Comparison

eMates vs ParentHour

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

Head to head
About

eMates

Facilitates easy and frequent communication between prisoners and their loved ones. Aims to reduce self-harm by fostering connections and aids in prisoner rehabilitation for release.

Highlights
  • Easy prisoner communication
  • Secure messaging
  • Reduced self-harm
  • Release preparation assistance
  • Frequent and varied communication
Features
Read full description

eMates (emailaprisoner.com) has the following goals: To help family and friends communicate easily and frequently with Prisoners. To reduce thoughts of self-harm/suicide through increased communication. To assist Prisoners in preparation for release with multiple partner agencies. Communication is a major factor in Prison life and the lack of it can have horrendous consequences. eMates offers a quick, efficient, secure alternative method of communication for Prisoners, their families, friends, legal professionals and related organisations - meaning Prisoners can receive more frequent and varied communication. Documentation continually states Prisoners who are able to maintain family ties are 6 times less likely to re-offend. Please check the locations page to see what features are available at what establishment: https://www.emailaprisoner.com/content/locations

About

ParentHour

Features
Read full description

ParentHour helps families build a trusted childcare village with people they know. Instead of scrambling for last-minute help, parents can connect with nearby families, share availability, request or offer childcare, and keep exchanges fair with time credits. Use ParentHour to: Create your profile and join your village Invite trusted parents and manage connections Post availability and request help for specific times Schedule childcare sessions with clear details Chat securely with village members Track time balance and session history Get smart suggestions for upcoming childcare needs Keep preferences in your control, including privacy settings Designed for real family life, ParentHour makes coordination simple while keeping community and safety at the center. You decide what information to share and when. Need to leave? You can manage settings and request account deletion from within the app. Whether you need occasional backup care, school-run help, or regular swaps, ParentHour makes it easier to support each other and reduce childcare stress together.

Screenshots

eMates4 screens
ParentHour4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: eMates at fortnightly against ParentHour's every 2 months. ParentHour's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

eMates ships an update fortnightly, ParentHour every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
eMates versus ParentHour: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParametereMatesParentHour
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews4.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS15.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size44 MB25 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperUnilink Technology ServicesNoco Health LTD

Bugs and requests

eMates

Reported bugs

32 issues
  • App crashes frequently
  • Messages fail to send or are lost
  • Messages fail to receive
  • Login screen freezes or doesn't respond
  • Cannot log in even with correct credentials
Show 27 more
  • Account registration errors
  • Password reset functionality not working
  • Money added to account but not usable
  • Apple Pay not accepted despite being advertised
  • App freezes for several seconds upon opening
  • Contacts disappear or duplicate
  • Video calls not working
  • Multi-factor authentication codes not received or invalid
  • Emails marked as sent but appear as drafts
  • No notifications for replies
  • App crashes after updates
  • Scanned reply pages not appearing
  • Scrolling issues within the app
  • Identity verification link not working
  • Error messages when trying to upload ID or face scan
  • App not connecting to the server
  • Old messages disappearing or blank screens
  • Photos attached multiple times and charged
  • Dates on sent/received emails changing
  • Support email addresses bounce back
  • Neatphone facility connection problems
  • App not refreshing and showing old messages
  • Video visit requests disappearing
  • Email sending process disappears mid-way
  • Unable to schedule video visits
  • App not user-friendly
  • Confusing credit system

Requested features

18 requests
  • Improve app stability and reliability
  • Fix message sending and receiving issues
  • Resolve login and account access problems
  • Address payment and credit issues
  • Enhance customer support responsiveness
Show 13 more
  • Improve message delivery speed
  • Fix video call functionality
  • Ensure Apple Pay compatibility
  • Streamline registration process
  • Fix password reset and account recovery
  • Provide clear instructions for account crediting
  • Resolve multi-factor authentication issues
  • Improve user interface and experience
  • Add notifications for replies
  • Allow saving contacts
  • Make app more robust and less buggy
  • Address issues with image uploads
  • Provide clear communication on prison staff reliance

ParentHour

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

eMates

No in-app purchases

None

ParentHour

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is eMates free?
eMates is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ParentHour free?
ParentHour is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do eMates or ParentHour have ads?
Neither eMates nor ParentHour shows ads.
Which is updated more often, eMates or ParentHour?
eMates ships an update fortnightly, and ParentHour every 2 months. Most recently, eMates was updated on November 7, 2026 and ParentHour on October 31, 2026.

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