QikKids

QikKids is a platform for Kindergarten and out-of-school-hours care services, combining child enrolment, attendance, family communication, lesson planning, and billing. It runs on web, Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, with mobile apps. Every plan includes the Home parent app and web portal. Services can manage digital sign-ins, real-time attendance and headcounts, while families can arrange additional casual sessions or record absences. Billing supports automatic recurring payments and ad-hoc PayNow payments. The Core plan adds a child waitlist with custom filtering. Essential includes integrations such as Xero and Ento, API access, and nightly SQL-table database backups. Other listed capabilities include rostering, staff clock-in and clock-out, digital timesheets, and multi-service reporting. QikKids lists support and training resources. A free plan is available. Lite is listed from $204 per month, and prices exclude GST; monthly and annual pricing options are shown. The listed Playground plan options cover services from 0–39 places through 100 or more places.

QikKids covers operational and family-facing tasks for Kindergarten and OSHC services. Review the plan features and capacity options to determine which package fits your service.

QikKids is aimed at Kindergarten and OSHC services managing attendance, family bookings, enrolment, and billing. Its parent app and portal may suit services that want families to access bookings and absence records.

QikKids is a childcare-management platform for Kindergarten and out-of-school-hours care services. It suits providers that want attendance, enrolment, billing and family access in one system across desktop and mobile devices. Its broad operational coverage is the main reason to consider it, while package structure and capacity-based options make plan selection important.

Overview

QikKids combines service administration with parent-facing access. Enrolment management, family communication, attendance and check-in, billing and payments, and lesson planning are all supported. Services can use the platform on the web, Windows, macOS, iOS and Android, with mobile apps for both major mobile platforms.

Every plan includes the Home parent app and web portal. Families can therefore receive access alongside the service's administrative tools rather than through a separate parent product. QikKids also provides a support team and training resources, useful for organisations introducing a system across staff and families.

Key features

Attendance and daily operations

Digital sign-ins, real-time attendance and headcounts address the practical need to know who is present as sessions change. Office Lite adds a real-time centre dashboard, contactless sign-ins, digital bookings and automated Child Care Subsidy handling. QikKids Desktop & Kiosk focuses on CCS attendance management, digital sign-in and sign-out, headcounts, financial and attendance reports, and parent messaging. These options suit services prioritising controlled arrival and departure workflows, although buyers should match the product label to their preferred operating setup.

Enrolment, waitlists and family access

Office Core adds child enrolment and management, custom child-enrolment forms, multi-service reporting and a child waitlist with custom filtering. Those additions matter for services handling ongoing demand, multiple services or more involved intake processes; a small provider needing only attendance may not need the extra layer. Families can use mobile booking to manage additional casual sessions and absences, reducing the need to handle every change manually.

Payments and integrations

QikKids supports automatic recurring payments and ad-hoc PayNow payments, covering both regular billing and one-off charges. Essential includes integrations including Xero and Ento, API access and nightly SQL-table database backups. Those capabilities make Essential the more credible choice for services connecting finance, workforce or other systems and for operators placing greater emphasis on recoverability. Lesson planning is also supported, extending the platform beyond purely administrative tasks.

Workforce tools

Office Essential includes everything in Office Core, then adds rostering, workforce productivity insights, staff clock in/out and digital timesheets. This is a meaningful step up for services coordinating larger teams; smaller services may gain little from paying for workforce controls they do not use.

Pricing

QikKids uses a freemium model and has a free plan, but the paid tiers shown start at $204 per month for Lite. Pricing can be shown monthly or annually, and listed prices exclude GST. Lite is shown at $204 per month, Core at $268 per month and Essential at $397 per month; each includes Home for parents. The cheaper tiers retain parent access and the core service categories, but Core is the point at which enrolment, custom forms, waitlists and multi-service reporting are added, while Essential adds integrations, API access, backups and workforce functionality.

Separate Playground plans are grouped by capacity: 0-39 places, 40-69 places, 70-99 places and 100+ places. Prices are custom for these tiers. The same capacity concern applies to the listed child capacity of 39, making the smallest Playground band the natural fit for a service of that size, subject to confirming the quote. QikKids does not present a single universal package that fits every service: costs and feature access depend on the selected product family and capacity.

Platforms

QikKids runs on web, Windows, macOS, iOS and Android. Both mobile apps are supported, and Home gives parents an app and web portal on every plan. This broad coverage suits services with mixed office hardware and families who manage bookings or absences from phones.

Who it's for

QikKids is aimed at Kindergarten and OSHC services. Lite fits an organisation that needs a dashboard, sign-ins, bookings, attendance and CCS automation with parent access. Core is better for providers managing enrolment pipelines, waitlists or multiple services. Essential is the stronger match for organisations that need integrations, API access, database backups and workforce controls. Providers seeking a very small, narrowly scoped system may find its tier structure more than they need.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Broad operational scope: enrolment, attendance, billing, payments, lesson planning and family communication sit within one platform.
• Parent access on every plan: Home app and web access are included regardless of tier.
• Strong attendance workflow: digital sign-ins, real-time attendance and headcounts support live service oversight.
• Useful upgrade path: Core adds waitlists and enrolment controls, while Essential adds integrations, API access, backups and workforce tools.
• Flexible payment handling: recurring billing and ad-hoc PayNow payments cover routine and one-off charges.

Cons

• Pricing is split across packages: several Playground and Office options use custom pricing, so comparing total cost requires a quote.
• GST is extra: listed prices exclude GST, increasing the amount payable.
• Feature differences matter: integrations, API access, backups and workforce tools are reserved for higher packages.
• Capacity affects selection: services must choose among place-based Playground bands rather than one simple universal plan.

Alternatives

Daycare Management Software, Childcare Management Software and Early Childhood Education Software lists are useful starting points when you want to compare a wider field.

cradleOS is a freemium alternative with a free plan for home daycares and small centres, including digital check-in/out, records, messaging, invoicing, enrolment and reports.

Kinderly suits a very small setting that can operate within its free Sprout limits of 10 active children, three forms, five packets, five share links, a three-page website and 30 MB of storage.

Kangarootime offers a free plan for one program, one school and five staff members; choose it when those limits fit your operation.

Kriyo is a paid alternative with Value, Pro and Pro Plus plans.

Kare Day is a paid subscription service billed monthly or yearly in advance.

Lillio offers custom pricing for childcare centres and a free trial.

LineLeader costs $65 per location per month for its NCCA member offer, making it worth considering for eligible members.

Procare has a $$25 monthly home version for smaller centres and in-home providers, although classroom management is unavailable for in-home users.

Verdict

Choose QikKids if you run a Kindergarten or OSHC service that needs attendance, family access, billing and enrolment in one cross-platform system, with room to add integrations or workforce controls. Look elsewhere if you need a simple, clearly priced package or a small free tier without capacity-based and feature-based decisions.