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Parenting & Family · head to head

FamilyWall vs Messenger Kids

FamilyWall logo

FamilyWall

Parenting & Family

Private family network for organizing and sharing

From
Free
Rated
-
Messenger Kids logo

Messenger Kids

Parenting & Family

Video calls and messaging for kids, controlled by parents

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: FamilyWall budget tracking, meal planning, family document storage and schedule management are Premium only; Messenger Kids free app with no ads and no in-app purchases, so there is no paid tier to unlock additional features
  • They diverge on capability: FamilyWall covers Private family network, Messenger Kids covers Video calling.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which FamilyWall and Messenger Kids actually diverge.

Attributes where FamilyWall and Messenger Kids differ
AttributeFamilyWallMessenger Kids
Pricing modelfreemiumfree
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidIos, Android, Amazon-fire
Founded20122004

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Parenting & Family).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in FamilyWall

  • Private family network
  • Shared calendar
  • Real-time location sharing
  • Location history
  • Family messaging
  • Photo sharing
  • Shopping lists
  • Chore assignment

Only in Messenger Kids

  • Video calling
  • Text messaging
  • GIFs and stickers
  • Interactive masks
  • Drawing tools
  • Parent dashboard
  • Sleep mode controls
  • Contact approval

Both cover

  • Cloud deployment
  • Ios support
  • Android support
  • English language support
  • French language support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

FamilyWall

  • Running a shared colour-coded family calendar across phones and the webnot Messenger Kids
  • Keeping shared shopping, chore and to-do lists for a householdnot Messenger Kids
  • Planning meals and tracking family expenses on the Premium plannot Messenger Kids

Messenger Kids

  • Video calling with familynot FamilyWall
  • Kid-safe messagingnot FamilyWall
  • Remote family connectionnot FamilyWall
  • Supervised communicationnot FamilyWall

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

FamilyWall

  • Budget tracking, meal planning, family document storage and schedule management are Premium only
  • Google and Outlook calendar sync and subscribing to a calendar by URL are Premium only
  • Locating family members and arrival or departure notifications are Premium only
  • Premium storage is capped at 25 GB
  • Premium costs 4.99 USD per month or 44.99 USD per year in the US and Canada, with other countries priced only in-app
  • Premium features apply only to the first 5 circles created
  • The Premium subscription renews automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the period ends
  • Any unused part of the 30-day free trial is forfeited when a subscription is purchased

Messenger Kids

  • Free app with no ads and no in-app purchases, so there is no paid tier to unlock additional features

Pricing, plan by plan

FamilyWall

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Shared calendar
    • Location sharing
    • Family messaging
  • Premium$4.99/month
    • Everything in Free
    • Unlimited members
    • Location history

Messenger Kids

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Video calls
    • Messaging
    • GIFs and stickers

Which should you pick?

Choose FamilyWall if

  • You need private family network.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want shared calendar.

Choose Messenger Kids if

  • You need video calling.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Ios, Android, Amazon-fire.
  • You also want text messaging.

Questions people ask

Is FamilyWall or Messenger Kids better?
Neither clearly leads. FamilyWall starts at Free and Messenger Kids at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, FamilyWall or Messenger Kids?
FamilyWall starts at Free and Messenger Kids at Free.
Does FamilyWall or Messenger Kids run on more platforms?
FamilyWall runs on Web, Ios, Android. Messenger Kids runs on Ios, Android, Amazon-fire.
Can I use FamilyWall for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is FamilyWall best used for?
FamilyWall is most often used for running a shared colour-coded family calendar across phones and the web, keeping shared shopping, chore and to-do lists for a household, planning meals and tracking family expenses on the premium plan. Of those, running a shared colour-coded family calendar across phones and the web and keeping shared shopping, chore and to-do lists for a household are not what Messenger Kids is typically brought in for.
What can FamilyWall do that Messenger Kids cannot?
FamilyWall covers Private family network, Shared calendar, Real-time location sharing, Location history. Messenger Kids covers Video calling, Text messaging, GIFs and stickers, Interactive masks. Both handle Cloud deployment, Ios support, Android support, English language support.

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