BackpackBuddy vs Maple

Maple has been acquired by Wander and will shut down on December 31, 2026. If you are a Maple family deciding what to do next, here is an honest look at where BackpackBuddy fits, and where it doesn't.

Short version: Maple was a whole-family organizer, a shared calendar with activities and shopping lists. BackpackBuddy is much narrower: it watches the teacher addresses you pick and writes homework, events and deadlines onto the Google Calendar you already use. If school email was the part of Maple you leaned on, BackpackBuddy can take that over. If you need lists and activities too, it is not a full replacement, and we would rather say so now.

The shutdown details were read from growmaple.com and last checked 2026-09-23. Maple's site now shows only the shutdown notice, so the description of Maple's features is from our earlier check on 2026-07-06.

	BackpackBuddyBuilt for school email	Maple
What it's for	One job: turning your kids' school email into calendar events	A family organizer: shared calendar, activities, shopping lists (as of 2026-07-06)
Status	Open, and taking new families	Acquired by Wander. Shuts down December 31, 2026
Your account and data	Your calendar events live in your own Google Calendar, so they stay yours	Accounts and data stay accessible until December 31, 2026. Maple recommends exporting before then
Where events land	Your existing Google Calendar, a separate calendar per child	Maple's own app calendar
Lists, chores, activities	No, deliberately focused on school email	Yes
Subscriptionchecked 2026-09-23	$4.99 to $14.99/mo, less billed annually. 7-day free trial, no card	Annual subscriptions will not renew. Monthly subscriptions stay active until December 31, 2026

Choose BackpackBuddy if

School email was the job

If what you needed from Maple was teacher emails turned into dates on a calendar, BackpackBuddy does that on its own each evening, on the Google Calendar you already use.

Look elsewhere if

You need the whole family hub

Lists, chores and activities are not something BackpackBuddy does. A broad organizer is the closer replacement: see Sense or Gether.

Either way

Export before December 31

Maple says your data stays accessible until December 31, 2026 and recommends exporting it. Do that first, whatever you choose next.

See exactly what BackpackBuddy would send you

Get a one-off sample digest in your inbox. No Google connection, no credit card, then decide.

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Or start a 7-day free trial, no card needed. You can also see plans and pricing, or read the full comparison.

Common questions

Is Maple really shutting down?

Yes. Maple's own site says it has been acquired by Wander and will sunset on December 31, 2026. Your account and your data stay accessible until that date, and Maple recommends exporting or transferring your data before it shuts down. Checked 2026-09-23.

What happens to my Maple subscription?

According to Maple's notice, annual subscriptions will no longer renew, and monthly subscriptions stay active until December 31, 2026. For anything about refunds, ask Maple directly.

Can BackpackBuddy replace Maple?

Only partly. BackpackBuddy reads the teacher emails you choose and puts homework, events and deadlines on your Google Calendar, with a separate calendar per child and a digest email every evening. It does not do shopping lists, chores or activity tracking.

Can I move my Maple events into BackpackBuddy?

BackpackBuddy does not import calendars. It reads new teacher email, and your first scan reaches back 14 days so you start with the recent school mail. If Maple's export gives you a calendar file, Google Calendar can import it directly, without BackpackBuddy being involved.

What does BackpackBuddy cost?

Basic is $4.99 a month, Family is $8.99 and Premium is $14.99, less if you pay annually. Every plan starts with a 7-day free trial, no card needed, and you can get a sample digest emailed to you without signing up at all.

Sources, last checked 2026-09-23: Maple, growmaple.com (shutdown notice); feature description from our 2026-07-06 check. Details for other products come from their own site and can change at any time, follow the links for current information. BackpackBuddy details describe this product as of the date above. See also the full comparison, BackpackBuddy vs Sense, BackpackBuddy vs ParentAgent, BackpackBuddy vs Gether.