saasrankedSoftware, ranked on the facts

Security & Privacy

Best parental control apps

Filter websites, limit screen time and see where your children are on their phones, tablets and Windows PCs. 10 parental control apps, ranked by points out of 100.

Facts checked 8 Oct 2026 · How we score parental control apps

Not scored yet: Norton Family, Kidslox.

In short

  1. 1
    Kaspersky Safe KidsFamilies who want a low-cost yearly plan with a free tier to start
    89/100
    $2.42/mocheapest paid family plan
  2. 2
    MobicipFamilies who want low-priced controls on Windows, Mac, Chromebook, Android and iOS
    83/100
    $2.99/mocheapest paid family plan
  3. 3
    FamiSafeFamilies who want one yearly plan for phones, tablets and computers
    83/100
    $4.99/mocheapest paid family plan
  4. 4
    Google Family LinkFamilies whose children use Android phones or Chromebooks
    81/100
    $0cheapest paid family plan
  5. 5
    QustodioFamilies who want one app across Windows PCs, Chromebooks and phones
    77/100
    $5/mocheapest paid family plan
  6. 6
    BarkParents of phone-owning kids who want alerts about messages and social media
    75/100
    $8.25/mocheapest paid family plan
  7. 7
    Microsoft Family SafetyFamilies whose children use Windows PCs or Xbox consoles
    71/100
    $0cheapest paid family plan
  8. 8
    Net NannyFamilies with Windows PCs, Macs and iPhones that want category web filtering
    60/100
    $6.67/mocheapest paid family plan
  9. 9
    OurPactParents who want scheduling and instant blocking on phones and tablets
    54/100
    $5.83/mocheapest paid family plan
  10. 10
    MMGuardianParents who want to read their child's texts and social messages on Android or iPhone
    45/100
    $8.33/mocheapest paid family plan

How the points add up

Points earned out of the points available in each part of the method.

ProductSystems
of 18		Controls
of 33		Monitoring
of 19		Terms
of 2		Price and plan
of 28		Total
Kaspersky Safe Kids15301422889
Mobicip18331621483
FamiSafe18331901383
Google Family Link6331402881
Qustodio18301621177
Bark18331301175
Microsoft Family Safety928602871
Net Nanny123091860
OurPact628801254
MMGuardian620140545

Each parental control app in brief

1. Kaspersky Safe Kids

Kaspersky Safe Kids suits families who want low-priced filtering, time limits and location on Windows, Mac, Android and iOS. The free version blocks websites and apps and limits computer time, and one licence covers all devices. The catch: it lists no Chromebook support, names none of the social networks it monitors, and the first-year price rises at renewal.

Best for: Families who want a low-cost yearly plan with a free tier to start. Prices, facts and sources

2. Mobicip

Mobicip suits families who want filtering and time limits across Windows, Mac, Chromebook, Android and iOS, plus location and social alerts, at a low price. Plans share one feature list and differ by device count. The catch: it does not name the free plan's features, shows no way for children to request more time, and scans only Facebook and Snapchat by name.

Best for: Families who want low-priced controls on Windows, Mac, Chromebook, Android and iOS. Prices, facts and sources

3. FamiSafe

FamiSafe suits families with many devices that want filtering, time limits, location and social app alerts on one plan. The yearly plan is $4.99 a month for 10 devices. The catch: the free plan locks the main controls, the refund window is only 7 days, and Android has more features than iOS.

Best for: Families who want one yearly plan for phones, tablets and computers. Prices, facts and sources

4. Google Family Link

Family Link suits families whose children use Android phones or Chromebooks and want free limits, app approvals and location. It also lets parents restrict YouTube and Chrome. The catch: a Windows PC, Mac or iPhone cannot be supervised, and site filtering runs only in Chrome.

Best for: Families whose children use Android phones or Chromebooks. Prices, facts and sources

5. Qustodio

Qustodio suits families whose children use a mix of Windows PCs, Chromebooks and phones. Basic covers 5 devices for $5.00 a month with filtering, daily limits, location and pausing. The catch: YouTube monitoring and custom rules sit on the $104.95 Complete plan, and the plan page gives conflicting device limits for Basic.

