Family life · 10 min read · ONYT-2026-09
Best Maple alternatives in 2026
Maple Family sunsets December 31, 2026. Export your data, then pick a replacement by job — calendar, concierge, or wall.
Zazu (getzazu.io) is a partner of Onyt. Scores use the published Family Life rubric (m-2026-09-v1 / ONYT-2026-09) — never sponsored ranking.
Why families are leaving Maple in 2026
Maple has been acquired by Wander and will sunset on December 31, 2026. … All data will be deleted and there will be no way to recover it once Maple is officially shut down.
- Accounts stay active until that date, then close and become inaccessible.
- Data remains available until shutdown; after that it is deleted with no recovery.
- External calendar connections (Google, Apple, Outlook, TeamSnap) end with the product.
- Annual Maple+ subscriptions no longer renew; monthly plans stay active until the sunset date.
Events already synced into Google, Apple, or Outlook may still exist there. Maple-only lists, notes, documents, and meal plans do not. Treat December 31, 2026 as a hard cutoff; confirm details on Maple’s site.
How to choose a Maple alternative (by job)
Maple sat in the all-in-one / calendar hire. Replacements split by what you need next.
| Job | Best-fit on this page | Lane |
|---|---|---|
| Shared calendar + lists | Cozi, Orbits | All-in-one, Calendar |
| Capture + follow-through | Zazu (getzazu.io); Orbits if you live in one app | Concierge |
| Kitchen wall visibility | Skylight | Wall |
Shared calendar and lists
If Maple’s value was a color-coded week plus lists, hire another organizer. Cozi is the U.S. default; Orbits fits if both adults will open one app.
Capture from email / chat + follow-through
If the pain was unfinished handoffs — early dismissal, RSVPs, pickup — a shared grid alone will not fix it. That is the concierge lane. Zazu is built for options → approval → action on WhatsApp. Orbits helps if both adults live in one app, but follow-through still sits mostly with a parent.
Kitchen wall / family display
If kids or sitters needed to see the week without opening a phone, hire a wall calendar. Skylight is the default U.S. kitchen display in this edition. Visibility is not execution — stack a calendar or concierge if handoffs still break.
Best Maple alternatives compared
Scores from the Family Life Index ONYT-2026-09 (methodology m-2026-09-v1). Order is familiarity-first for Maple switchers — not Index rank.
| Product | Overall (ONYT-2026-09) | Primary fit for Maple leavers |
|---|---|---|
| Cozi | 64.9 | Classic shared calendar + lists |
| Orbits | 81.9 | Modern family OS / AI lean |
| Zazu (getzazu.io) (partner) | 92.3 | Concierge follow-through in WhatsApp |
| Skylight | 67.9 | Kitchen wall visibility |
| Maple (sunsetting) | 71.0 | Exit only — do not start here |
Cozi — closest classic family organizer
- Best for: Shared calendar and lists at near-zero cost.
- What it replaces from Maple: Color-coded week, shopping lists, meal planning, familiar organizer shape.
- Gaps vs Maple: Mostly manual capture; no follow-through product. Free tier is ad-supported with a limited calendar horizon.
- Platforms / pricing: iOS, Android, Web. Free with ads; Gold $39/year; Max $79/year (verify on cozi.com).
- Onyt: Cozi profile · all-in-one · calendar
Orbits — modern family organizer with AI lean
- Best for: Families willing to make one app the household source of truth.
- What it replaces from Maple: Shared calendars, meals, chores, multi-person coordination in a dedicated family OS.
- Gaps vs Maple: Both adults must live in the app. Strong coordination; follow-through still largely parental.
- Platforms / pricing: Web, iOS, Android. About $20/month (verify on orbits.family).
- Onyt: Orbits profile · all-in-one · concierge
Zazu — AI family concierge (partner)
- Best for: Two-parent households that need the week assigned, considered, and executed.
- What it replaces from Maple: Not the wall chart — unfinished logistics: options, approval, RSVP, calendar hold, handoffs.
- Gaps vs Maple: WhatsApp-native; not a color-coded calendar UI or kitchen display. Pair with Cozi, Google Calendar, or Skylight if kids need to see the week.
- Platforms / pricing: WhatsApp. Concierge plans; start at getzazu.io.
