Hest vs Cozi: Which Household Management App Is Right for You?
A detailed comparison of Hest and Cozi — two popular household management apps. See how they stack up on calendars, tasks, meal planning, and more.
Managing a household takes coordination. Between shared calendars, chore lists, meal planning, and keeping track of important documents, most families end up juggling a patchwork of apps that don't talk to each other.
Two apps aiming to solve this are Hest and Cozi. Both are built for households — but they take very different approaches. Here's how they compare.
At a Glance
| Feature | Hest | Cozi |
|---|---|---|
| Shared Calendar | With external sync (Google, Apple, Outlook) | Built-in family calendar |
| Task Management | Assignable tasks with categories & due dates | Basic to-do lists |
| Meal Planning | Weekly planner with recipe linking | Meal planning with recipe box |
| Recipe Management | Full recipe CRUD with meal plan integration | Recipe box with web import |
| Household Records | Document & record tracking | Not available |
| Push Notifications | Real-time for all events | Daily agenda notifications |
| External Calendar Sync | Google, Apple, Outlook | Manual entry only |
| Price | Free tier + optional premium | Free with ads, Gold upgrade |
| Platforms | iOS (Android coming soon) | iOS, Android, Web |
Calendar
Both apps offer shared family calendars, but Hest takes a different approach by syncing with your existing calendars. Instead of manually re-entering events, Hest imports from Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, and Outlook — so you see everything in one place without duplicating effort.
Cozi's calendar is standalone. It works well for family-specific events, but if your schedule lives in Google or Outlook, you'll need to manage it in two places.
Tasks & Chores
Cozi provides simple shared to-do lists. They're functional for grocery runs and quick reminders.
Hest goes further with assignable tasks — you can assign a task to a specific household member, set a due date, categorize it, and everyone gets push notifications when tasks are created or updated. This makes it better suited for delegating chores and keeping everyone accountable.
Meal Planning
Both apps support meal planning, but the integration level differs. In Hest, meal plans connect directly to your recipe library — you can link a saved recipe to any meal, assign a cook, and see the full week at a glance.
Cozi's meal planner and recipe box are separate features that don't deeply integrate with each other.
Records & Documents
This is a feature unique to Hest. The Household Records module lets you store and organize important information — think warranties, insurance details, account numbers, or any document your household needs to access.
Cozi doesn't offer anything comparable.
Privacy
Hest is built with a privacy-first approach. Your data is encrypted, and personal information is never sold or shared with third parties.
Cozi's free tier is ad-supported, which means some level of data usage for advertising purposes.
The Bottom Line
Choose Cozi if you want a well-established, multi-platform family organizer with a simple feature set and don't need calendar sync or document tracking.
Choose Hest if you want a modern, all-in-one household hub that syncs with your existing calendars, lets you assign tasks to family members, and keeps important records in one place — all without ads.
Hest is available for free on the App Store. Try it today and see how it fits your household.