13 Best Apps for Parents That Save 3+ Hours Every Week (2026 Guide)

Another day, another app promising to “change your parenting life forever.”

Sound familiar? If you’re tired of downloading apps that create more work instead of less, you’re not alone.

Parenting in 2026 isn’t just about managing tantrums and bedtime routines anymore. You’re juggling school schedules, grocery runs, mental health, meal planning, and somehow trying to keep everyone’s calendars straight.

Here’s what I discovered after testing dozens of so-called “life-changing” parent apps: most of them are pretty disappointing. But — and this is important — some actually deliver on their promises.

Want to know which ones? I found 13 apps that genuinely save time (we’re talking 3+ hours every week) and make parenting feel less chaotic. Over 30 million parents are already using these tools to get their lives back.

The best part? These apps follow what the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends — they support your parenting instead of replacing it. They handle the boring, time-consuming stuff so you can focus on what matters: actually being present with your kids.

Ready to reclaim some of your sanity? Let’s look at the 13 apps that might just save your weekly routine.

Calm

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Ever feel like you need a moment to breathe but can’t find even five minutes in your day?

Calm tops my list because it actually works for busy parents. No hour-long meditation sessions. No complicated setup. Just quick, effective tools that fit into the chaos of family life.

What makes Calm perfect for parents

Calm gets it — parents don’t have time for lengthy wellness routines. The app offers guided meditations, sleep stories (some narrated by celebrities), breathing exercises, and calming music designed to work around your schedule ^[1].

Here’s what sets Calm apart: their “For Parents” collection, created with Gerber. This isn’t generic meditation content — it’s made specifically for overwhelmed moms and dads.

You’ll find:

• Conscious Parenting masterclass for better family relationships
• Self-Compassion meditations when you’re feeling like you’re failing
• Quick Reset exercises for those moments when you want to hide in the bathroom
• Mindful Relationships content for staying present with your family
• Family activities you can actually do with your kids ^[1]

Want something for the little ones? The “Calm Kids” section features characters like Peppa Pig and Thomas & Friends, making bedtime less of a battle ^[5].

How Calm saves you time (and sanity)

The magic happens in just 2 minutes. Calm’s “Pause In Your Day” meditation gives you a mental reset between car pool and dinner prep ^[5]. Instead of carrying stress from one parenting crisis to the next, these mini-breaks help you stay calmer throughout the day.

The results speak for themselves. Parents using Calm about 5 times per week saw impressive changes: 84% reported better mental health, 81% felt less stressed, and 73% slept better ^[5]. Better sleep means more patience. More patience means better family time.

Plus, the family plan covers six accounts — no more sharing passwords or fighting over who gets to use the app ^[1]

What you’ll pay

Calm offers options for every budget:

Individual plan: $69.99/year Family plan: $99.99/year for up to 6 people (that’s about $17 per person) ^[9]

Monthly subscriptions cost $14.99 if you want to try it first. There’s also a lifetime option for $399.99.

Each family member gets their own account with personalized recommendations and progress tracking. Some employers partner with Calm to offer free access — worth checking if yours does.

Life360

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“Did you make it to soccer practice okay?”

“Are you still at Sarah’s house?”

“Text me when you get to school!”

If your phone is filled with these kinds of messages, you’re not alone. Life360 has become the solution for 88 million parents who got tired of playing the constant check-in game^[15].

What Life360 actually does

Life360 creates private “Circles” for your family. Think of it as a secure way to share locations without broadcasting your business to the world.

Here’s what you get:

• Real-time location sharing on a private family map ^[17]
• Place Alerts that ping you when kids arrive at school or leave practice ^[16]
• Driving insights showing routes, speeds, and whether they’re texting behind the wheel ^[16]
• Emergency SOS that sends location and alerts to your Circle^[17]
• Crash detection that can automatically contact emergency services

The premium plans add extras like data breach monitoring and stolen phone protection. Pretty comprehensive for a family safety app.

Why Life360 saves you time (and worry)

Remember those “did you make it?” texts? Life360 eliminates about 90% of them.

The geofencing feature automatically tells you when kids arrive somewhere important^[15]. No more wondering if they actually went to basketball practice or got distracted by friends.

