# FutureNerds vs Storypark: Montessori software compared

Source: https://www.futurenerds.dev/compare/storypark
Last updated: 2026-10-14

FutureNerds vs Storypark: pick Storypark if learning stories and family engagement are what you need and you follow your own curriculum. Pick FutureNerds if you want Montessori lesson tracking, billing and admissions, free for your first 10 students, then $0.50 per child per month.

## Feature table

| | FutureNerds | Storypark |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Montessori curriculum | Yes (AMS, AMI or custom) | [You set up your own curriculum](https://storypark.com/feature/curriculums) |
| Observations and progress | Yes | [Yes (learning stories and child notes)](https://www.storypark.com/) |
| Lesson planning | Yes | [Yes (developmental planning)](https://www.storypark.com/) |
| Attendance | Yes | [Yes](https://www.storypark.com/pricing) |
| Parent access | Yes (iPhone, iPad, Android, Apple Watch) | [Yes, free for families](https://www.storypark.com/pricing) |
| Messaging | Yes (push, email and in-app) | [Yes (family engagement)](https://www.storypark.com/pricing) |
| Billing | Yes (built in, with Stripe) | [In Australia, through Storypark + Xap](https://www.storypark.com/au/) |
| Admissions | Yes (form, waitlist, visit booking) | [Yes (enrolment, waitlists, tour bookings)](https://www.storypark.com/) |
| AI tools | AI suggestions (optional, off by default) | [Add-on (Storypark Assist)](http://help.storypark.com/en/articles/10137042-educators-storypark-assist) |
| API or AI agents | Yes (MCP server and CLI, off by default) | Not listed on its public pages |
| Price | Free for 10 children, then $0.50 per child per month | [From $1.59 USD per child per month](https://www.storypark.com/pricing) |

## What each costs

Prices below were checked October 14, 2026. FutureNerds costs (children minus 10) x $0.50 a month. Storypark's global "Documentation and family engagement" plan has a starting price of $1.59 USD per child per month, per [its pricing page](https://www.storypark.com/pricing), so the Storypark column is children x $1.59.

| Children | FutureNerds | Storypark |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 25 | (25 - 10) x $0.50 = $7.50 a month | 25 x $1.59 = $39.75 a month |
| 40 | (40 - 10) x $0.50 = $15 a month | 40 x $1.59 = $63.60 a month |
| 80 | (80 - 10) x $0.50 = $35 a month | 80 x $1.59 = $127.20 a month |

FutureNerds has no setup fee. If your school collects payments from families through FutureNerds, standard Stripe fees plus 1% apply. Payment processing fees are separate for every product. See [pricing](/pricing).

Storypark is free for families. Multi-site and enterprise plans are priced on request. In Australia, the same plan is [$1.79 AUD per child per month, prepaid yearly](https://www.storypark.com/au/pricing), and its "All-in-one childcare management" plan, which adds billing, starts at $229 AUD per month. The [global pricing page](https://www.storypark.com/pricing) does not say whether that plan is sold in the United States.

## Where Storypark is stronger

- **Learning stories.** Storypark is built around [learning stories, child notes and developmental planning](https://www.storypark.com/) shared with families.
- **Any philosophy.** Services set up ["any curricula, outcomes or philosophy"](https://storypark.com/feature/curriculums) and tag stories to them. Its help center names [Montessori, Reggio and Steiner](https://intercom.help/storypark/articles/56140-what-are-learning-tags-and-sets) as examples of learning sets.
- **Free for families.** Parents pay nothing, per [its pricing page](https://www.storypark.com/pricing).
- **Admissions extras.** It lists [digital waitlists, tour bookings and paperless enrolment forms](https://www.storypark.com/).
- **AI writing help.** [Storypark Assist](http://help.storypark.com/en/articles/10137042-educators-storypark-assist) helps educators write and translate stories. It is a paid add-on, with a 7-day trial for independent services.
- **Integrations** with [Kidsoft, Xap and Kinder M8](https://help.storypark.com/en/collections/2041958-integrations).
- **Regional sites** for [Australia, New Zealand and Canada](https://www.storypark.com/). It also appears in 3 of the 10 public "best Montessori software" lists we checked, such as [this one](https://wifitalents.com/best/montessori-record-keeping-software/). FutureNerds is newer and does not appear in those lists yet.

