The AI-native Brightwheel alternative built for compliance-heavy daycares
If you run a daycare in a state with serious compliance requirements - ratio audits, CACFP claims, immunization tracking, Brightwheel works, but you end up doing the compliance work outside the app anyway. Rawdly was built the other way around: compliance is the product, and the rest (check-in, billing, parent messaging) is just table stakes.
At a glance
The short version. A complete feature-by-feature matrix follows further down.
| Capability | Brightwheel | Rawdly |
|---|---|---|
| Daily check-in + parent updates | ||
| Invoicing + ACH / card | Invoicing + offline payment tracking | |
| WA WAC 110-300 inspector mode (PDF) | ||
| Live ratio compliance monitor | ||
| CACFP menu planning + reimbursement | Partial (manual) | End-to-end |
| Washington State WCCC subsidy split-invoicing + SSPS | ||
| AI incident report drafting (voice) | ||
| Immutable audit log (SOC 2 ready) | ||
| Multilingual parent messaging | UI translation only | AI-translated chat |
Feature-by-feature breakdown
Compliance & licensing
| Capability | Brightwheel | Rawdly |
|---|---|---|
| State-licensed daycare ratio config | Manual, in notes | 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 | Brightwheel | Rawdly |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice + ACH / card collection | 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 | CSV only | Saved mappings |
CACFP
| Capability | Brightwheel | Rawdly |
|---|---|---|
| USDA foods catalog | ||
| Meal-pattern compliance rules | ||
| Reimbursement calculator (Tier I + II) | Manual | |
| OSPI-WINS CSV export | ||
| Monthly claim packet PDF |
AI features
| Capability | Brightwheel | Rawdly |
|---|---|---|
| AI incident report drafting (voice → formal write-up) | Available today | |
| AI allergy alerts (cross-checks menu vs. child profile) | Available today | |
| AI translation of parent messages | Available today | |
| AI lesson plan drafting (aligned to Washington State ELG) | Available today | |
| AI daily summaries for parents | Available today |
What Brightwheel does that Rawdly does not (yet)
- Public marketplace for parents searching nearby daycares. Rawdly is a director-first product. A /find-a-daycare directory is on the roadmap for Phase 2 but not in 2026.
- Brightwheel learning curriculum add-on. Brightwheel sells a curriculum module. Rawdly does not, we focus on operational compliance and AI workflows.
- Multi-program scheduling beyond daycare. After-school programs with rolling rosters work in Brightwheel. Rawdly's 2026 roadmap covers daycare and preschool only.
Migration: how to switch from Brightwheel
Average migration time for a single-site, 30-child daycare: under 2 hours.
- 1
Export your data from Brightwheel
Children, staff, attendance, invoices, all available as CSV from the Brightwheel admin console.
- 2
Import your children
In Children → Import, choose Brightwheel and upload the CSV. 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 to set their Rawdly password. New messaging works immediately; old Brightwheel threads do not migrate (no Brightwheel export API for messages).
- 4
Configure your CACFP and subsidy programs
Set up once; each month, preview the claim and export the OSPI-WINS CSV and the claim packet PDF. This is the step that pays for the migration, most centers recover the switching cost in the first claim cycle.
- 5
Generate your first License Inspector PDF
Sanity-check the 30-day export and you're ready for an unannounced inspection the same day.
Pricing comparison
Brightwheel does not publish public pricing. Per public reviews on G2 and Capterra, mid-size daycares (25–50 children) report monthly fees of $200–$450, with add-ons for billing and curriculum sold separately.
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.
FAQ
Is Rawdly really free to try?
Can I run Brightwheel and Rawdly side-by-side during a migration?
Will I lose my Brightwheel parent messaging history?
Does Rawdly work for in-home / family daycare providers?
Is Rawdly available outside Washington State today?
Evaluating more than one option? See 7 Brightwheel alternatives, ranked →
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.