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The best parental control apps to keep your kids safe
The web can be a scary and unpredictable place, especially when you're a parent. Moreover, it can be unbelievably nerve-wracking to try to protect your young children when it comes to the internet, its sites, social media apps, and all the media that come with it.
Thankfully, most parental control apps help you keep an eye on your children's activities, so you can rest easy. However, there are more than a few available which makes it that much more difficult to discern which ones are actually right for you.
If you are looking for an app to help you monitor your children, we've vetted the best parental control apps for your family.
Also: The best GPS trackers for kids
- Easy to use
- Screen time restrictions
- Mobile GPS locator
- Does not block VPNs
- This does not apply to social media
Specs: Free version: Yes | Device limits: Up to 15 | Screen time limits: Yes | App Store rating: 4 | Google Play rating: 4.2
Qustodio is our pick for the best overall parental control app, offering a whole suite of features to help keep your children safe. Included are daily screen time limits that you can personally set and manage, controlling how much time a day your child uses the device.
There is also app blocking to keep your child away from the wrong websites and the wrong apps. App monitoring includes the ever-popular YouTube, so your children do not risk accessing the wrong videos.
The Control App serves as your gateway to several different tools, including child tracking and advanced reporting. Simply download the app on your phone and the companion app on your child's phone, and the two will sync from there.
Qustodio works on a variety of devices, including mobile phones, tablets, and desktop devices, and works with multiple platforms, including MacOS. With the free app, you get to supervise a single device, but you can upgrade for monitoring up to 15 devices.
- Screen time monitoring included
- Monitors 30+ apps
- Unlimited device limits
- No free plan
- Slower iOS setup
Specs: Free version: No; plans start at $5/month | Device limits: Unlimited | Screen time limits: Y/N | App Store rating: 4.1 | Google Play rating: 4.0
Bark is meant to help control your child's mobile device with in-depth, comprehensive monitoring. Its content monitoring covers a whole bunch of different communication types, including text and email. It also covers YouTube, as well as more than 30 apps and social media platforms.
You can still block adult sites, but you also have the option to choose from specific categories like streaming services and online gaming. Bark is a multi-faceted tool that goes far beyond just adult content, specifically looking for signs of cyberbullying, sexual predators, suicidal ideation, and threats of violence. If such an issue exists, an alert will be sent to warn parents of the activity.
You can also control your children's use with custom time limits and schedules that monitor not only cell service connections but those via Wi-Fi, too. If you purchase the companion Bark Home, you can also monitor all Wi-Fi-connected devices in your home, including smart TVs, laptops, and video game consoles, for comprehensive protection.
- Geofencing capability
- Up to 500 devices
- Affordable whole-family protection
- Limited social media monitoring
- iOS Restrictions
Specs: Free version: Yes | Device limits: 500 | Screen time limits: Yes | App Store rating: 3.5 | Google Play rating: 3.3
Kaspersky Safe Kids offers many of the best features but without any of the cost. In addition to adult content and sites like YouTube, you can choose from several different ready-made categories to make parental controls that much easier.
You can also create your own premade list of sites and even games, giving you full control over which sites your child can access. Determine how many hours per day your child can access a device, plus access your child's location via GPS for peace of mind when your child is out of sight.
With Kaspersky, you can monitor up to 500 devices, giving you hardly any restrictions and eliminating the decision of which devices to monitor. If you feel like you could benefit from guidance, check out the advice from top child psychologists.
- Simple interface
- Comprehensive reporting
- Detailed dashboard
- No call monitoring
- No message monitoring
Specs: Free version: No; plans start at $39.99/year | Device limits: 20 | Screen time limits: Yes | App Store rating: 2.8 | Google Play rating: 2.3
Net Nanny has a pronounced focus on social media with detailed screen time monitoring. It also allows you to track your child's activity in real-time, whether it is through an app or online.
You can see what your children access with immediate alerts when your child accesses the wrong types of sites. Special alerts are in place to let you know immediately when your child accesses specific sites or content relating to drugs, pornography, weapons, or suicide.
There are also time limits that you can assign based on specific times, allowing you to keep up with normal sleep and study schedules. Family Feed serves as your main summary, allowing access to the latest reporting so you can see exactly which apps your child has visited.
Meanwhile, the Family Map lets you check your child's location anytime for extra reassurance.
- Antivirus protection included
- Helpful geofencing tools
- Unlimited devices
- No free version
- Limited compatibility
Specs: Free version: No; plans start at $49.99/year | Device limits: Unlimited | Screen time limits: Yes | App Store rating: 3.9 | Google Play rating: 3.3
Norton is known for its fantastic antivirus protection, so it makes sense that it would have great parental controls, too. Norton Family Premier helps you monitor the sites and apps that your child visits while also giving you the opportunity to block specific sites.
