The Best Tin Can Alternatives in 2026

If you've spent any time researching a screen-free first phone for your kid, you've run into Tin Can. It's the WiFi landline that kicked off this whole category, and it's earned real praise — including a glowing writeup from NYT Wirecutter, which called it a screenless, app-free "landline" that's winning over nostalgic parents.

But Tin Can isn't the only modern landline anymore, and it may not be the only one worth considering for your family. Here's an honest, no-hype comparison of the best Tin Can alternatives in 2026, including where Homie fits in.

Why people go looking for a Tin Can alternative

Most parents who search for alternatives are dealing with one of a few things: they want a phone built for the whole family (not just the youngest kid), they're comparing price and plan structures before committing, or they simply want to see what else is out there before buying. That's healthy. A phone your family will actually keep using for years is worth comparing carefully — this isn't a purchase you want to make twice.

It also helps to know upfront that this is a genuinely new category. A few years ago, none of these products existed; today there's enough competition that families actually get to choose based on fit, not just availability.

The quick comparison

	Homie	Tin Can	Pinwheel Home	Wiley Buddy
Concept	Modern home phone for the whole household	WiFi landline for kids	Home phone/hub from the Pinwheel kids-phone family	Wearable-style phone alternative for kids
Device price	$99 one-time	$100 one-time	Check current pricing	Check current pricing
Outside-calling plan	$99/yr or $10/mo · cancel anytime	$9.99/mo (Party Line Plan)	Check current pricing	Check current pricing
Phone-to-phone/device calls	Free between Homie phones	Free Can 2 Can calls	Varies by plan	Varies by plan
Approved contacts only	Yes — everyone else blocked	Yes — everyone else blocked	Typically yes, screening-based	Typically yes, screening-based
911	Included*	Included*	Check current details	Check current details
Setup	WiFi · no phone jack, no carrier bill	WiFi · plugs into an outlet	Varies	Varies
Built for	Kids, families & grandparents	Kids	Kids, as part of a broader kids-phone lineup	Kids

Tin Can details per its product page and NYT Wirecutter. Pinwheel Home and Wiley Buddy pricing and plan details change, so check each company's current site before buying — we're not going to guess at numbers we can't verify.

Tin Can

What it is: The phone that made this whole category go viral — a WiFi-connected, screenless device shaped like a tin can, built specifically for kids. It plugs into an outlet, connects to your WiFi, and only calls contacts you've approved in the app.

Pros: Well-reviewed, shipping today, strong brand recognition, an established community of "pods" of families using it together.

Cons: Built primarily around kids rather than the whole household — grandparents and general family use are secondary to the product's design.

Pinwheel Home

What it is: Pinwheel has built a name for itself in kid-safe phones generally, and has extended into home-phone territory as an option for younger kids not yet ready for their kids-phone devices. If you're already in the Pinwheel ecosystem or comparing kids-phone brands broadly, it's worth a look.

Pros: Backed by a company with an established track record in kid-safe communication.

Cons: Check current pricing and plan structure directly with Pinwheel — we don't want to state numbers here that may have changed.

Wiley (Buddy)

What it is: Another entrant in the "give my kid a way to call people without giving them a smartphone" space, generally positioned as a simplified communication device for kids.

Pros: Purpose-built for a young audience, with screening built in.

Cons: As with Pinwheel, check current pricing directly — availability and plan details shift.

Where Homie fits

Homie was built to answer a slightly different question: not just "what's a safe first phone for my kid," but "what's one modern landline that works for my whole house?" That means the kids calling friends, the family that wants a little less screen time at dinner, and the grandparents who need a phone that scammers simply can't reach.

The device is $99 one time. Calling between Homie phones is free — always. If you want to call regular phone numbers too, it's $99/year (our default plan) or $10/month if you'd rather pay monthly and cancel anytime. There's no carrier bill and no phone jack required — Homie runs over your WiFi. Every number has to be approved before it can reach the phone; everyone else is blocked, and 911 calling is included. It comes in a slim, powder-blue handset designed to look and feel like the phone you grew up with.

One honest note: Homie ships Fall 2026, so this comparison is based on our design and pricing against products that are already shipping today, including Tin Can's. We think the comparison holds up, but we're not going to pretend we've been reviewed the way Tin Can has — not yet. We'd rather be upfront about where we are in that process than oversell it.

Questions worth asking before you buy any of these

• Who is this actually built for — kids only, or the whole household?
• What happens to calls from people who aren't on the approved list? Every product in this category should block them, but confirm it.
• Is 911 calling included, on every plan? This should be a baseline requirement, not a paid add-on.
• What's the actual ongoing cost once you add the outside-calling plan, not just the device price?
• Does it run on WiFi, or does it need a phone jack or its own cell plan? This affects where in the house it can go and what it costs to run.

How to choose

• Want something shipping right now, built for kids specifically? Tin Can is a proven, well-reviewed pick.
• Comparing kids-phone ecosystems? Pinwheel Home or Wiley Buddy are worth researching directly on price and features.
• Want one landline for the kids, the family, and the grandparents — and happy to pre-order for fall? That's exactly the gap Homie is built to fill.

Whichever you choose, the fact that you're comparing options at all is a good sign — it means the modern landline is doing exactly what it set out to do: giving families a real alternative to handing over a smartphone.