Buying guide · checked October 2026

Best after-school program software in 2026: 9 options compared

The right after-school software depends on who runs the program. A school or parent-teacher association (PTA) running enrichment classes needs different things from a YMCA, and both differ from a childcare center with before- and after-school care. This page doesn't crown a winner. It compares nine options on the same points, in alphabetical order. Every fact about another company comes from its own pricing page, terms or help center, checked between October 10 and 19, 2026, and each option links to its sources.

How we compared

Pricing: published prices or quote only.
What families pay on top: service fees, card surcharges and processing fees passed on.
Nonprofit terms: a published discount, a free plan or none.
After-school tools: recurring tuition on autopay, subsidy billing and check-out to authorized adults.
Contract terms: term length, automatic renewal and the cost of leaving early.
Setup: onboarding fees and data migration.

Disclosure

BackPR makes this guide. We've included it with the same criteria; check every claim.

The options, A to Z

Listed alphabetically, not ranked. Prices are as published on each company's site when we checked; check the vendor's page before you decide.

BackPRMade by us

Good fit if you're a nonprofit program and want recurring tuition on autopay, subsidy billing, a dismissal board with pickup checks and attendance hours reports for grants, with no subscription and no BackPR fees.

Watch for the limits: BackPR is free only for registered nonprofits and Stripe's processing fees still apply; support is by email only, there's no App Store or Google Play app (it runs in the browser) and BackPR doesn't send text messages (SMS).

Pricing: Nonprofits: $0, with no subscription and no BackPR fees. Other organizations: quote only. Confirmed by BackPR on October 10, 2026.
Nonprofits: Free for registered nonprofits: no subscription and no BackPR transaction or registration fees.
Fees for families: None from BackPR. Stripe's processing fees still apply, and you choose whether to absorb them or pass them on to families.

Sources: BackPR pricing; BackPR for nonprofits; BackPR capability list

brightwheel

Good fit if you want billing, messaging, attendance, lesson plans and staff tools in one system, with a parent app that's free for families and available in Spanish.

Watch for the renewal terms: subscriptions renew automatically unless you cancel at least 30 days before renewal, and fees are nonrefundable.

Pricing: Premium: quote only. Free plan for 1 staff member and fewer than 20 students, with limited features. Prices as published on October 10, 2026; check the vendor's page.
Nonprofits: No nonprofit offer published.
Fees for families: Programs choose whether families pay brightwheel's service fees on card and bank payments, including autopay. Its help center puts the fee on bank (ACH) payments at 0.6% (25¢ minimum, $2 maximum) for most programs.

Full comparison with BackPR · Sources: brightwheel pricing; brightwheel terms of service; brightwheel help: billing settings; brightwheel help: changing your language

Daxko

Good fit if you're a YMCA, Boys & Girls Club or Jewish Community Center (JCC) and want memberships, program and childcare registration with sibling discounts, authorized-pickup notifications, donations and grant tracking in one system.

Watch for the exit terms: ending the agreement before the term is over means paying 100% of the remaining fees, and setup, data conversion and training carry one-time fees.

Pricing: Quote only (checked October 19, 2026). One billing model in Daxko's service agreement sets the monthly fee from your latest annual financial statements, with a monthly minimum.
Nonprofits: No nonprofit offer published.
Fees for families: Organizations that process payments through Daxko can add a Flex Fee of up to 3% to members' card and ACH (bank transfer) payments, with at least 30 days' notice.

Full comparison with BackPR · Sources: Daxko Operations; Daxko Payments; Daxko master service agreement

Homeroom

Good fit if you're a school or parent-teacher organization (PTO) running enrichment classes or extended care and want no subscription, plus instructor rosters, provider payments and 0% interest payment plans for families.

Watch for the family service fee: Homeroom adds its own fee to each class price that families pay, and the rate isn't published.

