A free Joon alternative for everyday family chores
In short
Zupzi is a free family chore app for iPhone and iPad: chores become missions, your child sends a photo when you ask, and approved missions earn Stars for real rewards you choose. Joon presents itself as a behavior improvement app built around a virtual pet game. Both have their place; here is how they differ.
Updated
How do Zupzi and Joon differ?
Both apps let a parent set everyday tasks, send reminders and approve what a child finishes. The difference is what the app is for and what a finished task turns into. The Joon column below uses only what Joon says on joonapp.io and on its App Store page, both checked on September 24, 2026.
| Zupzi | Joon | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A family chore app: missions, photo proof, Stars and rewards you choose | "The behavior improvement app", per its site; its App Store name is "Joon: Kids ADHD Chore Tracker" |
| Who it speaks to | Parents and families; it names no condition | Its site names ADHD, ODD and autism, "or any struggling child", ages 6 to 12 |
| What a finished task earns | Stars, which your child trades for real-world rewards you create | Coins your child uses to care for a virtual pet, called a Doter, in Joon's video game |
| Parent approval | Yes, with one tap | Yes: parents review and approve or reject finished tasks |
| Photo proof | Included; your child takes the photo with the camera | Not described on the pages we checked |
| Steps read aloud | Each of the 26 ready-made missions has 2–3 steps, and a Read it to me button reads a mission aloud | Not described on the pages we checked |
| Cost | Free; nothing to buy in the app | A free version families can keep using; some features are paid, with a free trial first |
| Devices | iPhone and iPad | iOS, Android, Amazon Fire tablets and Chromebooks |
| Research and health claims | None: Zupzi makes no claims about ADHD, behavior or therapy | Says it is "therapist-approved" and publishes its own research studies |
One thing they share: neither app handles money. Joon's FAQ says it does not track allowance, and in Zupzi, Stars have no cash value. The rewards are ones you agree on and deliver yourself.
Who should pick Joon?
Joon may suit your family better if one of these is true:
- Your child uses an Android phone, an Amazon Fire tablet or a Chromebook. Zupzi runs only on iPhone and iPad.
- Your child is motivated by a video game, and caring for a virtual pet is the reward you want. Zupzi has no pet game.
- A clinician recommended Joon, or you want a tool built around ADHD and behavior. Joon has pages for clinicians and teachers and publishes its research; Zupzi does neither.
- You live outside the United States and Brazil. Zupzi is on the App Store only in those two countries.
Who should pick Zupzi?
Zupzi may suit your family better if you want everyday chores done, checked and rewarded in the real world:
- You want to see the job done. Turn on a photo for any mission. Your child takes it with the camera (not from the photo library), it lands on your phone, and you approve with one tap. More on photo proof.
- You want the reward to be something real. Approved missions earn Stars, and your child asks for rewards you create, like a movie night or a trip to the park, each with one of 27 illustrations. See Stars and rewards.
- Your child is still learning to read. Every mission has a picture and a Read it to me button, and each of the 26 ready-made missions comes with two or three simple steps. See read-aloud missions.
- You want nothing to buy. Zupzi is free, with no in-app purchases. The app has no ads and no third-party analytics or tracking software. See Safety and privacy.
- You want to start in minutes. Pick from 26 ready-made missions in six groups (the everyday basics for her age are already switched on), or write your own with 1 to 1,000 Stars, daily, weekly or once.
How do you move your routine from Joon to Zupzi?
Write down the tasks your child does in Joon, then set them up as missions. Each step has a short video, about a minute long:
- Get Zupzi on your phone from the App Store and create your parent account with Apple, Google or e-mail.
- Add your child and give her a 4-digit PIN, so a sibling can't play as her.
- Pick missions or write your own, matching the tasks you used before.
- Create rewards your child can ask for with her Stars.
- Set up her tablet with a 6-digit pairing code that expires after 10 minutes.
Zupzi is free on the App Store
iPhone and iPad · United States and Brazil · nothing to buy inside
What Zupzi doesn't do
- There is no Android version and no web app.
- Zupzi is on the App Store only in the United States and Brazil.
- Each family can add up to two children.
- The app is in English; only Zuzi, the voice companion, also speaks Portuguese.
- Zupzi makes no claims about ADHD, behavior or therapy, and publishes no research.
- There is no pet game, allowance account or real money; Stars have no cash value.
What else do families ask?
Is Zupzi a free alternative to Joon?
Yes. Zupzi is free, and there is nothing to buy in the app or on this site. Photo proof, one-tap approval, Stars and rewards are all included, for up to two children per family.
Is Zupzi an ADHD app?
No. Zupzi is a family chore app, and it makes no claims about ADHD, autism, behavior or therapy. If a clinician suggested a specific tool for your child, follow their advice.
Does Zupzi have a virtual pet?
No. Approved missions earn Stars, and your child trades them for real-world rewards you create. The built-in games award medals, not Stars.
Is there an Android version?
No. There is no Android version. Zupzi runs on iPhone and iPad with iOS or iPadOS 16.4 or later. Joon lists iOS, Android, Amazon Fire tablets and Chromebooks.
Can my child follow Zupzi missions before she can read?
Yes. Each mission shows a picture, and Read it to me reads it aloud: Zuzi's recorded voice reads the 26 ready-made missions and their two or three steps, and the iPhone's own voice reads the title and description of missions you write.
What is Zuzi?
Zuzi is the voice companion inside Zupzi. She is off until you allow her, the family gets 10 minutes a month, and the full transcript and a summary are e-mailed to you after every talk. See Zuzi.
Zupzi is free on the App Store
iPhone and iPad · United States and Brazil · nothing to buy inside
Where do these facts come from?
- Joon home page and FAQ (joonapp.io) — checked
- Joon on the App Store — checked
- Zupzi on the App Store — checked
- Zupzi Privacy Policy — checked
- Zupzi Terms of Service — checked