ParentPact
Co-parenting app comparison
Custody X Change vs ParentPact
Software for building custody schedules and parenting plans, with messaging, a journal, and expense tools on the Gold plan. ParentPact is a co-parenting app with tone-checked, immutable messaging, a shared calendar, expense tracking, and court-ready exports, priced per family.
The short version: Custody X Change costs $72–$144/yr per parent, and both parents pay. ParentPact starts free, tops out at $149.99 a year for the whole family, and its tone checker suggests a calmer rewrite instead of only warning you.
At a glance
Custody X Change and ParentPact, side by side
| Feature | ParentPact | Custody X Change |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free, or $79.99–$149.99/yr per family | $72–$144/yr per parent |
| Billed per | Per family (one subscription covers both parents) | Per parent (each parent subscribes) |
| Free tier | Yes Full messaging, calendar, and expenses; 3-month export window | Not advertised 30-day money-back guarantee instead |
| Tone checker | Flags and rewrites Flags and suggests a calmer rewrite before you send (AI rewrites on Plus and Premium) | Flags only Hostility monitor flags negative words |
| Court-ready export | Yes Timestamped, watermarked PDF; CSV on Premium | Partial Prints schedules, plans, and reports; messaging is secondary |
| Shared calendar | Yes | Yes Best-in-class custody schedule builder |
| Expense tracking | Yes | Yes Gold plan |
| In-app calls | Yes Premium; every call is logged, never recorded | No |
| Call recording | No Deliberately not offered | No |
| Read receipts | Yes Always on; cannot be disabled | Not advertised |
| Immutable messages | Yes No delete; 5-minute typo window, then locked | Not advertised |
| Platforms | iPhone first; Android in progress | Web; installable apps for iOS, Android, Windows (not in app stores) |
Pricing
What each app costs a family
Custody X Change: Two plans: Bronze at $6 a month ($72 a year) and Gold at $12 a month ($144 a year), with annual billing saving 40%. Each parent who wants to share calendars or message needs their own subscription; kids and legal professionals can be added free. 30-day money-back guarantee.
ParentPact charges per family. One parent subscribes and the other gets full access at no cost, on every tier.
Free
$0
no card requiredUnlimited immutable messaging across 8 channels, rule-based tone checker, shared calendar with iCal import, expense tracking with receipts, 3 months of PDF export, 2 GB storage.
Plus
$79.99/yr
or $7.99/moEverything in Free, plus the AI tone checker with rewrite suggestions, 12 months of PDF export, and 5 GB storage.
Premium
$149.99/yr
or $14.99/moEverything in Plus, plus in-app calls with a call log, unlimited export history, CSV export for your attorney, and 20 GB storage.
Two parents, one year. Custody X Change: $144–$288 (two subscriptions). ParentPact: free on the Free tier, $79.99 on Plus, or $149.99 on Premium, and that one subscription covers both parents.
Honest trade-offs
Where each app is stronger
Where Custody X Change is stronger
- The best custody-schedule builder available: templates, alternating weeks, holiday rotations, and parenting-time calculations for court.
- Generates a written parenting plan in court wording that you can file, which no messaging app does.
- Your parenting plan, journal, and actual-time tracking stay private from your co-parent but can be shared free with your attorney.
- Prices are locked in for as long as you stay subscribed, with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Where ParentPact is stronger
- One subscription covers both parents. One parent pays; the other gets full access at no cost.
- The tone checker does not just flag a message. It suggests a calmer rewrite you can send with one tap.
- Messages are immutable. Nothing can be deleted, and edits are limited to a 5-minute typo window that is logged.
- Read receipts are mandatory for both parents, so "I never saw it" is never in dispute.
- Every record exports as a timestamped, watermarked PDF, and Premium adds CSV for your attorney.
- A real free tier: unlimited messaging, calendar, and expenses without a card.
Which one is right for you
Who should choose which
Choose Custody X Change if…
Choose Custody X Change when you are drafting or revising a parenting plan and need a schedule you can file with the court. It is a planning tool, and a very good one.
Choose ParentPact if…
Choose ParentPact for everything that happens after the plan is filed: tone-checked messaging, the shared calendar, expenses with receipts, and an immutable record. Many parents build the plan in Custody X Change and live it in ParentPact.
Before you ask
Custody X Change vs ParentPact: your questions
Is Custody X Change a co-parenting messaging app?
Not primarily. Custody X Change is built for creating custody schedules and parenting plans. It includes co-parent messaging with a hostility monitor when both parents subscribe, but immutable records and read receipts are not advertised. ParentPact is built around the day-to-day communication record.
How much does Custody X Change cost?
Bronze is $6 a month or $72 a year, and Gold is $12 a month or $144 a year, per parent. There is a 30-day money-back guarantee. ParentPact's Free tier includes messaging, calendar, expenses, and 3 months of PDF export at no cost.
Can I use Custody X Change and ParentPact together?
Yes, and it is a natural pairing. Build the schedule and parenting plan in Custody X Change, then run the schedule and communication in ParentPact. ParentPact imports calendars via iCal.
Does Custody X Change include my co-parent?
Your co-parent needs their own subscription to share calendars, activities, and expenses or to message you. Kids and legal professionals can be added free. Every ParentPact plan, including Free, covers both parents.
One record. One subscription. Both parents.
Tone-checked messages, a shared calendar, and court-ready exports, priced per family.
Free to join · One subscription covers both parents · Launching first on iOS
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All product names, logos, and brands are property of their respective owners and are used for identification only. ParentPact is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any company mentioned on this page. Competitor prices and features were checked on the vendor's public website on the date shown and may have changed since. ParentPact prices are launch pricing in USD. Custody X Change pricing was checked at https://app.custodyxchange.com/pricing-parents on 2026-09-10. ParentPact is not a law firm and does not give legal advice. Whether any app's records are admissible is always the court's decision; ask your attorney.