Custody Proof Get Started

The best AppClose alternatives in 2026

People usually look past AppClose for one of three reasons: the other parent will not join or pay for an account, they want a record the other parent cannot see, or they want a different shared app. AppClose’s own help center says a co-parent needs an active subscription to answer calls and see messages, so the first reason is common.

We make Custody Proof, so it is listed first. That is bias, and we would rather say so than pretend otherwise. Every entry below says what it does better than the others, including where AppClose itself is the right answer.

The options fall into two groups. Shared co-parenting apps, like AppClose, are for two parents communicating in one documented place. Private records, like Custody Proof or a paper journal, are for one parent writing down what happened. If you are switching because the shared model is not working, look at the second group.

#OptionBest forPrice
1Custody Proof (ours)a private record of your parenting time, incidents, evidence and expenses that the other parent never seesDocumentation $14.75/month or $144/year; Case Builder (adds the AI assistant) $29/month or $278/year. No free tier; 30-day money-back guarantee on your first charge
2OurFamilyWizarddocumented messaging, a shared calendar and shared expenses when both parents use the same app, especially when a court names itOne-year plans from $110 a year (entry plan) up to $299.88 a year (Max), with two-year terms also offered (per its pricing page). Each parent needs their own subscription
3TalkingParentsrecorded messages, calls, a shared calendar and payments between two parents who both joinEssentials $7/month or $77/year, Enhanced $16/month or $176/year, Ultimate $32/month or $352/year, per its help center, which says each account is for a single user
4Custody X Changebuilding a custody schedule and a written parenting plan, then tracking time against it, alone or with the other parentBronze $6/month billed as $72/year, or Gold $12/month billed as $144/year, on annual billing; monthly billing is also offered and costs more (per its pricing page)
52housesone shared family account where both parents, the kids, grandparents and a mediator can all see the same calendar, expenses and messagesOne subscription covers the whole family; viewed from the US, its pricing page lists $169.99 billed every 12 months, with a 14-day trial
6A bound paper journala free, low-tech record you will actually keep upA few dollars

This ranking is for a parent who wants a dependable record of parenting time and incidents, whether or not the other parent will use an app.

1. Custody Proofours

Best for
a private record of your parenting time, incidents, evidence and expenses that the other parent never sees
Price
Documentation $14.75/month or $144/year; Case Builder (adds the AI assistant) $29/month or $278/year. No free tier; 30-day money-back guarantee on your first charge
Who can see it
Only you. The other parent is never invited or notified

We make Custody Proof, so it is listed first. It is a documentation tool for one parent, not a way to talk to the other parent. You set up your schedule by typing it or uploading your custody order, log what actually happened each day, flag violations, keep screenshots and documents in an encrypted evidence vault, track expenses with receipts, and export PDF and CSV reports for your attorney.

Good

  • The other parent never has an account and never sees anything you record
  • Counts overnights the way custody is commonly discussed, with daytime visits in a separate column, and compares your schedule to what actually happened
  • Reads your custody order to set up the schedule, holidays and notice deadlines, and asks before it guesses anything

Not so good

  • No messaging with the other parent and no shared calendar, so it cannot replace a co-parenting app a court ordered you to use
  • No free tier. It runs in the browser on your phone or computer; a mobile app is coming soon
  • No professional or attorney login: you export and send your records yourself

2. OurFamilyWizard

Best for
documented messaging, a shared calendar and shared expenses when both parents use the same app, especially when a court names it
Price
One-year plans from $110 a year (entry plan) up to $299.88 a year (Max), with two-year terms also offered (per its pricing page). Each parent needs their own subscription
Who can see it
Both parents, plus children, family members and professionals you add

OurFamilyWizard describes itself as “the leading app for more peaceful co-parenting.” Both parents have linked accounts in a private family forum. Its site lists messages that cannot be edited or deleted, a shared parenting calendar with trade requests, an expense log with in-app payments through OFWpay, documented calls, a journal with GPS check-ins, and free accounts for children, third parties and professionals.

