Family document apps compared (UK, 2026)

This comparison is written by the people who make one of the apps in it. We’ve kept it factual: prices and features come from each product’s own website or UK App Store page, checked on 29 September 2026 and linked in the sources. If something has changed, tell us and we’ll fix it.

The options at a glance

Where each one fits

A shared iCloud Drive or Google Drive folder. The honest default. Free within your storage, you already have it, and everyone you invite sees everything added to it. iCloud lets you choose between people who can edit and people who can only view. What it won’t do: remind you before the passport expires, read what’s inside a scanned letter, or keep one copy organised when two people save things differently. Works well if one of you is a careful filer and the renewal dates live somewhere else.

fyio. Simple, encrypted document storage with renewal reminders, on iOS and Android, and a genuinely free tier (1 GB). Sharing happens inside the fyio app rather than by external links. A good fit if you mainly want a safe place for files and one person manages them, or if one of you uses Android.

DOQIT. The broadest “life admin” app here: documents, renewals and expiries (MOT included) on iOS, Android and the web, with selected documents shareable with a partner or family member. No free tier — a 7-day trial, then £4.99 a month or £39.99 a year. Suits someone who wants one place for all admin and works on a computer as well as a phone.

SafeKeep. A newer “digital filing cabinet” with AI that pulls details out of your documents and notifications before they expire, on iOS, Android and the web. Its standout is legacy access: approved contacts can take over the account after verification. Note the prices: the UK App Store lists Basic, Essentials and Premium plans from £4.49 a month, while the website has shown different figures — check at sign-up.

DueOwl. Ours. Built on one idea: a family’s documents should be findable by both of you in seconds. Share a PDF in from WhatsApp, Mail or Files (or scan a letter) and the dates are read on your iPhone; one search finds any document by name, provider, policy number or a word inside it; any file goes to the garage or school in one tap; and anything with a renewal date reminds you both in good time. Documents stay in your own iCloud and never reach us.

Paper originals still matter

Whichever you choose, it holds copies. A digital copy is enough for many everyday documents — since 2010 UK law has let insurers issue the car insurance certificate electronically, and showing it on your phone counts as producing it. But keep the originals of documents that prove identity or ownership (birth and marriage certificates, the V5C logbook, deeds, wills) safe at home. Our guide to keeping family documents in one place covers the split.

How to choose in two minutes

1. Does anyone use Android? Then fyio, DOQIT, SafeKeep or a Google Drive folder. All-iPhone: every option is open.
2. Does your partner need to see everything, day to day? Shared folder or DueOwl. Selected documents only: DOQIT. Emergencies only: SafeKeep’s legacy access.
3. Do you want expiry reminders? Then an app — a folder won’t remind you.
4. How will you find things? File names only: a folder. By a word inside the document: DueOwl.
5. Budget. £0: a shared folder or fyio’s free tier. Under £3 a month for two people: DueOwl. Otherwise DOQIT or SafeKeep.

Still hunting for a document right now? Here’s how to find it in WhatsApp, Gmail or on your iPhone.