Best for: Families who want one app across Windows PCs, Chromebooks and phones. Prices, facts and sources

6. Bark

Bark suits parents who mainly want warnings about what their children say and see on phones. One $99 yearly subscription covers all children and devices. The catch: Windows PCs get only browser monitoring, per-app time limits are limited to the Bark Phone, and there is no free plan.

Best for: Parents of phone-owning kids who want alerts about messages and social media. Prices, facts and sources

7. Microsoft Family Safety

Family Safety suits families with Windows PCs or Xbox consoles who want free screen time limits and filters. Parents set daily hours and are notified when a child asks for more time. The catch: filtering needs Edge, phone limits cover Android only, and location tracking was removed.

Best for: Families whose children use Windows PCs or Xbox consoles. Prices, facts and sources

8. Net Nanny

Net Nanny suits families on Windows, Mac and iPhone who want category filtering, screen time and location in one pass. The 5-device pass lists at $79.99 a year. The catch: there is no Android or Chromebook app, and the pages describe no per-app time limits, place alerts or child requests.

Best for: Families with Windows PCs, Macs and iPhones that want category web filtering. Prices, facts and sources

9. OurPact

OurPact suits parents who want schedules, instant blocking, a web filter and place alerts for iPhones, iPads and Android devices. Premium is $69.99 a year for 20 child devices. The catch: it lists no Windows, Mac or Chromebook support for children's devices, and no free plan.

Best for: Parents who want scheduling and instant blocking on phones and tablets. Prices, facts and sources

10. MMGuardian

MMGuardian suits parents of children with Android phones or iPhones who want message reports, location, screen time and a lock button in one app. The family plan is $99.98 a year for up to 5 child devices, with a 14-day trial. The catch: the pages list no Windows support, and iPhone message monitoring needs a sync app on a home computer.

Best for: Parents who want to read their child's texts and social messages on Android or iPhone. Prices, facts and sources

Every fact, side by side

Each row is one rule of the method and the points it is worth. "–" means the vendor does not publish it, which earns nothing.

Rule (points)Kaspersky Safe KidsMobicipFamiSafeGoogle Family LinkQustodioBarkMicrosoft Family SafetyNet NannyOurPactMMGuardian
Windows PC (6)YesYesYesNoYesYesYesYes––
Other systems (12)3 of 44 of 44 of 42 of 44 of 44 of 41 of 42 of 42 of 42 of 4
Website filtering by category (8)YesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes–
Block apps and games (6)YesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes
Daily limits and schedules (8)YesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes
Time limits per app (3)YesYesYesYesYesYesYes––Yes
Pause or lock from the parent app (3)–YesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes
Removal protection (3)YesYesYesYes–Yes–YesYes–
YouTube controls (2)YesYesYesYesYesYes–Yes––
Live location (6)YesYesYesYesYesYesNoYesYesYes
Place alerts (2)YesYesYesYesYesYes––Yes–
Social media and message alerts (5)–YesYes–YesYes–––Yes
Activity reports (3)YesYesYesYesYes–YesYes–Yes
Child requests (3)Yes–YesYes––Yes–––
Money-back period (2)30307–30––14––
Free plan (8)Yes–NoYes–NoYesNoNoNo
Cheapest paid family plan (12)$2.42/mo$2.99/mo$4.99/mo$0$5/mo$8.25/mo$0$6.67/mo$5.83/mo$8.33/mo
Devices on the priced plan (8)10051010051001005205

Head to head

We read each vendor's own pages, record every fact with its source and date, and score it by the rules on how we score parental control apps. A tie goes to the lower price. Parental control apps for families with children at home, managed from an app or web dashboard. Employee monitoring, school tools and stalkerware are left out. Feature lines count any plan for families. Price and device lines use the cheapest paid software plan for one family, billed yearly; phones, watches and routers sold by the vendor do not count. Windows is scored, not required. Vendor claims about speed or quality are shown on product pages but never scored. Prices are in US dollars before tax.