Skylight and Hearth make lovely dedicated touchscreens; Cozi is a beloved free app. We say what each does well below, by name. The short version: they sell you a screen (or live on your phone). Family Wall turns a screen you already own — an old iPad, a wall TV, a spare laptop — into the same family command center, for $0 hardware, and adds JQ (your family’s AI assistant), an intercom, wake-to-a-parent’s-voice alarms, and sleep stories. Where we’re behind (no dedicated hardware, photo frame still coming), the table says so.
| Feature | Family Wall us | Skylight Calendar | Hearth Display | Cozi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No hardware to buy (runs on a screen you own) | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Up-front cost | •$0 | •$80–$300 | •~$699 | •$0 |
| Always-on glanceable wall screen | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Routines & chores with points/streaks | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shared calendar overlay | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Meal plan / what’s-for-dinner | ✓ | •Plus | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shared shopping list | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pet-fed tracker | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Who’s-home board | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| AI home assistant (ask + voice commands) | ★only here | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Intercom (talk to a screen) | ★only here | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Wake to a parent’s voice (voice alarms) | ★only here | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Sleep stories on the screen | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Kids’ safe, logged AI chat | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Photo frame when idle | •coming | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Works on your phone too | ✓ | •app | •app | ✓ |
Prices verified July 2026. ✓ yes · ✗ no · ★ only here · notes are literal.