Also: The 5 best antivirus software and apps
You can see exactly which videos your child views, as well as any search terms that give cause for worry. If your child needs the Internet for school (which, let's face it, most kids do these days), turn on School Time mode so your child can access topics relevant to assigned homework.
You can also set limits based on your preferred schedules for your children, allowing them access when you see fit. Geo-location features help you always to know where your children are with location tracking. You can also access weekly and monthly reports via email or the Parent Portal.
What is the best parental control app?
The best parental control app is Qustodio for its comprehensive protection tools. From app blocking to screen limits, you are in control of your child's Internet use. Plus, with wide compatibility, it is easy to download a version of Qustodio that works for your device. Here is a look at how the best parental control apps compare on free version offerings, operating system compatibility, and device limits:
Best parental control app | Free version? | Compatibility | Device limits |
Qustodio | Yes | Android, iOS | 15 |
Bark | No; plans start at $5/month | Android, iOS | Unlimited |
Kaspersky Safe Kids | Yes | Android, iOS, Mac, Windows | 500 |
Net Nanny | No; plans start at $39.99/year | Android, iOS | 20 |
Norton Family Premier | No; plans start at $49.99/year | Android, iOS, Mac, Windows | Unlimited |
Which is the right parental control app for you?
To find the best parental control app for you, these are our expert recommendations to help.
Choose this parental control app... | If you want... |
Qustodio | A multi-featured tool for parental control featuring a mobile GPS locator and screen time restrictions |
Bark | A parental control app to track your child's phone by monitoring more than 30 apps and has unlimited device limits |
Kaspersky Safe Kids | A budget-friendly parental control app with Geofencing capabilities and works with up to 500 devices |
Net Nanny | A parental control app for social networking sites delivering immediate alerts if your child attempts to access content they shouldn't |
Norton Family Premier | To combine parental control with extra antivirus protection, geofencing tools, and unlimited devices |
As this table illustrates, ZDNET has a diverse offering of the top parental control apps, designed to help you stay one step ahead of your child, while also keeping them from accessing harmful content.
How did I choose these parental control apps?
There are several factors I consider when choosing the best parental control apps.
- Tools: Each app has different features to help you monitor your child's activity, whether it is screen time limits or content monitoring.
- Compatibility: I look at device compatibility to ensure that there is an app that will work with your device.
- Location tracking: Many of the best parental control apps offer GPS capability, so you can locate your children at any time as long as they have their phones.
- Cost: Affordability is a large concern to ensure that parents on a tight budget still have a solution for parental control.
Be sure to carefully review the terms and conditions to be sure that they work for you.
What is a parental control app, and how does it work?
A parental control app is an app that allows parents to monitor their children's virtual activity for potentially harmful or inappropriate content. For many programs, you'll be able to set online time restrictions, set preventions so your child cannot access certain websites and content, and provides immediate alerts if your kid tries to bypass the content filter.
Parental control apps are a wise way to help keep your child safe online. And they also give you the opportunity to speak with your children about implementing best practices for online use.
How much are parental control apps?
The cost depends on the manufacturer and how many devices you want to have monitored. For example, Qustodio charges $55 annually for five devices; while Bark's plans start from $5 per month for basic services, like website filtering, setting screen time restrictions, and location alerts.
Meanwhile, Kaspersky offers a product designed for parents, where you can block access to specific websites, track your child's location, and set screen limits for $15 per year. While there are cheaper or free options, they might not offer all the tools you need that the best parental control apps offer. And in the case of some of the ones we chose like Kaspersky, it's less than the cost of a cup of coffee per month to have access to the features you want.
What is the best parental control app for gaming?
There are several parental control apps specific to gaming. Among the best parental control apps are Family on PSN for PlayStation, Nintendo Switch Parental Controls, and Microsoft Family Safety for Xbox.
You can access the parental controls through your console settings. To demonstrate, PlayStation allows you to set up family management, where you can impose restrictions for each specific user. With this in mind, you can have a sub-account under your family umbrella for each child and set restrictions that coincide with their age level. Not only does this affect the kind of content they'll be able to access, but it also limits their ability to message or voice chat within the game, share content they created, and more.
Are there alternative parental control apps worth considering?
These five represent the best parental control apps you can use. However, if you want a few more worthwhile options, you cannot go wrong with these:
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Canopy
With Canopy, you can set which content each device can access, making it perfect for families with multiple kids.
VIEW MORE
Life360
An all-in-one safety app with location monitoring, crash alert detection, and online safety filters.
VIEW MORE
OurPact
OurPact allows you to set restrictions on apps, text messages, and other digital tools to keep your kids safe.
Before you can monitor your child's activity, you need the right devices. Check out our expert picks for the best smartphones, the best computers, and the best laptops!