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What’s the best family assistant?

Mapa, Sense, Fambot, Ohai, Skylight Assistant and ChatGPT compared on how things get in, who sees your data and whether both parents get reminders.

By the Mapa team · Updated

Short answer

For families with kids, Mapa is the best family assistant. It only sees what you forward or send, it puts one adult’s name on every job, and it reminds the adults involved before anything is due. Sense takes the most kinds of input, and Fambot needs the least setup because it reads your Gmail. ChatGPT or Gemini alone can read a school email, but can’t keep one plan for two parents.

The 6 assistants at a glance

US prices from each maker’s site, help center or App Store listing, checked Sep 23, 2026.
AssistantBest forHow things get inPlatformsPrice
MapaKids’ paperwork with a name on every jobForwarded emails; photos, PDFs, voice notes and text in chatWeb app for your phone’s home screen7 days free, then from $6.67 a month
SenseThe most ways to add thingsForwarded emails, photos, screenshots, PDFs, WhatsApp, voiceiPhone, Android, webFree plan; Premium $6.99/month or $59.99/year
FambotThe least setupConnects to your Gmail and reads itiPhone, Android, textFree while in beta
OhaiTexting an assistant, with people behind itTexts, voice, forwarded emails, photos, PDFsiPhone, Android, textFree version; Premium from $9.99/month
Skylight AssistantA nightly text for every adultTexts, plus synced Google, iCloud or Outlook calendarsAny phone that can text (US only)$14.99/month or $119.99/year
ChatGPT or Gemini aloneA one-off look at a long emailPaste or upload; both can connect to GmailWeb and phone appsFree plans; ChatGPT Plus $20/month

Who sees it, and who gets the reminder

What each maker says about access to your data and reminders for a second adult.
AssistantWho can see your family’s dataDo both parents get reminders?
MapaOnly the adults you invite; no inbox connection; kids don’t get accountsYes: the adults involved get a reminder before it’s due, by email or phone notification
SenseYour family members; Sense says it reads only what you share or forwardYes: everyone who joins your family shares the events and reminders
FambotIt reads mail arriving in your inbox; family emails go to OpenAI, Anthropic and Google, deleted within 30 daysYes, if you invite your co-parent to the same digest
OhaiYour household circle; human assistants may review hard documentsYes: each adult in a shared circle gets reminders, and 2 adults need Duo
Skylight AssistantThe adults you add; it says it doesn’t read your emails or textsYes: every adult you add gets the nightly rundown
ChatGPT or Gemini aloneYour own account; connecting Gmail lets it search your mailNo: reminders go to you, and a shared ChatGPT task gives the other person a separate copy

Our picks, with Mapa first

Mapa first, then the others in the same order as the tables. Each card, Mapa’s included, says where the assistant falls short.

Mapa

Our pickBest for school paperwork and health records, with a name on every job

7 days free, then from $6.67 a month

Good at

  • Only sees what you forward or send; there’s no inbox connection.
  • Every to-do has one adult on it, and the adults involved are reminded before it’s due, by email or phone notification.
  • Ask “When was Leo’s last tetanus shot?” and get the answer with a link to the original record.

Watch for

  • Early access, with no native iPhone or Android app yet.
  • Attachments in forwarded emails aren’t read; snap or upload them in the chat.
  • No grocery lists or chores.

Our pick: the paperwork gets done, and both adults know who’s got it.

Sense

Best for the most ways to add things

Free plan, 10 assistant actions a month. Premium $6.99/month or $59.99/year.

Good at

  • Forward emails, snap flyers, share WhatsApp messages, paste links or talk to it.
  • Answers questions like “when is picture day?” from your family’s schedule.
  • Unlimited family members on one plan.

Watch for

  • The free plan stops at 10 assistant actions a month.

The broadest family assistant here.

Fambot

Best for the least setup: it reads your Gmail for you

Free while in beta. A paid tier is planned.

Good at

  • Connect Gmail once; there’s nothing to forward.
  • An evening digest by text or email, and you can text back with questions.
  • Invite your co-parent to the same digest, and connect both inboxes.

