Whether the parents get along or not, co-parenting comes with many challenges. From child support to custody dates to expenses, managing all the necessary information about your children can be overwhelming. Friction in communication with the other parent can make the whole process even more frustrating.
The best co-parenting apps can help make the parenting experience easier for both parents and kids. “Apps have provided a welcome avenue to help parents make the transition from combat gladiator to co-parenting collaborator,” family law attorney Vicki L. Shemin tells PS.
While adjusting to a new normal after divorce can take some getting used to, Shemin explains, “apps can relieve parents of the anxiety and fear of co-parenting by providing a single platform to manage all aspects of co-parenting responsibilities. While some apps may cost money, it's still a lot cheaper than going through a lawyer!” she said.
Using a dedicated app to keep track of all your co-parenting tasks requires cooperation from both parents. Each parent must agree on which app to use and make an effort to use it appropriately. This can be a challenge in itself, but if you are having problems with the other parent, you can get a court order to require you to use a co-parenting app.
To make co-parenting strong and easy, PS has compiled the best court-approved co-parenting apps.
Experts featured in this article
Vicki L. Shemin, JD, LICSW, ACSW, is a licensed family law attorney, mediator, and parenting coordinator.
The 7 best apps for co-parenting
Best Overall: OurFamilyWizard
price: $13-25/month
Despite its high price tag, OurFamilyWizard stands out as the best co-parenting app for families. Speaking of his experience, Shemin said, “Having been around for the past 20 years, OurFamilyWizard is probably the most recognized and popular co-parenting app out there.”
The app offers features like shared calendars, secure messaging, expense tracking and document storage, all aimed at reducing conflicts and improving collaboration, while powerful reporting capabilities provide an accurate record of interactions that can be useful in legal situations.
A standout feature of OurFamilyWizard is the Tone Meter, which helps parents communicate more effectively and reduce conflict. The Tone Meter works like an emotional spell checker, analyzing the tone of a message before it's sent and flagging potentially negative or emotional words.
Best Free Option: Cozi
price: free
Cozi is a free, all-in-one solution for keeping your family organized. Its user-friendly interface includes a shared calendar, to-do list, shopping list, and family diary, making it easy for parents to coordinate schedules, manage tasks, and keep everyone in sync.
While Cozi isn't specifically designed for co-parenting, its versatility and ability to sync across multiple devices make it a great tool for parents who want to stay organized and communicate effectively without spending money on paid apps.
Best for communication: TalkingParents
price: Free, upgrades range from $10 to $25 per month
TalkingParents provides a secure, reliable platform where all messages, calls and video chats are recorded and cannot be edited or deleted – creating a clear, immutable record of all interactions that can be critical in legal disputes and custody cases.
In-app calls do not reveal phone numbers to either party, which is especially useful if one parent does not want communication outside of the app, wants to maintain a level of privacy, or simply wants to set boundaries.
The app's user-friendly interface, along with features like shared calendars, file storage, and payment tracking, help parents stay organized and maintain clear, consistent communication. TalkingParents has a free version with limited functionality in messaging and calendar; to access full communication features like phone and video calling, you'll need to upgrade to the premium version.
Best for voice and video calling: AppClose
price: free
As a free option for secure communication, AppClose offers high-quality communication features that allow parents to stay in touch without sharing personal phone numbers. The app's built-in calling system records and stores all interactions, providing an immutable record of communication that can be referenced as needed.
The recording feature is particularly useful for maintaining privacy and mitigating disputes, as all calls are recorded within the app's secure environment. With an easy-to-use interface and a focus on privacy and accountability, the app also offers secure messaging, shared calendars, expense tracking and document storage, all within a private, encrypted environment.
Best for security: Fayr
price: $10/month
Fayr makes data protection a top priority through advanced security measures and encryption protocols. All interactions including messages, expenses and location tracking are securely stored and cannot be altered, ensuring a reliable and tamper-proof record that can be used in legal situations. The app takes privacy seriously, so all your personal information is protected from unauthorized access.
A key feature of Fayr is the ability to drop geo-pins at specific locations. For parents who need to meet for custody exchanges or other purposes, this provides indisputable evidence that one was there when they were supposed to, Shemin said. This feature is useful in situations where inaccurate claims are made about visitation.
Best for live support: coParenter
price: $9-$20/month
For conflict-prone parents, the CoParenter app provides on-demand access to professional mediators and parenting experts to help with conflict resolution and decision-making in real time. This unique feature sets it apart from other co-parenting apps, providing instant help from trained professionals to navigate difficult situations, reducing the need for costly legal intervention.
With CoParenter, parents can receive guidance on everything from custody arrangements to communication strategies to ensure they have the support they need to co-parent effectively and peacefully at all times. The app also offers guided parenting plans, secure messaging, expense tracking, location check-ins, and document storage designed to foster effective and peaceful co-parenting.
Best for time management: Custody X Change
price: $7-$31/month
Creating a parenting plan is one of the most important starting points for successful co-parenting. Custody X Change provides highly customizable tools that allow parents to create a detailed, court-ready plan tailored to their needs. The app offers a variety of templates and suggestions to help parents precisely outline custody schedules, holiday arrangements, and special provisions. Drag-and-drop calendar functionality makes it easy to create a schedule, and a built-in calculator helps you precisely divide up time.
The app can also generate professional-quality documents that meet legal standards, making it a valuable resource for parents who want to create a clear, enforceable parenting plan without the need for extensive legal help.