This article about brilliant co-parenting apps for separated families was last updated in 2023.
If you are co-parenting, you will know that it’s complicated.
It is possible to co-parent successfully but it requires dedication, commitment and precision organisation from both parents. For this reason, anything that makes co-parenting easier has got to be a bonus.
Enter … the co-parenting apps.
In this article, we’ll take you through:
- What a co-parenting app actually is
- How a parenting app can improve your co-parenting abilities
- What to look for when choosing an app that is right for your separated family
- Our pick of great apps on the market in 2023, with everything you need to know about them
WHAT IS A CO-PARENTING APP?
A co-parenting app is a digital tool that helps separated parents improve communication while caring for their children. Co-parenting apps tend to work best in a low-conflict or amicable relationship.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF A CO-PARENTING APP?
Co-parenting apps can synchronise schedules, keep tabs on your kids’ online and offline activities, store financial transactions, and even document conflict to assist legal professionals.
Share care apps give you the ability to:
- Manage your children’s day-to-day activities
- Create and share calendars, photos and messages
- Effectively communicate with your ex
- Keep track of expenses and settle payments electronically
- Store important contact info (nannies, grandparents, lawyers and counsellors)
- Connect with support professionals
- Minimise conflict and drama
HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT PARENTING APP FOR YOUR SEPARATED FAMILY
Most co-parenting apps feature a shared calendar to keep your schedules in sync and better manage your time. If you need more features like payments, journal, storage and social media integration, there are many free and paid options available. When choosing a co-parenting app, consider what you need (basic features vs. nice extras) and what you can afford.
OUR PICK OF CO-PARENTING APPS ON THE MARKET IN 2021
OUR FAMILY WIZARD
Our Family Wizard is one of the most feature-packed co-parenting apps available. It has everything separated parents need to manage their time and focus on the kids: sync custody time, share information, manage expenses and record events for legal proceedings. The website also has an extensive library of resources for co-parents, including contacts of legal, counselling and other support professionals. It’s fair to say that Our Family Wizard sits in a league of its own when it comes to functionality and user success.
For more in-depth information see: My Family Wizard: Review from a user.
Available via: Website
Free version: 30-day money back guarantee
Cost of app: From $130/year
Best features: Add unlimited users to one account, including legal, mental health and support professionals
Pros: 30-day money back guarantee, access to legal and mental health professionals
Cons: Calendar and scheduling features can take some getting used to.
You will love this app if: You are prepared to pay for an app that can seriously help your co-parenting relationship.
COZI
Cozi is one of those co-parenting apps that are easy to use even if you are not tech savvy. Setting up an account is a breeze and you can immediately create calendars and to-do lists, share photos and recipes, track activities, document events and more. The interface is clean and the most important buttons are right up top so you can manage your schedules without a fuss.
Available via: Apple, Android, website
Free version: Yes, free with ads, 2-week free trial of Cozi Gold (web version)
Cost of app: $29.99 per year for Cozi Gold
Best features: Easy to use family organiser
Pros: One account for all family members, free version is enough for most users
Cons: Occasional glitches, ads can be annoying on the free version
You will love this app if: You are looking for a free and easy to use co-parenting app with heaps of features.
COPARENTA
Coparenta is a new co-parenting and calendar app that makes it easy to create and experiment with different custody schedules. The app features calendar, scheduling, messaging, appointment and finance tools to help co-parents improve communication whilst raising their kids. Coparenta is the only app that lets you use different colours for each calendar and print it out as a PDF. If you like organising calendars by colour, this is definitely the app for you. Sign up today and get Coparenta free for life (for the first 1000 users).
Available via: Web (Android and Apple coming soon)
Cost of app: Free for life for the first 1000 users and then $99 per year subscription
Best features: Easy to create schedules, print out family calendars
Pros: Printable colour-coded calendars, feature-packed co-parenting app
Cons: Finance tracking has not yet been implemented
You will love this app if: You need an all-in-one co-parenting app with colour-coded calendars.
2HOUSES
2Houses has scheduling, communication, payment and document storage features plus support for more than one family so is useful if you have kids with more than one ex partner. If you can’t get your ex to sign up and cooperate, you can invite another family member instead. We like the journal that keeps communication private when needed and the album that you can choose to share with other people.
Available via: Website, Apple and Android
Free version: Free 14-day trial
Cost of app: $7.42/month or $89 every 12 months
Best features: Scheduling tool with nice extras like journalling, messaging and finance
Pros: One account for the whole family, add more than one family
Cons: Reviewers report glitches and auto-renewals
You will love this app if: You have kids with more than one ex-partner and want to streamline communication and schedules.
