Compare / vs Lillio (formerly HiMama) · Updated October 2026
HappyGarden vs Lillio: modern childcare software that just works
HappyGarden is childcare software for directors who want families close, seats full, and inspections calm. And you already know the price.
HappyGarden is software for early childhood programs (daycares, preschools, and home childcare) with attendance, family messaging, invoicing, admissions, and licensing records in one place. Compared with Lillio (formerly HiMama) as of October 2026: Lillio is known for daily reports and curriculum, and HappyGarden focuses on running the whole program.
Free for 4 children. 14-day trial on paid plans. No credit card. No demo to see the price.
Which is better, HappyGarden or Lillio?
It depends on how much you want curriculum from your software. As of October 2026, Lillio (formerly HiMama) prices every package by quote and is known for daily reports, photo moments, and curriculum, including kits shipped monthly and a digital curriculum. Pick Lillio if ready-made curriculum is a priority. Pick HappyGarden if you want published prices (Seedling free up to 4 children, Sprout $49/mo, Bloom $149/mo), a 14-day trial with no card, and admissions, CACFP, and licensing records next to attendance. HappyGarden has no curriculum kits, classroom photo feed, or live card payments yet.
Get hours back every week
Check-in, daily notes, invoices, and parent replies stop living in five apps and a group text. Teachers teach. Directors actually leave on time.
Fill seats and keep them
Inquiries, waitlists, and offers in one pipeline, plus a public apply link. Families stay because they see the day, not because you sent another paper reminder.
Get paid without the chase
Published prices. Create invoices, credits, and payment records in the app. Online card payouts via Stripe Connect are still rolling out, and we don’t pretend they’re live.
Walk into inspections ready
Ratios, medications, incidents, sleep checks, CACFP, drills, licensing. The binder is already in the product.
Side by side
Same jobs. Happier week. Read the HappyGarden column first.
| Feature | HappyGarden | Lillio |
|---|---|---|
| Attendance & check-in | Yes PIN kiosk and staff tap check-in. Digital signatures and optional health screens at the door. Built for busy mornings. | Yes Check-in is in their platform. Ours is a PIN kiosk built for the morning rush. |
| Parent app & messaging | Yes Messages, announcements, and emergency broadcasts that reach the right families. Parents feel in the loop. You stop repeating yourself. | Yes HiMama made parent engagement famous. We kept that warmth and tied it to the rest of the business. |
| Photos | Partial Staff can add photos on a child’s profile. Classroom activity-feed photo sharing for families is not shipped yet, and we won’t claim a photo product we don’t have. | Yes Photo moments are a core Lillio feature. HappyGarden does not ship classroom activity-feed sharing yet. |
| Billing & payments | Partial Invoices, credits, subsidies, and tax info in the app. Stripe Connect payouts are not live end-to-end yet, so we don’t claim autopay or card checkout as shipped. | Yes Payments are listed. We ship invoices, credits, and tax info; Stripe Connect payouts are not live yet. |
| Admissions | Yes Inquiry → tour → waitlist → offer → enroll, with a public apply page. Empty spots cost money. This pipeline fills them. | Yes Registration and waitlist are included in the center package. |
| Calendar | Yes Tell the right people: staff, all parents, a room, or one child. Families add field trips to Apple, Google, or Outlook with one tap. | Yes Menus and calendars are included. HappyGarden adds room or one-child targeting and phone subscribe. |
| Staff scheduling & payroll | Partial Published shifts, timecards, and time off in the same place as the classroom. Export payroll CSV/IIF for your accountant. No live Gusto or QuickBooks hookup is needed to run the week. | Yes Staff tools are listed. Shifts and timecards sit next to the classroom in HappyGarden. |
| Meals & CACFP | Yes Menus, meal logs, dietary flags, allergens, and CACFP claims. Reimbursement and safety without a second system. | Yes Meals and naps on daily sheets; menus included. Confirm CACFP claims with Lillio. |
| Health, safety & licensing | Yes Medications, incidents, sleep checks, allergies, ratios, drills, licensing readiness. The inspector asks; you already have the answer. | Partial Confirm with Lillio. HappyGarden tracks meds, incidents, ratios, and licensing readiness. |
| Curriculum & lesson plans | Partial Teachers write the week in the app. No binder of kits you didn’t ask for. | Yes Lesson planning, monthly curriculum kits, and a digital curriculum (sold by quote). |
| AI helpers | No HappyGarden does not include AI. Teachers write recaps and lessons in the product. | Partial Confirm with Lillio. We found no published AI feature as of October 2026. |
| Multi-site | Yes HQ and sites with a switcher and real permission roles. Grow the business without growing the chaos. | Yes They sell to centers. Our switcher is ready when you open the second site. |
| Customer support | Yes Email support on paid plans, priority on Bloom, a dedicated success manager on Grove. No ticket maze just to see a price. | Partial Phone support line and help center are listed. |
| Pricing style | Yes See the number today: free for 4 children, $49, $149, or Grove. 14-day trial. No credit card to start. No “book a demo to hear the price.” | Partial Every package is “Get a quote.” No published prices. |
See the price. Then start.
Seedling free (4 children) · Sprout $49/mo · Bloom $149/mo · Grove for multi-site.
Lillio prices by quote. HappyGarden: free / $49 / $149, trial with no credit card. Start today and compare their quote when it arrives.
Support that wants you full
Email on paid plans. Priority on Bloom. A dedicated success manager on Grove who cares if occupancy is up. No sales call to learn what the software costs. We succeed when your rooms are full and your evenings are shorter.
Questions directors ask
- Why choose HappyGarden over Lillio?
- You get the parent experience and the business: admissions, invoicing, CACFP, and licensing. Plus a price you can see without a call.
- Do I lose curriculum if I leave Lillio?
- Teachers plan the week in the app. No kit lock-in.
- Will parents still get meals and naps?
- Yes, on the feed, same day. That’s table stakes. We also keep them on the calendar and in messages so the whole relationship is in one place.
- What does it cost versus Lillio?
- Sprout $49/mo (12 children), Bloom $149/mo (50), Seedling free (4). Put their quote next to that. Then start the trial.
- Is support real?
- Email on paid plans, priority on Bloom, a dedicated success manager on Grove. We’d rather you succeed than sit in a queue.
Start HappyGarden free and compare for yourself
Plant the garden today. Your teachers, your families, and your occupancy will feel it.