Comparison

McColly Connect vs Custody Journal

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

Head to head
About

McColly Connect

Facilitate team collaboration and communication with seamless file sharing and question-asking capabilities. Enhance productivity through efficient information exchange.

Highlights
  • Team collaboration
  • Communication tools
  • Quick file sharing
  • Ask questions easily
  • Enhanced productivity
Features
Read full description

Collaborate and communicate using the new McColly Connect app. Quickly share files and ask questions.

About

Custody Journal

This app helps single parents document custody exchanges, track child wellbeing, archive communications, and manage expenses. It generates a court-ready PDF evidence package, all while keeping your data private and on your device.

Highlights
  • Custody exchange logging
  • Child wellbeing tracking
  • Communication archiving
  • Expense tracking
  • Court-ready PDF generation
  • Private, on-device data storage
Read full description

Custody Journal is a single-parent custody evidence journal. Document custody exchanges, log your child's wellbeing after every visit, archive communications with the other parent, track child-related expenses, and generate a court-ready PDF evidence package. WORKS WITHOUT YOUR EX Unlike most co-parenting apps, Custody Journal does not require the other parent to install anything. This is your private documentation tool. No account, no developer cloud, no invites. CORE FEATURES (FREE) - Custody exchange logging: drop-off or pick-up, scheduled and actual time, status (on time, late, no-show, cancelled, rescheduled, denied), location, and notes. - Exchange list and monthly calendar with color-coded status. - Parenting time calculator that estimates your overnight share each month. - Configurable exchange reminder notifications (30 minutes, 1 hour, or 2 hours before). - Up to 3 wellbeing entries per child, with mood, observations, and exact quotes. Existing entries remain viewable and editable. - Free Preview PDF with exchanges and parenting-time estimates. - Basic exchange summary for the last 6 months, including on-time, late, and no-show counts. - Face ID and Touch ID app lock with immediate lock on backgrounding. - Up to 20 exchanges per calendar month on the free plan. - One child profile on the free plan. CUSTODY JOURNAL PRO Pro unlocks the features that turn your records into evidence: - Child Wellbeing Journal. Log mood, behavior, health, sleep, appetite, and your child's own words after every visit, with severity flags for routine, concern, or urgent observations. - Child's Own Words. A dedicated field for exact quotes plus a separate context field, kept separate from your observations in the report. - Communication Archive. Structured log of texts, emails, calls, voicemails, and in-person conversations with the other parent, including whether they responded. - Expense Tracker. Categorized child-related expenses with receipt photos and reimbursement tracking. - Advanced Evidence Insights. Compare custom time ranges, review every exchange outcome, and analyze communication response patterns. - Court-Ready PDF Evidence Package. A ten-section report including an executive summary, exchange log, violations table, parenting time calculation, wellbeing entries, Child's Own Words section, communication log, expenses, and a photo appendix. - GPS verification on exchanges (requested only when you enable it, never in the background). - Home Screen widget showing your next exchange countdown and this month's statistics. - CSV export of every record type. - Unlimited children and unlimited exchanges per month. PRIVACY IS THE PRODUCT Records are stored locally and are not uploaded to developer servers. No analytics or tracking. Optional GPS is requested when you enable it; photo attachments use the system picker. You choose what to export or share. Device backups follow your Apple settings. SUBSCRIPTION OPTIONS Wellbeing entries allowed by the free limit can include photos. Free plan includes 1 child, up to 20 exchanges per month, basic notes (no photos), calendar view, parenting time calculator, and a basic 6-month exchange summary. Custody Journal Pro unlocks the full feature set above. Pricing: Monthly 3.99 USD, Annual 29.99 USD. The Annual plan includes a 7-day free trial for eligible new subscribers; the Monthly plan is charged immediately. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically within 24 hours before each period ends unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours prior. You can manage or cancel in Settings, Apple ID, Subscriptions. IMPORTANT Custody Journal is a personal documentation tool. It does not provide legal advice, representation, or custody evaluations. Consult a licensed family law attorney for legal guidance. Privacy Policy: https://app-legal-pages.vercel.app/custodylog/privacy Terms of Service: https://app-legal-pages.vercel.app/custodylog/terms

Screenshots

McColly Connect3 screens
Custody Journal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: McColly Connect at 5.0 against Custody Journal's 3.8. McColly Connect also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and iOS requirement (13.4 vs 17.0). Custody Journal's advantage is update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 7 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and device support 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. Custody Journal sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. McColly Connect asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

McColly Connect holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 4 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

McColly Connect ships an update every 7 months, Custody Journal every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
McColly Connect versus Custody Journal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMcColly ConnectCustody Journal
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better3.8 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews—0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings24 — better
Update frequencyEvery 7 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.4 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size36 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMcColly Realtors, Inc.慧慧 高

Customer experience

McColly Connect

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Custody Journal

All ratings4 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

In-app purchases

None

McColly Connect

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Custody Journal

Subscriptions2
  • Custody Journal Pro Monthly$3.991 Month
  • Custody Journal Pro Annual7 Days trial$29.991 Year

Questions

Is McColly Connect free?
McColly Connect is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Custody Journal free?
Custody Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, McColly Connect or Custody Journal?
McColly Connect is rated higher. McColly Connect averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Custody Journal averages 3.8 from 4 ratings.
Do McColly Connect or Custody Journal have ads?
Neither McColly Connect nor Custody Journal shows ads.
Which is updated more often, McColly Connect or Custody Journal?
McColly Connect ships an update every 7 months, and Custody Journal every 6 weeks. Most recently, McColly Connect was updated on October 24, 2026 and Custody Journal on October 31, 2026.

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