Watch for

  • It reads the mail arriving in your inbox to find family mail.
  • Family emails and attachments go to OpenAI, Anthropic and Google, which must delete them within 30 days.

Pick it if zero effort matters more than keeping your inbox to yourself.

Ohai

Best for texting an assistant, with people behind it

Free version. Premium from $9.99/month; Duo $19.99/month.

Good at

  • Text, talk, forward an email or send a photo.
  • Human assistants step in on hard documents, and Premium users can book a walkthrough.
  • Meal plans and grocery lists that can go to Instacart.

Watch for

  • A person may see what you send when they step in.
  • 2 adults need the Duo plan, $19.99/month.

Good if you want a household assistant for more than school, with a human in the loop.

Skylight Assistant

Best for a nightly text rundown for every adult

$14.99/month or $119.99/year, Calendar Plus included. 7 days free, card required.

Good at

  • Works by text, and you don’t need a Skylight screen.
  • Add other adults by phone number, and they all get the nightly rundown.
  • Says it only uses what you connect or send, not your emails or texts.

Watch for

  • US and English only for now; a card is needed for the trial.
  • Everyone in the group sees the same events in the rundown.

The pick if both adults would rather get one text each evening than open an app.

ChatGPT or Gemini, on their own

Best for a free, one-off look at a long school email

Free plans. ChatGPT Plus is $20/month; check Google’s site for Gemini’s paid plans.

Good at

  • Paste a 6-page newsletter and get the dates back.
  • Gemini can add events to your Google Calendar once you connect Google Workspace.
  • ChatGPT can send you a scheduled reminder by push or email.

Watch for

  • No shared plan: ChatGPT is retiring group chats, and a shared task gives the other person a separate copy.
  • Reminders go to you, not your partner.
  • It can get dates wrong or pull from an older email, so check the source.

Fine for a one-off. It can’t keep one plan for two parents or remind you both.

How we chose

We compared each assistant on 3 questions: how things get in, who can see your family’s data, and whether both parents get reminded. We also looked at where it runs and what it costs. Facts come from each maker’s own website, help center or App Store listing, checked on Sep 23, 2026.

Mapa makes this list, and we put Mapa first. Those 3 questions are the ones Mapa was built around, so weigh them against your own. If the most kinds of input matter more, Sense comes out ahead; if the least setup does, Fambot does.

Which one fits your family

  • If the pile is school forms and health records, and you want a name on every job, pick Mapa.
  • If you want to forward, snap, share WhatsApp messages and talk to one app, pick Sense.
  • If you want nothing to forward, and an inbox connection is fine, pick Fambot.
  • If you want to text a household assistant with people behind it, pick Ohai.
  • If you want both adults to get one text each evening, pick Skylight Assistant.
  • If you need a one-off answer about a long email, paste it into ChatGPT or Gemini.

Questions parents ask

Can ChatGPT be a family assistant?

It can read a school email, pull out the dates and remind you on a schedule. It can’t keep one shared plan for two parents: a shared task gives the other person a separate copy, and group chats are being retired.

Which family assistant doesn’t read my inbox?

Sense, Ohai, Skylight Assistant and Mapa work from what you forward, send or connect, with no full inbox connection. Fambot connects to your Gmail and reads incoming mail to find what’s family-related.

Do both parents get reminders?

In Sense, everyone who joins your family shares the events and reminders. Skylight Assistant texts every adult you add, Fambot and Ohai let a co-parent join, and Mapa reminds the adults involved in each job.

Is a text-based assistant better than an app?

It’s easier to start, since there’s nothing to open. It’s harder to see a whole month by text, so Skylight Assistant and Ohai pair their texts with an app or a calendar.

Are family assistants safe for kids’ information?

Check who at the company can see what you send, which assistant providers it goes to, and how you delete it. Ohai’s human assistants can review documents, and Fambot sends family emails to OpenAI, Anthropic and Google.

Sources