As parents, we rely on the convenience of school buses during our morning routine. Opting for one means fewer cars on the road and less stress and traffic at school dropoff—plus, it’s an easy way to teach your kids the value of time management.
Carpooling can offer the same benefits, but who wants to take the time to start and manage a spreadsheet (or add keeping track of text chains)? That’s where carpool apps can be a lifesaver. We explored five of the most popular back-to-school carpool apps to see how they can help busy families.
Carpool Kids
With a five-star rating and over 8k Apple Store reviews, Carpool Kids allows groups of parents to customize their carpool with any number of drivers and riders. Profiles for family and friends make it easy to see who’s on each trip, and push updates and schedules sync to your calendar for seamless planning. Reviewers love it for large groups and team carpools, such as softball or little league, and the maps feature suggests optimal routes for stress-free planning.
GoKid
The allure of carpool apps is an opportunity to build community and connect your kids to their classmates. Both can be especially helpful if you move and are helping your kids navigate a new school. Though it’s available for parents to sign up individually, GoKid Connect also works with your child’s school via a paid partnership to connect parents with other families in their neighborhood. The app offers helpful video tutorials online for volunteering to drive, creating a carpool of your own or assigning drivers within your group to a route.
Go Together
Originally called Carpool to School, Go Together officially launched in 2017 and is available in 28 states. Its mission: To provide an easier way to school for K-12 students in urban and rural communities. Each user must complete a background screening in line with the school’s screening standards before booking a carpool, and families can link up with neighbors to form one. Go Together also matches users interested in walk or bike pools, and allows parents to request rides via the school share if needed, which is especially helpful for families without consistent car access.
My School Carpool
With real-time updates and the ability to match families based on similar schedules, My School Carpool gives parents a reliable way to coordinate carpools. By allowing parents to input their child’s schedule and select the families they would like to ride with, the app eliminates the lack of coordination between parents and stressful last-minute pickup texts. You can even sign up to request rides in special circumstances only, such as inclement weather, making this a great choice for occasional carpoolers.
Tribe
Founded by a father and son who were tired of arranging carpools via text and email—and dealing with missed rides and lateness to school, Tribe launched in 2017. It is available to parents worldwide who are looking for an easier way to carpool. Users report the app as easy to use and efficient, and safety is a priority. The app provides real-time updates about schedule changes and driver locations. It also allows you to get specific with preferences like car rules, so every morning drive is pleasant and conflict-free.
