Beacon Co-Parenting App

Overview

Beacon Co-Parenting App is a shared scheduling and recordkeeping service for separated parents and guardians in Ireland. It is best for adults who want childcare routines, conversations, expenses, and supporting documents kept in one place. Its free everyday tools make it practical to consider, provided both parents accept identity checks and the possibility that data may be stored outside the EEA.

Key features

The shared calendar, repeating access-schedule templates, and handover scheduling with change requests give parents one place to coordinate regular care and proposed changes. Secure messages cannot be edited or deleted by either parent or staff, which preserves a stable conversation history but leaves no way to correct a message in place. The free AI Tone Check offers a private wording suggestion before a draft is sent.

Expense logging, approvals, repayment records, and a separate maintenance log make Beacon useful for families who need to keep track of both shared child costs and ongoing payments. Document storage, a child information bank, and a private incident log broaden the record beyond schedules and money; the community forum adds a place for discussion. A free parenting-time summary helps review care arrangements.

Beacon can create a tamper-evident PDF of account history with a data-integrity fingerprint, and a separate one-off purchase produces a court-formatted expense and maintenance summary. The developer advises that legal advisers assess whether the account-history PDF is admissible, so its format should not be treated as a guarantee of acceptance in court. A parent can also grant a named solicitor time-limited, read-only access and revoke it at any time.

The privacy policy says traffic is encrypted, passwords are hashed, and personal data is not sold or used for advertising. However, every parent must submit official photo ID or proof of address; the submitted document is deleted within 14 working days after verification. Beacon runs on Replit cloud infrastructure using Google Cloud data centres, and data may be stored outside the EEA, including in the United States. Those requirements may be a deciding drawback for families who prefer not to share identity documents or have records hosted beyond the EEA.

Pricing

The free Everyday co-parenting app plan is billed Free for both parents, requires no subscription or credit card, and includes the everyday tools. That makes it a strong starting point for families who need ongoing coordination without a recurring charge. No free trial is offered.

Two one-off purchases cover formal records. The Form 51A Financial Exhibit costs €49.00 once and provides a court-formatted summary of child expenses and maintenance payments. The Court-Ready Record download costs €129.00 once; the price is confirmed before purchase, and the same base record can be downloaded again free for 24 hours. These options suit users who need a specific financial exhibit or full account history, while occasional or uncertain court use may not justify the upfront cost. The account-history PDF's admissibility still needs legal advice.

Platforms

Beacon is available on Android, iOS, and the web, giving parents access across mobile devices and browsers. Calendar sync and payment processing are supported, alongside expense tracking and document storage.

Who it's for

Beacon is intended for parents or legal guardians aged 18 or older who share care of at least one child in Ireland; children do not have accounts. It fits co-parents who want schedules, communication, financial records, and documents in a shared system, especially when a solicitor needs temporary read-only access. It is not a fit for families outside Ireland or for anyone unwilling to complete the required identity verification.

The site says its professional support and moderation team can review escalated messages, and account-specific issues can be sent to [email protected]. This provides a route to raise concerns, though it does not change the permanent nature of sent messages.

Pros and cons

• Pros: A free plan covers everyday use for both parents without a subscription or credit card, including scheduling, messaging, expenses, and recordkeeping.
• Pros: Messages cannot be edited or deleted, and the account-history PDF carries a data-integrity fingerprint, supporting a consistent shared record.
• Pros: Separate one-off options cover a Form 51A financial exhibit and a full account-history download, with 24-hour free re-downloads of the same base record.
• Cons: Identity documents or proof of address are mandatory for every parent, which may deter privacy-conscious users even though the submitted document is deleted after verification.
• Cons: Data may be stored outside the EEA, including in the United States, a material concern for families with strict data-location preferences.
• Cons: A sent message cannot be corrected or removed, and a tamper-evident court record does not guarantee admissibility.
• Cons: The €129.00 Court-Ready Record purchase is a substantial one-off cost for families that only occasionally need a full export.

Alternatives

Browse Co-Parenting Apps for more options. Consider Custody X Change if you need desktop support for macOS or Windows alongside mobile and web access; its free version is limited. AppClose is another option, with a fee-waiver account for financial hardship and domestic-violence survivors and a free trial. Choose BestInterest if its free plan's coaching sessions and Solo Mode better suit your needs; it also offers a free trial. CoreParent may suit users focused on expense limits and court-declaration exports, with free plans for parents and for attorneys or mediators. Peaceful CoParenting Messenger centers on messaging, attachments, timestamps, and flagged messages, with communication limits and a PDF repository tied to subscription. Kidtime offers a free rolling calendar, schedule templates, messaging, and notes, with a Premium plan at $99.99 a year. ParenThing may be a better match for families wanting one subscription to cover both parents, with unlimited messaging and expense, payment, and maintenance tracking at €12.99 a month. CustodyTrac is worth considering if you want all features free for both parents with no per-parent fees.

Verdict

Beacon is a strong choice for eligible co-parents in Ireland who want a free, structured shared record spanning routines, messages, and child-related finances, with optional formal document purchases. Its combination of everyday tools and time-limited solicitor access is compelling. Look elsewhere if mandatory ID checks or possible storage outside the EEA are unacceptable, or if you need messages that can be corrected after sending.