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Lyven vs FairShare

FairShare is the closest app to Lyven in philosophy. Both build on Eve Rodsky's Fair Play method, giving each job one owner instead of splitting tasks down the middle. Here is where the two genuinely differ, and what that means for the week you're actually running.

Verified live 28 July 2026, checked against FairShare's own App Store listing.

Where they agree

Fair Play's argument is that rotating a task still leaves one partner managing the rota. Give a job a single owner instead, covering the conceiving, planning and doing, and the noticing moves with it. FairShare and Lyven both start from that idea, and neither turns the split into a scoreboard: no points, no streaks, no weekly winner, the way Nipto or FairChore do. FairShare's Noticing Score sounds competitive, but it isn't one. It's a percentage of how the noticing currently divides between partners, the same job Lyven's own Split view does. Both apps measure an imbalance. Neither is keeping score between partners.

Where they differ: measuring the week versus running it

FairShare's strength is diagnosis. Its Noticing Score puts a number on how much of the household's noticing lands on each partner, and its AI Brain Dump turns a spoken stream of worries into cards fast. That is a genuinely useful lens, and by FairShare's own listing it stops there: the ownership split, a weekly reset, and a visualiser showing the load.

Lyven's ownership runs into the actual week. The same single owner per job also owns the shopping list, the meals and the running list of what the home needs, so the split is not a score you check on. It is where the groceries get bought from. FairShare tells a couple how the load is landing this week. Lyven is built to keep it landing evenly next week too.

Who can actually use it

FairShare is iPhone only. As of July 2026 it requires iOS 17 or macOS 14 on Apple Silicon, so it runs on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Vision Pro, with no Android app and no standalone web version. Lyven is a web app, so it works on any phone or computer, iPhone and Android alike. If one partner carries an Android phone, FairShare is not an option for that household at all.

What free actually gets you

Both apps are free to start, and the honest comparison is what that free tier includes. FairShare's free tier caps the system at 20 cards, five AI Brain Dumps a month and one weekly check in. The full 100 plus card system needs FairShare+, US$8.99 a month, US$59.99 a year, or US$149.99 as a lifetime purchase. Lyven is free while in beta, with the full system: every card, the weekly check in and the daily lists, with no cap. The quickest way to see it is the free Split Check at lyvenapp.com/split, a two minute, no sign up look at how your own household's work actually divides right now.

Side by side

 LyvenFairShare
Platform Web / PWA, any phone or computer iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Vision Pro. No Android
Price Free while in beta, full system Free tier capped at 20 cards. Full system US$8.99/mo, US$59.99/yr, or US$149.99 lifetime
Core mechanic Single owner per job, weighted by real effort, fused with shopping and meal lists Single owner cards (100+) with a Noticing Score measuring the invisible load
Weekly rhythm Weekly check in, each partner's note sealed until both have submitted A weekly reset that renegotiates the cards
Built where Melbourne, Australia. Australian data hosting Independent iPhone studio (Culi). Pricing shown in USD

Curious how your own household actually splits?

Find your fair

Both apps, honestly

Lyven that's us

Web / PWA, any phone or computer · free while in beta · built in Melbourne

A single owner per job, weighted by real effort, fused with the shopping list, the meals and the running list of what the home needs, so the split is something you live in rather than something you check on.

Strong at
  • Runs on any phone. A mixed iPhone and Android household is not a problem
  • Free while in beta, the full system, no cap on cards or check ins
  • The ownership carries into the actual week, not just the diagnosis
Worth knowing
  • Still in beta. Access is by waitlist and households come in a few at a time
  • No native app yet. It is a web app you add to your phone's home screen, not an App Store download
  • Newer to the category than FairShare, still refining the card set and check in flow with real households

FairShare: Couples Mental Load the closest competitor

iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Vision Pro · free tier, or FairShare+ from US$8.99/mo · version 2.0.3

Built on Eve Rodsky's Fair Play method, with 100 plus cards owned end to end across Home, Kids, Out, Wild and Unicorn categories. Its signature idea is the Noticing Score: a number for how much of the household's noticing lands on each partner, making the gap between who notices and who does visible.

Strong at
  • Measuring the invisible load itself. The Noticing Score is a genuinely clever lens
  • Fast capture: an AI Brain Dump turns a spoken stream of worries into cards
  • Actively developed, a new version shipped the week before this comparison was written
Worth knowing
  • iPhone, iPad and Mac only. No Android or standalone web version
  • The free tier is capped at 20 cards and five AI Brain Dumps a month
  • It measures the load well. The daily running of the home, groceries, meals, the week, is not what it is built for

Common questions

Is FairShare or Lyven better for couples?

It depends what you want from it. FairShare's Noticing Score is a sharp, focused tool for measuring how the invisible load lands on each partner, and it runs beautifully on iPhone. Lyven's ownership split runs into the actual week: the same single owner also carries the shopping list, the meals and the daily running of the home, and it works on any phone.

Does FairShare have a free version?

Yes. FairShare's free tier is capped at 20 cards, five AI Brain Dumps a month and one weekly check in. The full 100 plus card system needs FairShare+, US$8.99 a month, US$59.99 a year, or US$149.99 as a lifetime purchase. Lyven is free while in beta with the full system and no cap.

Does FairShare work on Android?

No. As of July 2026, FairShare requires iOS 17 or macOS 14 on Apple Silicon, so it runs on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Vision Pro only, with no Android app. Lyven is a web app that runs on any phone or computer.

We're not both on iPhone. Does that rule FairShare out?

Yes, for the shared side of it. FairShare needs iOS 17 or macOS 14 to run at all, so if either partner carries an Android phone, that partner cannot open the app, and a Fair Play style split only works if both people can see it. Lyven runs in a browser on any phone, so a mixed iPhone and Android household is not a workaround. It just works.

Is Lyven based on the Fair Play method too?

Yes. Lyven and FairShare are both inspired by Eve Rodsky's Fair Play method, giving each household job a single owner rather than splitting tasks down the middle. Neither is the official Fair Play app. Lyven uses its own card set and language, including a Definition of Done for each job rather than Rodsky's Minimum Standard of Care.

Will Lyven cost money after beta?

Lyven is free for the whole beta. After that, the plan is to keep a generous free tier for the core split and the daily habit, with paid tiers adding extra depth such as projects and outsourcing rather than gating the basics. The exact boundary is still being finalised.

Is my household's data private?

Yes. Lyven is private by design with Australian hosting. The Split Check requires no account, and beta data is handled under Lyven's privacy policy.

What if my partner isn't on board yet?

You only need one of you to start. The Split Check needs no signup and no invite, so you can see your own household's split in two minutes. Most people send it to their partner afterwards to compare answers, which starts the conversation already half had.

See your own split

Two minutes, ten cards, no sign up. See how the work in your home actually divides today, on any phone.

Find your fair