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What’s the best family organizer app? 10 options compared

Mapa, Cozi, Skylight, Sense, Fambot and 5 more, compared on price, platforms and how school stuff gets in. Prices checked Sep 23, 2026.

By the Mapa team · Updated

Short answer

For most families with school-age kids, Mapa is the best pick. Forward the school emails and snap the forms, and Mapa puts the dates on your calendar, makes the to-do list with a name on every job and reminds you both. If you mainly want a free calendar and grocery list, Cozi or Google Calendar works; for a kitchen wall screen, Skylight.

The 10 apps at a glance

US prices, checked Sep 23, 2026.
AppBest forHow things get inPlatformsPrice
MapaKids’ paperwork shared by two adultsForwarded emails; photos, PDFs and voice notes in chatWeb app for your phone’s home screen7 days free, then from $6.67 a month
Google Calendar + KeepA free shared calendar and listsYou type it inWeb, iPhone, AndroidFree
CoziA shared calendar plus the grocery listYou type it in; Max adds automatic email importiPhone, Android, webFree with ads; Gold $39/year; Max $79.99/year
TimeTreeA calendar for each groupYou type it iniPhone, Android, webFree with ads; Premium $4.49/month or $44.99/year
FamilyWallCalendar, chat, photos and locationYou type it iniPhone, Android, webFree; Premium $7.99/month or $44.99/year
SkylightA wall or counter screenType or sync; Calendar Plus reads forwarded emailsTouchscreen, plus iPhone, Android and webScreen from $169.99; Calendar Plus $79/year
HearthKids’ routines on the wallSync calendars; text photos to Hearth HelperTouchscreen, plus iPhone and AndroidDisplay $699; membership $9/month or $86.40/year
SenseOne family assistant for school email, chores and mealsForwarded emails, photos, screenshots, WhatsApp, voiceiPhone, Android, webFree plan; Premium $6.99/month or $59.99/year
FambotNothing to forwardConnects to your Gmail and reads itiPhone, Android, textFree while in beta
OhaiTexting an assistantTexts, voice, forwarded emails, photosiPhone, Android, textFree version; Premium from $9.99/month

Our picks, with Mapa first

Mapa comes first because it’s the one built for the kids’ paperwork. The rest are grouped by the job they do best: shared calendars, then wall screens, then apps that read school emails.

Mapa

Our pickBest for families with school-age kids

7 days free, then from $6.67 a month

Good at

  • Forward school emails to your family’s private address; suggestions wait for your OK.
  • Snap a form or send a voice note, and it’s saved, with undo.
  • Every to-do gets one adult’s name, and the adults involved are reminded before it’s due.
  • Vaccine records stay with the original photo.

Watch for

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

Our pick. The best choice when school emails and forms are the pile, and you both want to know who’s got each job.

Google Calendar with shared Keep lists

Best for a free shared calendar and lists, if you already use Google

Free

Good at

  • A Google family group comes with a shared “Family” calendar.
  • Shared Keep lists let you both add to the grocery list.

Watch for

  • You type in every date; nothing reads the school email.

The free baseline, if the paperwork is light and you both like typing things in.

Cozi

Best for a shared calendar plus the grocery list

Free with ads. Gold $39/year. Max $79.99/year.

Good at

  • A color-coded calendar, shopping lists, to-dos and recipes, free.
  • One upgrade covers everyone.

Watch for

  • Ads on the free version; month view on mobile needs Gold.
  • The family shares one account and password.

A low-cost pick for the calendar and the grocery list.

TimeTree

Best for separate shared calendars for family, school and teams

Free with ads. Premium $4.49/month or $44.99/year.

Good at

  • As many shared calendars as you need, one per group.
  • Chat inside an event about the time and place.

Watch for

  • Ads unless you pay for Premium.
  • School dates get typed in by hand.

Best when your week runs on several groups that each need a calendar.

FamilyWall

Best for one app for the calendar, messages, photos and location

Free. Premium $7.99/month or $44.99/year, 30 days free.

Good at

  • Calendar, lists, recipes, family messaging and photos, free.
  • Premium adds meal planning, a budget, documents and arrival alerts.

Watch for

  • Google and Outlook sync needs Premium.
  • School dates get typed in by hand.

A good fit if you want family chat and the kids’ locations next to the calendar.

