Parenting · alternatives
Alternatives to What to Expect
22 parenting tools sit alongside What to Expect in this directory. Below is what separates each from What to Expect on the figures we hold, price, model, tier count and rating, and a direct comparison for every one.
- Alternatives listed
- 22
- With a free tier
- 14
- Cheaper to start
- 0
- What to Expect starts at
- Free
Why people look past What to Expect
Only what the record supports. Each point below is a figure on the What to Expect entry measured against the tools listed beside it.
There is only one tier
What to Expect publishes a single plan, Free at Free. There is no smaller tier to drop to if the fit is wrong or the budget moves.
What each alternative does differently
Ordered by the aggregated rating on each catalogue entry. Differences are drawn from price, pricing model, tier count and rating, the fields the category listing carries. For a feature-level difference, follow the head-to-head link on each card: those pages read both full records.
The all-in-one community platform
- No free tier, where What to Expect has one.
- Starts $49 a month dearer, at $49/month.
- Sold on a subscription model rather than freemium.
- 3 tiers to What to Expect's 1.
The debit card for kids, managed by you
- No free tier, where What to Expect has one.
- Starts $3.99 a month dearer, at $3.99/month.
- Sold on a subscription model rather than freemium.
The family finance app for modern families
- No free tier, where What to Expect has one.
- Starts $5.99 a month dearer, at $5.99/month.
- Sold on a subscription model rather than freemium.
Apple's built-in parental controls for iOS and Mac
- Sold on a free model rather than freemium.
Child GPS tracker and parental control app
- 2 tiers to What to Expect's 1.
Shared family calendar for coordinating activities
- Starts $2.99 a month dearer, at $2.99/month.
- 2 tiers to What to Expect's 1.
Every What to Expect alternative at a glance
A dash means the catalogue entry carries no figure, not that the answer is nothing.
| Tool | Entry price | Model | Tiers | Head to head |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What to Expect (this page) | Free | Freemium | 1 | |
| CircleThe all-in-one community platform | $49/month | Subscription | 3 | vs What to Expect |
| GohenryThe debit card for kids, managed by you | $3.99/month | Subscription | 1 | vs What to Expect |
| GreenlightThe family finance app for modern families | $5.99/month | Subscription | - | vs What to Expect |
| Apple Screen TimeApple's built-in parental controls for iOS and Mac | Free | Free | 1 | vs What to Expect |
| Find My Kids | Free | Freemium | 2 | vs What to Expect |
| FamCal | Free, then $2.99/month | Freemium | 2 | vs What to Expect |
| Canopy | Free, then $8.33/month | Subscription | 3 | vs What to Expect |
| Glow Baby | Free, then $59.99/year | Freemium | 2 | vs What to Expect |
| Artkive | Free, then $75/product | - | 2 | vs What to Expect |
| Cozi Family Organizer | Free, then $29.99/year | Freemium | 2 | vs What to Expect |
| Brightwheel | Free | Subscription | 2 | vs What to Expect |
| FamilyAlbum | Free, then $2.99/month | Freemium | 4 | vs What to Expect |
| BabyCenter | Free | Free | 1 | vs What to Expect |
| Care.com | Free | Subscription | 2 | vs What to Expect |
| Baby Tracker - Newborn Log | Free, then $4.99/one-time | Freemium | 2 | vs What to Expect |
| Brili Routines | Free | Subscription | 2 | vs What to Expect |
| FamilyWall | Free, then $4.99/month | Freemium | 2 | vs What to Expect |
| Bark | $14/month | Subscription | 4 | vs What to Expect |
| FamiSafe Location | $9.99/month | Subscription | 2 | vs What to Expect |
| BusyKid | $4/month | - | 2 | vs What to Expect |
| Famzoo | $5.99/month | - | - | vs What to Expect |
| FamiSafe | $9.99/month | Subscription | 2 | vs What to Expect |
Ratings are aggregated from third-party sources and imported with each catalogue entry; Softwr hosts no reviews of these products. How each figure is used is set out on the What to Expect badges page.
Cheaper ways to solve the same problem
Free to start (14)
These publish a tier that costs nothing, so they can be evaluated before any money changes hands.
- Apple Screen Time , Free
- Find My Kids , Free
- FamCal , Free, then $2.99/month
- Canopy , Free, then $8.33/month
- Glow Baby , Free, then $59.99/year
- Artkive , Free, then $75/product
- Cozi Family Organizer , Free, then $29.99/year
- Brightwheel , Free
What you would be giving up
What to Expect is most often brought in for pregnancy tracking, parenting guidance, community support, health information. Anything replacing it has to cover the ones you actually depend on, and a cheaper tool that misses one of them is not cheaper.
Two things this page cannot settle. It compares on price, model, tier count and rating, because those are the fields the category listing carries, feature-level differences need both full records, which is what the head-to-head pages load. And the ratings are third-party aggregates imported with each entry rather than reviews written here, so a 0.2 difference between two tools is noise rather than a finding.
If What to Expect is broadly right and the question is cost, the What to Expect pricing breakdown covers every tier and what each one adds. If you want the whole field rather than a shortlist, the Parenting category lists everything the directory holds, and best parenting tools ranks them.
What to Expect runs on web, ios, android. Platform coverage is not carried on the category listing for the alternatives, so it is one more thing to check on each head-to-head page rather than here.
Questions about What to Expect alternatives
- What are the main alternatives to What to Expect?
- 22 other parenting tools are listed in this directory, led by Circle, Gohenry, Greenlight, Apple Screen Time. They are ordered by the aggregated rating on each catalogue entry, not by any Softwr ranking.
- What is the best free alternative to What to Expect?
- 14 of the alternatives listed here can be used without paying: Apple Screen Time, Find My Kids, FamCal, Canopy, Glow Baby.
- Why do people look for an alternative to What to Expect?
- On the figures on record, one thing stands out: there is only one tier. Each is set out with the numbers behind it above.
- What would I give up by switching from What to Expect?
- What to Expect is most often brought in for pregnancy tracking, parenting guidance, community support, health information. Anything you replace it with has to cover the ones you actually rely on, the side-by-side comparisons linked from each alternative below put the two feature records against each other.
- Is there an open-source alternative to What to Expect?
- None of the parenting tools listed here are recorded as open source. That is what the licence field on each entry says, and the field is not always filled in, so it is worth checking directly for any tool you are serious about.
- How were these What to Expect alternatives chosen?
- They are the tools filed in the same category, Parenting, ordered by the aggregated rating on each entry. There is no editorial shortlist, and nothing on this page is paid: no sponsored placement runs on alternatives pages and the order cannot be bought. Softwr has not used these products.
- Where can I compare What to Expect against one of these directly?
- Every alternative below has a side-by-side page against What to Expect covering price, platforms, features and what each one is used for. Those pages read the full record for both products rather than the summary shown here.
- Does this list cover every parenting tool?
- No. It covers what this directory holds in the Parenting category, 22 tools beside What to Expect. The category page lists the rest of the catalogue as it grows.