Our Family Wizard reviews 2023: Is this co-parenting app worth it?

Co-parenting apps are designed to be an ecosystem in which divorced or separated co-parents communicate, schedule on a shared calendar, and in some apps, track and share expenses, access documents and contacts and otherwise manage your kids' lives.

Often, courts require moms and dads use co-parenting apps, sometimes attorneys or therapists recommend it, and more and more, parents decide on their own to use co-parenting apps.

OurFamilyWizard (sometimes mistakenly called, ‘My Family Wizard’) is a co-parenting app used by tens of thousands of parents to make it easier to share a calendar and schedule, text, share documents and information and other features for better communication — that can be used in court if needed.

Our Family Wizard ranked #1 on our list of best co-parenting apps for 2023. Why?

• A+ Better Business Bureau rating for its parent company Avirat
• Superior technology — great user experience, and glitch-free (or close to it) interface
• Widely recognized by courts  
• Starting at $99 for one year it price is competitive, with a 50% military discount, financial assistance, and money-back guarantee / 30-day free trial

Our review of Our Family Wizard app

OFW is a quality co-parenting app, that is the most widely used and most-recognized by courts — and most often ordered by judges and court mediators, and recommended by attorneys and family therapists.

There are many, many co-parenting apps on the market, and I feel confident that Our Family Wizard is the top choice. After years of complaints of poor technology and customer service, OFW has seen dramatic improvements after being acquired by private equity firm Spectrum Equity in 2020.

I personally do not use Our Family Wizard, as my kids' dad and I rely on regular text, Google Calendar, email occasionally Zelle to manage our two teenagers.

However, if you are required or are considering a co-parenting app to keep all your calendars, finances, documents like health insurance and medical info, babysitters and school contacts, birth certificates and the like in one place, as well as a secure way to document and share finances, Our Family Wizard is worth the investment for many families.

Keep reading for more details about exactly how this app works, and its pros and cons.

Our Family Wizard reviews from the App Store

OFW has a 4.6/5 star review on the Apple App Store, based on more than 20,600 ratings. As of this writing, the app has most recently been updated May 4, 2023.

User reviews generally report the app is useful and the best of the co-parenting apps, but negative reviews report too many bugs.

Our Family Wizard reviews from Google Play

On Google Play, where OFW has been downloaded more than 100,000 times, the app has 4/5 stars based on more than 7,200 reviews. It was most recently updated May 3, 2023.

How does Our Family Wizard work?

Here is how Our Family Wizard works:

1. Each parent creates their own account
2. You can then connect OFW accounts by inviting the other parent (or vice versa!)
3. You can then immediately synch calendars, exchange messages inside the app, document and send requests for reimbursement for expenses, and more. Other features include:
   • OFW Tone Meter that flags any inflammatory language that could start an argument — or get you in trouble in family court
   • OFW money app, OFWPay, allowing you to connect your bank and send and receive money through the app

Our Family Wizard app features

Of all the co-parenting apps we tried, the Our Family Wizard app has the most features, and all in one, easy-to-use parenting portal. The overall goal of Our Family Wizard is to help separated and divorced parents improve co-parent communication and better facilitate coparent and shared parenting schedules.

You can grant your family lawyer or mediator access to Our Family Wizard, which can help in any disputes and facilitate parallel parenting, whether or not a court and judge are involved.

Our Family Wizard features include:

Our Family Wizard app calendar

While a shared calendar is the most obvious, and most widely used coparenting app feature, Our Family Wizard's calendar is easy to use to set a co-parenting schedule, as well as request, agree to, and reject schedule trades, keep track of custody for holidays, kids' activities, and manage first rights of refusal.

The swap feature is especially handy and a LOT easier and less stressful than using text or verbal communication for many of us:

A new feature includes the Holiday Schedule Builder to help families navigate what is often the most stressful and emotionally charged part of co-parenting. This feature is simple to use as it allows you to select one of dozens of national holidays, auto-populates the date, and allows you to choose which parent has the kids that day — and at what time.

What to do when a parent cancels visits last-minute

Our Family Wizard app messaging

Unlike texting or email, OFW messages cannot be deleted or altered. Similar to iPhone messages, these messages are time-stamped, and it is recorded if and when the other party reads them.

Interesting (and fun / funny feature, if you ask me) is the Tone Meter, which you can pay an extra $1o for in the build-your-own model, or is included in the standard package. This little icon goes from grey to red when the message you are typing has language that you should really, seriously reconsider. He is what it looks like when I was playing around with it in a message to my boyfriend who is 100% a REALLY NICE GUY:

Like other information recorded inside of Our Family Wizard these messages can be downloaded and submitted for court records for an additional fee, but only by a legal professional with an OFW account.

Check out Our Family Wizard‘s free 30-day free trial now >>

Our Family Wizard app expense sharing

Often, parents who have shared custody also must manage shared, out-of-pocket expenses for the kids, including medical and dental bills, school fees and expenses for extracurricular activities.

