AppClose announced in late 2025 that it would be ending its free tier effective January 1, 2026. For co-parents who relied on the free plan — a significant portion of their user base — this created an immediate problem: pay up, migrate to another app, or go back to spreadsheets and text messages.
What changed
- —The free tier that allowed unlimited expense tracking, messaging, and calendar access is gone.
- —AppClose now charges per user — meaning both parents pay separately, not per pair.
- —The most affordable paid option starts at approximately $10.99/user/month.
- —Existing free accounts were converted to read-only access with a prompt to upgrade.
Why it matters beyond the price
The per-user pricing model creates what co-parenting professionals call the 'adoption standoff.' If one parent doesn't want to pay — or can't afford to — the system doesn't work for either of you. Apps that charge per pair eliminate this problem: one parent pays, both get access, and neither has leverage to withhold cooperation over cost.
Your options right now
- —Stay on AppClose paid: if you're already embedded in their ecosystem and find the per-user price acceptable, this is the path of least friction.
- —OurFamilyWizard: the established standard in family court documentation. Per-user pricing, court-recognised, but more expensive and less modern.
- —TalkingParents: strong call-logging and communication features, affordable, but limited on the financial/payment side.
- —FairSplit: per-pair pricing ($9.99/month covers both parents), Stripe ACH payments, expense escrow, and a free-forever plan with no credit card required. Designed specifically for the financial side of co-parenting.
- —2houses: European-origin app with solid calendar and expense features. No payment processing.
What to look for when switching
Before migrating, export your data from AppClose — you should be able to download a CSV of your expense history. Confirm your new app can import it or at least that you have an offline backup. If you're in an active legal matter, check with your attorney before switching documentation systems.
The bigger picture
AppClose's pricing change is part of a broader trend of co-parenting apps moving away from free tiers as the category matures. The era of fully-free co-parenting apps that are also genuinely useful is ending. The real question is which pricing model works better for your situation: per-person (each parent pays separately) or per-pair (one price covers both). The answer depends almost entirely on how cooperative your co-parenting relationship is.