A fair, director-first comparison: what overlaps and where DayLynx pulls ahead — real prices on a public page and COPPA-first privacy. So you can pick the right platform, not just the loudest one.
Last updated: 2026-04-18 — Brightwheel feature and pricing data verified quarterly.
Side-by-side
Attendance, photo feed, parent messaging, billing, and COPPA - the five areas directors ask about most. Brightwheel claims below are drawn from their public marketing site and third-party reviews.
| Capability | DayLynx | Brightwheel |
|---|---|---|
| Attendance & secure check-in | Guardian PIN check-in, real-time occupancy, ratio tracking | Check-in/out with parent sign-in — widely used by centers |
| Photo & video feed for families | Classroom photo sharing with per-child media consent | Photo and video sharing is a core product area |
| Parent messaging | Direct messaging between staff and families, built in | In-app messaging between staff and parents |
| Billing & invoicing | Tuition billing included at one flat price | Billing is offered (commonly cited as a paid module) |
| Children's privacy (COPPA) | COPPA-first: guardian consent, no public feeds, no ads | Publicly states COPPA compliance on their site |
| Configurable retention policies | Center admins can set key record-retention windows within DayLynx's COPPA-first, licensing-supporting guardrails | Not publicly confirmed on Brightwheel's marketing site |
| Published per-child pricing | $150/mo base (5 children) + $10/child — listed on /pricing | Pricing not publicly listed — quote on request |
| AI-assisted daily summaries | Daily notes are in DayLynx today; AI help with drafting them is on the way | Not publicly confirmed as available today |
| Third-party integrations ecosystem | Focused, built-in tools; connections to outside apps are on the way | Established partner and integrations marketplace |
Brightwheel details reflect publicly available information from mybrightwheel.com and third-party reviews. Where a capability is not publicly documented by Brightwheel, we note it as "not publicly confirmed" rather than guess.
Pricing transparency
You shouldn't need a sales call to know what your monthly bill would be. We publish ours. Brightwheel's pricing is not publicly listed on their marketing site - interested centers are directed to request a quote.
DayLynx
Brightwheel
Want more context? Why we think daycare software pricing should not require a sales call.
Where DayLynx is different
Everything below is in DayLynx today — not a promise on a slide. If something is still on the way, we say so right on the card.
DayLynx publishes pricing on /pricing — $150/month for your first 5 children, $10/child after. You can work out your exact bill before ever talking to us.
Attendance, messaging, photos, compliance, reports, and parent portal are all included at one flat price. No premium tiers and no per-feature add-ons.
Photo and media consent is tracked per child. No public feeds, no ad networks, no data harvesting — exactly what licensing reviewers want to see.
A focused interface designed around the director's and teacher's daily flow — check-in, ratios, messages, and reports are a tap or two away.
Daily notes are in DayLynx today. AI help with writing them is coming — and we would rather tell you that plainly than ask you to trust a half-finished feature.
Every DayLynx account gets two-factor authentication and encrypted data as standard — not as an enterprise add-on. The families who trust you with their children deserve nothing less.
Questions directors ask
The practical questions we hear most when a center is evaluating an alternative.
Every feature unlocked. No credit card. Cancel before day 30 if it is not the right fit.
