Best Family Calendar App for Co-Parents (That Cozi Can't Handle)

Co-parenting is already complicated. Coordinating soccer practice pickups, school events, doctor appointments, and custody weekends across two households requires a shared calendar that actually works for split families.

The problem is that the most popular family calendar apps — Cozi chief among them — were designed for nuclear families living under one roof. When your family spans two homes, these apps break down fast.

Here's what actually works for co-parents in 2026.

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Why Cozi Doesn't Work for Co-Parents

Let's start with why the default recommendation falls apart. Cozi is built around a single family account. Everyone — parents, kids, grandparents — shares one login, one view, one set of calendars.

For co-parents, this creates immediate problems:

Co-Parenting Need	What Cozi Offers
Separate households	❌ Single family only
Selective sharing	❌ Everyone sees everything
Permission controls	❌ Anyone can delete any event
Two calendar views	❌ One shared view for all
Privacy between parents	❌ No private calendars within the family
Google Calendar sync	⚠️ One-way only

If you're co-parenting amicably and both want to use Cozi, you'd need to share a single account login. Both parents see everything. Both parents can edit and delete anything. There's no concept of "Parent A's schedule" vs. "Parent B's schedule" within the same family.

For blended families — where each parent may have a new partner, step-kids, or a second household's schedule to manage — Cozi simply wasn't designed for this complexity.

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What Co-Parents Actually Need in a Calendar App

Based on how real co-parenting families manage schedules, here's what matters:

Must-haves:

• Selective sharing — Share the kids' calendar between households without exposing your personal schedule
• Permission controls — Decide who can view vs. edit
• Two-way sync — Both parents' changes should appear in real time, no matter which app or device they use
• Works across platforms — One parent on iPhone, the other on Android? It needs to work for both
• Easy event creation — School flyers, sports schedules, and activity registrations come at you fast

Nice-to-haves:

• Color-coding by household — Visual separation between Mom's house events and Dad's house events
• Shared lists — Grocery lists, school supply lists, packing lists for custody weekends
• AI extraction — Snap a photo of the school calendar instead of typing 40 events manually

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The Best Calendar Options for Co-Parents in 2026

1. Calendara — Best for Amicable Co-Parenting with AI

Calendara's sharing model is built around flexibility, not a rigid one-family structure. Here's why it works for co-parents:

How it works for two households:

• Create a "Kids" calendar for shared events (school, sports, activities)
• Share it with your co-parent via QR code or link
• Each parent keeps their own personal calendar private
• Set view-only or edit permissions per person
• Two-way Google Calendar sync means both parents see updates instantly, even in their own Google Calendar

The AI advantage for co-parents:

When your kid comes home with a school flyer on Friday, you snap a photo and every event lands on the shared calendar. No more "I emailed you the schedule" → "I never got it" → missed events. Both parents see it immediately because it syncs both ways.

Feature	For Co-Parents
Selective sharing	✅ Share specific calendars, keep others private
Permissions	✅ View-only or edit access
Google sync	✅ Two-way — both parents stay updated
AI extraction	✅ Photo-to-calendar for school schedules
Shared lists	✅ Grocery lists, packing lists for custody weekends
Price	$4.99/month

Best for: Amicable co-parenting where both parents want to stay coordinated on the kids' schedule without sharing personal calendars.

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2. Google Calendar — Best Free Option

Google Calendar isn't a "family" app, but its sharing model actually works well for co-parents who are comfortable with a bit of setup.

How to set it up for co-parenting:

• Create a dedicated "Kids Activities" Google Calendar
• Share it with your co-parent's Google account (give them edit access)
• Each parent keeps their own personal Google calendars separate
• Both parents see the shared calendar alongside their own

We wrote a full guide to setting up a shared family calendar with Google if you want step-by-step instructions.

Limitations:

• No shared shopping/grocery lists
• No AI features — every event is manual entry
• Setup requires both parents to have Google accounts
• No family-specific design or features

Best for: Co-parents who want a free solution and don't mind manual event entry.

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3. OurFamilyWizard — Best for High-Conflict Situations

If co-parenting communication is difficult or court-monitored, OurFamilyWizard is purpose-built for this. It's not a general family calendar — it's a co-parenting coordination platform.

What it offers:

• Shared calendar with custody scheduling
• Expense tracking and payment documentation
• Monitored messaging (can be used as court evidence)
• Information bank for children's details (medical, school, etc.)
• ToneMeter AI that flags hostile language before messages are sent

Limitations:

• Expensive ($150+/year per parent)
• Not designed for everyday family scheduling
• No shopping lists, no recipes, no general family features
• Overkill for amicable co-parenting

Best for: High-conflict custody situations where legal documentation matters.

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4. TimeTree — Decent Free Alternative

TimeTree is a shared calendar app with a cleaner interface than Cozi and better sharing flexibility.

What it offers:

• Create multiple shared calendars
• Share specific calendars with different people
• Memo/note attachments to events
• Free for core features

Limitations:

• No AI features
• No shopping or to-do lists
• No Google Calendar two-way sync
• Can feel cluttered with multiple shared calendars

Best for: Co-parents who want a free shared calendar with more flexibility than Cozi.

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How to Set Up a Co-Parenting Calendar (The Right Way)

Regardless of which app you choose, here's the structure that works:

Step 1: Create a "Kids" shared calendar This is the calendar both parents can see and edit. It contains everything related to the children — school events, sports, doctor appointments, playdates, birthdays.

Step 2: Keep personal calendars separate Your work schedule, date nights, personal appointments — these stay on your own calendar. Only you can see them.

Step 3: Color-code by type Use colors to distinguish between school events, sports, medical, and custody exchanges. This makes the shared calendar scannable at a glance.

Step 4: Set a rule for adding events Agree with your co-parent: whoever receives the information adds it to the shared calendar. School flyer comes home with Mom? Mom adds it. Coach emails Dad the tournament schedule? Dad adds it. With AI extraction, this takes seconds instead of minutes.

Step 5: Enable two-way sync If both parents use Google Calendar for work, make sure the shared calendar syncs to both Google accounts. This way, custody weekends and kids' events appear alongside work meetings — no switching between apps.

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Quick Comparison: Which App Fits Your Situation?

Situation	Best App	Why
Amicable co-parenting, want AI and modern features	Calendara	Selective sharing, two-way sync, AI extraction
Amicable co-parenting, want free	Google Calendar	Free, flexible, syncs everywhere
High-conflict custody	OurFamilyWizard	Legal documentation, monitored communication
Just need basic shared calendar	TimeTree	Free, simple, multiple shared calendars
Single household (not co-parenting)	Any family app	Different needs, more options

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The Co-Parenting Calendar Mistake to Avoid

The biggest mistake co-parents make with shared calendars: sharing too much. You don't need your co-parent to see your full personal schedule — and they probably don't want you seeing theirs either.

The goal is coordination on the kids' schedule, not visibility into each other's lives. Choose an app that lets you share selectively, set appropriate permissions, and keep boundaries clear.

That's exactly what Cozi's single-family model gets wrong. And it's what makes selective sharing the most important feature for any co-parenting calendar setup.

Related Guides

• Best Shared Calendar for Divorced Parents
• The Best Calendar for Divorced Parents
• How to Share a Family Calendar (iPhone, Android, Google)
• How to Switch from Cozi to Calendara
• Best Shared Calendar Apps in 2026