Tool profile
OWNA: cost, fit and limits
OWNA is an early childhood management platform made by OWNA Corp Pty Ltd that covers curriculum planning, compliance, attendance, Child Care Subsidy submissions, billing, rostering and multi-center management, including an AI predictive rostering tool. The vendor is based in Australia.
What to know first
OWNA sells Lite and Premium subscriptions plus a quote-based Enterprise tier, and the pricing page shows two sets of figures: from $89 and $139 a month in one, from $99 and $149 in the other, without labeling which is annual. Lite has a free trial. The security page says all data stays in Microsoft Azure centers in Australia. Optional extras include a $399 one-off setup.
OWNA at a glance
| Maker | OWNA Corp Pty Ltd (ACN 613 387 474), Australia |
|---|---|
| Free plan | Free trial only |
| Entry price | From $89 per month (Lite) |
| API access | Yes |
| Category | Best AI Childcare Management Software in 2026, rank 3 of 12 |
| Website | owna.com.au |
Who OWNA is best for
Australian centers that submit subsidy claims
Child Care Subsidy submissions are automated, and families pay by direct debit or card inside the parent app, so billing and funding sit in one workflow.
Centers worried about ratio breaches
Predictive rostering uses AI to forecast staffing needs and raises alerts when a room is out of ratio, which suits managers who juggle part-time educators.
Multi-center providers
Premium adds multi-center management, OWNA HQ and single sign-on, so an operator can see several centers without separate logins. Premium also lists email campaigns for centers that mail families.
OWNA plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Lite | From $89 per month (first set) or $99 (second set) | Curriculum planning, compliance, attendances, parent app, preschool funding and reporting, rostering and timesheets, bookings and enrollments. Free trial offered. |
| Premium | From $139 per month (first set) or $149 (second set) | Adds CCS, billing and payments, financial reporting, email campaigns, multi-center management, OWNA HQ and single sign-on. |
| Enterprise | Contact for pricing | Everything in Premium plus custom integration through an API. An Enterprise CRM is listed as coming soon. |
Checked November 2026.
What OWNA does
- Curriculum and compliance
- Planning tools and compliance management follow early childhood program requirements, so educators record learning and the center can show its quality documentation when assessed. Premium and Lite both list these, so the compliance side does not depend on the upgrade.
- Subsidy and payments
- CCS submissions are automated. Families pay by direct debit or card from within the app, and the page lists a 75 cent fee per direct debit transaction.
- Predictive rostering
- AI-assisted tools predict rostering needs and alert managers when a room is out of ratio, which turns staffing from a reactive check into a forecast.
- Recruitment tracker
- A recruitment tracker with SEEK integration manages applicants. A one-off $399 setup option covers enquiry, waitlist and enrollment forms. The tracker is aimed at centers that hire often, and the $399 setup is a separate, optional one-off item.
- Multi-center HQ
- OWNA HQ gives multi-site providers a central view and shared settings, available from the Premium subscription rather than the Lite tier. Premium also lists single sign-on, and OWNA HR and Payroll can be added at $8 per employee per month.
How OWNA handles your data
The security page states that OWNA runs on Microsoft Azure Australian data centers and that all data remains within Australia, and it states alignment with the Australian Privacy Principles. The pages read name no certification, so none is claimed here. They did not describe retention after cancellation or say whether customer data trains AI models, so the vendor's policy was not checked for those points. Payment processing details appear on the pricing page only as direct debit and card fees.
Where OWNA falls short in practice
- Two price sets on one page. The pricing page shows from $89 and from $139 beside from $99 and from $149 without labeling annual or monthly billing, so a buyer must ask which set applies to a new account.
- Payroll is separate. OWNA HR and Payroll costs $8 per employee per month on top of the plan. A center with 20 staff adds $160 a month to a Premium subscription.
- API only on Enterprise. Custom integration through an API is limited to the quote-based Enterprise tier, and the Enterprise CRM is listed as coming soon, so planned integrations may wait.
Works with
Alternatives to OWNA
OWNA: common questions
Which OWNA price is the real one?
The pricing page text shows two sets, from $89 and $139 a month, and from $99 and $149 a month, for Lite and Premium, without labeling which is annual. Ask the vendor for a written quote that states billing period, currency and tax before you subscribe.
Where does OWNA keep its data?
The security page says OWNA uses Microsoft Azure Australian data centers and that all data remains within Australia. It states alignment with the Australian Privacy Principles but names no certification. A center outside Australia should check whether local rules allow that location.
What does OWNA's AI do?
The pages describe AI-assisted management tools that predict rostering needs and send alerts when a room is out of ratio. No other AI feature is named. Ask for a demo using your own roster to see how the forecast handles casual shifts.
Does OWNA automate Child Care Subsidy?
The page says CCS submissions are automated, and families pay by direct debit or card inside the app. CCS and billing sit on the Premium subscription. A direct debit transaction costs 75 cents according to the page. Rostering and timesheets are listed on Lite.
Is there a free trial for OWNA?
Yes, a free trial is offered on the Lite subscription. A one-off $399 setup for enquiry, waitlist and enrollment forms is optional, and OWNA HR and Payroll is $8 per employee a month. Confirm what carries over from trial to a paid account.