Quick answer: The OurHome chore app can no longer be installed. It was removed from both Google Play and the Apple App Store between October 2023 and January 2024, and its last update shipped in October 2020 — even though its website is still online and many "best chore app" guides still recommend it. If you used OurHome for chores and kids' rewards, the closest current replacements are Twiggly, Homey and S'moresUp. If you mainly used its shared calendar and grocery lists, Cozi covers that half.
What Actually Happened to OurHome
OurHome (ourhomeapp.com) was one of the best-loved family apps of its generation: chores with points and rewards, a shared grocery list, a family calendar and messaging — all completely free, with no ads. It passed 500,000 installs on Google Play. Then it quietly stopped.
There was never a shutdown announcement, which is why so many families — and so many app roundups — still don't know. Here is the verifiable timeline:
- October 2020 — the last update ships on Google Play ("Updated on Oct 25, 2020" on the archived listing).
- 2021–2023 — the app remains listed but unmaintained. Ratings collapse to 2.4 stars from 4,640 reviews as sync and login problems pile up. The Google Play "Data safety" section — mandatory for all apps since 2022 — is never filled in.
- Between October 2023 and January 2024 — the app is removed from Google Play (the listing's last working archive capture is from October 5, 2023; captures from January 2024 onward show a 404). The iOS listing disappears around the same period.
- Today (verified July 4, 2026) — the Google Play listing returns a 404 error, and Apple's iTunes lookup for the app returns zero results. The official website is still online and still shows download buttons — but both lead to those dead store pages.
Why did it die? Nobody from the team has said. The honest observation is that OurHome was entirely free, with no ads and no paid tier — there was nothing funding its maintenance. That generosity was a big part of why families loved it, and very likely part of why it couldn't last.
Don't confuse it with the other "OurHome"
A different, unrelated app also called OurHome (by the developer Elusios) is live on Google Play today. That one is a roommate app for shared shopping lists and household tasks between adults — it is not the family chores-and-rewards app this page is about, and it isn't a continuation of it.
The Honest Part: Nothing Replaces It One-for-One
Stranded OurHome users say this themselves in alternatives forums: newer apps "lack a lot of the options that OH had." OurHome bundled chores, rewards, groceries, a calendar and messaging into one free app. In 2026, that exact bundle at that price doesn't exist.
So the practical question is: which half of OurHome did your family actually use?
- The kids' chores, points and rewards — the motivation half. That's what Twiggly, Homey, S'moresUp and Joon do, each with a different philosophy.
- The shared calendar and grocery list — the logistics half. That's Cozi's home turf, and it does it better than OurHome ever did.
OurHome Alternatives Compared
| App | Price | Platforms | How rewards work | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Twiggly | Free trial, then subscription (via Google Play) | Android (iOS on the roadmap) | Points toward rewards the family sets together; parent approves with one tap | Helping kids ~6–14 grow capable and homes grow calmer |
| Homey | Free for up to 3 family members; premium listed at $4.99/mo on its website ($6.99/mo currently shown on the App Store) | Android, iOS | Unpaid "responsibilities" vs. paid "jobs"; allowance and savings jars | Tying chores to allowance and money habits |
| S'moresUp | Free basic tier; premium $9.99/mo or $99.99/yr from July 5, 2026 ($7.99/$79.99 before) | Android, iOS (iOS last updated Oct 2025) | "S'mores" points toward parent-defined rewards; approval workflows | Large families who want deep scheduling features |
| Joon | Free version; premium $12.99/mo or $89.99/yr | Android, iOS | Real-life "quests" earn coins to raise a virtual pet in a kids' game | Kids 6–12 with ADHD or kids motivated by games |
| Cozi | Free with ads; Gold $39/yr | Android, iOS, web | None — chores are a plain checklist with no points or rewards | Replacing OurHome's calendar and grocery lists, not its rewards |
Prices and store facts verified July 4, 2026 against each app's own website and store listings. Subscription prices change — check the app's own page before deciding.
Twiggly — If You Want the Chores Half, Built on Child Psychology
Twiggly (that's us) turns everyday chores into a habit-building system that helps children grow capable and self-directed, while making home life calmer for the whole family. Kids see what's theirs to do, mark it done (optionally with a photo), and earn points toward rewards the family sets together — and the point system is deliberately designed to teach delayed gratification, one of the most research-backed predictors of positive long-term outcomes. Short parenting tips explain the child-development "why" behind each task type, which is what keeps parents consistent.
