Alternative to AppClose: Custody X Change
When you're divorcing or separating from your child's other parent, you may be on the lookout for an organizational tool. AppClose and Custody X Change are apps to help you guide and document your co-parenting.
AppClose is great for parents who want to record their calls and mark when they arrive at a pickup or drop-off. Custody X Change is great for calculating parenting time split and writing a parenting plan for court. These apps otherwise offer similar features, including co-parent messaging.
AppClose versus Custody X Change
Custody X Change
- Primary uses: Calculating parenting time, writing a parenting plan
- Target user: Co-parents looking for help with day-to-day parenting or a custody case
- Install from: custodyxchange.com
Try this with Custody X Change.
AppClose
- Primary uses: Recording calls, checking in at exchanges
- Target user: Co-parents who need to prove when they arrive at exchanges and what happens on calls
- Install from: App stores
Features compared
Only Custody X Change has...
- Parenting plan with over 140 common provisions to choose from
- Parenting time calculation necessary for most child support formulas
- Actual time tracking to calculate how late arrivals or missed visits affect parenting time
- Holiday templates to make it easy to enter all the holidays you care about
- Hostility monitor to encourage both of you to write civil messages
Try this with Custody X Change.
Only AppClose has...
- Audio/video calling, with the option to record the call
- Payment system to request and send money
- GPS to log your own arrival and departure times (The app doesn't share one parent's location with the other).
- Pet-related features, like tracking a pet's feeding routine
Both apps have...
- Calendar for scheduled parenting time and activities
- Messaging with your co-parent (text and attachments)
- Expense and reimbursement tracking
- Child-info storage
Try this with Custody X Change.
And in both, you can...
- Log in from your phone or laptop
- Use it on your own or link with your co-parent
- Link accounts with your legal pros
- Share your schedule with grandparents, nannies, etc.
- Create documents for court
If you like features from both apps, you can sign up for both. This isn't uncommon — for example, even if you've been ordered by a court to use AppClose, you could use Custody X Change for parenting time calculations.
Becoming a subscriber
Both apps work through paid subscriptions.
For Custody X Change, you can try out the features for free forever. You'll need to subscribe to print your schedule and parenting plan, as well as to link accounts with your co-parent.
AppClose similarly lets you try it out for free, but your access will expire after 60 days. Parents who can't afford a subscription (and who prove their need) can get one year free.
Which app should I choose?
Do you want to know how late arrivals affect your parenting time?
Use Custody X Change. You can track how much time was gained or lost, which parent caused it and why.
Do you want to prove on-time arrivals with GPS check-in?
Use AppClose. You can privately log your own comings and goings.
Do you want an app that discourages hostile messages?
Use Custody X Change. Its co-parent messaging warns you (or your co-parent) before you send potentially offensive texts.
Do you need to record calls?
Use AppClose. It can store your co-parent calls along with a transcript.
Do you need to write a parenting plan?
Use Custody X Change. You can customize your parenting plan in the app, then download or print it.
Do you need help managing shared custody of a pet?
Use AppClose. It lets you track a feeding schedule, log pet expenses and more.
Bottom line
Which app you should use depends on your circumstances.
If you need to record your calls and prove when you arrive at exchanges, use AppClose.
If calculating parenting time and writing a parenting plan are more important, try Custody X Change. You'll also be able to see your custody schedule years into the future, message your co-parent, track expenses and more.