Comparison

AppClose vs Pikmykid Parent

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

AppClose

This platform simplifies co-parenting by providing tools for organized communication, scheduling, and expense tracking. It offers secure messaging, call recording, and court-trusted documentation to help families stay connected and compliant with legal requirements.

Highlights
  • Secure messaging and call recording
  • Shared calendars and parenting schedules
  • Expense tracking and reimbursements
  • Court-trusted, unalterable records
  • Parenting time tracker
  • Secure file storage
Features
Read full description

WE KNOW CO-PARENTING And that is why AppClose is the most downloaded co-parenting app in the world, with more than 3.1M downloads, and has more daily and monthly active users than any other co-parenting app in the world. AppClose has been court-ordered in all 50 states, as well as Canada, UK, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand, based on user-supplied data. Every feature in AppClose exists to keep children first — SO THERE IS ONE PLAN, AND EVERYTHING IS IN IT. No tiers, no upsells, no add-ons. No limits on calling, call recording, storage or records exports. Messaging, recorded calls, calendars, notes, pets, expenses, payments and court-ready records, for one price, with 60 days free — includes all features, no payment, no commitment. Fee waivers are available for qualifying families experiencing financial hardship and for survivors of domestic violence. Discounts are available for active military and veterans. See if AppClose is right for your co-parenting needs. Selected by Apple for its "Parenting Essentials" collection and named to Inc.'s 2024 Best in Business list for Operational Excellence. COMMUNICATE AND DOCUMENT YOUR COMMUNICATIONS • One-on-one and group messages that users cannot edit or delete; time-stamped when sent and when first viewed • Unlimited audio and video calls — no per-minute charge; your phone number and location are never shared • With both parents' consent, calls are recorded and transcribed and kept with your records • Co-Parent Assist™ (optional) reviews your draft before you send it, flags wording that could escalate conflict and offers a calmer rewrite. It never blocks or sends a message for you. It runs on privately managed AI infrastructure — your messages never go to third-party AI services and are never used to train AI ORGANIZE THE SCHEDULE • Shared calendars for parenting schedules, events and appointments • Parenting-time tracker: planned vs. actual time • Pick-up, drop-off and switch-day requests your co-parent approves or declines — each answer is recorded • Calendar notes for what the family must remember • Pet management and pet schedules — pets are in the plan too SHARE THE COSTS • Expenses by category, with receipts kept in the record • Send and receive reimbursements with ipayou® (U.S.) KEEP EVERYTHING IN ONE PLACE • Child details: doctors, allergies, medications, immunizations, school and emergency contacts • Secure file storage for photos, scans and files; location data is removed from uploaded photos and videos • Private Check-Ins log your arrival and departure, visible only to you — never a tracker • Your Circle: family, caregivers, guardians ad litem, attorneys and other professionals COURT-READY RECORDS — EXPORT AS OFTEN AS YOU NEED Every message, call, request, expense and payment is time-stamped and unalterable by users. Export at no extra cost: • Unlimited Certified Records (U.S.), each with a unique Export ID that attorneys and courts can verify • One-on-one and group messages • Call logs • Expense and reimbursement records • Pick-up, drop-off and switch-day requests • Check-ins • Notes • In-app session logs If your subscription ends, your account goes read-only and your records stay exportable at no cost. AppClose SOLO Your co-parent doesn't use AppClose? Send requests, events and expenses by text or email. WORK WITH YOUR PROFESSIONALS Share chats or Certified Records with your attorney, mediator or guardian ad litem only when you approve it, through AppClose Pro — free for family law professionals. MILITARY FAMILIES Deployed or on limited access? Requests and updates still reach you by email. BUILT FOR REAL-WORLD CO-PARENTING Co-parenting, parallel parenting, joint custody, supervised visitation and blended families, on phone, tablet or computer — always in sync. Available in English, Spanish and six other languages. Terms of Service: https://appclose.com/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://appclose.com/privacy/

About

Pikmykid Parent

Streamline school pickups and dismissals with real-time communication and schedule management. This app helps parents make plan changes easily, reduces wait times in car lines, and enhances safety by verifying pickup permissions and providing timely notifications during emergencies.

Highlights
  • Manage pickup schedules
  • Make plan changes
  • Real-time emergency communication
  • Reduce car line wait times
  • Delegate pickup permissions
  • Receive dismissal notifications
Features
Read full description