One parent told me something that stuck: “I often see when my husband is at the supermarket and ask him to buy extra groceries”. It’s those little coordination moments that add up to real time savings.

But here’s the biggest benefit: peace of mind. When you’re not constantly worrying about everyone’s whereabouts, you can actually focus on other things. Like being present when your family is together.

Life360 pricing

Free version: Basic location sharing, 2 days of history, 2 Place Alerts, and crash detection ^[11]

Silver Plan: €5.99/month gets you 7 days of location history and 5 Place Alerts

Gold Plan: €9.99/month for 30 days of history, unlimited alerts, driving reports, emergency dispatch, and roadside assistance.

Most parents go with Gold because the peace of mind feels worth about €10 monthly . Especially when you consider what you’d spend on gas driving around looking for a teenager who “forgot” to text you back.

Any.do

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Soccer practice at 4. Grocery run after work. Call the dentist. Pick up dry cleaning. Remember to text Sarah about the playdate.

If your brain feels like a never-ending to-do list, you’re not alone. Managing family life often means juggling dozens of tasks that somehow all feel urgent.

Any.do takes that mental chaos and turns it into something you can actually manage. Over 40 million people trust this app to keep their families organized, and here’s why it works so well for parents.

What makes Any.do different

Any.do isn’t just another task app — it’s designed for families who need to coordinate everything:

• Tasks & Lists: Keep your personal stuff separate from family responsibilities
• Calendar Integration: See your tasks and appointments in one place
• Daily Planner: Start each morning knowing exactly what needs to happen
• Shared Family Space: Give everyone access to the household command center^[20]
• Smart Grocery List: Items automatically group by store aisle (no more wandering around Target)^[21]
• AI-Powered Features: Get suggestions before you even realize you need them^[21]

The app syncs across everyone’s devices, so when you add “buy birthday gift for Emma’s party” to the list, your partner sees it immediately.

How Any.do saves parents time

Remember the last time you got to the store and realized you forgot the shopping list? Or when you both bought milk because nobody knew the other person was already handling it?

Any.do‘s shared family space solves these everyday frustrations [28]. Everyone can see what needs to happen, who’s responsible, and what’s already done.

The smart grocery feature alone saves countless minutes. Instead of wandering through aisles trying to remember what you need, everything gets organized by store section. Add “bananas” and “yogurt” to your list, and they automatically appear under “Produce” and “Dairy.”

Location reminders are incredibly helpful for busy parents. Set a reminder to “call the pediatrician” and it’ll ping you when you’re near their office. No more forgetting important tasks until 9 PM when everything’s closed.

Any.do pricing

Any.do offers options that work for different family situations:

• Free Plan: Basic features that many families find sufficient
• Premium Plan: $4.99/month (annual) or $7.99/month ^[22]
• Family Plan: $8.33/month for up to 4 people (annual) or $9.99/month ^[22]
• Teams Plan: $4.99/month per person (annual) ^[22]

The Family Plan gives you everything from Premium plus shared spaces, collaborative grocery lists, and up to four shared projects. At about $2 per person monthly, it’s reasonable for families who want to get organized.

Instacart

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Sunday afternoon. Three kids melting down in the cereal aisle while you try to remember if you need more milk.

Sound like your typical grocery run?

Here’s the thing about grocery shopping with kids: it’s exhausting. And time-consuming. And somehow you always forget the one thing you actually went there for.

Instacart changes the game completely. Instead of dragging everyone through crowded stores, you get personal shoppers who handle the whole ordeal for you.

What makes Instacart work for parents

Instacart connects you with shoppers who know what they’re doing. They grab everything from your favorite local stores and bring it straight to your door. Here’s what makes it actually useful:

• Smart Shop technology: Learns your shopping habits and suggests products you’ll actually want
• AI-powered Health Tags: Shows nutritional info for over 500,000 items with 30 different tags like gluten-free and high-protein ^[29]
• Real-time chat: Talk to your shopper during the order to swap items or add forgotten essentials ^[26]
• Multi-store orders: Shop different stores at once without paying extra delivery fees (as long as you hit minimums) ^[26]

Want to avoid interruptions during nap time? Their “Leave at My Door Delivery” keeps things quiet when you need it most.

