Debs vs Jam
You forward yet another school email to yourself with "DO THIS" in the subject line, which is where it will stay until Thursday.
Jam is a family calendar with AI: forward it an email, a screenshot or a voice note and the events appear, with shared lists and drivers for each activity. Debs is built around UK schools: it knows your school's term dates, reads the school's senders for you without forwarding, and gives each child a packing list the night before.
What Jam is great at
Jam is an AI family calendar with lists and carpool planning.
- Forward an email, screenshot or voice note and the events appear
- Shared to-do and shopping lists
- Assigning a driver to each activity
- Google and Apple calendar sync
What Debs adds
- Reads the school's senders straight from your inbox, so there's nothing to forward
- Built for UK schools: every UK school, its term dates and INSET days
- A night-before packing list for each child
- Priced in pounds, from £3.49 a month
Side by side
| What matters | Jam | Debs |
|---|---|---|
| How school emails get in | You forward them | Automatically*, no forwarding |
| Screenshots and photos | Yes | Yes |
| Night-before packing list per child | No | Yes |
| Shopping lists | Yes | No |
| Who's driving | Yes | Yes: lifts and pick-ups, with helpers like grandparents |
| What it costs | US$15.99 a month or US$119.99 a year, with a 30-day trial (App Store, US) | Free to try, then £5.49 a month to read your school emails, or £3.49 a month for Debs Diary, which doesn't (UK pricing) |
*After a few minutes’ setup: pick your school, add your children and connect your email inbox. Debs then checks the inbox for the senders you choose (the school, its apps and your clubs) and keeps your school’s term dates up to date. Don’t want to connect email? You can show Debs a screenshot or photo instead.
What we say about Jam comes from Jam's App Store listing and jamfamilycalendar.com, checked on 28 September 2026. Prices and features change, so check their website before you decide. Jam is a trademark of its owner; Debs isn’t connected to it.
Using both
Most families won't need both. If you love Jam's lists, keep them and let Debs look after school.
Which should you pick?
- Pick Jam if you want lists and an AI calendar for everything, and don't mind forwarding.
- Pick Debs if school is the big one, you're in the UK, and you'd rather not forward anything.
Questions parents ask
Do I have to forward emails to Debs?
No. Debs reads the senders you choose straight from your inbox, read-only. You can paste an email or show a screenshot too.
Does Debs know UK term dates?
Yes. Every UK school is in Debs, and it reads each school's own website for its term dates and INSET days.