Camp directors, administrators, counselors, and other staff members know that organizing and running successful camps of any kind is much more complex behind the scenes than it might seem to an outsider.
This complexity, coupled with technological advancements, has resulted in a host of online camp management software solutions, each advertised as the best for your camp’s needs.
To assist you in finding the one solution that actually fits that description, we’ve gathered nine software tools considered best by camp organizers.
We’ll examine their core and extra features, advantages and limitations, and pricing.
Regpack
Before we dive in, a few disclaimers.
First, the solutions presented here are ranked in no particular order.
Since we know it best, our camp management software, Regpack, is covered first because we know it best and want to describe the essential functions in these types of solutions. This also saves us from needless repeating later.
The core features we’ll focus on are:
- camp registration
- payment processing
- communication with campers and parents
Next, it’s important to note that the answer to what software is best for your organization lies with you and your team, and depends on many factors, such as the key features you need, the software’s ease of use, user training and support, and price.
Now we can start.
Regpack is a cloud-based camp management software which excels at providing a genuinely integrated, seamless, and user-friendly camp registration and payment process for camper families, all embedded right on your website.
At the same time, it saves your staff a lot of time and effort by digitizing, automating, and streamlining camp management operations, including facilitating parent communication with strong email management tools.
Source: Regpack
The above-highlighted terms nicely summarize what Regpack enables you to do.
For example, you can create customizable registration forms that, enabled by Regpack’s conditional logic, individualize every camp registration process.
This means that the online form parents are filling out will adjust the registration flow to their previous answers to specific questions, making the process feel more personalized.
A typical example is skipping further details about the child’s allergies if parents indicated it has none.
Moreover, these forms (and the entire payment process) will be embedded on your website, meaning parents are never directed to a third-party website.
This increases user convenience and builds your organization’s credibility and parents’ trust in your camp.
Source: Regpack
As we’ll see, this “embedded” feature is pretty unique, as a lot of other solutions rely on directing users away from the camp’s main website to their external platform.
Now, as for Regpack’s other features, payment processing is another one of its strong points.
In essence, this covers everything from building custom payment forms and offering different payment plans and payment options to camper parents to securely processing online payments and setting up automated billing.
This also includes creating self-service payment portals for campers and automating the sending of invoices.
Source: Regpack
These features tie nicely with Regpack’s email communication tools that enable camp administrators to send automated registration/payment confirmation emails and various reminders.
Naturally, you can also filter registration and financial data and generate various reports concerning camp attendance, registration, payments, and sales.
Before we move to pricing, it’s worth noting another feature unique to Regpack—purchase protection.
Source: Regpack
This add-on feature is provided and managed by Regpack at no cost to you.
When enabled, it offers applicants the option of getting reimbursed (by paying a small percentage of the camp price upon checkout) if their child is injured or ill and can’t attend the camp.
In such cases (and others involving immediate family members), parents can submit a documented claim before the camp starts and get a full refund from Regpack.
As for pricing, Regpack charges $125 per month per admin, which includes an unlimited number of users (campers) and projects (camps, programs, activities, events), as well as unlimited team use.
The payments processed by Regpack are subject to a 2.1% payment processing fee (making it the only solution that transparently shows this cost).
Wrapping up, Regpack is a user-friendly camp management software with integrated payment options that provides a truly seamless camp registration and payment process embedded on your website and supported by automated email communication tools.
CIRCUITREE
Now that we covered the basics, it will be easier to discuss the essential and supplementary features and specificities of other camp management software on our list, starting with CIRCUITREE.
CIRCUITREE is an all-in-one package of flexible, cloud-based software solutions that can be selected so you pay only for those features you need.
Therefore, when all the possible camp management functions they offer are considered, CIRCUITREE can automate and streamline any aspect of your camp operations.
Source: CIRCUITREE
For example, their package includes:
- creating a customized registration website for your camper parents
- collecting and processing payments via a third-party processor, Stripe
- facilitating communication through the Parent Portal
As for some examples of more specific features, the CIRCUITREE platform allows parents to deposit money to the campers’ accounts (for camp store purchases) and perform other account management actions on any internet-connected device.
Source: CIRCUITREE
On the management side, CIRCUITREE offers a cabin management feature that allows you to collect camper bunkmate preferences during the registration process and organize cabin and bunk assignments.
When cost is concerned, all these practical camp management solutions and customizable options make pricing impractical, so CIRCUITREE does not provide any specific all-in-one or per-feature prices.
Instead, you can schedule a free, 15-minute demo with one of their solutions specialists.
To sum up, CIRCUITREE is a comprehensive suite of mobile, cloud-based camp management solutions that can digitize, automate, and help you improve all aspects of your operations, albeit for an undisclosed price.
CampDoc
As camp management software, CampDoc was primarily designed and remains focused on the health and safety of campers.
In their words:
CampDoc is the leading Electronic Health Record (EHR) system for camps.
Using CampDoc, authorized staff can manage “health forms, allergies, medications, and illness/injury tracking for your camp.”
Here’s what the interface looks like.
Source: CampDoc
For instance, one of the EHR’s features is providing electronic reminders for staff to administer medications and documenting each instance, which ensures the right medications are given at the right time.
Source: CampDoc
Of course, CampDoc doesn’t stop at protecting and managing children’s health and safety but also offers the essential features of camp management software, namely online registration, and payments.
For example, you can create different payment plans, discounts, and add-ons that camper families can select during the online registration process.
Source: CampDoc
As for accepting online payments, payment methods include credit cards and other electronic payments (ACH), but no further information is provided about payment processing fees, third-party providers, and other details.
