OWNA

OWNA is an all-in-one management platform for childcare centres and before- and after-school programs. It is best for services seeking to connect family communication, learning records and staff operations. Its free curriculum-and-attendance tier is useful, but centres needing bookings, payments or rostering must move to Premium.

Overview

OWNA brings family-facing tools and centre administration into a single product, with Android, iOS and web access. The breadth is a strength for centres that want fewer separate workflows; the trade-off is that the free plan covers only part of the operational picture. Booking, enrolment, finance and staffing features begin with the paid tier.

Key features

The family app covers daily routines, programs, forms, bookings and re-enrolments. Families can receive photos and videos, message educators, comment on centre posts and provide feedback. That supports regular two-way communication, although bookings and re-enrolments require Premium.

Educators can create programs, document learning and connect posts into a child’s learning journey. Attendance sign-in and sign-out and compliance tools are also part of the free plan, making it a practical starting point for centres whose immediate priorities are curriculum and attendance rather than billing or staff scheduling.

Premium adds invoicing and payments, financial reporting, rostering, timesheets and CRM. Families can check invoices and account details, update ACH information or make one-off payments in the app. Processing fees are 2.75% for Visa and Mastercard or 50 cents per ACH transaction, costs centres should account for alongside the monthly subscription.

Staff management includes payroll, staff communication and team performance management as well as rostering and timesheets. Rostering tools include weekly forecasting, cost analysis, AI predictions, ratio and compliance tools, and vacant-shift bidding. This makes the staffing package more substantial than a basic rota, but it is part of Premium rather than the free tier.

Enterprise includes everything in Premium and custom API integration. Enterprise CRM and analytics are marked as coming soon, so centres should not treat those as current capabilities. OWNA says user-to-server traffic is encrypted and child-related posts are restricted to the associated family and centre. Its privacy policy says children’s personal information is hosted in Australia, while limited personal information may be processed by US-based SaaS providers.

Pricing

OWNA offers a free plan and a free trial. The Free plan costs nothing and includes curriculum planning, attendance sign-in and sign-out, the parent app and compliance tools. It suits centres that need those core functions, but it omits bookings and enrolments, invoicing, payments, financial reporting and staff scheduling.

Premium costs $39 a month, billed from $39/mth. It adds booking and enrolments, invoicing and payments, financial reporting, rostering and timesheets, and CRM. This is the relevant tier for centres consolidating family transactions and staff administration, though payment-processing fees apply separately.

Enterprise has custom pricing and includes everything in Premium plus custom integration through an API. Enterprise CRM and analytics are coming soon. OWNA recommends allowing four to six weeks for onboarding, though it says onboarding may be completed in as little as five days. It requires no contract or notice period, which gives centres more flexibility than a fixed-term commitment.

Platforms

OWNA runs on Android, iOS and the web. The parent app is available across web and mobile, giving families multiple ways to access routines and centre communications.

Who it's for

OWNA is aimed at daycare and childcare centres and before- and after-school programs. The Free plan fits services focused on curriculum, attendance and compliance; Premium is the more complete choice for centres that also need billing, enrolments and staff scheduling. Centres should compare the payment fees with their transaction volume and allow for the recommended onboarding period.

Pros and cons

Pros: The free tier combines curriculum planning, attendance, the parent app and compliance, giving centres a useful operational starting point without a subscription.

Pros: Premium brings family payments and staff scheduling together, including forecasting, cost analysis and ratio tools.

Pros: No contract or notice period is required, and the stated onboarding window can be as short as five days.

Cons: Bookings, enrolments, billing and rostering are not included in the free plan, so centres needing an end-to-end workflow will pay for Premium.

Cons: Card and ACH processing fees add costs beyond the monthly plan price.

Cons: Enterprise CRM and analytics are not yet available as current features.

Alternatives

For a wider comparison, see Childcare Management Software.

Consider AfterSchool HQ if a free plan and free trial across Android, iOS and web are priorities; its free plan applies transaction fees to activities processed through the product.

Cheqdin may suit smaller services willing to work within a free allowance of five students and email-only support; its Starter plan is $68 a month.

QikKids is worth comparing if place-based plan groupings matter, with Playground tiers divided into capacity bands beginning at 0–39 places.

Consider Bloomwell if licensed in-home daycares and unlimited classrooms are a closer fit; its Home plan is free for a limited time and its Center plan is $49 a month.

Sandbox Software is an alternative for centres seeking a monthly plan explicitly covering 0–24 children, with unlimited users and devices and no contract; that plan costs $47 a month.

Kangarootime is another childcare-management option with a free plan limited to one program, one school and five staff members.

Neztio may fit services seeking a free tier capped at 15 children or a Standard plan with unlimited children for $79 a month.

Uniqda is another option for centres that want to compare a month-to-month plan with capacity for up to eight enrolled children.

Verdict

OWNA is a strong fit for childcare centres and before- and after-school programs that want family communication, learning documentation and staff administration under one roof. The free curriculum-and-attendance tier offers a real entry point, while Premium brings the broader booking, payment and rostering workflow for $39 a month. Look elsewhere if the added payment fees or the wait for Enterprise CRM and analytics do not suit your operation.