The OurHome Story
How a promising app died from good intentions.
The Promise (2015)
OurHome was going to be the perfect all-in-one: shopping lists, chores, calendar, rewards—all free, no tricks.
"My family has been using it for about 2 months now and it's been working well. The whole task system is the best bit."
— Reddit user, 2015
The Reality (2025)
Developers stopped updating. Bugs piled up. Android became nearly unusable. The app slowly died.
"OurHome was fantastic, but it ceased functioning a few years back"
— Reddit user, 2023
App Store Ratings Tell the Story
The 1.0 star gap between platforms shows clear developer neglect.
Why OurHome Died
The "free forever" death spiral.
Free Forever
OurHome launched with no revenue model. Everything free, no ads.
No Budget
Without revenue, there was no money to pay developers.
Bugs Pile Up
Small bugs went unfixed. Android got neglected (cheaper to maintain iOS only).
Users Leave
Frustrated users abandoned the app. Reviews tanked.
App Dies
By 2020, development stopped entirely. The app slowly decayed.
The Lesson: Apps need sustainable revenue models. "Free forever" sounds great until developers can't afford to work.
Why OurHome Users Switch
Real problems. Real solutions.
App Abandoned
OurHome: "OurHome was fantastic, but it ceased functioning a few years back" — Reddit 2023
ChoreSplit: Monthly updates. Active development. Visible public roadmap.
Android Is Broken
OurHome: iOS: 4.1/5 stars | Android: 3.1/5 stars — The 1.0 star gap shows platform neglect.
ChoreSplit: iOS and Android equally supported. Platform parity guaranteed.
Bugs Never Fixed
OurHome: "A lack of frequent updates, needing just a few bug fixes, has led to unresolved performance issues over time."
ChoreSplit: Bug reports addressed within 48 hours. Public issue tracker.
Free-Forever Killed It
OurHome: No revenue = no developers = bugs pile up = app dies. Classic death spiral.
ChoreSplit: Sustainable model: Free tier + premium. Developers stay paid. App stays alive.
Feature Comparison
See how ChoreSplit compares to OurHome.
| Feature | ChoreSplit | OurHome |
|---|---|---|
| App Status | Active development | Abandoned (2020+) |
| iOS Performance | Fast, reliable | Tolerable (4.1/5) |
| Android Performance | Fast, reliable | Broken (3.1/5) |
| Bug Fixes | 48hr response time | None since 2020 |
| Shopping Lists | No (use any app) | Yes (when it works) |
| Calendar Sync | Full integration | Limited/broken |
| Fair Algorithm | Yes (transparent) | Basic rotation only |
| Gamification | Streaks, badges, multipliers | Basic points |
| Kids Debit Cards | Yes (real rewards) | No |
| Price | $5/mo (sustainable) | Free (but dead) |
The Honest Positioning
We're not trying to be all-in-one like OurHome wanted to be. That's too hard and leads to death spirals.
Instead, we're doing chores + calendar + rewards really well, and integrating with other apps (shopping lists, meal planning) that are already good at their jobs.
Better to be great at one thing than okay at many things.
Switch in 15 Minutes
No migration needed. Just sign up and go.
Sign Up
Create your ChoreSplit account. Takes 2 minutes.
Set Up Household
Add family or roommates, create chores. 10-15 minutes.
You're Done
Start tracking chores. Delete OurHome when ready.
The Bottom Line
OurHome proved all-in-one chore apps can work. It also proved free-forever business models kill them. ChoreSplit delivers on OurHome's promise—with a sustainable model that keeps the app alive.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did OurHome fail?
Free-forever business model. No revenue meant no budget for developers. No developers meant bugs piled up. Android got neglected because it's more expensive to maintain. Users left. The app died. The lesson: apps need sustainable revenue to survive.
OurHome was free. Why should I pay for ChoreSplit?
You're not paying for features—you're paying for maintenance. OurHome proves "free forever" kills apps. $5/month keeps our developers paid, bugs fixed, servers running, and your family data safe. It's the difference between an app that works and one that doesn't.
I loved OurHome's shopping lists. Does ChoreSplit have that?
No—we focus on chores and rewards. Use Google Keep, AnyList, or Grocery for shopping lists. We integrate with your calendar; use whatever shopping app you prefer. Better to be great at one thing than mediocre at many.
Will ChoreSplit be abandoned too?
Our business model prevents it. Paying customers = developer salaries = continued updates. We also publish a public roadmap and have a 48-hour bug response policy. Transparency keeps us accountable.
Is ChoreSplit's Android app actually good?
Yes! We maintain platform parity—iOS and Android get the same features, same performance, same priority. No platform neglect. Check our app store ratings on both platforms.
Can my whole household use ChoreSplit?
Yes—ChoreSplit works for families with kids AND adult roommates. OurHome was one of the few apps that supported roommates; we do too, with better reliability.