Reviewed by the Penny Time editorial team

Free Chore Chart and Allowance Tracker With No Subscription

You want a chore chart that lets you set your own chores and reward schedule, and you do not want to hand over a card number to do it. That is a reasonable ask, but most of the popular options do not offer it. GoHenry runs $4.99 to $9.98 per month, Greenlight starts at $5.99 per month, and Acorns Early (formerly GoHenry's US cousin behavior) sits around $5 to $9 per month. Each one wraps its chore and allowance features inside a paid debit card subscription. If all you want is to track chores and allowance at home, you are paying for a bank you did not ask for.

The good news: a genuinely free chore chart with custom chore lists and reward schedules exists, and it does not require a credit card, a debit card, or a monthly fee. Below is how to set one up, what to look for, and how to avoid the free-trial traps that turn into charges.

Why most chore chart apps charge a subscription

The math is simple. Apps like GoHenry, Greenlight, and Acorns Early are not chore-tracking businesses. They are prepaid debit card companies for kids. The chore chart and allowance features are the hook that gets parents in the door, and the real product is the monthly card fee plus interchange revenue when your child spends. Greenlight confirms its plans start at $5.99 per month on its own pricing page, and GoHenry lists tiered plans up to $9.98 per month for multiple children.

That model works if you actually want a kids' debit card. But a large share of parents searching for a chore chart just want to assign tasks, track who did what, and calculate allowance at the end of the week. For that job, a card and a subscription are dead weight.

What a free chore chart should include

Before you pick a tool, make sure it actually does the two things the paid apps charge for:

• Custom chore lists - you add your own tasks (walk the dog, empty the dishwasher, 20 minutes of reading), not a fixed template.
• Reward or allowance schedules - you decide what each chore is worth and how often it pays out (per chore, weekly, or a mix).
• No card required - if a tool asks for payment details before you can use it, it is a free trial, not a free tool.
• Age-appropriate structure - a 5-year-old and a 12-year-old need different chore loads and reward sizes.

How to set up a free chore chart in three steps

1. List the chores by child and age. Younger kids (ages 4 to 6) do best with two or three simple daily tasks. Older kids (ages 10 and up) can handle weekly responsibilities like taking out the trash or helping with laundry.
2. Set the reward schedule. Decide whether you pay per chore, a flat weekly allowance, or a base allowance plus bonuses for extra work. Our allowance calculator gives you an age-based starting number so you are not guessing.
3. Track and pay out. Mark chores complete through the week, total them up, and pay. Cash, a piggy bank, or a bank transfer all work. You do not need a special card.

The free tools Penny Time gives you

Penny Time is a children's financial literacy app, and its web tools are free to use with no account and no card. Start with the chore chart tool, where you build custom chore lists and attach reward values yourself. Pair it with the allowance calculator to set fair amounts by age, and the budget planner to help your child split what they earn into spending and saving.

Once your child has money coming in, the lessons matter as much as the tracking. The wants vs needs sorter turns allowance into a teaching moment about spending choices, and the birthday money calculator shows what a lump sum can grow into with a little patience. None of these ask for payment.

Free chore chart vs paid subscription apps

Watch out for free-trial traps

Many apps advertise a free month, then auto-charge once the trial ends. The Federal Trade Commission warns that these negative-option offers are a common source of surprise charges, because the burden is on you to cancel before the deadline. If a chore chart asks for card details up front, assume you will be billed. A truly free tool never needs your payment information.

The right setup depends on what you actually need. If you want your child to have a spendable debit card with parental controls, a paid app may be worth it. But if your goal is to teach chores, track allowance, and build money habits at home, a free chore chart and allowance tracker does the job without a monthly line item on your statement.

Give your child their own Penny Time

Penny Time turns allowance into playful Quests your child plays on their own phone or tablet. They make real money decisions and see how each one turns out, while you set it up and stay in charge of every cash-out.

Set the allowance and growth budget, invite your child, and they play on their own device. No device for them yet? Penny Time still works as your allowance tracker.

No credit card. No ads. No strings.