How do couples split chores fairly?

Write every chore down, including the mental-load ones, give each a single owner, and let the repeating ones alternate so nobody is stuck with the worst job forever. The fairness comes from visibility: both of you can see the whole list and who has what.

Is there a free chore app for couples?

Simpleban is free for two people with every feature — repeating chores, alternating ownership, due dates and morning reminder emails — with no trial and no credit card.

Can chores alternate between us automatically?

Yes. Turn on “alternate between us” on a repeating card and each time it comes back it is handed to whoever didn't do it last time.

Will it nag my partner for me?

It sends one short email at 8am when something new is waiting on them or due that day, and nothing on other days — the same card never triggers a daily reminder. You never press a “remind” button, which is the point.

For couples

A chore chart for couples: split the housework without a spreadsheet

Updated 20 October 2026 · by the Simpleban team

In short

A chore chart for couples only works if three things are true: each chore has one clear owner, repeating chores reappear without anyone re-adding them, and the reminder comes from the chart rather than from a person. Simpleban is a free board for two that does exactly that — chores are cards assigned to you, your partner, or either of you, they repeat on their own schedule, can alternate between the two of you, and a short morning email nudges whoever has something waiting.

Simpleban, a kanban board for two people: a shared “Our home” board with This week, Doing, Waiting and Done columns, cards marked Mine or assigned to a partner, due dates, repeating chores and a moving-day countdown.

Why the fridge chart and the spreadsheet both die

Paper charts can't move. Spreadsheets need someone to be the spreadsheet person, and that person becomes the household manager by default — which is usually the imbalance the chart was supposed to fix. What survives is something both people carry in their pocket, that updates itself, and that doesn't need a manager.

Splitting chores fairly, in practice

List every recurring chore as a card, including the invisible ones: booking appointments, remembering birthdays, restocking.
Give each one an owner — you or your partner. Leave the genuinely shared ones as “Either of us”.
Set each chore to repeat: daily, chosen weekdays, every N days, or monthly. “Bins — every Tuesday” comes back every Tuesday after you drag it to Done.
Turn on “alternate between us” for the ones nobody loves. Laundry goes to whoever didn't do it last time.
Use the Today filter in the morning. That is the whole chart for today.

What the other person sees

When you hand a chore to your partner, it moves to the top of their board under “waiting on you”. If it is still there the next morning, they get one email at 8am listing what's waiting — from Simpleban, not from you. That is the difference between a chore chart and a nag: the chart does the asking.

A starter chart you can copy

The Household chores template ships with most of these already set to repeat.

Chore	Repeats	Owner
Grocery run	Every Saturday	Alternates
Laundry	Every Sunday	Alternates
Water the plants	Every 3 days	Mine
Bins out	Every Tuesday	Yours
Clean the bathroom	Every 2 weeks	Alternates
Pay the rent / mortgage	Monthly	Either of us
Meal plan for the week	Every Sunday	Either of us

Templates to start from

Questions, answered

How do couples split chores fairly?: Write every chore down, including the mental-load ones, give each a single owner, and let the repeating ones alternate so nobody is stuck with the worst job forever. The fairness comes from visibility: both of you can see the whole list and who has what.
Is there a free chore app for couples?: Simpleban is free for two people with every feature — repeating chores, alternating ownership, due dates and morning reminder emails — with no trial and no credit card.
Can chores alternate between us automatically?: Yes. Turn on “alternate between us” on a repeating card and each time it comes back it is handed to whoever didn't do it last time.
Will it nag my partner for me?: It sends one short email at 8am when something new is waiting on them or due that day, and nothing on other days — the same card never triggers a daily reminder. You never press a “remind” button, which is the point.