Enjoy saving time and feeling peace of mind with the award-winning Pikmykid Parent App which makes school arrivals and dismissals safe and easy! Stay fully in control of your children's pickup schedule and make any plan changes with just a few clicks Should an emergency occur, you have the peace of mind knowing that your kids are safe by receiving communication in real time during reunifications. With the Pikmykid Parent App, you’ll spend less time waiting in pick-up lines and being put on-hold on the telephone, and instead have everything you need for a safe and stress-free experience daily. The Pikmykid Parent app gives you a simpler way to manage your kid’s school transportation, pickup delegation, and daily and emergency communications. “Pikmykid is an extremely user-friendly and simple solution that provides a safe, quick pickup at school without the chaos of after school traffic. Love it!” Richard O., Parent HOW PIKMYKID HELPS > Take Stress Out of the Picture You should be empowered with a tool that makes coordinating your kids’ transportation plans so easy, you never have to call the front office again. > Experience Stellar Communication As you make dismissal changes, school staff can see exactly when to release your student, who to release them to, and can notify you they’re been safely dismissed. > Stop Wasting Time & Enjoy Rest With smooth dismissals, parents spend on average 33-50% less time in the car line. This means you’ll have more time to spend with your kids outside of school. > Feel Safer During the School Day With a platform that helps prevent accidents, stranger danger, custody battles, and exposure to harsh weather, you can feel safer sending your kids to school. HOW IT WORKS > Manage It All From One Place Whether you need to communicate that your kid will be going home with a friend, or need to schedule an early release for a doctor’s appointment, Pikmykid lets you manage the process simply. > Make Dismissal Changes You no longer need to call the front office to make dismissal changes. Instead you can instantly update how and with whom your kid will go home, and even schedule future carpools. > Announce Your Arrival You’ll be able to announce your arrival on the app so the teacher knows to send out your kid. The car line moves quickly and staff can verify the right person is picking up your kid as well. > Receive Dismissal Notifications Once dismissed, you’ll receive a notification on your app letting you know. You can also receive info from school like when a bus is running late or about an upcoming field trip. HOW IT WORKS TO MAKE SCHOOL SAFER > During Dismissal Your School Is Able To: Verify pickup permissions. Timestamp each student’s dismissal. Maintain early dismissal changes. Know with whom students are meant to go with. Minimize custody issues. Communicate consistently and clearly. Maintain accurate attendance records. > During an Emergency You Can: Get notified quickly about an emergency. Receive instructions on what to do & where to go. Know when your kid is dismissed & to whom. Reunite quickly during extreme emergencies. HOW PIKMYKID SUPPORTS YOU > World-Class Support > Reliable Technology > Based on Safety Best Practices > Prioritizing Student Privacy TRUSTED BY MILLIONS “The best part of Pikmykid is you don’t have to make the annoying phone calls or leave your meetings to let them know that the transportation has changed. You go on your app, make the change, and it’s done.” Jade G., Parent “The app is great! It’s simple to use and it really streamlines the school pickup process. I’m most impressed with Pikmykid’s customer service! They respond quickly and in a very personalized manner.” Sue A., Parent

Screenshots

AppClose4 screens
Pikmykid Parent4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Pikmykid Parent at 68% against AppClose's 13%. Pikmykid Parent also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3). AppClose's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 3.8) and ratings volume (39K vs 899). On price, update cadence, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. AppClose sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month. Pikmykid Parent asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

AppClose holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: AppClose has 39K ratings behind it against 899, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 13% of AppClose's written reviews are positive against 68% of Pikmykid Parent's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

AppClose ships an update monthly, Pikmykid Parent every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
AppClose versus Pikmykid Parent: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAppClosePikmykid Parent
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (39K ratings) — better3.8 (899 ratings)
Positive reviews13.2% of reviews67.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings39K — better899
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#49 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size152 MB46 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAppClose, IncPikMyKid

Customer experience

AppClose

All ratings39,271 ratings
Positive93.0%
Neutral3.6%
Negative3.4%
Written reviews593 reviews
Positive13.2%
Neutral11.8%
Negative75.0%

Pikmykid Parent

All ratings898 ratings
Positive68.2%
Neutral5.7%
Negative26.2%
Written reviews237 reviews
Positive67.5%
Neutral6.8%
Negative25.7%

Bugs and requests

AppClose

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • Calendar events not saving properly
  • Shared schedules not displaying correctly
  • Inability to delete or edit calendar entries
  • Notifications not working as expected
  • Uploaded documents/photos not loading
Show 1 more
  • App crashes and freezes frequently

Requested features

7 requests
  • Improved calendar functionality
  • Better syncing between parents
  • Group chat feature
  • Call recording option
  • Integration with other calendars
Show 2 more
  • Notes section for documentation
  • Expense tracking improvements

Pikmykid Parent

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

AppClose

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Unlimited Subscription$8.991 Month
  • One Year Subscription$98.991 Year
One-time1
  • 30 Days of Call Recording$12.99
None

Pikmykid Parent

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is AppClose free?
AppClose is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pikmykid Parent free?
Pikmykid Parent is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, AppClose or Pikmykid Parent?
AppClose is rated higher. AppClose averages 4.7 out of 5 from 39K ratings, while Pikmykid Parent averages 3.8 from 899 ratings.
Do AppClose or Pikmykid Parent have ads?
Neither AppClose nor Pikmykid Parent shows ads.
Which is updated more often, AppClose or Pikmykid Parent?
AppClose ships an update monthly, and Pikmykid Parent every 6 weeks. Most recently, AppClose was updated on October 25, 2026 and Pikmykid Parent on October 24, 2026.

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