How Instacart saves you time

One mom told me she got back 4-5 hours every week using Instacart instead of hitting multiple stores^[26]. That’s a lot of time.

Think about it: no more loading kids into car seats for a grocery run. No more wandering aisles trying to find where they moved the pasta sauce. You can place your entire order in 30 minutes and use those saved hours for something you actually enjoy.

The app remembers what you buy regularly, making repeat orders super easy. Plus, you can check what’s available while standing in front of your fridge — no more forgetting half your list^[26].

What you’ll pay

Standard delivery starts at $3.99 for orders over $35 ^[25]. If you’re ordering regularly, Instacart+ membership makes more sense:

• Annual: $99/year (sometimes $49 for first year)
• Monthly: $9.99/month
• What you get: Free delivery on orders over $10, lower service fees, plus extras like Peacock Premium

Families ordering twice a month usually break even on the membership cost. After that, you’re saving money and time.

TinyPal

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Ever wonder why parenting advice from your mom, your best friend, and that parenting blog all contradict each other? TinyPal cuts through the noise with personalized, science-backed guidance that actually fits your family.

What TinyPal does

Think of TinyPal as having a child psychologist in your pocket — one who knows your specific kid and your unique challenges. Here’s what makes it different:

• AI that learns your child — it adapts advice based on your kid’s actual behaviors and needs
• Tantrum scripts — real words to say when your child is melting down
• Screen time solutions — 78% of families turn conflicts into cooperation ^[1]
• Daily routine builder — based on real behavioral science principles^[1]
• Bite-sized steps — no overwhelming 20-step processes that nobody has time for^[1]

Want to know the best part? The app gets smarter the more you use it . Child psychologists, nutritionists, and educators helped design every feature, so you’re getting real expertise — not just another parenting trend^[37].

How TinyPal saves your time (and sanity)

Remember spending hours googling “how to stop toddler tantrums” at 2 AM? TinyPal’s micro-step approach gives you quick wins that actually work — sometimes within a single day^[1].

Here’s what that means for your wallet: instead of paying $100-$300 per hour for therapy sessions, you get expert advice that fits into naptime or while you’re making lunch.

The results? Families using TinyPal see a 40% reduction in major tantrums within two weeks ^[1]. Even better — kids fall asleep 15 minutes faster in just the first week. That’s an extra quarter hour for yourself every single night.

TinyPal pricing

TinyPal keeps things simple:

Standard Plan: $4.99/month (billed yearly) — works on up to 10 devices ^[36] Premium Plan: $7.99/month (billed yearly) — up to 20 devices ^[36]

Both plans give you everything. The Premium just works on more devices if you want to include grandparents or caregivers.

Consider this: one therapy session costs more than two months of TinyPal. And TinyPal is always available when you need it.

TubeOnAI

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Ever wished you could absorb that 2-hour parenting podcast during your 10-minute coffee break?

TubeOnAI might be the answer you’ve been looking for. This AI-powered app takes lengthy videos, podcasts, and articles and turns them into bite-sized summaries you can actually use.

What TubeOnAI does

Think of TubeOnAI as your personal content assistant. It handles multiple formats — YouTube videos, podcasts, PDFs, Google Slides, and articles ^[39] — then creates quick summaries you can read or listen to.

Here’s what makes it particularly useful for busy parents:

• Audio summaries in different languages (perfect for multitasking during chores)
• Channel subscriptions that notify you when your favorite creators post new content
• Interactive follow-ups where you can ask specific questions about the content
• Content repurposing tools to turn insights into notes or social posts

The Chrome extension gives you instant summaries right in your browser sidebar. Plus, they keep adding new features based on what users actually want — like their recent multilingual support.

How TubeOnAI saves parents time

Want the honest truth? This app can genuinely change how you consume information.

One parent reported turning “3-hour study sessions into focused 1-hour power reviews” ^[40]. Another described listening to an 8-minute summary of a 2-hour video while folding laundry.

