The Best Free Chore Apps for Families (2026)
The NestBoard team · 2026-07-15
Quick disclosure up front: we make NestBoard, one of the apps in this guide, and NestBoard is not free (there is a free trial, not a free tier). We are including it honestly and pointing you at the genuinely free options first, because a "best free chore app" guide that only pushes a paid app is not worth reading.
What "free" actually means for a chore app
"Free" hides three very different things, and the difference matters:
- Free tier: free to use for as long as you like, usually with limits or ads. (OurHome, S'moresUp's free tier.)
- Free trial: free for a couple of weeks, then paid. (NestBoard and most modern apps.)
- Free and DIY: a spreadsheet or a printable chart. Genuinely free, but you do the upkeep.
If "free forever, no catch" is a hard requirement, start with the free-tier picks below. If you mostly want to try something good without paying up front, a free trial gets you further.
The best genuinely free chore apps for families
1. OurHome, the best free chore app overall
OurHome is the closest thing to a real, free chore system: assign chores, earn points, and spend them in a rewards store you stock as the parent, plus a shared calendar and grocery list. Kids get their own profile with no email required, so they can check things off from a shared tablet. It is free with no ads.
The catch: development has been quiet for years. It works, but nobody is actively improving it.
2. S'moresUp, a free tier with chores and rewards
S'moresUp offers chores, a points-and-rewards system, and family scheduling on a free tier, with paid upgrades for more. It leans busier and more feature-heavy than OurHome.
The catch: the interface can feel cluttered, and the best parts nudge you toward the paid plan.
3. Cozi, free but not really a chore app
Cozi's free tier is popular, but it is a shared calendar with to-do and shopping lists, not a chore system. There are no assignable chores, points, rotation, or allowance, so kids have little reason to open it.
The catch: if your actual goal is getting kids to do chores, Cozi does not do that job.
4. A printable chart or a spreadsheet, the truly-free DIY
A wall chart with stickers, or a shared Google Sheet, costs nothing and works for a while. The tradeoff is upkeep: a parent has to update it, and it quietly dies in week two once the novelty fades.
The catch: no automation, no reminders, no reward loop. It runs entirely on your discipline.
Where NestBoard fits, and the honest catch
NestBoard is not free, and we will not pretend otherwise. It is $4.99 a month for the whole household, with a 14-day free trial and no card to start. What the paid price buys over the free options above:
- Chore rotation so the same kid does not always get the worst job, with a quick skip-my-turn for the days real life gets in the way.
- Points that convert to real allowance automatically, not just a rewards store.
- Kid profiles with no email or account, checked off from the kitchen tablet, the same as OurHome.
- Everything in one place: chores sit next to the shared calendar, meals, lists, and medication reminders, so you are not running four separate apps.
- No ads, ever, because the subscription is the business model instead of advertising.
If "free forever" is non-negotiable, OurHome is the honest pick, and we would rather tell you that than lose your trust. NestBoard earns its price when chores are only part of a busier household you want to run in one place. The free trial lets you find out before paying anything.
Free chore apps compared
| App | Truly free? | Kids without email | Points to allowance | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OurHome | Yes, no ads | Yes | Points only | Development is quiet |
| S'moresUp | Free tier | Yes | Points and rewards | Cluttered; upsells |
| Cozi | Free with ads | No | No | Not a chore system |
| Printable / spreadsheet | Yes | N/A | No | You do all the upkeep |
| NestBoard | Free 14-day trial | Yes | Yes (auto allowance) | Paid after the trial ($4.99/mo) |
How to choose in one minute
- Free forever, real chores: OurHome.
- Free forever, feature-heavy: S'moresUp.
- Just a calendar and lists, not chores: Cozi.
- Zero apps, pure DIY: a printable chart or a spreadsheet.
- The whole household in one place, free to try: NestBoard.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free chore app for families? OurHome is the best genuinely free chore app: assignable chores, points, a parent-stocked rewards store, and no ads, with kid profiles that need no email. S'moresUp is a solid free-tier alternative. If you only need a calendar and lists rather than chores, Cozi's free tier works.
Are there any truly free chore apps, not just free trials? Yes. OurHome is free with no ads, and S'moresUp has a real free tier. Many other family organizer apps (NestBoard included) are free to try for a couple of weeks and then paid, so check whether an app means free tier or free trial before you commit.
Is there a free chore app kids can use without a phone or email? Yes. OurHome and NestBoard both let a child have a profile with no email account, so they check chores off from a shared family tablet instead of needing their own device. OurHome is free; NestBoard is free to try.
Do free chore apps have ads? Some do. Cozi's free tier shows ads. OurHome is free without ads. Paid apps like NestBoard are ad-free because the subscription funds them instead of advertising.
Is NestBoard free? No. NestBoard is $4.99 a month for the whole household, with a 14-day free trial and no credit card to start. For a permanently free option, OurHome is the honest choice; NestBoard is worth its price when you want chores, calendar, meals, and reminders in one ad-free app.
Written by the NestBoard team. We make one of the apps above and have tried to treat the free options fairly. Corrections: hello@mynestboard.com.