Skylight

Best for a wall screen the whole family can see

Screen from $169.99 (10-inch). Calendar Plus $79/year. Skylight Assistant $14.99/month or $119.99/year.

Good at

  • A touchscreen with chore charts kids can tap.
  • With Calendar Plus, forward school emails and flyer photos to your calendar’s address.
  • Skylight Assistant texts a nightly rundown to every adult you add.

Watch for

  • The screen is the big cost, before any plan.
  • Rewards, meal planning and email import need Calendar Plus.

The pick for a wall screen.

Hearth

Best for young kids who follow a picture routine on the wall

Display $699. Required Family Membership $9/month or $86.40/year.

Good at

  • Visual routines and rewards built for kids.
  • Text Hearth Helper a photo of the lunch menu, and it adds the events for your approval.

Watch for

  • The priciest setup here: a screen plus a membership you can’t skip.
  • Built for routines more than school paperwork.

Best for little kids who need to see their morning on the wall.

Sense

Best for one family assistant for school email, chores and meals

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

Good at

  • Forward a school email, snap a flyer, share a WhatsApp message or say it out loud.
  • Chores, routines, meals and a tablet wall mode, for unlimited family members.
  • Says it reads only what you share or forward.

Watch for

  • Connected calendars, chores and meal planning are Premium.

The broadest family organizing assistant on this list.

Fambot

Best for nothing to forward: it reads your Gmail for you

Free while in beta. A paid tier is planned.

Good at

  • Connect Gmail once; nothing to forward.
  • An evening text with tomorrow’s plan and what to bring.
  • Your co-parent can join the same digest.

Watch for

  • It reads the mail arriving in your inbox to find what’s family-related.
  • Gmail and Google Calendar only, per its FAQ.

Best if the least setup matters most and an inbox connection is fine with you.

Ohai

Best for a parent who would rather text than tap

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

Good at

  • Text or talk to it, forward emails, or send photos and PDFs.
  • Syncs Google, Apple and Outlook calendars; sends grocery lists to Instacart.

Watch for

  • Human assistants may step in on hard documents, so a person may see them.

Good for a household assistant that covers more than school.

How we chose

We compared each app on what it’s best at, how things get in, where it runs and what it costs. Prices and features come from each maker’s own website, help center or App Store listing, checked on Sep 23, 2026. Prices change, so check before you pay.

Mapa makes this list, and we put Mapa first. We think it’s the best choice when the hard part is the kids’ paperwork and two adults share it. Every card, Mapa’s included, says where the app falls short.

Maple isn’t listed: it closes on Dec 31, 2026, and accounts become inaccessible after that. If you use it, export your data first.

Which one fits your family

  • If your week runs on school emails, forms and pickups, and two adults share it, pick Mapa.
  • If you want a wall screen, pick Skylight.
  • If your kids are little and need a picture routine, pick Hearth.
  • If you want free and use Gmail, try Google Calendar with a shared Keep list.
  • If you want the calendar and the grocery list for little money, pick Cozi.
  • If you juggle calendars for school, sports and friends, pick TimeTree.
  • If you want family chat and location next to the calendar, pick FamilyWall.
  • If you want one family assistant for school email, chores and meals, pick Sense.
  • If you want nothing to forward and an inbox connection is fine, pick Fambot.
  • If you’d rather text than open an app, pick Ohai.

Questions parents ask

What’s the best free family organizer app?

Google Calendar with a shared family calendar and shared Keep lists costs nothing. Cozi’s free version adds shopping lists, to-dos and recipes, with ads.

Is Cozi still free?

Yes, with ads. Cozi Gold removes them for $39 a year, and Cozi Max adds automatic help, like turning emails into events, for $79.99 a year.

Do I need a wall screen like Skylight or Hearth?

No. A screen helps kids without phones see the day, but it costs $169.99 to $699 up front. A phone app does the same job for the adults.

What should I use now that Maple is closing?

Maple closes on Dec 31, 2026, so export your data first. For a shared calendar and lists, look at Cozi or TimeTree; for help with school emails, look at Sense, Fambot or Mapa.

Which family organizer apps read school emails?

Sense, Ohai, Skylight with Calendar Plus, and Mapa read the emails you forward. Fambot reads your Gmail for you.

Sources