The TalkingParents alternative

One app for both parents.
One price, not two.

When an app charges each parent separately, a two-home family pays twice. Two Porch Lights covers both of you for one yearly price, with the calendar, shared expenses, and messaging your family actually uses every week.

Start free · no credit card
30 days free · both parents included · works on any phone or computer
The honest math

What a two-home family really pays

TalkingParents accounts are billed per parent. For a family where both parents take part, that is two subscriptions. Here is the side by side.

For a family with both parents Two Porch Lights TalkingParents
Who a subscription covers Both parents
co-parent joins free
One account each
billed per parent
Cost for the whole family, per year $59.99
total
~$168
2 × $7/mo Essentials
Free trial 30 days, no card 30 days on higher tiers
Free plan 30-day trial, then one low price Ended March 2026
Shared calendar & parenting schedules
Expense splitting with receipt photos AI reads the receipt Add-on / higher tiers
Tone coach that softens a heated message built in Not offered
Private Tax Center & accountant packet Not offered
Read-only access for your attorney free Varies by plan

Pricing shown for TalkingParents reflects the plans published at talkingparents.com/pricing as of July 2026 (Essentials $7/mo per account). Compare current plans before you decide. Two homes on the cheapest tier is roughly $168 a year combined.

Same family, two ways to pay

Stop paying twice for one family's tools

TalkingParents, both parents
~$168/yr
2 accounts × $7/mo
Two Porch Lights
$59.99/yr
covers both parents
Start free · no credit card
Why parents switch

Built for the week, not just the courtroom

Two separate homes, working together for the kids. These are the tools that actually get used between drop-offs.

💵

One price, both homes

Your co-parent joins your shared space with a code and never pays. One subscription, one family's tools.

🕊️

The Soften tone coach

Wrote it angry? Tap Soften and it rewrites your message calm and child-focused. You choose which version sends.

📅

Calendar and costs together

Parenting time, events, and shared expenses in one place, synced live, so both homes stay on the same page.

🧾

A private Tax Center

Track 529s, daycare, medical, and mileage in a space only you can see, then build an accountant-ready packet in one tap.

📸

Snap a receipt, done

Photograph any receipt and it fills in the amount, date, store, and category. Logging an expense takes seconds.

📱

No app store needed

Runs in any browser on iPhone, Android, tablet, or computer. Add it to your home screen and it works like an app.

Good to know

Switching questions, answered

Do both parents have to pay?

No. One subscription covers your shared space for both of you. Your co-parent joins with an invite code and never pays for the calendar, expenses, or messaging. The one personal extra is the private Tax Center, which comes with each parent's own plan.

Is it as full-featured as what I have now?

For everyday co-parenting, yes: a shared calendar and parenting schedules, expense splitting with receipt scanning, a time-stamped message thread, a private journal, and read-only access you can share with an attorney or mediator. Two Porch Lights is built to keep the week running smoothly, not to serve as court evidence, so please confirm any legal needs against your own court order.

How do I move over from another app?

There is nothing to import or migrate. You create your space, invite your co-parent with a code, and start fresh. Setup takes about two minutes, and your first 30 days are free with no credit card.

What does it cost after the trial?

$59.99 a year, about $5 a month, or $7.99 monthly. That one price covers both parents. Cancel anytime, and your data stays yours to export.

Do we need the same kind of phone?

No. It runs in any web browser, so one of you can be on iPhone and the other on Android. Nothing to download from an app store.

Beyond the conflict, we build the calm.

Start free · no credit card
30 days free · both parents included · cancel anytime