OWNA Review AU 2026 — Pricing & Features

Overview

OWNA is all-in-one australian childcare management with transparent pricing. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Bella Vista, NSW, it serves Australian businesses with local data hosting and AU-based support.

All-in-one Australian childcare management with transparent pricing

Pricing (AUD inc. GST)

All prices below are in Australian dollars and include GST. Pricing verified as of 2026-03-20.

Lite (ECE/OSHC, 0-50 children)

$79/mo

AUD inc GST

Entry-level plan for small centres with up to 50 children. Price scales by centre size: $99/mo for 51-100 children, $149/mo for 101-200, $199/mo for 201+. Includes core features. UNVERIFIED — exact feature inclusions per tier not confirmed.

Children: 0-50
Service Type: ECE or OSHC

Pros & Cons

Pros

Transparent, publicly listed pricing starting from $79/month — unlike Xplor's quote-based approach, you can compare costs immediately
Genuinely all-in-one platform with CCS, billing, payroll, HR, documentation, compliance, and parent app in a single subscription
No lock-in contracts, no setup fees, and a 30-day free trial — lowest barrier to entry of any major childcare platform
Integrated payroll and HR add-on ($8/employee/month) eliminates the need for separate payroll software like Xplor requires
Trusted by 4,000+ Australian childcare centres with strong customer service reviews and regular training sessions
Broad accounting integrations — supports Xero, MYOB, QuickBooks, and Reckon (Xplor only confirms Xero)
Family Day Care plan at just $30/month makes it the most affordable option for FDC services
Active CCS compliance maintenance with published updates on regulatory changes (e.g., January 2026 NQF/CCS changes)

Cons

Parent app rated 4.3 stars on Google Play — lower than Xplor's Home app (4.7-4.8 stars), suggesting a less polished family experience
App stability issues reported — educators experience crashes during photo uploads and daily reflections, requiring re-entry of lost work
Billing and direct debit system described as cumbersome by some users — managing parent payments and reconciliation can be frustrating
Smaller market share (4,000+ centres) compared to Xplor (8,700+) — less community knowledge base and fewer peer resources
Notification bugs reported — users describe repetitive notifications every 2 minutes and loading screen issues preventing actions
No confirmed SOC 2 or ISO 27001 security certifications — may concern services handling sensitive children's data at scale
Some images and videos processed by US-based third-party providers — not 100% onshore data hosting for all content types

Who Is OWNA Best For?

Childcare Centre
Oshc
Family Day Care
Budget Conscious

OWNA may not be the best fit for:

Multi Centre Operator
Enterprise

OWNA Alternatives

If OWNA doesn’t quite fit your needs, consider these alternatives for Australian businesses:

Xplor Education — Australia's largest childcare management platform with automated CCS.
Kidsoft — Long-established CCS-approved childcare management for Australian centres. From $169/mo inc. GST.
Xap — All-in-one CCS-approved childcare management with real-time automation. From $169/mo inc. GST.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does OWNA childcare software cost per month in Australia?

OWNA offers transparent, publicly listed pricing starting from $79/month (Lite) to $249/month (Enterprise) for centres with up to 50 children. Prices scale by centre size — for example, 51-100 children ranges from $99 to $299/month. Family Day Care plans start at $30/month. All prices are GST inclusive with no setup fees, no lock-in contracts, and a 30-day free trial.

Is OWNA CCS compliant in Australia?

Yes. OWNA is fully integrated with the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) system. It automates CCS submissions, validates family data, checks for errors before submission, and manages child and family entitlements. OWNA actively maintains CCS compliance, publishing updates on regulatory changes including the January 2026 NQF and CCS changes.

Where is OWNA data hosted?

All personal information relating to children is hosted in Australia. OWNA Corp Pty Ltd operates under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and Australian Privacy Principles. Some content like images and videos may be processed by US-based service providers who are contractually restricted from accessing data beyond their specific purpose. Data is encrypted with TLS 1.2 and SSL.

How does OWNA compare to Xplor Education?

OWNA is a true all-in-one platform including payroll and HR, while Xplor prices Office and Playground modules separately and does not include payroll. OWNA publishes transparent pricing starting at $79/month, while Xplor is quote-based. Xplor has a larger market share (8,700+ services vs OWNA's 4,000+) and a higher-rated parent app. OWNA offers better value for money; Xplor offers a more established ecosystem.

Does OWNA integrate with Xero and MYOB?

Yes. OWNA integrates with Xero, MYOB, QuickBooks, and Reckon for accounting. It also integrates with Mailchimp for email marketing. Payment processing includes direct debit ($0.75/transaction) and credit card (1.75%) with options for same-day or next-day clearing.

Does OWNA have a parent app?

Yes. OWNA's free parent app (4.3 stars on Google Play) allows families to view daily stats, digital attendance sign-in/out, read children's portfolios, view photos and videos, and communicate securely with the centre. The app is included free with all plans.

OWNA Review Australia 2026