| Price from | — | — |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 6 | 3 |
| Spec score · Early Childhood Education Software | 9.3 (#2) | 7.5 (#60) |
| Spec score · Child Care Management Software | 9.0 (#2) | 7.1 (#10) |
| Attendance and check-in | Yes | Yes |
| Billing | The platform automates invoices, credit and debit notes, discounts, subsidies, taxes, reminders, late fees and financial reports. | Centers can set custom tuition schedules, automate billing, support split households or third-party payments, and let families manage payments online. |
| Billing and payments | Yes | Yes |
| Enrollment | Enrollment tools capture inquiries, schedule tours, manage waitlists, run marketing campaigns and digitize registration. | The software supports online enrollment, student waitlists, and lead tracking. |
| Enrollment management | Yes | Yes |
| Family communication | Yes | Yes |
| Headquarters | Wilmington, Delaware, United States | Glastonbury, CT, United States |
| Integrations | Illumine advertises more than 50 accounting and payment integrations, including Gusto, Stripe, PayPal, Tally, QuickBooks, NetSuite and Paychex. | Smartcare lists integrations with QuickBooks for accounting, ChildcareCRM for customer and prospect management, and PDK for entrance security. |
| Lesson planning | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile apps | both | Smartcare offers iOS and Android apps for parents and teachers with communications, automatic payments, photo sharing, electronic check-in, and in-app messaging. |
| Support | Official support includes email at [email protected] and in-app live chat, with training videos and onboarding guidance. | A dedicated Smartcare client adoption specialist helps with startup, and Client Success and Client Services teams provide ongoing support. |
