Overview

ParentLink is a web platform for childcare settings that combines administration, family contact and learning records. It suits UK and Irish nurseries, breakfast clubs, after-school clubs and holiday clubs that want one operational system across registers, billing and curriculum evidence. The free tier makes it possible to start without a subscription, while the child and user limits become decisive as a setting grows.

Key features

Core operations cover enrolment, registers, attendance and check-in, billing, staff rotas, parent communication, safeguarding, enquiry pipelines and compliance. That breadth can replace several disconnected processes for a setting seeking a central record, although mobile teams must work through a browser because there are no mobile apps.

Learning journals support observations and evidence against EYFS, Curriculum for Wales, Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence, Northern Ireland’s curriculum and Ireland’s Aistear. This is particularly useful for groups operating across jurisdictions or for settings whose children follow different national frameworks.

Pro handles invoicing and payments through GoCardless Direct Debit and Stripe card processing. CSV statements can be exported in formats for Xero, Sage and QuickBooks, which supports an accounting handoff but is not described as live synchronisation. Messaging can be extended with Twilio for SMS and Resend or another SMTP-compatible provider for email.

Technical teams get a read-only REST API and outbound webhooks, with scoped tokens and HMAC-signed deliveries. ParentLink says data is encrypted with AES-256 at rest and TLS 1.2 or higher in transit, hosted in Supabase’s UK London region. More than 200 Row-Level Security policies, manager multi-factor authentication and custom staff roles provide useful control for multi-room settings. The maker also says customer data is not sold, rented, shared for advertising or behavioural profiling, and is not used to train AI models.

Pricing

ParentLink uses a freemium structure with a 14-day Pro trial at signup. The trial includes the full Pro feature set and requires no card; an account falls back to Free unless it is upgraded.

Plan	Price	Limits and allowance
Free	£0.00, free forever	15 children, 5 staff users, 3 rooms, 30 parent accounts; 15-second video clips, two per child each month
Starter 50	£50 per month	50 children, 15 staff users, 6 rooms, 100 parent accounts; 30-second clips, five per child each month
Starter 100	£75 per month	100 children, 25 staff users, 10 rooms, 200 parent accounts
Pro	£150 per month	150 children; unlimited staff users, rooms and parents; 60-second clips, 10 per child each month
Enterprise	Custom pricing	For more than 150 children

Free is credible for a small setting testing the workflow, but its 15-child ceiling and modest media allowance limit long-term use. Starter 50 is aimed at a compact nursery that needs priority email support; Starter 100 adds room, staff and parent headroom without the Pro price. Pro is the practical choice for larger settings or those needing invoicing, payment processing and unrestricted user, room and parent counts. Free accounts can keep editing existing child records after reaching their limit, but cannot add another child until upgrading.

Platforms

ParentLink is web-only. That keeps access consistent across desktop browsers but rules it out for teams that require dedicated Android or iOS apps for check-in, messaging or observations.

Who it's for

Choose ParentLink if your UK or Irish setting needs operations, family communication and curriculum evidence in one service, and if browser access is acceptable. It is less suitable for mobile-first teams, settings above 150 children seeking a published price, or organisations that require native apps and live accounting connections.

Pros and cons

Pros

Broad childcare administration covers enrolment, attendance, billing, rotas, safeguarding and compliance in one system.
Learning-journal support spans the principal UK and Irish curricula.
Pro combines GoCardless and Stripe payments with accounting-ready CSV exports.
Scoped API access, signed webhooks and granular access controls support integrations and governance.
A no-card, 14-day Pro trial lets a setting evaluate the full feature set before paying.

Cons

No mobile apps means staff cannot use a dedicated phone or tablet application.
Lower tiers impose child, room, staff, parent and video limits that may force an upgrade as a setting expands.
Accounting support is export-based rather than stated live integration.

Alternatives

Early Childhood Education Software is the broader directory for comparing childcare systems.

BloomKidz is a lower-cost option for small nurseries needing Android and iOS apps, with plans from £24.99 per month for 1–30 children.

MyKidReports suits a very small team wanting a free mobile plan for up to five children.

CubbyTrack is another web alternative with a free home-provider tier for up to four active children.

Lillio is worth considering when native Android and iOS access alongside web use matters and custom pricing is acceptable.

Parent focuses on messaging, media, scheduling and check-in/out for teams that prioritise family communication.

Kangarootime offers web, iOS and Android access, with a free plan for one program, one school and five staff members.

Yenlio is a mobile-capable freemium choice for a micro-setting, with its free starter plan capped at three children and one staff account.

Gertrude is a free, unlimited-download option across desktop platforms, offered without support or warranty.

Verdict

ParentLink is a strong fit for UK and Irish childcare settings that want broad operational coverage and multi-curriculum learning journals, with a generous route from Free to Pro. Choose it for its integrated administration, payments and governance controls; look elsewhere if native mobile apps or live accounting integration are essential.

	ParentLink	Smartcare
Free plan	Yes
Free trial	Yes
Paid from	£50/mo
Platforms	Web	Android, iOS, Web
Free plan	Yes
Enrollment management	Yes	Yes
Family communication	Yes	Yes
Attendance and check-in	Yes	Yes
Billing and payments	Yes	Yes
Mobile apps	none	both
Child capacity	50 children
Lesson planning		Yes

ParentLink vs Smartcare

ParentLink

Smartcare