It is a communication platform first. Its homepage says it is accepted by courts in all 50 states, and its professional pages describe free accounts that let family law and mental health professionals see a client’s account directly.

Good

  • Documented two-parent messaging, schedule-change requests and expense requests in one place
  • Free professional access so a legal or mental health professional can view the account and download records
  • A fee waiver program and a military discount listed on its own site

Not so good

  • Each parent needs their own subscription, per its pricing FAQ (one parent can pay for both)
  • It is built around both parents joining: its pricing FAQ says it reaches out to your co-parent to activate their own linked account
  • Its help center says the parenting schedule cannot be exported to the .ics file

Custody Proof vs OurFamilyWizard · OurFamilyWizard website

3. TalkingParents

Best for
recorded messages, calls, a shared calendar and payments between two parents who both join
Price
Essentials $7/month or $77/year, Enhanced $16/month or $176/year, Ultimate $32/month or $352/year, per its help center, which says each account is for a single user
Who can see it
You and your co-parent, whose accounts must be matched. Its FAQs say it does not currently offer third-party access for legal professionals; you share PDF or printed records instead

TalkingParents describes itself as an all-in-one co-parenting app that records messages, calls, schedules and expenses between two matched parents. Messages cannot be edited or deleted, calls are recorded and transcribed, and its Unalterable Records turn that activity into PDF or printed records with a unique authentication code (PDF records also carry a digital signature), according to its site. It also has a private Personal Journal and a file vault.

Good

  • Messages and calls between both parents are kept on a record neither parent can edit, according to its FAQs
  • Recorded phone and video calls without sharing your phone number
  • Web and mobile apps on every plan, plus payments between parents without sharing bank details

Not so good

  • Its FAQs say you must match accounts with your co-parent to use the app
  • A paid subscription is required as of March 30, 2026, per its FAQs; on Essentials, its help center lists PDF records at $55 per 24-hour access
  • We did not find overnight counts, parenting-time percentages or a planned-versus-actual comparison described on its site

Custody Proof vs TalkingParents · TalkingParents website

4. Custody X Change

Best for
building a custody schedule and a written parenting plan, then tracking time against it, alone or with the other parent
Price
Bronze $6/month billed as $72/year, or Gold $12/month billed as $144/year, on annual billing; monthly billing is also offered and costs more (per its pricing page)
Who can see it
You, plus anyone you link: if the other parent subscribes you can share calendars, activities, child info and expenses, never your journal, plan or actual time; per its FAQ you can share all your data with your legal professionals, free

Custody X Change describes itself as a tool for creating and managing custody schedules and parenting plans. Its calendar starts from schedule templates, its Gold plan adds a parenting plan builder with over 140 provisions in court wording, expense tracking, parenting-time calculations and a private journal, and its FAQ says every feature works without the other parent except messaging.

Good

  • Parenting plan builder with 140+ provisions that exports to Word or PDF, per its plan page
  • Schedule templates, unlimited draft calendars and parenting-time calculations by hour or by overnight
  • Free account linking for your lawyer, and a pro version for attorneys, mediators and judges

Not so good

  • The journal, expenses and time calculations are on the higher Gold plan; Bronze covers the custody and activity calendars, child info, messaging and printouts, per its pricing page
  • Its FAQ says a refund deletes your account and all of your data
  • Messaging works only if the other parent also subscribes and links with you

Custody Proof vs Custody X Change · Custody X Change website

5. 2houses

Best for
one shared family account where both parents, the kids, grandparents and a mediator can all see the same calendar, expenses and messages
Price
One subscription covers the whole family; viewed from the US, its pricing page lists $169.99 billed every 12 months, with a 14-day trial
Who can see it
Everyone the parents invite: both parents with equal rights, children, family members, and a mediator with read-only access

2houses describes itself as a co-parenting facilitator that helps separated parents communicate and get organised. Its features page lists a shared custody calendar with a schedule wizard and change requests, a finance section with a running balance, messaging that cannot be deleted, an information bank for medical details and contacts, photo albums and a family journal. According to its pricing page, one parent pays and everyone else in the family joins on that subscription.