Regarding communication, one of CampDoc’s additional features is the possibility of sending text message alerts that can be used in emergencies or to send mass camp notifications.
Finally, the price is listed and starts at $250 per month, but no further details as to what that package includes are given; instead, you can ask for a quote and schedule a demo.
All in all, although focused on health and safety, CampDoc provides all the essential features needed for effective camp management.
CampSite
CampSite is another popular end-to-end camp management software whose primary features include camp registration, payment processing and financial management, a parent dashboard, invoicing, and billing.
Moreover, CampSite also offers additional features like attendance tracking, medical management, and staff management.
Source: CampSite
While short on email communication tools, one CampSite feature can help facilitate communication with camper parents—their photo and video blog, Camp Today.
According to their website:
“Accessed directly through the Parent Dashboard, parents can download pictures, watch videos and even grant access to extended family members.”
In other words, this feature can keep camper parents engaged while the camp is running.
Source: CampSite
As for payment processing, CampSite provides for electronic and non-electronic payments.
Online payments are processed by your payment gateway provider (Stripe, PayPal, Square, Authorize.net) through the software, while non-electronic payments can be manually recorded.
Unfortunately, this range of core and a-la-carte features prevents CampSite from providing any pricing information.
In other words, you’ll need to request info or schedule a demo to learn more.
Overall, CampSite is a user-friendly, all-in-one software package that offers a range of camp registration and payment tools that streamline your camp management processes.
Campwise
Campwise is another valuable software solution designed for summer camps and conference centers.
Like some other solutions on our list, this all-in-one software aims to provide your organization with (online and manual entry) registration, payment processing, and communication tools needed for efficient camp management.
Source: Campwise
In addition to mass email and SMS communication, Campwise ensures that camper families can send emails to their children during camp (when no smartphones are allowed).
These core functions are supported by a range of other features like:
- MROC (Multiple Registrations, One Charge), allowing multiple children/group applications for camp to be charged to one person
- housing/grouping, i.e., the ability to filter camper info according to different criteria (age, grade, etc.)
- activity scheduling that enables campers to select camp activities by priority
There are also separate software modules for staff management, donations and sponsorships, and camp store management.
In other words, you can use the mobile app to manage camp store processes, from tracking walk-in purchases to inventory control, including parents depositing money to their camper’s store account.
Source: Campwise
Lastly, Campwise does not list any prices but invites you to request more info and schedule a free demo.
To summarize, Campwise is a cloud-based, intuitive platform that covers a full suite of software modules and features required for end-to-end summer camp management.
Sawyer
Sawyer is another all-in-one camp management software popular among camp organizers.
To quote them:
Sawyer enables you to collect online registrations and customer information, offer flexible payment types, and engage with customers.
In addition, Sawyer underlines that their solution offers unlimited growth potential for camps, with no additional fees or costs for adding locations or campers.
Source: Sawyer
In addition to these standard features, Sawyer offers an exclusive Marketplace platform that connects families with various children’s activity providers.
As scheduling is one of Sawyer’s strong points, your camp schedule will be available to other member families, thus extending the reach of your camp marketing.
Source: Sawyer
We’ve already mentioned Sawyer also provides secure online payment features (through a third-party processing provider), as well as email communication tools.
As for the software’s cost, Sawyer is willing to list their prices.
For instance, the most popular Sawyer package (billed annually) will cost you $169 monthly.
Although there’s a more basic model ($109), it doesn’t include custom forms, payment options, and some other essential features.
In closing, Sawyer is another easy-to-use camp management solution with additional marketing opportunities within their user community.
UltraCamp
UltraCamp is a comprehensive web-based and mobile-enabled camp management software that provides a wide range of features to help you manage your camp operations.
As with other solutions here, UltraCamp consists of multiple camp management functions, including the core ones: registration, payments, and parent communication.
More specifically, here are the features they highlight for the online registration component of UltraCamp.
Source: UltraCamp
Simply put, family registration allows parents to register multiple children at once at pay in one process, while the unique process involves customizable forms with conditional logic.
These two features are pretty standard among the top camp software, but UltraCamp goes further and allows for customization of the platform’s outlook to “match the look and feel of your existing website.”
In other words, this function attempts to create a “website-embedded” experience for a more seamless transition between your website and the UltraCamp platform.
As for payment processing, UltraCamp offers options for both credit card and ACH payments but fails to specify their payment processing fees.
In any case, all the standard payment options, like creating payment plans and applying discounts, are available.
Source: UltraCamp
The same can be said for parent communication, which covers:
Easy-to-use tools for parents to communicate with you and their camper and streamlined functionality for your team to send email, text, and phone messages out to camp families.
Individual camper’s store accounts (managed by parents) are another notable feature, so young campers can shop without worrying about cash.
UltraCamp lets you choose among three pricing options (per registration, per individual, per family reservations).
However, keep in mind that the starting cost for each is $250 per month, plus an undisclosed setup fee depending on your data transfer and software integration needs.
Overall, UltraCamp is an integrated camp management platform with a host of essential and additional features you can choose from to fit your camp management needs.
Conclusion
After describing these seven top camp management solutions, all that’s left is to remind you to first identify your camp’s needs, differentiate between “must-have” and “nice-to-have” features, and do your own research.
Doing so is vital when choosing the right solution for your organization.
Hopefully, that process (and this list) will help you find the one camp management software solution whose ease of use, features, and cost fit your needs and budget allow you to improve your camp operations across the board.
