Parental control tools, compared
Independent rundowns of the most-asked-about parental control apps. No affiliate links, no sponsored rankings.
rel="noopener noreferrer".Comparison at a glance
| Tool | Best for | Platforms | Content filter | Location | Screen time | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Family Link | Android-first families | Android, Chromebook, limited iOS | Basic | Yes | Yes | Free |
| Apple Screen Time | Apple-first families | iOS, iPadOS, macOS | Basic | Via Find My | Yes | Free |
| Qustodio | Cross-platform control + reporting | iOS, Android, Win, Mac, Chromebook | Strong | Yes | Yes | $55+/yr |
| Bark | Content alerting (SMS, social, email) | iOS, Android, Win, Mac | Alerting-focused | Yes | Yes | $49+/yr |
| Aura | All-in-one family digital safety + ID theft | iOS, Android, Win, Mac | Strong | Yes | Yes | $144+/yr |
| Kaspersky Safe Kids | Budget cross-platform | iOS, Android, Win, Mac | Strong | Yes | Yes | $15/yr |
| Norton Family | Windows-first households | iOS, Android, Win | Strong | Yes | Yes | Bundled w/ Norton 360 |
| Mobicip | Large families / multi-device | iOS, Android, Win, Mac, Kindle | Strong | Yes | Yes | $50+/yr |
| Canopy | Explicit-image blocking (on-device AI) | iOS, Android, Win | Strong (real-time) | Yes | Yes | $100+/yr |
Prices are approximate and change frequently; verify on the vendor site.
The tools
Google Family Link
Why we list it: free, native to Android and Chromebook, the default for Google-first households.
Falls short: limited on iOS, basic content filtering.
Apple Screen Time
Why we list it: free, built-in, and the best option for an Apple-only family.
Falls short: no Android coverage; well-known bypass workarounds exist.
Qustodio
Why we list it: strong cross-platform content filtering and detailed activity reports.
Falls short: iOS coverage weaker than Android due to Apple restrictions.
Bark
Why we list it: best-in-class for alerting parents to concerning content (bullying, self-harm, predators) via SMS, social DMs, email.
Falls short: less about blocking, more about detection.
Aura
Why we list it: bundles parental controls with identity-theft protection, VPN, and antivirus.
Falls short: higher price; bundling may be overkill if you only need parental controls.
Kaspersky Safe Kids
Why we list it: strong filtering at the lowest price point on this list.
Falls short: some organizations have policies against Russian-origin security vendors; check your stance before adopting.
Norton Family
Why we list it: mature, reliable, and free if you already own Norton 360.
Falls short: no native Mac support.
Mobicip
Why we list it: licensing per-family, not per-device, is friendly for big families.
Falls short: less polished dashboard than Qustodio or Aura.
Canopy
Why we list it: uses on-device AI to block explicit images in real time, including in apps other filters miss.
Falls short: narrower focus (primarily explicit imagery).
What about free options?
For many families, Google Family Link (Android) or Apple Screen Time (iOS) plus a family DNS like NextDNS or Cloudflare Families on the home router is a genuinely solid setup. See our router/DNS guide.