Our Family Wizard's expense log makes it easy to document expenses as they occur, share screenshots of receipts, automatically split the bill between parents based on an agreed-upon percentage (for example, if one parent is required to pay 30% of medical expenses, the actual sum owed by each parent would be calculated automatically) — as well as whether the cost-sharing has been paid.

Recently, the app introduced its OFWPay — an in-app payment tool that connects your bank accounts, more or less like Zelle or Venmo. Unless you are doubling down on documenting all your interactions with your ex for legal reasons, I'd suggest just relying on Paypal, Venmo, Zelle, cash, checks, bank transfers or other ways of paying, but that is up to you.

Our Family Wizard app check-in feature

Whether you are on friendly terms with your co-parent and want to let them know you arrived at your brothers' house safely, or need to document that you arrived on time for your parenting time, the Our Family Wizard time-stamped geo-tracking check-in feature allows a parent to document exactly where they are at any given time.

Does Our Family Wizard record phone calls?

No. Our Family Wizard only records text and email communications through the app using the following tools:

• Shared family calendar
• Journal for location check-ins and recording memories
• Expense log for shared parenting costs
• Message board for secure messaging between co-parents.

These tools are designed to decrease the number of emails and text messages needed between co-parents, which can lead to confusion and conflict.

Can you FaceTime or make phone calls on Our Family Wizard?

Video and phone calling is not currently available on Our Family Wizard, though you can use the app to plan and schedule times for phone and video chats on third-party platforms like Facetime and Zoom.

Our Family Wizard ToneMeter

For an additional $10, the ToneMeter is a unique tool that helps reduce conflict between co-parents. As you write a text, ToneMeter flags any inflammatory language that could make your life a lot more difficult (even if you feel better in the moment! No judgment — I've been there!):

How to co-parenting with even the most toxic ex

More Our Family Wizard app features:

• Available for iOS and Android
• Face recognition sign-in and PIN quick sign-in
• Option for attorney access — keeps everyone honest! Plus, you can communicate with your attorney within the Our Family Wizard app.
• Notifications — get alerts to new messages, schedule change requests, and document uploads
• Info Bank, so you can keep track of important information and contacts like:
  • Passport info
  • Social security numbers
  • Insurance cards
  • Doctors' contacts
  • Medical and prescription info
  • Phone numbers and addresses of family members, babysitters and nannies, school, daycare and friends.
  • Upload documents like a parenting plan, separation or divorce agreement, or school documents like an IEP or report card.

• Military discount
• Fee waivers for families in need
• 30-day free trial, with 100% money-back guarantee

Our Family Wizard cost: Pricing questions answered

Is Our Family Wizard free?

No, both parents have to pay for Our Family Wizard, except for military families, who get a BOGO offer. But, there is a free 30-day money-back guarantee for everyone:

Our Family Wizard offers financial aid to families who qualify, and the app has granted more than 8,000 families free or reduced use of the app as of January 2023.

Check out Our Family Wizard's free 30-day free trial now >>

How much does the Our Family Wizard app cost?

Below is a breakdown of Our Family Wizard’s pricing:

• One Year: $119.97, or
• $200.97 for two years
• Build-your-own custom plan starting at $99.
• 50% discount for military families (see the site for info — no promo code needed)
• Fee waiver for families in need

You can add all other people for FREE: children, attorneys, step-parents, grandparents, babysitters.

In the build-your own option starts at $99, and you can chose a 1- or 2-year plan and add on features:

• ToneMeter: $10/year
• Additional storage, starting at 3GB for $18/year

Sign up for Our Family Wizard’s free trial now >>

Our Family Wizard discount code: Is there a promo code or discount available?

OFW does not work with coupons or discount codes. However, the app will provide 100% financial aid to those who qualify, as well as military discounts.

Our Family Wizard fee waiver program: Who is eligible?

OFW does have a military discount, as well as a fee waiver program for families who fill out their applications and qualify. With each membership, there are an unlimited number of people who can be added on to the account for free.

You qualify for an Our Family Wizard fee waiver and will get the app for free, if you receive certain public benefits including housing or utility assistance, Medicaid, or food assistance. 

To qualify for the fee waiver, each co-parent must apply.

Do both parents have to pay for the Our Family Wizard app?

Yes. You have to use OurFamilyWizard with your co-parent. Each parent has to create their own account, and each account requires a membership fee.

Then, each of those parents can add unlimited numbers of other people: Children, babysitters, grandparents, friends, step-parents, lawyers, nannies.

Is Our Family Wizard monitored? 

You can give access to professionals involved in your co-parenting case to monitor your account. 

Does OurFamilyWizard track you? 

OFW does not track your location. However, there is a “check-in” tool that allows you to share your location, or prove your whereabouts. The check-in is recorded in real-time in the app.

