OurHome was built around a clever idea: make household chores feel like a game. Complete tasks, earn stars, redeem rewards. For families with young children, this approach genuinely works — kids respond to visible progress and tangible incentives. The problem is that most people searching for a shared-home app aren't trying to motivate a ten-year-old. They're trying to get their flatmate to remember to take the bins out.
And nobody's 27-year-old flatmate wants to earn stars for doing the washing up.
What OurHome does well
For its intended audience, OurHome has some solid features:
- Chore assignment with a reward system — tasks earn stars that can be redeemed for custom rewards
- Shopping list — a shared grocery list that all household members can edit
- Family calendar — shared schedule for coordinating activities
- Recurring tasks — set chores to repeat on a schedule
- Multiple profiles — separate views per person in the household
If you have children and want a structured chore system that motivates them with rewards, OurHome delivers on that promise. The gamification is well-executed for that specific context.
Why it doesn't quite work for adult flatmates
The star-and-reward model is OurHome's biggest selling point and its biggest liability for adult users. The system assumes you need external incentives to do basic household tasks — which works for a child, but can feel patronising between adults who are just trying to share a home fairly.
More practically: OurHome has no expense splitting. Rent, utilities, shared groceries, the replacement kettle — none of that can be tracked, split, or balanced. For adult flatmates, this is often the first and biggest source of friction. An app that handles chores but not money is solving half the problem.
"We downloaded OurHome and immediately felt like we were being treated as children. The stars were funny for about a week. Then we needed to split the broadband bill and realised the app couldn't help with that at all." — Typical adult user experience
The document storage and shared notes gaps matter too. Where's the lease? What's the landlord's number? What are the rules about guests? OurHome doesn't have a place for any of it.
OurHome vs Crew: feature comparison
| Feature | OurHome | Crew |
|---|---|---|
| Chore assignment | ✅ | ✅ |
| Recurring tasks | ✅ | ✅ |
| Gamified rewards (stars) | ✅ | ❌ |
| Expense splitting | ❌ | ✅ |
| Balance tracking (who owes who) | ❌ | ✅ |
| Shared notes | ❌ | ✅ |
| Document storage | ❌ | ✅ |
| Shopping list | ✅ | Via notes |
| Free tier | ✅ | ✅ |
Who should use OurHome vs Crew
Use OurHome if: you have children at home and want a chore system that motivates them with visible rewards. The gamification is well thought out for that specific dynamic, and the family calendar and shopping list round it out nicely for family coordination.
Use Crew if: you're adults sharing a home — as flatmates, as a couple, or as a group — and you want a system that treats you as adults. Crew covers tasks without the star system, adds expense splitting, shared notes, and document storage, and is built around fair accountability rather than child-friendly incentives.
The bottom line
OurHome is a good app for families with kids. As an adult sharing a flat, you'll spend most of your time working around features designed for a completely different household. The missing expense splitting alone is enough to disqualify it for most shared homes — it's the thing that causes more friction than any uncompleted chore. Crew starts from the adult version of the same problem and covers the whole picture.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best OurHome alternative for adult flatmates?
Crew is the best OurHome alternative for adults sharing a home. While OurHome uses a star-reward system designed for motivating children with chores, Crew takes an adult approach: task assignment with accountability, expense splitting, shared notes, and document storage — without the gamification designed for kids.
Does OurHome split expenses between housemates?
No. OurHome focuses on chore management, shopping lists, and a family calendar — it doesn't include shared expense tracking or balance calculation between housemates. If you need to split rent, utilities, or shared costs, you'd need a separate app alongside OurHome.
Can adults use OurHome without children?
Technically yes, but OurHome's design is centred around motivating children — stars, rewards, badges for completing chores. Adult flatmates often find the gamification patronising or irrelevant. The app lacks expense splitting and the kind of accountability features adult households actually need.
What does Crew have that OurHome doesn't?
Crew adds shared expense splitting with automatic balance tracking, shared notes (for grocery lists, Wi-Fi passwords, house rules), document storage for leases and contracts, and household routines. It also skips the child-oriented reward system in favour of straightforward task assignment and accountability between adults.
Is Crew free like OurHome?
Crew has a free tier covering unlimited tasks, up to 3 shared notes, and up to 3 shared expenses per week. Premium ($4.99/month or $44.99/year) unlocks unlimited everything plus document storage and household routines. OurHome also has a free tier with optional paid features.