Where it differs most from the rest of this list: there are no ads, no behavioural tracking and no advertising identifiers; kids sign in with a family code plus a PIN, so no child email is ever collected; and task photos auto-delete 30 days after approval. It's designed for families with children roughly 6–14, and it's built independently by a Finnish father.
Where it's not the right pick: it's Android-only today (iOS is on the roadmap, not in development), there's no shared grocery list or family calendar, and rewards are points-based — if you specifically want chores paid out in real money, Homey or a kids' banking app like BusyKid fits better.
Homey — If You Want Chores Tied to Allowance
Homey (homeyapp.net, by HomeyLabs) splits tasks into unpaid responsibilities and paid jobs — allowance only pays out if the responsibilities got done, which is a genuinely smart "money is earned" design. Kids split earnings into savings jars for goals. It's free for up to three family members; premium is listed at $4.99/month on Homey's own site, though the App Store currently shows $6.99/month — the website appears to lag the real price.
Where it's not the right pick: reviewers and user reviews report crashes and multi-device sync problems, its bank-transfer feature is US-only (and current reviews disagree about whether it still works), and younger kids can find it complex. Its marketing site and blog have been dormant for years even though the app has shipped updates far more recently — the same mismatch behind the stale advertised price.
S'moresUp — If You Want Maximum Features and Will Pay for Them
S'moresUp is the feature-heavyweight of the category: points ("S'mores"), approval workflows, chore rotations, photo proof and family scheduling. It's a mature product with real accolades, and of the apps here it's the closest to OurHome's breadth on the chores side.
Where it's not the right pick: price and direction. Premium moves to $9.99/month or $99.99/year on July 5, 2026 (from $7.99/$79.99) — its second increase in two years, per its own pricing page — and the parent company's attention is visibly shifting to its newer family super-app ("It's a Family Thing"), whose current annual promotion even bundles S'moresUp in for free. The iOS app hasn't been updated since October 2025, while Android still gets releases. None of that means it's going away, but families leaving OurHome because it quietly stalled may recognise the early pattern.
Joon — If Your Kid Is Motivated by an Actual Game
Joon is a two-app system: parents assign "quests" in one app, and kids complete them to feed and evolve a virtual pet in a genuinely well-made game. It leads its marketing with ADHD and neurodivergent kids, and reviewers consistently praise how well the game motivates that group. Ages 6–12, $12.99/month or $89.99/year after a trial.
Where it's not the right pick: it's the most expensive app on this list; the parent has to stay in an assign-and-verify loop (Common Sense Media notes it "isn't right for families looking for a hands-off approach"); reviewers report kids losing interest once the pet-game novelty fades; and the reward for finishing real-world tasks is, structurally, more screen time — a trade-off some families are fine with and others aren't.
Cozi — If You Actually Miss the Calendar and Grocery List
Cozi is the category leader in family organizing — shared color-coded calendar, grocery and to-do lists, meal planning — with millions of families on it and a free tier. If the part of OurHome your family actually used was the logistics, Cozi does that half better than OurHome ever did.
Where it's not the right pick: kids' motivation. Cozi's chores feature (added in 2025) is a plain checklist — no points, no rewards, no streaks, nothing child-facing; Cozi's own blog points families to a separate money app for allowance. There's also no child login of any kind (the whole family shares one password), the free tier is ad-supported, and the calendar's free version has been restricted since 2024.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the OurHome app still available to download?
No. As of July 4, 2026, the Google Play listing returns a 404 and Apple's iTunes lookup returns zero results for it in the US store. It cannot be installed through official channels. Some sideload sites still host old Android APK files, but installing a years-unmaintained app that handles your family's data isn't something we'd recommend.
What happened to the OurHome app?
There was no official announcement. The evidence: last update October 2020, removed from both stores between October 2023 and January 2024, and a never-completed Google Play Data safety declaration (mandatory since 2022, and a common delisting trigger). The app was entirely free with no revenue stream, which likely made long-term maintenance impossible.
Does the OurHome web app still work?
The web app page still loads, but users have reported login and sync failures since late 2023, and the main website's security certificate is broken. We couldn't verify whether existing accounts still function. Either way, we wouldn't rely on it for anything you can't afford to lose.
Is there a completely free alternative like OurHome?
Honestly: OurHome's everything-free, no-ads model has essentially vanished from the category — its fate is arguably the reason why. Homey is free for up to three family members, and Cozi's free tier covers lists and calendar (with ads, and no kids' rewards). Most maintained chore apps, including ours, use a free trial followed by a subscription — that's what pays for the app still existing next year.
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