Pricing: No subscription for schools or PTOs; Homeroom earns a service fee added to what families pay. Private schools, districts and other nonprofits contact Homeroom for pricing. Prices as published on October 10, 2026; check the vendor's page.
Nonprofits: Free for schools and PTOs. Private schools, districts and nonprofits are asked to contact Homeroom for pricing.
Fees for families: Yes: Homeroom's own service fee (rate not published) is added to each class price. Schools and PTOs may also add their own school fee.

Full comparison with BackPR · Sources: Homeroom pricing; Homeroom terms of use; Homeroom help: payment tools

Jumbula

Good fit if you run after-school programs, camps, classes or childcare and want published plans from $15 a month and a child check-in and check-out workflow for staff and parents.

Watch for add-ons: photo sharing costs extra on every plan, and below Ascend so do the website widget ($15 a month), activity reminders ($20 a month) and texts.

Pricing: Pay As You Go $15 a month (10 enrollments included, more in packs priced at $1.10–$2.00 per enrollment), Rise $150 a month and Ascend $285 a month; Enterprise by quote. Prices as published on October 11, 2026; check the vendor's page.
Nonprofits: 20% off paid plans; nonprofits paying yearly get 25% off.
Fees for families: No Jumbula fee to families. Organizations can turn on a convenience fee or surcharge.

Full comparison with BackPR · Sources: Jumbula pricing; Jumbula terms of service; Jumbula nonprofit page

Kangarootime

Good fit if you run before- and after-school care at several sites and want one dashboard across sites, one combined bill per family, subsidy billing and a parent app with QR code check-in.

Watch for the renewal terms: agreements renew for a year at a time unless canceled 90 days before the term ends, and fees can rise at renewal.

Pricing: Quote only (checked October 19, 2026). Fees are set in each customer's order form.
Nonprofits: No nonprofit offer published.
Fees for families: Centers can pass card processing fees to families as a percentage surcharge, debit cards included. They can also set a fee for returned ACH payments and bounced checks.

Full comparison with BackPR · Sources: Kangarootime overview; Kangarootime customer license agreement; Kangarootime billing services agreement; Kangarootime help: payment surcharges; Kangarootime help: parent FAQ; Kangarootime help: Spanish enrollment forms

Pike13

Good fit if you run after-school classes, tutoring or lessons and want automated waitlists, family accounts, recurring billing and, on the Advanced plan, kiosk check-in with QR codes.

Watch for the contract terms: subscriptions are annual contracts even when billed monthly and renew automatically, and canceling before the renewal date costs 50% of the remaining balance.

Pricing: Essential $139, Advanced $195 and Premium $249 a month billed yearly, or $159, $225 and $286 billed monthly. Prices as published on October 19, 2026; check the vendor's page.
Nonprofits: A nonprofit discount through its sales team; the amount isn't published.
Fees for families: No Pike13 fee to families published. Businesses on the Celero surcharging gateway can add a fee to credit card payments.

Full comparison with BackPR · Sources: Pike13 pricing; Pike13 help: canceling your subscription; Pike13 help: credit card processing; Pike13 for nonprofits; Pike13 for kids' programs

Playground

Good fit if you run before- and after-school care alongside childcare and want billing with autopay you can make mandatory, subsidy billing, payroll and free data migration, with an app families can switch to Spanish.

Watch for processing costs: rates aren't on its public pages, and processing fees aren't returned when a payment is refunded.

Pricing: Quote only (checked October 19, 2026). Billing, enrollment and subsidy tools are in the core subscription; websites are a paid add-on.
Nonprofits: No nonprofit offer published. Some providers in Arizona, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas and New York can use Playground at no cost through state partnerships.
Fees for families: Programs choose, separately for cards and ACH, whether families or the program pay processing fees. Fees passed to families also apply to autopay.

Full comparison with BackPR · Sources: Playground overview; Playground terms of service; Playground billing; Playground onboarding and support; Playground help: billing settings and processing fees; Playground help: language for families

Procare

Good fit if you run before- and after-school programs or a center and want subsidy billing, built-in payment processing, staff scheduling and payroll, food program reports and weekday phone and chat support.

