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The best 2houses alternatives in 2026

2houses is a shared space: its pricing page says one subscription gives access to both parents, the children, family members and a mediator. That is exactly what some families want, and exactly what some parents need to get away from. People usually look elsewhere because they want something private, something with more of a paper trail around parenting time, or a platform a court or attorney named.

We make Custody Proof, so it is listed first. We have tried to be fair about everything else on the list: each entry says what it does better than 2houses and what it does worse, and every detail about another company comes from that company's own website.

Nothing here is legal advice. If a court order names a specific app, use that app. For the bigger picture of how these kinds of tools differ, see our comparison of private records and co-parenting apps.

#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
4AppCloseco-parents who will both use one app for messages, calls, schedule requests and reimbursements$7.99/month on the web or $8.99/month in the app, cheaper prepaid web plans, and a 60-day free trial (per its pricing page)
5Custody 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)
6A bound paper journala free, low-tech record you will actually keep upA few dollars

This ranking is for a parent who has used or considered 2houses and wants either a private record the other parent cannot see, or a different shared app with features 2houses does not list.

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. AppClose

Best for
co-parents who will both use one app for messages, calls, schedule requests and reimbursements
Price
$7.99/month on the web or $8.99/month in the app, cheaper prepaid web plans, and a 60-day free trial (per its pricing page)
Who can see it
You and the people in your circle you choose to share with, including a co-parent and professionals you invite

AppClose describes itself as a court-ordered co-parenting app. Its site lists one all-inclusive plan with secure messaging that no user can edit or delete, audio and video calling (recorded and transcribed only when both people consent), a shared parenting calendar with templates, expense tracking, reimbursement requests and in-app payments through ipayou® in the United States. A free AppClose Pro web platform lets attorneys and other family law professionals connect with clients.

Good

  • One plan with every feature, no tiers, and a 60-day free trial with no credit card, per its pricing page
  • Messages, calls, requests and payments live in one record that its site says users cannot alter
  • iPhone and Android apps (App Store and Google Play) plus a web version, and a free professional platform

Not so good

  • A subscription covers only your own account; its help center says a co-parent needs their own active subscription to answer calls and see messages
  • Built around two parents sharing, so it is more than you need if you only want a private log

Custody Proof vs AppClose · AppClose website

5. 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

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 2houses is enough

Stay with 2houses if:

  • You and the other parent use the shared calendar and change requests without a fight
  • Grandparents, step-parents, the kids or a mediator are on the account and find it helpful
  • One subscription for the whole family is the arrangement you both agreed to, or you need it in another language
  • A court order or parenting plan names 2houses

How to switch from 2houses

  1. Before you change anything, save what you have. According to its features page, 2houses lets you print or archive messages and export expense reports as CSV or PDF, so download the expense reports for the period you care about and print or save the message history.
  2. Its features page also says the 2houses calendar syncs with iCal, Google Calendar and Outlook. If you can get your schedule into your own calendar that way, export it from there as an .ics file. Custody Proof can import your own history from a calendar (.ics) export, and only your own records.
  3. In Custody Proof, set up your schedule by typing it in plain words or uploading your custody order. Confirm which parent you are, the start date and which week is week 1 before you save, then let it fill the calendar forward (and back to the order's start date if you choose).
  4. Log each day from now on, flag anything that did not follow the schedule with a one-line note, and add screenshots, receipts and documents to the evidence vault as they happen.
  5. If a court ordered you to use 2houses, or the two of you rely on it for messages, keep using it for that. Cancel only what you no longer need; its pricing page says the subscription renews automatically unless you cancel before the renewal date.

Questions people ask

What is the best alternative to 2houses?

It depends on why you are leaving. If you want a private record that the other parent never sees, a documentation tool like Custody Proof or a paper journal fits. If you want a different shared co-parenting app, compare the other shared apps on this page on price, who has to pay and which professionals can log in.

Is there a 2houses alternative the other parent cannot see?

Yes. Custody Proof is used by one parent only. The other parent is never invited or notified and cannot see anything you record. A bound paper journal or a spreadsheet you keep to yourself are free private options.

Can I move my 2houses history into Custody Proof?

Partly. Custody Proof imports your own history from a calendar (.ics) export. The 2houses features page says its calendar syncs with iCal, Google Calendar and Outlook, so you may be able to get your schedule out that way and export it as an .ics file. Messages and the family journal stay in 2houses; save or print what you need before you cancel.

Should I stop using 2houses if a court ordered it?

No. If a court order or parenting plan names 2houses, keep using it for what the order covers. You can keep a private record in Custody Proof alongside it. This is not legal advice; ask your attorney if you are unsure what your order requires.

Does 2houses have a free version?

Its site describes a 14-day trial, not a free plan. Its FAQ says you enter your card to start the trial, and its pricing page says you are charged automatically unless you cancel before the trial ends. Custody Proof has no free tier either; it offers a money-back guarantee on your first charge.

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.