The numbers back this up — TubeOnAI has processed over 442,166 seconds of content, saving users hundreds of hours. For parents trying to stay informed about work trends or educational content, this means you can learn during school pickups or quick workout sessions.

TubeOnAI pricing

TubeOnAI offers several options that won’t break the family budget:

Starter Plan: Completely free forever with 3 channel subscriptions, 400 monthly credits, and basic support^[47]. Great for trying it out without any commitment.

Pro Plan: $19/month (most popular choice) includes unlimited channel subscriptions, 20,000 monthly credits, audio summaries, and 24/7 support ^[47]. They offer a 7-day free trial, too.

Right now, they occasionally offer a lifetime Premium Lite Plan for $78.99 instead of $224 ^[47]. With over 30,000 users already on board ^[47], you can upgrade or downgrade anytime without hidden fees.

Mealime

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What’s for dinner?

If this question makes you want to order takeout for the third time this week, you’re not alone.

Mealime tackles the daily dinner dilemma that overwhelms busy families. Instead of staring into your fridge at 5 PM wondering what to cook, this app handles your meal planning from start to finish ^[49].

What makes Mealime work for families

Here’s what sets Mealime apart: it actually adapts to how your family really eats. The app offers over 200 customization options, so whether you’re dealing with picky eaters, dietary restrictions, or trying to stick to keto while your kids want pasta, Mealime finds recipes that work ^[49].

The smart grocery list feature automatically organizes everything by store section. You pick your recipes, and Mealime creates one organized shopping list. No more wandering the aisles trying to remember what you needed.

Want to cook without constantly touching your phone? The touch-free cooking mode lets you wave your hand over the screen to move through recipe steps ^[48]. Perfect when your hands are covered in flour or raw chicken.

Each recipe is designed to take about 30 minutes from start to finish. These aren’t complicated chef-level meals — they’re practical dinners that actually taste good.

How much time does this actually save?

Three major time-savers here:

Decision fatigue disappears. No more 4 PM panic about dinner. Plan your week in minutes instead of daily stress.

Grocery shopping becomes efficient. Send your list directly to delivery services and finish your weekly shopping in under 10 minutes. Or use it for organized in-store trips.

Cooking gets streamlined. Clear instructions prevent those “wait, what ingredient did I forget?” moments that turn 30-minute meals into hour-long ordeals.

Mealime pricing

The basic version is free and works well for most families.

Mealime Pro costs $2.99 per month ^[52] — honestly one of the cheapest apps on this list. Pro gives you nutritional information, calorie filters, recipe notes, access to previous meal plans, and their complete recipe library.

Plus priority customer support when you need quick help with dinner plans.

Epic

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“Mom, I’m bored. There’s nothing to read!”

If you’ve heard this complaint more than once this week, you’re not alone. Finding books that actually engage kids can feel like a never-ending battle.

Epic changes that. This digital library gives children 12 and under access to over 40,000 books, audiobooks, and educational videos ^[53] — all in one app.

What makes Epic different

Epic offers something for every type of reader. Your visual learner can dive into traditional e-books, while your auditory learner enjoys audiobooks ^[55] . The “Read-To-Me” feature highlights text as it’s spoken, helping kids connect sounds to letters.

The platform covers everything from fiction and fantasy to history and science. Even better? Books come in multiple languages including English, French, and Chinese. Epic learns what your child likes and suggests new books based on their reading level and interests ^[54] .

How Epic saves your time (and sanity)

No more last-minute library runs or bookstore trips. Epic lets you download books for offline reading — perfect for car trips or flights. Your child can access thousands of books instantly, whether you’re at home or stuck in a waiting room.

The detailed progress reports show you exactly what your child is reading and for how long^[55] . You’ll know if they’re actually reading or just flipping through pages. Plus, you can set up customizable controls to manage what content they can access ^[57] .

Want the biggest time-saver? One subscription replaces dozens of individual book purchases. No more “can we buy this book?” negotiations at the store.

Epic pricing

Epic costs $11.99 monthly or $79.99 for a full year (about $6.67 per month) ^[60]. You can try it free for seven days to see if your kids actually use it.

Here’s something cool: Epic is completely free for teachers during school hours (7 AM to 3 PM). Your family subscription helps support this free access for classrooms everywhere.