SHARED PARENTING APPS 2021 (CONT.)
APPCLOSE
Appclose is a completely free co-parenting app that features shared calendars, messaging and expense tracking. The built-in payment platform lets you scan receipts and send and receive payments. Communicating with your ex and family members is easy thanks to the in-app messaging feature. You can also send texts and emails to people who are not in your circle.
Available via: Apple, Android
Free version: Yes
Cost of app: Free
Best features: Built-in expense tracker and electronic payment system
Pros: Free co-parenting app with all features you need
Cons: Not very user-friendly compared to paid apps
You will love this app if: You need a completely free co-parenting app that gets the job done.
MyMob
MyMob is another free co-parenting app with all the basics you need (shared calendars, messaging and documentation) plus extras: a profanity filter, wish lists and a virtual fridge to post your kids’ photos and art. MyMob was created by Stepfamilies Australia and Drummond Street Services to help separated parents be more accountable for their children’s welfare.
Available via: Apple, Android
Free version: Free
Cost of app: Free
Best features: Messaging with profanity filter, virtual fridge for photos and memories
Pros: Completely free co-parenting app with everything you need
Cons: Not compatible with some mobile devices, not for high-conflict parents
You will love this app if: You want to keep messages clean for your kids.
WeParent
WeParent is a complete scheduling and tracking app to help separated families manage their lives. It features shared calendars, messaging and group chat and data storage. It also lets you add mediators and other family members to your account. We like that the 14-day free trial lets you test the app and see if it’s a good fit for your family before committing to the subscription service.
Available via: Apple, Android
Free version: Free for 14 days
Cost of app: $9.99 per month or $199.99 for Lifetime
Best features: Full-featured scheduling, tracking and messaging app
Pros: One subscription for the entire family plus support team, great customer support
Cons: Reviewers report bugs and errors
You will love this app if: You need an all-in-one scheduling and tracking tool.
TIMETREE
Timetree is a an all-one scheduling app that lets you create multiple calendars and share them with your ex, family members, mediators and co-workers. Create, edit and view all your calendars (family, work, school) in one place and plan events easily. For business owners, the app lets you share agendas, connect with the workplace and track inventories.
Available via: Apple, Android, Web
Free version: Yes, free with ads
Cost of app: Free
Best features: Calendar app for sharing and collaborating
Pros: Feature-rich scheduling app with business features
Cons: Pop ups and ads can be annoying
You will love this app if: You need a scheduling app to manage family, work, school and social.
THE BEST CO-PARENTING APPS & SOFTWARE IN 2021
Parentship
We love inclusive co-parenting apps that support all kinds of families. Parentship is one example, helping separated parents, step families and caregivers manage kids’ crazy schedules. The custom calendar feature lets you schedule activities easily and track events, expenses and documents. Parentship is easy to use and feature-rich, although you need to pay a monthly subscription fee of $3.99.
Available via: Apple, Android
Free version: Yes, plus free 1 month trial with subscription
Cost of app: $3.99 per month and $24.99 annually
Best features: Everything you need in one place
Pros: Heaps of features, custom calendars, document tracking
Cons: You need to pay to unlock all features
You will love this app if: You want a co-parenting app that supports different kinds of parenting arrangements.
Coparently
Coparently has all the tools you need to make co-parenting stress-free. It has a shared calendar, private journal, expense tracking features, messaging and document storage. You can add your kids to your account to make communication easier, as well as mediators, legal professionals and other family members. Customise your calendars and get everyone on the same page.
Available via: Website
Free version: Free for 30 days
Cost of app: $4.99 per month or $26.99/year
Best features: All-in-one co-parenting app
Pros: Custom calendars, can add kids, guests and family law professionals
Cons: Separate monthly fee for each parent
You will love this app if: You are in the middle of a separation and need the help of family law and other professionals.
TALKING PARENTS
Talking Parents is a no-nonsense co-parenting app designed for separated parents working with legal and mediation professionals. The app focuses on accountability and respectful communication, and it ensures that messages and calls cannot be tampered with or deleted. You can also use the app to create calendars, sync schedules and share photos with your family.
Available via: Apple, Android, website
Free version: Free web version + 30-day free trial on the paid version
Cost of app: $9.99/month (standard) and $24.99/month (premium)
Best features: Call your ex without revealing your phone number
Pros: Free ad-supported website version, great for co-parents working with mediators and attorneys
Cons: Can be pricey, you need to pay to download calendars, messages and expense PDFs
You will love this app if: You need a co-parenting app to record conversations with your ex and manage schedules.