Who can access OurFamilyWizard?

In addition to the parents themselves, judges, attorneys, and mediators can be given access to Our Family Wizard free of charge. Judges and attorneys can subpoena OFW records.

Professionals can monitor multiple accounts and keep track of the families they’re working with.

A definitive list of 7 co-parenting boundaries you need to know

What can a professional see on Our Family Wizard?

If you are working with an attorney, mediator, therapist or other professional, you can grant them all access to your whole account. A judge may order this professional to have access.

Is Our Family Wizard admissible in court?

Yes, this communication can be suponead, or otherwise downloaded — for a fee, and only by someone with a professional Our Family Wizard — and used as evidence in court.

21 best parenting apps making life easier [2023 reviews]

Who would benefit from using the Our Family Wizard app?

OurFamilyWizard is used by hundreds of thousands of families across the country, in all 50 states. These families include:

• Parents a court mandate to use a co-parenting app
• Parents whose lawyers suggest they use a co-parenting app
• Divorced parents
• Separated parents
• Parents who were never a couple
• Parents who frequent family court and need documentation of visits, communication and expense payment
• Parents who share equal, 50/50 custody or joint custody parenting plans
• Parents who have sole custody, or are working together to co-parent in a variety of visitation schedules
• High-conflict parents who communicate exclusively through OurFamilyWizard, which can help with interpersonal conflict management
• Parents who co-parent amicably, but like the convenience of keeping all information and communication about the children inside of one app
• Parents who need help to manage right to first refusal custody

Alyssa Stacey, a divorced mom of one, says this:

 I requested that we be ordered to use Our Family Wizard and the judge accepted it. My ex was extremely anti-usage of any app, but the reasons for that (not wanting me to be able to say “yes you did see this message, you read it on XX day at YY time” or to know when he logged in and checked the calendar) were the reasons that I wanted to use it.

It's great for me because all the communication is in one place (no going between text and email) and it isn't clogging up the email inbox. There's a calendar that I add everything to – if he checks it he checks it, if not that's on him, and everything I add is time-stamped so I can say, yes I added the appointment 2 months ago, etc. There's also an expense tracker where I can upload receipts for medical and invoice for his share. I consider it well worth the $8 per month.

Tips for how to use OurFamilyWizard co-parenting app:

• Be consistent. Always use the messaging feature within the app — never your personal text or email
• Always stick to your agreement for how you will use the app, even if the other parent does not
• Keep in mind how all the features help you, as well as the co-parent. For example, it is really helpful to have all the kids' documents in one place — whether or not your kids other parent accesses them.

Our Family Wizard app pros

• OurFamilyWizard has been in business since 2001 and is by far the most widely used co-parenting app.
• The tool has dozens of features, and for the most part, is very easy to use with intuitive user experience.
• The app records activity and conversation for easy court reporting (messages can't be deleted).
• You can give your attorney or mediator access to your account.
• OurFamilyWizard's parent company, Avirat, has an A+ Better Business Bureau rating, which BBB attributes to one unresolved customer complaint.
• OurFamilyWizard is working to improve its ratings across all reporting agencies, resolving individual issues and making the app better for all users. It previously had 2.3 stars on Google Play and now has 4.4 stars.

Our Family Wizard app cons

• The TrustPilot score is 1.8 stars based on 17 reviews.
• Each parent must buy a subscription.
• You cannot use OurFamilyWizard solo — just like with conception, you need two people (however, it is free to add other people … more info below).

Is there an Our Family Wizard alternative?

While there are other parenting apps available, there really are none comparable to Our Family Wizard. Realistically, without Our Family Wizard, you could rely on text or email communication and Google calendar to co-parent with an ex.

Bottom line: Is OurFamilyWizard worth it? Is OurFamilyWizard a good app?

Yes, Our Family Wizard is worth it, especially if you are required to use it, or if you have real legal issues that benefit from documenting all your co-parenting inside of a single app. OFW streamlines co-parenting with an ex, reducing the need for communication and allowing you to share essential information about your children. 

You can share a calendar and schedule, text, share documents and utilize other tools for better communication. Plus, you can use the app to document communications for court if needed.

That said, many parents would be best-served to just rely on regular text, email, sharing the calendar you normaly use (Google Calendar, iCal). Adding another app to your phone — especially if it is devoted to someone you really dislike or even have negative feelings about means you are unlikely to use it effectively.

If you do use OFW, here are our tips for making the most of it:

• Be consistent. Always use the messaging feature within the app — never your personal text or email
• Always stick to your agreement for how you will use the app, even if the other parent does not
• Keep in mind how all the features help you, as well as the co-parent. For example, it is really helpful to have all the kids' documents in one place — whether or not your kids other parent accesses them.

Sign up for OurFamilyWizard’s 30-day free trial now >>