Each subscription supports up to four child profiles, making it budget-friendly for families with multiple kids.

BetterHelp

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Another sleepless night worrying about whether you’re messing up your kids?

Sometimes parenting feels like you’re drowning in your own thoughts. Between managing tantrums, school schedules, and your own stress, it’s easy to feel like you’re barely keeping your head above water.

Here’s what many parents don’t talk about: you can’t pour from an empty cup. When you’re mentally exhausted, everything becomes so much harder — from staying patient during bedtime routines to handling those inevitable meltdowns.

That’s where BetterHelp comes in.

What makes BetterHelp work for parents

BetterHelp connects you with over 30,000 licensed therapists ^[63] who actually understand the unique pressures of parenting. You get weekly video, phone, or chat sessions that last 30-45 minutes ^[66] — and here’s the best part: they work around your schedule, not business hours.

The platform includes unlimited messaging with your therapist, so when you’re having one of those “am I ruining my child?” moments at 11 PM, you can actually reach out. Plus, digital journals help you track your progress and identify patterns in your stress triggers.

Most parents get matched with a therapist within 24-48 hours. Don’t click with your first match? Switch therapists anytime without extra fees.

How BetterHelp saves parents time and sanity

Traditional therapy means finding childcare, commuting, and hoping your appointment doesn’t conflict with soccer practice. BetterHelp eliminates all that hassle by bringing therapy to your living room^[66].

Parents love being able to message their therapist between sessions about specific parenting challenges. Had a rough morning with your toddler? Send a quick message instead of waiting a full week for your next appointment.

The results speak for themselves: 72% of users see reduced symptoms within just 12 weeks. That’s faster relief than most traditional therapy approaches offer.

BetterHelp pricing

Weekly sessions run $70-$100, billed monthly at $260-$400 ^[62]. Before you think “that’s expensive,” consider that traditional therapy costs $100-$350 per session.

Even better news? BetterHelp now works with major insurance carriers, bringing average copays down to just $19 per session. You can use HSA/FSA cards, and financial aid is available if money’s tight.

When you think about it, investing in your mental health isn’t just about you — it’s about showing up as the parent your kids deserve.

Google Calendar

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“Where is everyone supposed to be today?”

If you find yourself asking this question more than once a week, you need Google Calendar in your life.

Google Calendar key features

Google Calendar turns your family into a well-oiled scheduling machine. When you create a family group, the app automatically generates a shared “Family” calendar^[72]. Everyone can view and edit events from any device, which means no more “I didn’t know about soccer practice” surprises^[72].

The color-coding feature is brilliant for busy families. Each person gets their own color, so you can see at a glance who needs to be where . Want to get really organized? Create separate calendars for meals, school activities, or household chores.

How Google Calendar saves time for parents

Google Calendar eliminates those endless family coordination texts. Everything syncs automatically across devices, so updates happen in real-time without you lifting a finger. Even better? Events from your Gmail (like flight confirmations or restaurant reservations) get added to your calendar automatically ^[72].

Put widgets on your phone’s home screen for quick access, or use Google Nest Hubs around the house so everyone can check the schedule. The voice command feature is a game-changer — just say “Schedule soccer practice on Tuesday at 4 PM” and it’s done.

Google Calendar pricing

Here’s the best part: Google Calendar is completely free with a basic Google account^[71]. Need extra features? Google Workspace plans start at $7 per user monthly. But honestly, the free version handles everything most families need, including that automatic family calendar setup.

Yummly

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“Mom, I don’t like this!”

“Can we have something different?”

“This is gross!”

If dinnertime feels like a daily battle in your house, Yummly might be exactly what you need. This app takes the guesswork out of family meals with smart recommendations that actually work.

What makes Yummly different

Yummly houses nearly 2 million recipes, but here’s the clever part — it learns what your family actually likes ^[77]. Set up your dietary restrictions, allergies, and taste preferences once, and the app gets smarter with every recipe you try.

The standout feature? Point your phone’s camera at ingredients in your fridge, and Yummly suggests recipes using what you already have. No more staring into the refrigerator wondering what to cook.

