41% of childcare centers are operating under capacity. The ones filling fastest let parents watch their child's day before they enroll — and none of the software-only platforms offer that. TinyGuard replaces the full stack (parent app + cameras + billing + compliance + payroll) with one platform and one Raspberry Pi.
| Feature | TinyGuard | Brightwheel | Procare | HiMama / Lillio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core daily ops | ||||
| Parent app + messaging | ||||
| Check-in kiosk | ||||
| Daily reports + photos | ||||
| AI-drafted daily reports | AI add-on | |||
| Named AI assistant (custom name + context) | AI add-on | |||
| Video & security | ||||
| Live cameras + recordings | included | |||
| On-prem Pi (privacy) | included | |||
| Body-worn cameras | ||||
| Billing & payments | ||||
| Tuition billing + ACH | add-on | |||
| CCDF subsidy reconciliation | partial | |||
| Payment processing margin | at cost | 2.9% + $0.30 | 2.9% + $0.30 | 2.9% + $0.30 |
| Staff & compliance | ||||
| Payroll + scheduling | add-on | add-on | ||
| Ratio tracking + alerts | ||||
| Incident reports (print-ready) | partial | |||
| Staff certification tracker | add-on | |||
| Curriculum & development | ||||
| Curriculum library + lesson plans | 96 templates | add-on | add-on | |
| Milestone tracking | ||||
| CACFP meal reporting | partial | add-on | ||
| Pricing — software | ||||
| In-Home (~15 kids) | $137/mo | ~$45/mo (15 kids) | ~$25/mo (home) | not published |
| Standard (small center, 30–80 kids) | $224/mo | $150–500/mo | ~$85/mo | varies |
| Professional (multi-room, 80–200 kids) | $399/mo | $300–1,000/mo | $100–300/mo | varies |
| Enterprise (brands, multi-location) | $99/site + $200/mo + $2.50/child | $600–1,200/mo | custom | custom |
| Pricing — live video (the moat) | ||||
| Live video — per camera | from $7/camera/mo · you pick retention (7d $7 / 30d $12 / 60d $20 / 365d $69) | |||
| Pi 5 Setup Kit | $299 one-time | |||
Brightwheel, WatchMeGrow and Procare don't offer integrated live camera streaming at any price — the comparison stops at software.
Procare launched RoomRunner in May 2026 — an AI enrollment planner free for all Procare Online subscribers. It analyzes capacity trends, forecasts empty seats, and suggests actions to fill them. It works for that use case.
Cameras. Live parent video. Incident clips tied to care notes. Licensing audit packets. The documentation a licensor asks for when they show up unannounced.
RoomRunner fills your seats. TinyGuard is the platform that keeps inspectors happy after they walk in.
Same story for Brightwheel's Johns Hopkins–validated developmental assessments (Apr 2026) — excellent pedagogy layer, doesn't change cameras or compliance. If you're already on Procare or Brightwheel and want their AI features, keep them. The table above covers what neither platform offers.
Deeper feature-by-feature, pricing math, sales scripts, and honest acknowledgment of where each competitor has the edge. Built from Bob's competitive intel briefs.
Pi 5 Setup Kit $299 one-time. Direct access to the founder. 5 founding-partner spots.
See TinyGuard for daycare →