One shared phone, or a device for every child?
Younger children rarely have their own phone. An app that works on one family phone, with a card per child, is simpler and keeps children off personal devices.
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Guide
Chore apps for kids: how to choose
There are dozens of chore apps, and they solve different problems. Here is what actually matters when you pick one for your family, the main types of app, and where ours fits. We make Score Your Chores, so we have tried to be fair about when a different kind of app is the better choice.
What to look for
Seven questions to ask
Does a grown-up check the job?
Points that land automatically teach children to tap, not to tidy. Look for quick parent approval, ideally with a way to send a job back for one more go.
Rewards or real money?
Some apps are built around a bank card and money transfers. Others use points for rewards you choose. Neither is wrong, but they suit different ages.
Ads, tracking and prices aimed at children
Check whether children ever see adverts or purchase buttons. In a family app they shouldn’t.
Does it grow with your children?
Picture quests for a four year old and weekly responsibilities for a twelve year old need different setups.
Is the free plan actually useful?
Try it for a week before paying. A good app is useful from day one without a subscription.
Will they still want it in week three?
Novelty wears off. Streaks, collections and a weekly family goal are what keep children coming back.
The main types
Four kinds of chore app
Reward chart apps
Children earn points or stars for chores and swap them for rewards the parents choose. Best for ages 3 to 12 and families who want motivation without money changing hands.
Pocket money card apps
Chores are linked to real money on a prepaid card for the child, usually with a monthly subscription. Best for older children learning to spend and save real money.
Family organisers
Shared calendars, shopping lists and to-do lists for the grown-ups. Useful for running the house, but not built to motivate children.
Cleaning schedulers
Rotas for adult housework, room by room. Great for keeping the house on track, less so for getting a seven year old to feed the cat.
Where we fit
Score Your Chores
Score Your Chores is a reward chart app for families with children from about three to twelve. Each child wakes up their own cartoon Buddy and grows it with every quest they finish, earning outfits and stickers that can never be bought. Parents approve finished quests in a couple of taps and choose the rewards, and the whole family plays for a weekly team goal, revealed together at Sunday Scores.
It runs on one shared iPhone with no child accounts, no ads and no tracking, and children never see prices. The free plan covers two children with every core feature; an optional Plus subscription adds more children, photo proof and extras. Pocket money is optional and you hand it over yourself, so if you want your child to have a bank card, a pocket money card app is the better choice.
Prefer paper? Our free printable chore charts use the same Buddies.
Questions parents ask
What is the best chore app for kids?
It depends on what you want it to do. For a reward chart that children enjoy and parents approve, pick an app built around points and rewards. If you want your child to have a bank card, a pocket money card app is the better fit.
Is there a free chore app for kids?
Yes. Score Your Chores is free to start, with no ads, and the free plan covers two children with every core feature. An optional subscription adds more children and extras.
Do kids need their own phone for a chore app?
Not with every app. Score Your Chores runs on one shared iPhone: each child taps their own card, and a grown-up PIN protects approvals and settings.
Should a chore app pay real money?
It doesn’t have to. Many families use points for privileges like screen time or choosing dinner, and hand over any pocket money themselves.
Want the chart to cheer back?
Score Your Chores is the same idea on your iPhone. Kids wake up their own Buddy, finish quests with a press-and-hold, and save points for rewards you choose. You approve everything in two taps. Free, no ads, no child accounts.