You can filter recipes by cuisine, cooking time, technique, and nutrition needs ^[77]. Plus, it connects directly with Instacart for grocery delivery.

How Yummly saves parents time

Yummly handles the three biggest meal planning headaches:

Planning ahead. Schedule your weekly meals and get cooking reminders so you’re never scrambling at 5 PM.

Shopping smart. Once you pick recipes, Yummly creates organized shopping lists grouped by store sections. No more wandering the aisles trying to remember what you needed.

Timing meals. The app tells you exactly when to start cooking based on when you want to eat. Simple, but so helpful when you’re juggling multiple things.

Yummly pricing

The basic Yummly app is free, which covers most families’ needs.

For extra features, Yummly Premium costs $0.99 monthly or $9.99 annually ^[77]. You get a free month to try it first (credit card required). Premium includes enhanced meal planning, smarter search tools, and access to exclusive recipes and videos.

For less than a dollar a month, it’s probably the most affordable solution on this list.

OurCal

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“Did you put soccer practice on the calendar?” “Which calendar?” “The family one… I think?”

If this conversation sounds familiar, you know how frustrating shared calendars can be. OurCal solves the chaos without compromising your family’s privacy.

What makes OurCal different

Here’s the thing about most family calendar apps — they’re either clunky or they collect your data. OurCal is different because it offers certified end-to-end encryption. Your family’s schedule stays completely private.

You can create unlimited calendars for different purposes and include up to 100 family members^[78]. Whether you need separate calendars for school events, medical appointments, or weekend activities, OurCal keeps everything organized.

The app includes Calendar Chat and Event Threads so conversations stay organized by topic. When someone adds or changes an event, everyone gets notified automatically ^[78] — no more “I didn’t know about that!” moments.

How OurCal saves time for busy families

One parent shared: “OurCal has helped us keep track of our busy family schedules… allowing our family to know where everyone needs to be at the touch of an app”.

That’s exactly what happens. You stop checking in constantly about existing commitments. Fewer miscommunications mean fewer missed opportunities and less stress^[79].

Families report saving hours every week just from better organization.

OurCal pricing

OurCal offers three subscription tiers based on group size:

• Up to 6 people
• Up to 20 people
• Up to 100 people ^[84]

Pricing starts at $6.99/month for groups up to 6 members.

Every subscription includes a 14-day free trial and 30-day money-back guarantee [59]. Try it risk-free to see if it works for your family’s needs.

Habit

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How many times did you remind your kids to brush their teeth today?

If you’re tired of being the family’s walking reminder system, Habit might just become your new best friend. This app helps families build consistent routines without the constant nagging .

What makes Habit different

Habit turns boring routines into something kids actually want to do. The app includes gamification features that make tracking habits feel more like playing a game than doing chores .

Here’s what you get:

• Track up to 24 habits with goals you can customize for each family member
• Set timers for activities like brushing teeth or reading time
• Create separate habit lists so everyone has their own space
• Connect with other families for encouragement and ideas

Want to track family wellness goals? Habit syncs with iPhone health apps, making it simple to monitor things like daily movement or sleep patterns^[85].

How this saves your sanity (and time)

No more being the family reminder robot.

Research shows that 90% of kids using habit trackers like this complete everything on their daily lists^[86]. That means less time spent chasing your children around the house asking if they’ve done their morning routine .

Parents get weekly reports showing how everyone’s doing, plus suggestions for removing habits your kids have already mastered. The built-in timer helps children learn to complete tasks independently within set timeframes ^[85] — which means you can focus on other things .

What it costs

You can try Habit for free, but you’re limited to tracking just three habits ^[88]. For most families, that’s not enough .

The premium version costs $4.99/month when you pay annually. If you want to skip the subscription altogether, lifetime access is $8.99 — basically the cost of a fancy coffee drink .

Quick comparison: Which app fits your family?

Want a side-by-side look at all 13 apps? Here’s everything you need to make the right choice for your family.

Pro tip: Focus on the apps that address your biggest pain points first. You don’t need all 13 — just the ones that solve your most frustrating daily challenges.

(Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. pricing may change and we are not affiliated with any of the apps mentioned)