The modern Tadpoles alternative for compliance-first daycare directors
Tadpoles handles daily check-in and parent communication, but its compliance toolset has not kept pace with licensing requirements. If you need ratio monitoring, CACFP automation, Washington State subsidy billing, or AI-assisted workflows, Rawdly is built for that.
Your data is yours. Rawdly lets you export everything — children, attendance, billing, audit logs — as standard CSV or PDF at any time, with no export-unlock fees. Switch in or out on your schedule.
At a glance
The short version. A complete feature-by-feature matrix follows further down.
| Capability | Tadpoles | Rawdly |
|---|---|---|
| Daily check-in + parent updates | ||
| Parent photo sharing | ||
| Basic invoicing | Basic | Invoicing + offline payment tracking |
| Live ratio compliance monitor with alerts | ||
| Inspector-format PDF export (one tap) | ||
| CACFP menu planning + reimbursement | End-to-end | |
| Subsidy split-invoicing + SSPS export (Washington State) | Included | |
| AI incident report drafting (voice) | ||
| Immutable audit log (SOC 2 ready) | ||
| Data export (CSV/PDF, any time, no fee) | Limited | Full, always free |
Feature-by-feature breakdown
Compliance & licensing
| Capability | Tadpoles | Rawdly |
|---|---|---|
| State-licensed daycare ratio config | Configurable per classroom, WA WAC seeded | |
| Live ratio breach alerts | Push + dashboard banner | |
| 30-day ratio history view | ||
| Inspector-format PDF export | One tap | |
| Immutable audit log (every change) | Append-only, 7-year retention | |
| SOC 2 Type II | On the roadmap |
Billing & subsidies
| Capability | Tadpoles | Rawdly |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice + ACH / card collection | Basic invoicing only | Invoicing + offline payment tracking |
| WCCC subsidy split-invoicing (Washington State) | ||
| DCYF SSPS-format export (Washington State) | ||
| SSPS response-file reconciliation (Washington State) | ||
| QuickBooks / Xero export with COA mapping | Saved mappings |
CACFP
| Capability | Tadpoles | Rawdly |
|---|---|---|
| USDA foods catalog | ||
| Meal-pattern compliance rules | ||
| Reimbursement calculator (Tier I + II) | ||
| Monthly claim packet PDF |
AI features
| Capability | Tadpoles | Rawdly |
|---|---|---|
| AI incident report drafting (voice → write-up) | Available today | |
| AI allergy alerts | Available today | |
| AI translation of parent messages | Available today | |
| AI daily summaries for parents | Available today |
What Tadpoles does that Rawdly does not (yet)
- Parent familiarity with the Tadpoles app. Some parents have used Tadpoles at previous daycares and find it familiar. Rawdly's parent app is newer, but parents adapt quickly and the onboarding email is clear.
- Learning Without Tears curriculum integration. Tadpoles has curriculum content ties with Learning Without Tears. Rawdly does not have a curriculum module in 2026.
Pricing comparison
Tadpoles charges per-child per-month. Billing automation, CACFP, and advanced compliance reporting are not included in any Tadpoles plan. Centers needing those features pay for third-party tools on top.
Rawdly publishes its tiers: Freemium is free forever for up to 10 children, and Pro is $1.99/child/month, less from the 51st child across all your centers. CACFP and Washington State subsidy billing carry no add-on fee. AI features come with the paid plans, and AI Daily Summaries is $1 per child per month. Price is the same on day one as on day 365.
How to switch from Tadpoles
Average migration time for a single-site, 30-child daycare: under 2 hours.
- 1
Export your data from Tadpoles
Download children's profiles and attendance data as CSV from the Tadpoles admin panel.
- 2
Import your children
In Children → Import, choose Generic CSV, upload the file and map its columns. The importer validates rows and shows a preview before anything is saved. It imports children only; our team can help you bring across families and billing setup.
- 3
Reconnect parent accounts
Parents receive an email invite. Daily check-in and messaging are live immediately.
- 4
Set up billing and CACFP
Set up your invoicing and enroll your CACFP program. Each month, preview the claim and export the OSPI-WINS CSV and the claim packet PDF.
- 5
Run your first compliance report
Export the 30-day inspector PDF and confirm it looks right. You are now audit-ready.
FAQ
Is Rawdly really free to try?
Is Tadpoles still being actively developed?
Can I bring my children's data from Tadpoles?
Does Rawdly handle CACFP in a way Tadpoles does not?
How does Rawdly pricing compare to Tadpoles?
Evaluating multiple platforms? See all Rawdly comparisons →
Compliance is the product
Everything else is table stakes. Book a 15-minute walkthrough or try the live sandbox — no signup, no card, no follow-up sales call.