Shared Steps vs amicable
amicable's co-parenting app comes from a UK separation service and, like Shared Steps, charges one price per family. Here's how the two compare for families after mediation.
What the two of you pay
Shared StepsOne price per family
- Monthly
- £7.99a month for the whole family
- Yearly
- £69.99a year for the whole family
Free to try
amicableOne price per family
- Monthly
- £9.99a month for the whole family
- Yearly
- £59.99a year for the whole family
7 days free, no card needed
At a glance
- Yes:
- Partly:
- No:
- Not stated:
| Feature |  Shared Steps | amicable |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | ||
| Price | £7.99 a month or £69.99 a year | £9.99 a month or £59.99 a year |
| One subscription covers both parents | Yes: Either parent subscribes; the other is covered | Yes: One parent pays and the co-parent gets full access |
| Free trial | Yes: Start with a free trial | Yes: 7 days, no card needed |
| Planning together | ||
| Shared calendar | Yes: Month, week and day views, with regular rotas | Yes: UK-style schedule templates such as 5-5-2-2 |
| Agreeing changes | Yes: Proposals; the calendar changes only once you both agree | Partly: Swaps with a reason; the co-parent is notified, but an approval step isn't described |
| Shared costs | Yes: Log a cost with its receipt, agree it, see who owes what | Yes: Split by percentage or amount, with receipts |
| Shared documents | Yes: PDFs and photos stored privately for both parents, organised by child and type, with renewal reminders that can hold the scan | Yes: Upload important documents |
| Talking to each other | ||
| Messaging | Yes: Messages with replies, reactions and search | Yes: Can't be edited or deleted, apart from a 20-second unsend |
| Tone check before sending | Yes: A private calm check that runs on your phone and never blocks a message | Not stated: Mentioned in 2025 App Store notes, but not on its features page |
| Calls without sharing numbers | Yes: Voice, with video if you both switch it on; your own call hours | Not stated: Not stated on its website |
| Privacy and access | ||
| Handover check-ins | Yes: No GPS: only the update and time you choose to send | Not stated: Not stated on its website |
| Access for your child | Yes: A simple read-only view of where they'll be | Not stated: Not stated on its website |
| Mediators and professionals | Yes: Your mediator sees only the review requests you send | Not stated: Not stated on its website |
| Records and devices | ||
| Court-ready records | No: Built for day-to-day co-parenting, not for gathering evidence | Partly: Request a PDF of your chat and calendar history |
| Web app | No: iPhone and Android | No: iPhone and Android |
| Made for UK families | Yes: Made in the UK, with UK prices | Yes: UK company |
Where amicable is strong
- From a well-known UK separation service, with paid advice available separately.
- One price per family, and the lowest yearly price of the apps we compared (£59.99).
- UK-style schedule templates, and a co-parent can reply by email without the app.
Where Shared Steps is different
- Changes are proposals, and the calendar only changes once you both agree.
- Calls inside the app without sharing numbers, with your own call hours.
- A 30-day trial rather than 7 days, and £7.99 a month rather than £9.99.
- Works alongside your mediator: they see only the review requests you choose to send.
Which is right for you?
amicable may suit you if
you're also using amicable's separation service, want the lowest yearly price, or your co-parent would rather reply by email.
Shared Steps may suit you if
you want changes agreed by both of you before the calendar moves, calls without sharing numbers, and a link back to your mediator.
Hear when it's outQuestions
Is amicable cheaper than Shared Steps?
Yearly, yes: amicable is £59.99 a year and Shared Steps is £69.99. Monthly, Shared Steps is cheaper at £7.99 against £9.99. Both cover the whole family with one subscription.
Do I need a mediator to use Shared Steps?
No. Shared Steps was shaped around life after mediation, but any two parents can start a family and invite each other with a code.