Watch for the default term: Procare's website says there are no contracts, but its terms set a one-year term that renews yearly when the order form doesn't set one.

Pricing: Quote only (checked October 19, 2026), with no per-child charges. Promotional pricing can rise to standard pricing after 12 months.
Nonprofits: No nonprofit offer published.
Fees for families: No Procare fee for families published. Centers may add a surcharge on credit cards (not debit), capped at their card cost.

Full comparison with BackPR · Sources: Procare: cost and pricing; Procare terms and conditions (June 2026); Procare help: card payment fees; Procare help: translating messages; Procare for in-home daycare

Which one fits your program

If you're a school, PTA or PTO running enrichment or extended care Look at BackPR and Homeroom. BackPR runs partner-school catalogs with their own program pages and is free for registered nonprofits. That includes local PTA units covered by their state PTA's group exemption. Homeroom charges schools and PTOs nothing and adds its service fee to what families pay.
If you're a YMCA, Boys & Girls Club or JCC Look at Daxko, which is built for those organizations, with memberships, program and childcare registration and donations.
If you want to see prices before a call Look at Jumbula (plans from $15 a month) and Pike13 (from $139 a month billed yearly). brightwheel publishes a free plan for 1 staff member and fewer than 20 students. Daxko, Kangarootime, Playground and Procare quote each customer.
If you bill childcare subsidy agencies Look at BackPR, which bills subsidy agencies and other third-party payers, and at Kangarootime, Playground and Procare, which include subsidy billing.
If you run programs at several sites Look at BackPR, where each location can have its own payout bank account, and Kangarootime, which can send a family one bill across several schools.
If families need Spanish Look at BackPR, brightwheel and Playground, where families can use registration or the app in Spanish. Kangarootime centers can add Spanish to enrollment forms, and Procare can use AI to translate the messages parents receive if the center turns it on.

FAQ

Questions buyers ask

How much does after-school program software cost?

Jumbula publishes plans from $15 a month and Pike13 from $139 a month billed yearly. brightwheel has a free plan for 1 staff member and fewer than 20 students, and its Premium plan is quoted. Homeroom charges schools and PTOs nothing and adds a service fee to what families pay. Daxko, Kangarootime, Playground and Procare quote each customer. BackPR is $0 for registered nonprofits and quoted for other organizations.

Is there free after-school software for nonprofits?

A few options cost nothing in some cases. Homeroom is free for schools and PTOs, but families pay its service fee. brightwheel's free plan covers 1 staff member and fewer than 20 students. Some providers in five states can use Playground at no cost through state partnerships. BackPR is free for registered nonprofits, with no subscription and no BackPR fees; Stripe's card fees still apply.

Can parents be charged a fee for paying online?

Yes, on every other platform here, in some form. Homeroom adds its own service fee to each class price. Daxko allows a Flex Fee of up to 3%. brightwheel and Playground let the program decide whether families pay processing fees. Jumbula, Kangarootime, Pike13 and Procare allow a convenience fee or card surcharge. BackPR never adds its own fee; you choose whether to absorb Stripe's processing fees or pass them on.

What contract terms do after-school platforms use?

They vary. Pike13 subscriptions are annual contracts, and canceling before renewal costs 50% of the remaining balance. Kangarootime renews yearly unless you cancel 90 days before the term ends. Daxko charges 100% of the remaining fees if you leave early. brightwheel renews automatically unless you cancel 30 days before renewal. Jumbula is month-to-month with 30 days' notice. BackPR has no long-term contract and no exit fees.

Which after-school software works for a PTA?

Homeroom is free for schools and PTOs because families pay its service fee. BackPR is free for registered nonprofits. That includes local PTA units covered by their state PTA's group exemption. BackPR never adds its own fee to what families pay.

Keep comparing

Registration software pricingWhat 48 platforms publish about prices and fees.

Choosing registration softwareThe questions to ask before you sign.

All comparisonsBackPR side by side with each platform, with sources.

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