## Where FutureNerds is stronger

- **A Montessori curriculum on day one.** Your school starts with an AMS or AMI curriculum by area and age level, or a custom one. Storypark has [no built-in Montessori scope and sequence](https://storypark.com/feature/curriculums) on the pages we checked.
- **Lesson tracking.** Every lesson is tracked as not yet presented, presented, practicing or mastered, and a progress grid shows a whole classroom at once.
- **Work cycle planning.** Guides plan a morning or afternoon work period and assign children to each lesson.
- **Billing for families,** with invoices, sibling discounts, scholarships and overdue reminders on days 1, 8 and 15.
- **Parent absence reports.** Parents report an absence with a reason (illness, personal reason, medical appointment or vacation), and it shows as Scheduled on the staff Today screen.

FutureNerds has its own limits. Its help center and these pages are in English, and online payments need a Stripe account. Apple Pay and Google Pay are not available yet. AI suggestions are optional and off by default. A school admin turns them on, and children's names are removed before any text is sent.

## Who should pick which

Pick Storypark if your school shares learning stories with families, follows a mixed or custom approach, and runs billing elsewhere.

Pick FutureNerds if you want Montessori lessons tracked from presented to mastered, with attendance, billing and admissions in the same account. A 40-child school pays $15 a month on FutureNerds and $63.60 a month on Storypark's starting plan.

## How to move from Storypark to FutureNerds

![The Import Families dialog in FutureNerds, with a drop area for a .csv or .xlsx file, a Download a template CSV link, and Cancel and Preview import buttons](/images/product/switching-from-another-system-web.png)

1. On a laptop or computer, open each child's profile in Storypark, choose Edit, then Export portfolio, as [its export article](http://help.storypark.com/en/articles/56109-export-a-copy-of-a-child-s-profile) describes.
2. Download each export from the emailed link within 60 days, when the link expires. You get stories and notes as .html, photos as .jpg, and routines, attendance and incidents as .csv files. Keep them as files.
3. Storypark's article describes per-child exports only, so list your families and children in a spreadsheet yourself.
4. Create your FutureNerds school and pick AMS, AMI or a custom curriculum.
5. Open Settings, then Import Families. Download the template CSV, fill it in, and drop in the .csv or .xlsx file.
6. Choose Preview import, fix any rows it flags, then import. Assign each child to a classroom.
7. Invite parents from the Family Roster.

See [switching from another system](/product/switching-from-another-system).

## Related pages

- [Storypark alternatives](/compare/storypark-alternatives)
- [Montessori school software pricing](/compare/montessori-school-software-pricing)
- [Observations and record keeping](/product/observations)
- [Photos](/product/photos)
- [Writing observation notes a parent can read](/blog/factual-observation-notes)

## Questions and answers

### Is Storypark or FutureNerds better for a Montessori school?

Storypark lets you set up any curriculum and is strong on learning stories. FutureNerds starts with an AMS or AMI curriculum and tracks each lesson from not yet presented to mastered.

### How much does Storypark cost compared with FutureNerds?

Storypark's global plan starts at $1.59 USD per child per month, so 40 children cost $63.60 a month. FutureNerds is free for your first 10 students, then $0.50 per child per month, so 40 children cost $15.

### Does FutureNerds have AI tools like Storypark Assist?

FutureNerds has optional AI suggestions, off by default, that a school admin turns on. Children's names are removed before any text is sent. Report card drafts are filled from your observations.

### Can I move my Storypark records to FutureNerds?

You can import families and children from a CSV or Excel file. Storypark exports each child's portfolio separately, so keep those files as your record of past stories.

## Sources

All checked October 14, 2026.

- Storypark home page: https://www.storypark.com/
- Storypark pricing: https://www.storypark.com/pricing
- Storypark Australia: https://www.storypark.com/au/
- Storypark Australia pricing: https://www.storypark.com/au/pricing
- Curriculums: https://storypark.com/feature/curriculums
- Learning tags and sets: https://intercom.help/storypark/articles/56140-what-are-learning-tags-and-sets
- Storypark Assist: http://help.storypark.com/en/articles/10137042-educators-storypark-assist
- Integrations: https://help.storypark.com/en/collections/2041958-integrations
- Exporting a child's profile: http://help.storypark.com/en/articles/56109-export-a-copy-of-a-child-s-profile
- WifiTalents, best Montessori record keeping software: https://wifitalents.com/best/montessori-record-keeping-software/