How to Compare Two Chore Apps Fairly Using the Same Task
By Erik Nilsen · Kroni7 min read
The fairest way to compare two chore apps is to set up exactly the same task and the same agreement in both. Keep the child, the schedule and the device the same, then watch what actually happens. A feature list tells you what an app can do. A short, controlled test shows whether your family actually uses it at home. Below you'll find a method you can start this week, a filled-in example and a blank worksheet.
A quick note about us: we make Kroni, so we aren't neutral. That's why this article is about the method and doesn't pick a winner. Use the same criteria for every app you're looking at, including ours.
Decide what has to work before you open any app
Many parents start by downloading apps and tapping around. When you do that, the most colorful app tends to win. Flip the order. Sit down for ten minutes and write down what your family needs to happen.
Split the list in two:
- Must-haves: Without these, you can't use the app. If one must-have fails, the app is out, however good the rest is.
- Nice-to-haves: Useful extras you could live without.
Example (fictional family): The Carters have one daughter, Ida (9), and one shared tablet in the kitchen.
| Type | Criterion |
|---|---|
| Must-have | Ida can find and mark the task herself on the shared tablet |
| Must-have | An adult has to approve before the coins count |
| Must-have | We can see a balance and a savings goal |
| Nice-to-have | The task can repeat on set weekdays |
| Nice-to-have | The app is available in our home language |
| Nice-to-have | Both parents get a simple overview of the week |
The list is about what the family needs to happen. It says nothing about how many features the app has. If you're unsure how rewards should connect to effort, Reward Systems for Kids: Stars, Points or Money? What Works Best can help you put your must-haves into words.
Set up one shared test task
This is the heart of the method. Everything except the app stays the same. That way, any differences you notice come from the app, not from one week's task being easier.
Filled-in example of fixed test conditions (fictional):
| Condition | App A | App B |
|---|---|---|
| Child | Ida (9) | Ida (9) |
| Task | Empty the dishwasher | Empty the dishwasher |
| Schedule | Monday, Wednesday, Friday | Monday, Wednesday, Friday |
| Example amount (virtual) | 5 test coins each time | 5 test coins each time |
| Approval | An adult approves the same evening | An adult approves the same evening |
| Device | Shared kitchen tablet | Shared kitchen tablet |
| Who sets it up | Mom | Mom |
The amount is only an example for the test. It isn't a suggestion for what a chore should be worth. Pick a task your child already knows, so you're testing the app and not whether your child can handle something new. If you need ideas, What should kids be able to do at home? A complete list by age has an overview, but you know your own child best.
It usually works better to test one app at a time, say one week each. If you run both at once, your child has to mark the same task in two places, and mostly you end up measuring how tiring double work is.
Keep the test separate from real allowance
A test can easily turn into an argument about money if you don't settle a few things first.
- Say it plainly: "This week we're trying an app. The coins in it are test coins."
- One real record: Decide which system counts for real allowance while you test. That could be the paper list you already use.
- No double pay: If Ida empties the dishwasher once, she gets paid once, no matter how many apps logged it.
- Agree on what happens afterward: Agree before the test that test coins do not become an extra amount owed to your child. Before using the chosen app for real, reconcile your actual record and enter only what is still owed, once.
During the test, pay real money, whether cash, a bank transfer or a mobile payment app, outside the apps. Necessary expenses stay the adults' responsibility.
What to look for
Go through three phases and write down what you see, not what you expect.
1. Setup (adult)
- How long did it take to enter the task, schedule and approval?
- Did you have to hunt for things, or was it clear?
- Was there anything you couldn't set up the way you'd agreed?
2. Your child's understanding
- Did your child find the task without help?
- Did they understand that the task was marked as done?
- Could they explain where the coins went and what they're saving for?
3. Adult follow-up
- Did you notice when something was waiting for approval?
- How many taps did it take to approve or decline?
- Could both adults keep track?
Write down short quotes from your child. "Where's the button?" tells you more than a score from 1 to 5.
What the same flow looks like in Kroni
If Kroni is one of the apps you're testing, the test task works like this. An adult creates the task and chooses whether it earns coins or not. Your child marks it done on the shared device, with no email of their own needed. You decide whether an adult has to approve before coins are added to the virtual balance. Your child can then put coins toward one or more savings goals, or toward a reward you've agreed on. The app doesn't move any real money. The free tier covers one child and five active tasks, which is plenty for a test like this.
Worksheet: two apps side by side
Copy the table into a note or onto paper. Add the date each time you observe something. The result columns are left blank on purpose.
Copyable worksheet
| Date | Phase | Criterion | Must-have or nice-to-have | App A: observation | App B: observation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Setup | Task and schedule entered as agreed | ||||
| Setup | Approval set up as agreed | ||||
| Child | Found the task alone | ||||
| Child | Marked the task as done | ||||
| Child | Understood balance or savings goal | ||||
| Adult | Noticed a task waiting | ||||
| Adult | Approved or declined | ||||
| Adult | Both adults could keep track | ||||
| Limitation | Something we couldn't do | ||||
| Limitation | Something that needed a workaround |
Note the limitations and choose based on the flow
When the test weeks are over, go through the sheet together in this order:
- Must-haves first. Cross off any app that failed one of them.
- Limitations. Look at the workarounds. One you'd need every day matters more than one you'd need only once.
- Nice-to-haves last. Use them only to choose between apps that both met every must-have.
- Ask your child. Which app was easier to use? Their answer counts, but it isn't the only thing that decides.
If both apps meet every must-have, it's fine to pick the one that felt calmer in daily life. If neither does, that's useful to know too. Maybe the paper list on the fridge already does the job well enough.
Plan for this week
- Sunday: Write your must-haves and nice-to-haves. Choose the test task and fill in the fixed conditions.
- Monday: Set up app A. Tell your child the coins are test coins.
- Monday to Friday: Observe and fill in the worksheet with dates.
- Next week: Do the same with app B, using exactly the same setup.
- Afterward: Review the sheet and handle the test coins as you agreed.
Frequently asked questions
- Can we test both apps at the same time to save time?
- You can, but your child then has to mark the same task in two places, and you'll likely end up measuring the double work instead of the apps. One app per week, with exactly the same task, schedule and device, makes for a fairer comparison.
- Should my child get real money for tasks during the test?
- Agree beforehand which system counts for real allowance, and pay only once for each completed task. The coins in the app are test coins, and you pay real money outside the app as usual.
- What's the difference between must-haves and nice-to-haves?
- A must-have is something your family can't do without, such as an adult being able to approve before coins count. A nice-to-have is a useful extra. Cross off apps that fail a must-have first, then use nice-to-haves only to choose between the ones left.