Good

  • One subscription for the whole family, including children, other family members and a mediator (per its pricing page and FAQ)
  • Web app plus iOS and Android apps, with the site offered in six languages
  • Messages can be archived or printed but not deleted, according to its features page

Not so good

  • Built to be shared: the calendar, finances, messages and journal are spaces for the family members you invite (parents can set what rights each one has, per its features page)
  • Its site does not describe counting overnights or comparing the schedule to what actually happened
  • You enter a card to start the 14-day trial, and it renews automatically unless you cancel (per its FAQ and pricing page)

Custody Proof vs 2houses · 2houses website

6. A bound paper journal

Best for
a free, low-tech record you will actually keep up
Price
A few dollars
Who can see it
Whoever has the notebook

A bound notebook filled in the same day beats any app you open once a month. Write the date, the exchange time, what happened, one factual sentence, and never rewrite a page.

Good

  • Costs almost nothing and needs no account
  • Nobody else can see it unless you show them

Not so good

  • No totals, no attachments, no backup
  • Someone has to type it up when your attorney asks

When AppClose is enough

Stay with AppClose if:

  • A court order or parenting plan names AppClose
  • Both parents actually use it, and the messages, call logs and ipayou® payments are doing their job
  • A professional follows your case through AppClose Pro, or you rely on its Certified Electronic Business Records
  • A fee waiver makes it free for you

How to switch from AppClose

  1. Export your AppClose records first. Its homepage says you can export messages, call logs, expenses, requests and check-ins any time, including after a subscription ends, and its refund policy says an expired account goes read-only. Export before you change anything, and keep the files somewhere safe.
  2. Keep using AppClose for anything a court ordered. If the order names it, stay on it for communication. A new tool should sit beside a court-ordered platform, not replace it.
  3. Bring in your history. Custody Proof can import your own past records from a calendar export (.ics), and has copy-paste conversion prompts for other formats such as a PDF or spreadsheet. AppClose’s help center describes syncing its calendar with your phone’s calendar; we did not find a documented .ics export on its site, so check its help center for current options.
  4. Set up your schedule once. Type it in plain words or upload your custody order, then confirm which parent you are, the start date and which week is week one. Nothing saves until you confirm.
  5. Log the same day, every day. One tap for a normal overnight, a violation flag and one factual sentence when something goes wrong, and receipts and screenshots in the vault. When your attorney asks, export the report.

Questions people ask

Why do people look for AppClose alternatives?

Usually because the other parent will not join or pay for their own account, because they want a record the other parent cannot see, or because they prefer a different shared app. AppClose’s help center says a subscription covers only your own account.

Is there a free alternative to AppClose?

A bound paper journal costs a few dollars and needs no account. AppClose itself offers a 60-day free trial and fee waivers for parents in financial hardship and domestic violence survivors, per its site. Custody Proof has no free tier.

Should I stop using AppClose if a court ordered it?

No. If an order names AppClose, keep using it for communication with the other parent. Talk to your attorney before changing anything an order requires. You can keep a private record in another tool alongside it.

Can I move my AppClose history into Custody Proof?

Custody Proof can import your own records from a calendar export (.ics) and has copy-paste prompts for other formats. Export your AppClose records first; its site says exports stay available after a subscription ends. We did not find a documented .ics export on AppClose’s site, so check its help center.

What is the main difference between AppClose and a private record?

AppClose is a shared space where both parents message, call and send requests. A private record like Custody Proof is only yours: the other parent never has an account or sees anything you write.

Try Custody Proof

A private record for one parent. The other parent is never invited and never notified. Documentation is $14.75/month or $144/year. If it isn't right for you, refund yourself from Settings within 30 days of your first charge.

Start your record

How we checked: every competitor detail on this page comes from that company’s own website, checked in October 2026. Nobody paid to be on this list. Check each site before you decide; products and prices change. Sources:

All trademarks belong to their owners and are used here only to identify the products being compared. Custody Proof is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any company named on this page.

Other comparisons

Custody Proof is a documentation tool, not a law firm. Nothing on this page is legal advice. Whether and how a record is used in a case is a question for your attorney.