Best Free Chore Apps for Families (2026)

“Free” in the App Store rarely means free. Plenty of chore apps marketed as free are a short trial wrapped around a subscription. Here are six you can run a chore system with for free or start for free, with exactly what each one charges for — plus a note on the ones that aren’t free at all.

Full disclosure: we make taskr, the first app on this list. taskr is free to try on the App Store. taskr Pro is an optional subscription at $9.99 a month or $49.99 a year, and the first two weeks are free. We’ve flagged what “free” means for every app here, ours included, so a paywall doesn’t surprise you later.

What “free” means here

There are three kinds of “free” in this category:

• Free, full stop. Nothing to pay for and no upgrade to sell you. (Apple Reminders, Google Tasks, a paper chart.)
• Free to start, with a paid upgrade. Free to download and try, with an optional subscription or paid extras on top. (taskr, Cozi, Habitica, S’moresUp.)
• “Free” in name only. Free to download, then a paid subscription to do anything — usually because there’s a debit card attached. (Greenlight, BusyKid, GoHenry.)

The free chore apps at a glance

1. taskr — Best free-to-try chore app for iPhone

Free? Free to try; Pro is $9.99/mo or $49.99/yr, first two weeks free · Platform: iOS · Reward: screen time

taskr ties chores to the reward kids fight hardest over: their phone. Set a chore and a due time, your kid submits a photo as proof, you approve. Apps stay open until the deadline; miss it and the apps you chose lock automatically through Apple Screen Time until you approve the photo. The consequence happens on its own, with no debit card involved.

Best if: you’re on iPhone and screen time is the leverage that works in your house. We walk through the setup in how to block iPhone apps until chores are done.

What happened to OurHome?

Older versions of this list put OurHome, the free chores-points-and-calendar app, near the top. We’ve taken it off. As of September 2026 the original OurHome isn’t in the US App Store, and the only listing with that name is an unrelated newer app, “OurHome by Elusios,” from a different developer. If your family relied on it, our guide to OurHome alternatives covers what happened and where to move.

2. Cozi — Best free family calendar with chores

Free? Free tier (paid Gold) · Platform: iOS, Android, web · Reward: a shared calendar

Cozi’s free version gives you a shared color-coded calendar, lists, and basic chore to-dos — plenty if your family already runs on a single calendar. Folding chores into the place everyone already checks beats opening a separate app no one remembers to open.

Best if: you’re already a Cozi family. The free tier is enough for chores; Gold ($39/year as of August 2026) is optional.

3. Habitica — Best free gamified tracker

Free? Free tier (paid extras) · Platform: iOS, Android, web · Reward: an RPG character

Habitica’s free version turns tasks into a role-playing game — finish chores and your character earns XP and gold; skip them and it takes damage. It isn’t kid-specific, but for a gamer teen who’d ignore a plain chore chart, the free RPG layer can be the hook that lands.

Best if: you have an older, self-motivated kid who responds to games more than charts.

4. S’moresUp — Best free chore charts

Free? Free tier ($7.99/mo premium) · Platform: iOS, Android · Reward: points → SmoreShop

S’moresUp’s free tier handles detailed chore charts, rotating chores, and a points store. It’s the most feature-rich free chore charter — useful for bigger families juggling multiple kids and rotating responsibilities.

Best if: you want a granular chore chart for free and don’t mind that photo verification and the richer features push you toward the paid plan.

5. Apple Reminders / Google Tasks — Best truly-free DIY

Free? Yes, already on the phone · Platform: iOS, Android · Reward: none

Don’t overlook what’s already installed. A shared Apple Reminders list (or Google Tasks) with recurring, assigned, time-based chores costs nothing and syncs across the family. There’s no reward engine and no enforcement — but for older, reliable kids who just need a list, it’s enough.

Best if: your kid does the chores anyway and just needs reminders, not motivation.

6. A shared note or printable chart — The zero-app fallback

Free? Yes · Platform: any · Reward: whatever you decide

A whiteboard or a printed weekly chart on the fridge still works, and for young kids the physical checkmark can beat any app. The limitation is the same as every paper system: you’re the one who has to notice, remind, and enforce — every single day.

Best if: your kids are little, or you want to test a routine before committing to an app.

A note on the “free” apps that aren’t

If you search “free chore app,” you’ll hit Greenlight, BusyKid, and GoHenry near the top. They’re excellent at what they do — paying real allowance onto a kids’ debit card — but they are subscription apps. Greenlight, for example, runs $5.99 to $19.98 a month as of August 2026 (our taskr vs. Greenlight comparison has the details). They’re worth it if money is your motivator; just don’t install one expecting free. We cover them in the full best chore apps for kids ranking.

The bottom line

If you’re on iPhone and want chores to carry a consequence, start with taskr. It’s free to try, taskr Pro is optional, and screen time does the enforcing for you. If you need something that also runs on Android, Cozi’s free tier handles the calendar and chore lists, and Habitica suits a gamer kid. From there, match the chores to your kid’s age with our age-by-age chore list, and if screens are the daily battle, our 7-day plan to stop screen time fights picks up where this leaves off.

FAQ

What is the best free chore app?

It depends on what you mean by free. For iPhone families who want chores tied to screen time, taskr is free to try; taskr Pro is an optional subscription at $9.99 a month or $49.99 a year, and the first two weeks are free. For a free tier that works on iPhone and Android, Cozi covers a shared calendar and chore lists, and Habitica turns chores into a game. If you want nothing to pay for at all, a shared Apple Reminders or Google Tasks list is already on the phone.

Are chore apps free?

Most are free to download, but few are free outright. Cozi, Habitica, and S’moresUp have usable free tiers with paid upgrades, and taskr is free to try with an optional Pro subscription ($9.99 a month or $49.99 a year, first two weeks free). The allowance-and-debit-card apps like Greenlight, BusyKid, and GoHenry require a paid subscription.

Is there a free chore app with rewards?

Yes. S’moresUp’s free tier includes a points store kids spend on rewards, and Habitica’s free version gives in-game rewards as your character levels up. taskr works the other way round: apps stay open, and the ones you choose lock if a chore passes its deadline. It is free to try on iOS, with taskr Pro as an optional subscription.

What’s the best free chore app for iPhone?

If screen time is your leverage, taskr. It’s built on Apple Family Controls and Screen Time, so an overdue chore automatically locks your kid’s apps until you approve a photo of the finished task. It’s iOS only and free to try; taskr Pro is an optional subscription at $9.99 a month or $49.99 a year, and the first two weeks are free. If you want something with no paid tier at all, a shared Reminders list costs nothing.

Is Cozi free?

Cozi’s core family organizer — shared calendar, lists, and basic chore to-dos — is free. Cozi Gold is a paid upgrade ($39/year as of August 2026) that removes ads and adds extras, but you don’t need it to track chores.