Cheqdin

Overview

Cheqdin is childcare software for providers coordinating care places, attendance, billing and family updates. It is a stronger fit for organisations that need to handle both regular and occasional bookings than for teams looking only for a parent-messaging app.

Its appeal is the breadth of provider and parent functions in one service, but the free account covers only five children. Beyond that, the paid plans are separated by student capacity, making size an important part of the buying decision.

Key features

Customisable registration forms, enrolment pipeline management and unlimited waitlists support the path from enquiry to a place. Providers can set up contracted and ad hoc bookings with customisable forms and occupancy tools, which suits services combining regular attendance with occasional care.

Billing supports recurring and ad hoc invoices, funding calculations and payment reminders. Live attendance tracking, staff-to-child ratios and occupancy dashboards help providers monitor attendance and capacity together. Parents get a secure portal and mobile app for messages, daily diaries, photos and ad hoc bookings, so family communication is part of the same system rather than a separate channel.

Cheqdin lists PayPal, GoCardless and Stripe for payments, plus Xero and Mailchimp. It says customer data is encrypted at rest and in transit using AES 256-bit encryption, with cloud data hosted on AWS servers in London. The company cites UK and EU data protection laws, including GDPR.

Pricing

Rise costs nothing and supports up to five registered children. It includes email support and online help-centre access, but not personalised training or record archiving at the limit. That makes it a way for a very small provider to start, not a practical tier for a centre expecting to grow past five children.

Starter costs $68 a month for up to 75 students; Grow costs $99 a month for up to 150; Pro costs $149 a month for up to 275. The listed paid prices exclude taxes. Each tier’s main stated distinction is capacity, so providers should match the student cap to their enrolment rather than assume a higher tier adds a different feature set. The pricing page advertises annual plans with a 20% saving, and subscriptions can be cancelled at any time. A free trial is offered.

Platforms

Cheqdin runs on the web, Android and iOS. That combination accommodates office administration and parent access by browser or mobile app.

Who it's for

Cheqdin names schools, out-of-school clubs, activity centres, day nurseries, holiday clubs, childminders, hotel kids clubs and sport academies as audiences. Its booking and occupancy tools particularly suit providers balancing contracted places with ad hoc care, while its diaries, messaging and photo sharing support regular parent updates. The free tier is most relevant to services with no more than five registered children; larger providers need to budget for a paid capacity tier.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Registration, waitlists, bookings, invoicing, attendance and parent communication cover connected operational needs, rather than only one part of childcare administration.
• Pros: Separate contracted and ad hoc booking support is useful for providers that serve both regular and occasional users.
• Pros: The free Rise tier has no fee and includes email support, though its five-child ceiling limits its reach.
• Cons: Rise stops at five registered children and omits personalised training and archiving at the limit, so it is not a durable free option for a growing service.
• Cons: Paid plans cap capacity at 75, 150 or 275 students, and the listed prices exclude taxes; larger organisations may need a different arrangement.

Alternatives

Compare childcare management software if you want to weigh Cheqdin against the wider category. AfterSchool HQ is another freemium, web-and-mobile option with a free plan, though transaction fees apply to activities processed through it. OWNA also has a free plan and a listed Premium plan from $39/mth; consider it if that lower stated starting price matters.

QikKids is an alternative with a free plan and support for web, desktop and mobile platforms. Kangarootime offers a free plan for one program, one school and five staff members, making its stated free allowance a useful comparison for a small operation. Neztio has a free Starter tier for up to 15 children, a higher free capacity than Cheqdin’s five-child Rise tier.

6crickets offers a free marketplace listing, with commissions on marketplace registrations and referral fees on provider-site registrations. Procare is a paid alternative with a $25 a month home version for smaller centres and in-home providers, though classroom management is unavailable to in-home users. Xplor Education is another freemium option with OSHC and premium packages.

Verdict

Cheqdin is a sensible choice for childcare providers that want bookings, attendance, billing and parent communication under one roof, especially when they manage both regular and ad hoc care. Its strongest limitation is the small free cap and the student ceilings on paid tiers: look elsewhere if you need a more generous free allowance or capacity beyond 275 students.