TinyTasksBest chore chart apps for young kids
Most chore apps are lists, which works fine once a kid can read one. Under about eight, that assumption breaks down. This page compares the main options for younger kids, what each costs, and which ones work before reading does.
Prices, ratings and requirements below were checked against each App Store listing on 8 September 2026. TinyTasks is our app, and this page says plainly where it is not the right pick.
What matters for younger kids
-
Can a non-reader use it alone?
Pictures over text. An icon is a complete instruction; a word is a shape a young kid has to ask about.
-
Is it sized for small hands?
Tap targets, not list rows. A board designed for a tablet beats a phone list scaled up.
-
Does finishing feel like something?
Immediate feedback beats delayed points. A five-year-old will not save stars for two weeks; a seven-year-old might.
-
Does it stay working?
Whether syncing needs a third-party account you maintain, and whether the app is still being updated.
-
What does a year cost?
Including whether the free tier is usable on its own, or just a demo.
The apps
TinyTasks
Best for: A kid who can't read yet, on an iPad
Built specifically for this age range and for iPad. Picture-first tasks, one tap to finish, a celebration each time. It is a chore board and nothing else: no allowance tracking, no family calendar, no phone version.
It runs on the iPad you already own, and it is the newest app here. TinyTasks launched in 2026 and is built by one person, so it has a handful of ratings where the others have hundreds or thousands. If a long track record matters more to you than the pre-reader fit, one of the others is the safer pick.
- Price. Free for one kid. Plus is $18.99 a year or $2.99 a month for unlimited kids and every feature, and there is a $49.99 lifetime option. Every account starts with a 14-day trial of Plus.
- Free tier. One kid, unlimited daily tasks, no card. Adding a second kid needs Plus.
- What you need. Any iPad on iPadOS 15.1 or later. iPad only.
Chore Pad
Best for: Stars and rewards, with deep customization
The longest-running iPad chore chart here, shipping since 2010 and still actively updated. Kids earn stars for finishing chores and trade them for rewards you define, which suits a child who is motivated by saving up for something. It has a passcode-protected parent mode, stock chore icons plus your own photos, and per-child repeat schedules and star values.
It is a star-and-reward chart rather than a picture-first board, so it works best once a kid can read the chore names. Syncing between devices goes through a Dropbox account you link yourself, and that sync is part of the paid tier.
- Price. Free to download. Chore Pad Premium is $2.99 a month or $24.99 a year with a 7-day trial, and adds themes, more icons, a star modifier, Dropbox syncing and daily backups.
- Free tier. Generous. Their own listing says the free experience covers everything a family needs to run their chores.
- What you need. iPadOS 16 or later, so it will not run on older iPads. Also on iPhone.
Chores & Allowance Bot
Best for: Chores tied to allowance and savings goals
Shipping since 2013 and the most established app on this page by rating count. It tracks chores, allowance, account balances and savings goals together, with a ledger, graphs and unlimited history. Chores can rotate between children on a schedule, and each child can have an optional passcode.
It is aimed at families who want the money side handled, which means it is more app than a four-year-old needs. If your kid is old enough to care about earning and saving, this is the strongest option here.
- Price. Free to download. Premium is $9.99 a month, $17.99 for six months, or $39.99 a year.
- Free tier. Yes, for chore and allowance tracking.
- What you need. iOS or iPadOS 15 or later. Works on iPhone and iPad.
Which to pick
If your kid can read and you want allowance and savings tracked alongside chores, Chores & Allowance Bot. If you want a stars-and-rewards chart with years of refinement behind it, Chore Pad. If you want something a kid can run on their own before they read, on an iPad, TinyTasks.
Questions
What's the best chore app for a kid who can't read yet?
One where the task is a picture rather than a line of text. A four-year-old can recognise a toothbrush icon instantly and will not get anything from the word "teeth". TinyTasks is built that way; most other chore apps show icons next to words, which still assumes reading.
Is there a genuinely free chore chart app?
Yes, several. Chore Pad's free tier covers chores, stars and rewards for a whole family, and Chores & Allowance Bot is free for basic chore and allowance tracking. TinyTasks is free for one kid, and charges once you add a second.
Should I use an iPad or a phone for a chore chart?
For young kids, a tablet left in one place works better than a phone. The cards are big enough to tap accurately, and the board becomes something they walk up to rather than something they have to ask you to unlock.
At what age can a kid start using a chore app on their own?
Around three or four, if the tasks are pictures and there are only two or three of them. Reading-based apps generally need a child to be six or seven before they can use them without help.
Kids complete tasks independently and celebrate their wins. Every single day.
Free to start. iPad only. iPadOS 15.1 or later.