brightwheel alternative
BackPR vs brightwheel
brightwheel is an all-in-one platform for childcare centers, preschools and afterschool programs, with a quote-based Premium plan that renews automatically and service fees on online payments. BackPR is free for nonprofits, uses Stripe's standard rates and has no long-term contract.
At a glance
BackPR and brightwheel, side by side
| Term | BackPR | brightwheel |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Youth and community programs: camps, after-school, childcare, classes, sports, schools and churches. | Childcare centers, preschools, in-home child care, Montessori, multisite centers, and camps and afterschool programs. |
| Cost for nonprofits | $0. No subscription and no BackPR fees. | No published nonprofit pricing. |
| Pricing | Nonprofits: $0. Other organizations: custom quote. | Premium is quote-based. A free plan covers 1 staff member and fewer than 20 students, with limited features. |
| Fees added to what families pay | None from BackPR. | Programs choose whether families pay brightwheel's service fees on card and bank-transfer payments, including autopay. |
| Payment fees | Stripe's standard processing rates. For nonprofits, BackPR adds nothing on top. | brightwheel charges a card fee and an ACH fee on online payments, quoted per program. Its help center puts ACH at 0.6% (25¢ minimum, $2 maximum) for most programs. |
| Contract | No long-term contract. Cancel anytime with no exit fees. | Monthly or annual subscriptions renew automatically; cancel at least 30 days before renewal. Fees are non-refundable. |
| Onboarding and data import | Free, including data import. | Onboarding and roster import are included in Premium. |
| Spanish for families | Yes. | Families can switch the app and web to Spanish. |
brightwheel details are from brightwheel's public website and terms, checked October 10, 2026. Products and prices change, so check brightwheel pricing, brightwheel terms of service, brightwheel help: billing settings and brightwheel help: changing your language for current details.
The difference
Where BackPR is different
Free for nonprofits
Nonprofit programs get every BackPR feature at no cost. brightwheel's Premium plan is quoted, and its free plan is limited to small programs.
No BackPR transaction fee
Payments run on Stripe at its standard rates, and BackPR adds nothing for nonprofits.
No auto-renewing term
BackPR has no contract term or renewal notice period.
In fairness
What brightwheel does well
brightwheel has a broad all-in-one feature set across billing, messaging, attendance, lesson plans and staff tools, a parent app that's free for families, and Spanish for parents.
Switching
Moving from brightwheel is free
Send us an export of your families, participants and programs and we'll set up your BackPR account with them. There's no setup fee and no long-term contract.
How switching worksFAQ
Questions, answered
Can BackPR import our data from brightwheel?
Yes, for free. Send us an export from brightwheel or any spreadsheet, and we'll set up your families, participants and programs in BackPR.
Do families pay a fee to BackPR?
No. BackPR never adds its own fee to what families pay. If you choose to pass on card processing, it's your setting and it's clearly labeled.
Other comparisons
brightwheel is a trademark of its owner. BackPR is not affiliated with or endorsed by brightwheel.
Open registration
with BackPR
Free for nonprofits. No long-term contract. We set you up and import your data at no cost.