The verdict for home daycare providers: Square is solid software, but at $29/month it costs $1,168 over 3 years. Nexa does most of what Square does for $279 once. For solo home daycare providers and small teams, Nexa is the better deal.
Nexa: $279. Once. You keep $889. And you own it — no more "we're updating our pricing" emails.
| Feature | Square | Nexa |
|---|---|---|
| Invoicing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Scheduling | ✗ | ✓ |
| CRM | ✗ | ✓ |
| Time Tracking | ✗ | ✓ |
| Full Accounting | ✗ | ✓ (SIMPL) |
| Task Management | ✗ | ✓ |
| Price | $29/mo | $279 once or 3 × $99 |
| 3-Year Total | $1,168 | $279 |
| You own it? | No — stop paying, lose access | Yes — forever |
Square plus whatever else you're paying for:
Email yourself this comparison?
The math doesn't lie.
Home Daycare Providers deal with unique challenges that generic software was not built for: Collecting tuition on time from parents who pay late or forget. Brightwheel costs $20+/month for features designed for larger centers. Tracking meal expenses and supply costs against tuition revenue. Managing attendance records for licensing and tax deduction purposes. Square charges $29/month on top of these daily realities. The median daycare provider earns $28,000/year — $348/year in software subscriptions is a significant percentage of that income, paid every year, forever.
Nexa is $279 once. Invoicing, scheduling, CRM, time tracking, accounting — all connected, built for home daycare providers. You own it like you own your Childproofing equipment and safety supplies.
You watch 6 kids in your home Monday through Friday. Two parents are a week late on tuition. You need to buy more snacks, art supplies, and diapers — all business expenses you're tracking in a shoebox. Little Emma's mom wants to switch from full-time to three days a week. You need to adjust her invoice, update the schedule, and figure out if you can fill those two open days. Brightwheel charges $20+/month and half the features are for centers with multiple classrooms and staff. You're one person in your living room.
Real home daycare providers near you who run their business on Nexa — book directly, no platform fee. Are you a daycare provider? Post your business and get found in your area — $2.99 one-time. Or browse every daycare provider on Nexa →
For solo home daycare providers and small teams, yes. invoicing, scheduling, CRM, time tracking, task management, and full accounting — all for $279 once. Square may be better if you have a large team (10+) or need enterprise-specific features.
Square has features like No monthly fee on Free plan and Instant setup that some businesses rely on. For most solo home daycare providers, these aren't dealbreakers.
At $29/month, Nexa pays for itself in 9.6 months. After that: $348 saved every year.
Yes. Nexa is $279 as a one-time payment, or 3 payments of $99 ($297 total). Either way it's a one-time purchase — no subscription, no recurring fees ever.
Own your tools. Stop renting your software.
Get Nexa — $279 Once