Honest comparison
ParentGlow vs AppClose
For years AppClose was the free one. It isn't any more — and it charges each parent separately. If you're a UK family who'd rather pay once for both homes, in your own language, here's an honest side-by-side.
- One plan — both homes
- Free data export, forever
- UK-native & GDPR-first
The short version
Is there a UK alternative to AppClose?
Yes — ParentGlow is a UK-built alternative. For a UK family it comes down to three things.
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One plan, not per parent
AppClose's own FAQ puts it plainly: your subscription “applies only to your account”, and a co-parent “must also have an active subscription” to answer calls and see messages. Two homes, two subscriptions. ParentGlow is one plan for both parents and the wider circle you invite.
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Around a third of the price, on the app
Most people use the app, not a browser on their phone. In the UK that's £8.99/mo each on AppClose — about £17.98/mo for two homes. ParentGlow is £5.99/mo, and that covers both.
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Built for UK family life
Child arrangements, contact and PD 27A — not US “custody”. AppClose says its Certified Electronic Business Records are “available only to users in the United States”, so its flagship court feature isn't one a UK parent can lean on.
Where's AppClose ahead? Free in-app calling, a big head start, and a genuinely generous trial and fee-waiver scheme — the honest version is below.
Side by side
ParentGlow vs AppClose, line by line.
A fair, like-for-like look at price, pricing model, UK fit, your data and court-readiness — plus the things AppClose genuinely does better.
| Feature |
 ParentGlow
|
AppClose |
|---|---|---|
| Price (UK, Jul 2026) | £5.99/mo · £59.99/yr — for the whole family | £8.99/mo in the app · £5.99/mo on the web · £64.99/yr prepaid (web) — each parent |
| What two homes actually pay | £5.99/mo — one plan covers both | ≈£17.98/mo on the app, or ≈£11.98/mo on the web (2 × £8.99 / 2 × £5.99) |
| Pricing model | One plan — both parents and the wider circle you choose | Per parent — “your subscription applies only to your account”; you can buy your co-parent's for them |
| Built for the UK | UK-native — £, NHS numbers, UK school terms, UK family-law language | Prices in £, but US-shaped throughout — “court-ordered in every U.S. county” |
| Court-readiness | Tamper-evident (SHA-256), PD 27A-aligned export | Certified Electronic Business Records — but “available only to users in the United States” |
| Your data | Free, full export — forever, no per-record charges | Exporting records is free |
| In-app calling | Not yet — messaging, calendar, expenses and records | Free audio & video calling; recorded and transcribed with mutual consent |
| Tone help | Tone Guard suggests the calmer rewrite | Co-Parent Assist reviews tone before you send |
| Free plan | Free during early access; free data export forever | No free plan since 2026; 60-day free trial, plus hardship and domestic-abuse fee waivers |
| Track record | New — UK early access (2026) | Since 2016, with a large established user base |
AppClose figures checked 15 July 2026 from a UK view, and quoted from AppClose's own Subscription & Fee Waiver FAQ and pricing page. AppClose prices vary by country — verify current pricing before relying on it.
The honest caveat
Where AppClose is ahead.
Three things, and we won't pretend otherwise. Its free in-app calling and video is genuinely useful and we don't have it yet — with both parties' consent, calls can be recorded, transcribed and kept. It has been going since 2016, so it's the more familiar name and the one your co-parent may already have. And its fee waivers — free accounts for parents in financial hardship and for survivors of domestic abuse, with discounts for serving military and veterans — are a good thing that deserves saying out loud.
If free in-app calling is the feature you need, AppClose is the stronger choice, and we'd rather tell you that than win on a technicality.
For UK families
Where ParentGlow is built differently.
AppClose is a good app built for American families. We built ours for yours.
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One price for both homes
Per-parent pricing charges a family twice for the crime of living in two houses. One ParentGlow plan covers both parents and the wider circle — grandparents, a childminder, whoever you choose.
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UK family life, not a US courtroom
Contact, child arrangements, parental responsibility — plus £, NHS numbers, UK school terms and PD 27A-aligned records. AppClose's certified records, by its own account, stop at the US border.
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Your data is yours
Free, full export forever, no lock-in. Both apps let you export — we're saying we'll never make that the thing we charge you for.
ParentGlow isn't legal-advice software — it speaks your language and keeps a fair record, so you'd walk in prepared, not panicking.
Honest routing
Which should you choose?
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Choose AppClose if…
You're in the US, or you need free in-app calling, or your co-parent is already settled on it and switching would cause more friction than it's worth. If money is the barrier, look at their fee waiver before you look at us.
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Choose ParentGlow if…
You're a UK family who wants one fair price for both homes, your own family-law language, court-ready records that mean something here, and your data free to take with you.
Honest pricing
One plan covers both homes.
Other apps charge each parent separately — punishing a family for living in two homes. We don't. One subscription covers both parents and the wider circle you choose to bring in.
More honest comparisons: vs OurFamilyWizard → · vs 2houses → · vs TalkingParents → · Compare all UK apps →
Bring the calm home.
Early access is rolling out across the UK now. One email when it's your turn — that's it.
You're on the list — we'll be in touch. 🌱
Free during early access · one plan covers both parents · unsubscribe anytime