--- description: Learn more about Playground price, benefits, and disadvantages for businesses in Australia. Read reviews from verified users and discover similar tools that fit your business needs. image: https://gdm-localsites-assets-gfprod.imgix.net/images/capterra/og_logo-e5a8c001ed0bd1bb922639230fcea71a.png?auto=format%2Cenhance%2Ccompress title: Playground Cost & Reviews - Capterra Australia 2026 --- Breadcrumb: [Home](/) > [Child Care Software](/directory/30108/child-care/software) > [Playground](/software/220200/playground) # Playground Canonical: https://www.capterra.com.au/software/220200/playground Page: 1 / 9\ Next: [Next page](https://www.capterra.com.au/software/220200/playground?page=2) > Playground helps child care centers, preschools, and in-home providers manage billing, registration, communication, payroll, and more. > > Verdict: Rated **4.8/5** by 193 users. Top-rated for **Likelihood to recommend**. ----- ## Overview ### Who Uses Playground? Playground is a child care management software used by child care centers, in-home providers, before/after school programs, Montessori preschools, and more. ## Quick Stats & Ratings | Metric | Rating | Detail | | **Overall** | **4.8/5** | 193 Reviews | | Ease of Use | 4.7/5 | Based on overall reviews | | Customer Support | 4.9/5 | Based on overall reviews | | Value for Money | 4.7/5 | Based on overall reviews | | Features | 4.7/5 | Based on overall reviews | | Recommendation percentage | 90% | (9/10 Likelihood to recommend) | ## About the vendor - **Company**: Playground ## Commercial Context - **Pricing model**: (Free version available) (Free Trial) - **Pricing Details**: Please contact Playground for pricing details. - **Target Audience**: Self Employed, 2–10, 11–50, 51–200, 201–500, 501–1,000, 1,001–5,000, 5,001–10,000, 10,000+ - **Deployment & Platforms**: Cloud, SaaS, Web-based, Android (Mobile), iPhone (Mobile), iPad (Mobile) - **Supported Languages**: English, Spanish - **Available Countries**: Canada, United States ## Features - Attendance Tracking - Billing & Invoicing - Communications Management - Employee Management - Enrollments/Onboarding - Meal/Nutrition Management - Parent Portal - Payment Processing ## Integrations (6 total) - HubSpot CRM - HubSpot Content Hub - KinderTrack - Kisi - NetSuite - Stripe ## Support Options - Email/Help Desk - FAQs/Forum - Knowledge Base - Phone Support - Chat ## Category - [Child Care Software](https://www.capterra.com.au/directory/30108/child-care/software) ## Alternatives 1. [Procare Solutions](https://www.capterra.com.au/software/23486/procare-child-care-management) — 4.6/5 (2749 reviews) 2. [brightwheel](https://www.capterra.com.au/software/144060/brightwheel) — 4.7/5 (3254 reviews) 3. [Lillio](https://www.capterra.com.au/software/134048/himama-preschool-child-care-app) — 4.6/5 (3623 reviews) 4. [Daily Connect](https://www.capterra.com.au/software/180141/daily-connect) — 4.8/5 (306 reviews) 5. [Famly](https://www.capterra.com.au/software/155536/famly) — 4.7/5 (264 reviews) ## Reviews ### "Exactly What Our Microschool Needed" — 5.0/5 > **Emma** | *29 December 2025* | Education Management | Recommendation rating: 9.0/10 > > **Pros**: I’ve been using Playground for my microschool, and overall it has been an amazing addition to our operations. Even though the platform is geared toward childcare centers, it isn’t overly “babyish” and works really well for a microschool setting. It has significantly streamlined many of my business and administrative tasks, which has been a huge relief as a school owner. One of the biggest pros is the customer support. Their team has been incredibly responsive and helpful, answering all of my questions promptly and working with me to understand how Playground could best support my needs. The value for the price is excellent, and I really appreciate that they’ve been open to feedback and feature requests for tools I was hoping to use. > > **Cons**: The only downsides I’ve experienced were some initial miscommunication at the beginning. After my demo, I didn’t receive clear follow-up instructions on how to get started and had to reach back out a few weeks later. There were also a few features that required additional costs that I didn’t fully realize upfront. That said, once everything was clarified and set up, the experience has been smooth and very positive > > Overall, I’m extremely thankful for Playground and how much it has helped streamline our systems. It’s been a great fit for my microschool, and I’m glad we made the switch. ----- ### "We love Playground" — 5.0/5 > **Jamie** | *24 February 2026* | 2128 | Recommendation rating: 10.0/10 > > **Pros**: The customer support is excellent from onboarding and beyond. We are able to communicate with staff and families through a feed, email or text. There are so many options to be