# TalkingParents vs Slate Educational Scheduling

The clearest difference is rating: TalkingParents at 4.4 against Slate Educational Scheduling's 2.0. TalkingParents also leads on ratings volume (29K vs 5) and chart position (#24 vs unranked). Slate Educational Scheduling's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6) and review sentiment (33% vs 12%). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. TalkingParents sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $9.00 per month. Slate Educational Scheduling asks for nothing beyond the download.

TalkingParents holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: TalkingParents has 29K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 12% of TalkingParents's written reviews are positive against 33% of Slate Educational Scheduling's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

TalkingParents ships an update every 2 weeks, Slate Educational Scheduling weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | TalkingParents | Slate Educational Scheduling |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (29K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/talkingparents-co-parent-app/id1092220726/reviews)** | [2.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/slate-educational-scheduling/id1573005377/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **29K** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 12.4% of reviews | **33.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#24** | — |
| Size | 129 MB | 123 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Monitored Communications LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1092220725) | [Penmac Staffing Services Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1121004147) |

## What reviewers say

### TalkingParents

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/talkingparents-co-parent-app/id1092220726)

**Currently charting:** #24 Top Grossing · Productivity (US App Store)

Facilitates communication and coordination for divorced, separated, or unmarried parents. Offers secure messaging, a shared calendar, accountable calling, and payment tracking to simplify co-parenting and create court-admissible records.

**Highlights:** Secure, uneditable messaging, Sentiment scanner and writing assist, Accountable calling with recording, Shared custody calendar, Accountable payment requests, Info library for child details, Personal journal for notes, Vault for file storage

**Features:** iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| TalkingParents Essentials | $9.00 | per month |
| TalkingParents Enhanced (Old) | $12.00 | per month |
| TalkingParents Enhanced | $19.00 | per month |
| TalkingParents Ultimate | $39.00 | per month |
| 40 Calling Minutes | $25.00 | one-time |
| 100 Calling Minutes | $46.00 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great for documenting communication
- 🔒 Keeps conversations secure and uneditable
- 👍 Helpful for high-conflict co-parenting
- 📅 Useful calendar feature
- 🗒️ Helpful journal for personal notes

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
- ⏱️ Slow performance and loading times
- 💰 Expensive subscription fees
- 🔑 Requires both parties to sign up
- 🤖 Inaccurate transcription and translation

**Reported bugs**

- Constant sign-in issues
- Unable to download audio/video recordings
- Calendar events not syncing properly
- Keyboard issues when sending messages
- Inconsistent time/date stamps

**Requested features**

- Shared calendar that syncs with devices
- Option to print/export individual conversations
- Ability to block specific contacts
- Improved notification system
- Better integration with other communication apps


### Slate Educational Scheduling

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/slate-educational-scheduling/id1573005377)

This app streamlines the process of managing classroom absences and substitute teacher assignments for school districts. It provides real-time staffing information and detailed reports on needs.

**Highlights:** Enter absences quickly, Accept teaching assignments, Real-time staffing information, Robust reporting, Manage staffing needs

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is TalkingParents free?

TalkingParents is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Slate Educational Scheduling free?

Slate Educational Scheduling is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, TalkingParents or Slate Educational Scheduling?

TalkingParents is rated higher. TalkingParents averages 4.4 out of 5 from 29K ratings, while Slate Educational Scheduling averages 2.0 from 5 ratings.

### Do TalkingParents or Slate Educational Scheduling have ads?

Neither TalkingParents nor Slate Educational Scheduling shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, TalkingParents or Slate Educational Scheduling?

TalkingParents ships an update every 2 weeks, and Slate Educational Scheduling weekly. Most recently, TalkingParents was updated on November 7, 2026 and Slate Educational Scheduling on November 3, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*