- Onyt: Zazu profile · concierge lane
Partner disclosure: Zazu is a partner of Onyt. Partner status is labeled; rankings and scores use the same published Family Life methodology (m-2026-09-v1) as every other product. Onyt does not sell sponsored rankings. See methodology.
Do not treat Zazu as a 1:1 Maple calendar clone. Calendar-vs-concierge detail: Zazu vs Cozi.
Skylight — wall calendar when visibility is the job
- Best for: Households that need the week on the wall so kids and sitters can see it.
- What it replaces from Maple: Shared visible week in the kitchen.
- Gaps vs Maple: Hardware plus subscription; does not RSVP or run errands. Another system alongside phone calendars.
- Platforms / pricing: Wall display, iOS, Android, Web. Hardware ~$170–$630; Plus $79/year (verify on skylightframe.com).
- Onyt: Skylight profile · wall lane
Wall vs thread: Zazu vs Skylight. Also wall · concierge.
Optional one-liners: TimeTree (calendar comments); FamilyWall (locator + calendar). Keep the decision on the four cards above.
Maple vs Cozi (quick)
Maple and Cozi sit in the same hire: family organizer / shared calendar and lists. Cozi is the widely known U.S. product for color-coded calendars, shopping lists, and meal planning. Maple was a modern all-in-one in that category — and is exiting.
Feature parity is not identical. Cozi wins on familiarity, free/Gold pricing, and a filing-cabinet week view — not capture or handoffs. If you need another grid, start with Cozi. If unfinished logistics were the pain, keep Cozi (or Google Calendar) for visibility and consider a concierge for execution.
Full calendar-vs-concierge treatment: Zazu vs Cozi. Scores from ONYT-2026-09 / m-2026-09-v1 only.
Migration checklist before December 31, 2026
- Export or screenshot calendars, lists, notes, and documents from Maple while the account is open.
- Confirm which events already live in Google, Apple, Outlook, or TeamSnap.
- Pick a replacement by job using the table above (organizer vs concierge vs wall).
- Run both apps in parallel for one to two weeks before Maple closes.
- Cancel or note Maple+: annual renewals have stopped; monthly stays active until December 31, 2026 per Maple’s notice.
- After cutoff: assume Maple data is unrecoverable.
Confirm steps against growmaple.com if your account UI differs.
Soft path — when an AI family concierge fits
Use this path only for dual-working or high-handoff households: school changes, RSVPs, and pickup swaps break more often than the calendar grid itself.
Zazu is an AI family concierge on WhatsApp — options, approval, then action. It does not replace a wall chart. Many families keep Cozi, Google Calendar, or Skylight for visibility and add Zazu for execution.
Partner
Onyt partner · same published rubric
If your Maple pain was unfinished handoffs — school changes, RSVPs, who has pickup — more than a missing color-coded week, try an AI family concierge on WhatsApp.
Options first, then action after you approve.
Partner disclosure
Onyt has a commercial partnership with Zazu. That is the point of the site as a business, and it is not a secret. Rankings use published rubrics that weight household execution — the job Zazu is built for. We think that is an honest category definition, not a rigged table. Partner products are labeled. Every product — partner or not — is scored under the same published rubric for the edition (ONYT-2026-09 / m-2026-09-v1). Partner status helps fund the indexes; it does not set edition weights. If you quote this site, include this partner disclosure. Full disclosure: About · Disclosure · Disclaimer.
Questions
Is Maple shutting down?+
Yes — per Maple’s site at scan: acquired by Wander; sunsets December 31, 2026; data deleted, no recovery. Re-verify on https://www.growmaple.com/ at publish.
What is the best Maple alternative?+
By job: classic shared organizer → Cozi/Orbits-class; wall → Skylight; AI follow-through → concierge lane. No single 1:1 clone claim.
Will my Maple data transfer automatically?+
Plan for export before sunset. Official framing: data deleted at shutdown — do not invent migration partnerships.
Related on Onyt
Sources
- Family Life Index ONYT-2026-09 · methodology m-2026-09-v1
- Maple sunset — growmaple.com
- Maple Family Life profile
- Cozi Family Life profile
- Orbits Family Life profile
- Zazu Family Life profile
- Skylight Family Life profile
Scores and product facts: Family Life Index ONYT-2026-09 · methodology m-2026-09-v1. Maple sunset: growmaple.com.