2houses is a shared co-parenting account. Both parents, and anyone they invite, work from the same calendar, expense balance, message thread and family journal. People look for an alternative when the other parent won't join, when they want to compare prices, or when the history that matters is already sitting in months of text messages.
Here is a fair look at what it includes, when it is the better pick, and what else fits. The facts come from the 2houses website, its pricing page and its features page, checked October 28, 2026. We have not used or tested it. Check again before you buy. Prices and features change.
What 2houses includes
- A shared custody calendar. A wizard for setting up a parenting schedule, change requests the other parent can accept or answer with another date, recurring visits, school terms, and sync with iCal, Google Calendar and Outlook.
- Finance. Each parent's expenses in one place, a balance that shows who owes what, payment invitations, a wish list, and reports by period or category that export as CSV or PDF.
- Messages. Messaging with the other parent, a child or a mediator. Its features page says conversations can be archived or printed but not deleted.
- Information bank and documents. Contacts, clothing sizes, medical details such as allergies and vaccinations, and shared document storage.
- Family extras. Photo albums, a family journal, notifications, and access rights you can give to children, relatives and others.
- One price per family. $169.99 a year, paid by one parent, after a 14-day trial. Each parent has the same rights on the account.
- Where it runs. The web, iPhone and Android.
If both parents are willing to share one calendar and one expense ledger, an account like this can keep a lot of day-to-day logistics in one place.
When another option may fit better
| Your situation | Why a shared account may not be the whole answer |
|---|---|
| Your co-parent won't join | Shared calendars, expense balances and message threads only fill in when both parents take part |
| Your history is months of texts or WhatsApp | A shared app records what happens after you both start using it. Texts already on your phone can be exported and numbered in one log instead |
| You want to pay once, not every year | Some tools sell a single log or download with no subscription |
| A court order names a co-parenting app | A clerk, self-help center, or licensed attorney where you live can confirm what that order requires. A private organizer is not a substitute for a named tool |
Shared account or private record?
The two kinds of tools do different jobs. A shared account like 2houses is where both parents plan: the schedule, the costs and the messages, kept from the day you both start using it. A private record is yours alone: your own notes, files, and the texts already on your phone, exported and numbered in order. Some parents use both: one shared app for logistics, and one private log for the history before it. Our co-parenting apps comparison lays out the main options side by side.
Questions to ask before you pick any co-parenting app
- Will the other parent use it? If not, check which features still work for one parent alone.
- Who pays, and how often? Check whether one price covers the family, and whether it renews on its own.
- Is there a free plan? Or only a trial.
- Can I get my records out? Check the export formats, and whether you keep access after you stop paying.
- Does my order name an app? If it does, ask the clerk or a licensed attorney where you live which tool you must use.
None of these questions has one right answer for every family. Write down your answers, then compare tools against them.
If you're in danger, call 911. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-799-7233, or text START to 88788 (thehotline.org).
When the record is texts you already have
If you want a private, chronological copy of texts already on your phone, some organizers export and number them. A numbered log typically shows:
- Who: each sender's name or number on every message.
- When: a date and time on every message.
- Both sides, in order, for the stretch you print.
- Page numbers, so a person can find one page quickly.
- The originals kept on your phone.
Courts differ on exhibit format. The clerk, a self-help center, or a licensed attorney where you live can tell you what yours expects. Nothing on this page tells you what to file, or how a judge will see it.
A private option for texts and files
Custody Commander takes an export you already have, from an iPhone, an Android phone, or WhatsApp, and turns it into a chronological, numbered PDF log (MSG-00001 onward) with an index page. It runs in a web browser on any phone or computer. The other parent does not create an account and is not notified.
- Free preview first. The free text message log preview numbers the texts in your browser. Your texts never leave your device.
- A free plan that doesn't expire, with no card.
- One log for $39, no subscription, when you need the full PDF.
- Or the Full Suite, $24.99 a month or $199 a year, which keeps the log with your evidence, timeline, and case files. The Full Suite is free for 7 days and a card is required for that trial.
It is self-help software. It organizes the messages and files you provide. It does not decide what to file or how a court will treat them.
A shared account like 2houses is designed for both parents to plan together. A private log is designed for one person organizing their own messages and files.
Preview your text log free, no sign-upFree plan, no card · Full Suite free for 7 days
