CustodyTrac

CustodyTrac is a co-parenting workspace for families that need schedules, financial records, exchange logs, and legal documentation together. It fits co-parents whose arrangements may need attorney, mediator, or court review. Its free-forever plan includes both parents and every feature, while its permanent message history requires deliberate communication.

Overview

CustodyTrac connects custody calendars, events, swap approvals, messaging, expenses, transfers, incident reports, and legal exports in one record. That combination is more useful than a calendar-only app when reimbursement disputes, missed exchanges, or formal documentation are recurring concerns. Swap requests require sign-off, giving schedule changes an explicit approval trail.

The company was founded in 2022. CustodyTrac says it does not sell personal information or use family data for advertising, and users can export or delete their data. Its stated protections include TLS 1.3 for data in transit, AES-256 for data at rest, bcrypt password hashing, and SOC 2 Type II compliance. In-app support includes help from a real person.

Key features

Schedules and communication

Shared custody schedules and events keep both parents working from the same plan. Signed-off swap requests are particularly useful where verbal agreements often cause later disputes. Messages include timestamps and per-person read receipts, which clarify delivery and acknowledgment. They cannot be edited or deleted, however, so an accidental, overly emotional, or sensitive message remains part of the record.

Expenses and payments

Expense tracking supports custom splits, reimbursement requests, receipts, running balances, and PDF or CSV exports. This suits families dividing costs in unequal proportions or needing a clear accounting trail. Payment processing is included, reducing the need to separate a reimbursement workflow from the expense record.

Transfers and incidents

Parents can log exchanges as on time, late, or missed, with optional location information. That creates a structured history for recurring handoff problems, while optional locations let users document context without making it mandatory. Incident reports add another formal record alongside routine custody entries.

Legal reports and professional access

Legal reports combine custody history across selected date ranges into formatted PDFs for attorneys, mediators, or courts. Parents can also create secure, revocable, read-only portal links for professionals; portal views are logged. Read-only access limits accidental changes while the access log shows when a professional viewed the record. These tools make CustodyTrac a stronger fit for legally involved co-parenting than an app focused only on chat.

Pricing

Free forever — free. The plan includes all features, both parents, and no per-parent fees. Expense tracking, document storage, advanced court reports, and payment processing are included. There is no free trial because the core offering is already free, and no paid upgrade or renewal condition is presented. For families wanting comprehensive records without a subscription, this removes a significant cost barrier. The trade-off is not a reduced feature set but the irrevocable nature of sent messages, which applies even when the price is zero.

Platforms

CustodyTrac runs on Android, iOS, and the web. That combination supports mobile logging during exchanges and browser access for reviewing records or preparing reports on a larger screen.

Who it's for

Choose CustodyTrac if both parents need one shared custody record covering schedules, swaps, expenses, transfers, incidents, and court-ready PDFs. It is especially appropriate when attorneys or mediators need controlled, read-only visibility. Families seeking casual coordination with the ability to revise conversation history should look elsewhere because sent messages cannot be changed or removed.

Pros and cons

• Pros: All features are free for both parents, with no per-parent fees.
• Pros: Custom expense splits, receipts, balances, reimbursement requests, and exports support detailed financial accountability.
• Pros: Date-range legal PDFs and revocable professional portals make records practical for formal proceedings.
• Pros: Read receipts, timestamps, sign-off requests, and transfer statuses create specific accountability points.
• Cons: Sent messages cannot be edited or deleted, so communication mistakes remain in the record.
• Cons: Location logging is optional, which means transfer records may be less complete when parents do not add it.

Alternatives

Browse Co-Parenting Apps for a wider comparison. Pick Custody X Change instead if you need Android, iOS, macOS, web, and Windows coverage and can accept a limited free version with subscription-gated features.

AppClose is the better choice when a free hardship or domestic-violence waiver, a free trial, or a paid monthly web plan matters. Choose Beacon Co-Parenting App for free everyday tools on Android, iOS, and web, including a no-card free arrangement.

BestInterest suits parents who want free secure messaging, Solo Mode, coaching sessions, calls, calendars, tasks, and expenses. CoreParent is worth considering when iOS, macOS, and web access is sufficient and you prefer explicit free caps on expenses and court documents.

Choose Peaceful CoParenting Messenger for messaging-focused coordination on Android, iOS, and macOS. dip is an alternative for a free, ad-free service that says it does not sell data. Fayr fits families wanting a free core app on Android and iOS with a paid tier for location logs, file storage, and PDF exports.

Verdict

CustodyTrac is a strong choice for co-parents who want a complete, court-oriented record without subscription costs. Its expense tools, transfer history, professional portals, and advanced reports provide more structure than a basic calendar or messenger. Look elsewhere if editable or deletable messages are essential, or if you need desktop platforms beyond the web.