auto-renews; cancel at least 30 days before renewal (per their Terms of Service) |
| Free trial | 14 days, full-featured, no credit card | Free basic tier; the full product is quote-priced "Premium" |
| Tuition & billing | In-app payments through major gateways — launching with Stripe at its public standard rates — plus invoices, ledgers, and QuickBooks export | In-app payments available; processing fees apply (rates not published on their site) |
| Daily logs, photos, messaging, calendar | Included on every plan | Included |
| Kiosk check-in | Any tablet or browser becomes a kiosk — nothing to install | App-based QR + PIN check-in |
| Pickup authorization & release history | Enforced by the app, with an exportable release log | Approved-pickup management |
| Incident reports with parent sign-off | Core plan and up | Included in Premium |
| Live staff-to-child ratio dashboard | Pro plan and up | Included in Premium |
| Subsidy ledger & split billing | First-class features on Pro and up — built for blended families and subsidy caseloads | Subsidy dashboard |
| CACFP food program | Deep CACFP reimbursement reporting built in | Included |
| AI enrollment paperwork automation | Unique to LittlesLink: upload your required state and program forms — AI builds one parent-facing enrollment form that auto-fills every document into a single completed package for admins | No comparable automation in their published materials |
| AI drafting assistant | Built in — drafts parent communications; a human always reviews and approves | No comparable published feature (as of July 2026) |
| Curriculum & assessments | Not offered — bring the curriculum you already use | Available as paid add-ons |
| Payroll | Not offered — works alongside your payroll provider | Gusto-embedded paid add-on |
| Mobile experience | Native iOS & Android apps, plus the full product in any browser | Native iOS & Android apps |
| Text (SMS) alerts | SMS notifications available, alongside email | Included |
| Support | Direct support from a team that knows your center; priority on Pro & Network | Help center and scheduled support calls |
Where LittlesLink wins
Enrollment that fills itself out
Upload your state and program enrollment paperwork once — LittlesLink AI maps it into a single parent-facing form, auto-fills every required document, and hands admins one uniform, completed package. No platform we compare against publishes anything like it.
No lock-in
LittlesLink is month-to-month: if we stop earning your business, you stop paying. Brightwheel’s published Terms of Service specify an annual term that auto-renews unless cancelled at least 30 days before renewal.
Payments without a captive processor
Brightwheel monetizes tuition flow with processing fees it does not publish. LittlesLink launches with Stripe — whose standard rates are public — and supports several major gateways, so you always know what a payment costs and are never locked to one processor.
In-home programs get a real plan
The $39/month Home plan is a full product — parent portal, daily logs, kiosk check-in, billing — with no cap on the number of children. Not a stripped-down free tier that funnels you into a sales call the moment you need billing.
No add-on fatigue
Every feature listed on a LittlesLink plan is included in its flat price. If you’re comparing an "all-in-one," ask for the all-in total — including curriculum, assessments, and payroll add-ons — in writing.
Where Brightwheel is genuinely stronger
An honest comparison cuts both ways. Here's what they do that we don't — yet or by design.
Curriculum, assessments & payroll bundle
Brightwheel offers these as paid add-ons on top of its subscription. LittlesLink focuses on running your center and plays well with the curriculum and payroll providers you already use.
A free basic tier
Brightwheel’s free plan covers daily reports, messaging, photos, and check-in. For a very small program that needs nothing more, free is free — our $39 Home plan is the full product at a flat price for when you outgrow it.
A decade of scale
Brightwheel has been in market since 2014 and serves programs of every size. LittlesLink launches in January 2027 — we think the product shows it, but their track record is real.
Thinking about switching?
Bulk import is built in, Pro includes assisted migration, and our white-glove Advanced Migration service can move your enrollment, family, and attendance data for you. LittlesLink launches January 1, 2027 — join the list and plan your switch.
Sources
- Brightwheel pricing page (quote-based)
- Brightwheel Terms of Service (contract term & renewal)
- Brightwheel help center — Premium plan contents & add-ons
- Brightwheel help center — payment processing fees
Brightwheel is a trademark of its respective owner, which is not affiliated with LittlesLink. Competitor information reflects publicly available materials as of July 10, 2026 and may have changed. Spot something out of date? Let us know and we'll fix it.