Family plans, compared
Four big tech family systems. Which to use as your primary, and how cross-ecosystem households handle it.
The four family plans parents live with
Four big tech companies each offer “family” account systems. Most households use two or three simultaneously (because their devices run different operating systems).
Apple Family Sharing
- Covers: Apple devices (iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, HomePod).
- Child Apple ID for under-13s, created by parent.
- Screen Time synced across all Apple devices.
- Ask to Buy — parent approves every purchase.
- Apple Cash Family — managed debit-card for kids.
- Shared: Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, iCloud+ storage, purchases, calendars, reminders.
- Cost: free (individual subscriptions cost extra).
Google Family Link + Google One
- Covers: Android, Chromebook, Google services (YouTube, Play Store, Search).
- Supervised child Google account for under-13s.
- Family Link — screen time, app approvals, location, content filters.
- Google One family plan — shared cloud storage (100GB / 2TB / more).
- Shared: YouTube Premium, YouTube Music, Google One, some Play Pass content.
- Cost: Family Link free; Google One has paid tiers.
Microsoft Family Safety
- Covers: Windows PCs, Xbox, Microsoft 365 apps.
- Child Microsoft account for under-18s.
- Family Safety — screen time across Windows and Xbox, app and game limits, content filters, activity reports, location (via mobile app).
- Shared: Microsoft 365 Family (up to 6 users), Xbox Game Pass Family (if your region has it), OneDrive storage.
- Cost: Family Safety free; Microsoft 365 Family is paid.
Amazon Household
- Covers: Amazon shopping, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Alexa.
- Amazon Kids profiles for under-13s.
- Amazon Kids+ subscription for kid-safe content library.
- Shared: Prime membership benefits (with some limits), Kindle library (shared across adult accounts in the household), Prime Video Kids profiles.
- Cost: free; Prime and Amazon Kids+ are paid.
How to pick the primary
Your “primary” family plan is usually whichever matches the first device the kid gets. If it’s an iPhone: Apple. If it’s Android or Chromebook: Google. If it’s a gaming PC or Xbox: Microsoft. Most households run two or three in parallel — that’s normal.
Cross-ecosystem headaches
- iPhone + Chromebook + Xbox? You’ll touch all three plans. Stay organized — keep settings documented in your password manager.
- Single-purchase items (a Roblox game) are tied to the ecosystem where purchased. Don’t re-buy.
- Family plan changes (marriage, divorce) require care — you can’t just swap the family manager without unwinding.
Common questions
Which family plan should be our primary?
Usually whichever matches the first device your child gets. An iPhone means Apple Family Sharing, an Android or Chromebook means Google Family Link, a gaming PC or Xbox means Microsoft Family Safety. Most households end up running two or three in parallel, and that is normal rather than a mistake.
What does each family plan actually cover?
Apple Family Sharing covers Apple devices with synced Screen Time, Ask to Buy and Apple Cash Family. Google Family Link covers Android, Chromebook and Google services. Microsoft Family Safety covers Windows PCs and Xbox. Amazon Household covers Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV and Alexa through Amazon Kids profiles.
Are these plans free?
The parental-control layers are: Family Sharing, Family Link, Family Safety and Amazon Household all cost nothing. What costs money are the subscriptions bundled alongside them — Google One, Microsoft 365 Family, Prime and Amazon Kids+.
What breaks in a cross-ecosystem household?
Mainly organisation. If you run an iPhone, a Chromebook and an Xbox you will touch three plans, so keep the settings documented in your password manager. Note also that single purchases such as a Roblox game are tied to the ecosystem where they were bought — do not re-buy them elsewhere.
What happens to a family plan after a divorce or remarriage?
It needs care. You cannot simply swap the family manager without unwinding the existing arrangement, so plan the transition rather than discovering the constraint midway through it.