sure messages are sent. Our teachers are easily able to manage the app to sign children in and send pictures and messages. Also the access to very real and excellent trainings is super convenient. They offer additional resources that can benefit our center. > > **Cons**: I couldn't say there's anything I don't like about playground. Learning something new always takes time and patience, but the support though it has been amazing. > > Our overall experience has been fantastic. Transitioning from another platform has been very smooth with the support from Playground. ----- ### "Playground pilot program" — 3.0/5 > **Kayla** | *10 December 2025* | Education Management | Recommendation rating: 5.0/10 > > **Pros**: It has everything I need to keep track of everything and to have open communication with families. The parents seem to enjoy it. > > **Cons**: The onboarding staff lack information and also do things so quickly and for you that they don't actually help you learn the system. It is very bland and not colorful and look like a daycare site. > > It is great when I figure out what I am actually doing. It has a space for everything and a great place to keep track of everything I need to. ----- ### "Come on over the BEST Playground there is\!\!\!" — 5.0/5 > **Joy** | *22 January 2026* | Education Management | Recommendation rating: 10.0/10 > > **Pros**: I like the ease of the application and enrollment processes in Playground\! I like that the paperwork is easily digitized and parent communication is easily used. It is a low cost compared to other products of this style and unlimited students and staff. For a small business like our school this was key\! The app and desktop use are flawless and cohesive too. > > **Cons**: I have not found anything I do not like about it at this time--everything has been quite easily done and moved over to the platform. > > Playground has been very accommodating and easy to learn. The consultants have been professional and upfront. The time that Playground has saved me has been phenomenal compared to other products of its type\! I am SUPER pleased with the service that it has given me this far. ----- ### "Modernizing Childcare: A Seamless Hub for Directors and Families" — 5.0/5 > **Justin** | *12 March 2026* | 2128 | Recommendation rating: 10.0/10 > > **Pros**: The standout feature of Playground is its ability to centralize every chaotic moving part of running a childcare center into one sleek, intuitive dashboard. Administrators rave about the automated billing system, which virtually eliminates the headache of chasing down late tuition by offering parents easy autopay options. Beyond the backend, the real-time communication tools are a massive win; the ability to send instant photo updates and digital daily sheets builds immense trust with families. Furthermore, their customer support is legendary in the industry, often responding to technical questions in under a minute with actual human assistance. > > **Cons**: While the platform is incredibly powerful, the sheer depth of its features means there is a noticeable learning curve for staff members who aren't tech-savvy. Migrating years of paper files or data from older legacy systems into Playground requires a significant time investment and meticulous data entry. Some users have also expressed a desire for more granular customization in the reporting suite, as the pre-built templates don't always capture niche data points needed for specific state grants. Additionally, while the mobile app is generally stable, occasional lag during peak morning check-in times can be a minor frustration for busy teachers. > > Playground is a transformative "all-in-one" solution that successfully bridges the gap between professional business management and heart-centered childcare. It effectively replaces a fragmented mess of spreadsheets, paper checks, and clunky apps with a single, polished ecosystem that saves directors hours of administrative labor every week. While the transition period requires patience and the premium pricing reflects its high-end capabilities, the payoff in parent satisfaction and operational clarity is undeniable. It is currently one of the most forward-thinking platforms available, making it an ideal choice for centers looking to modernize and scale their operations with confidence and ease. ----- Page: 1 / 9\ Next: [Next page](https://www.capterra.com.au/software/220200/playground?page=2) ## Links - [View on Capterra](https://www.capterra.com.au/software/220200/playground) ## This page is available in the following languages | Locale | URL | | de | | | de-AT | | | de-CH | | | en | | | en-AE | | | en-AU | | | en-CA | | | en-GB | | | en-IE | | | en-IL | | | en-IN | | | en-NZ | | | en-SG | | | en-ZA | | | fr | | | fr-BE | | | fr-CA | | | fr-LU | | ----- ## Structured Data