Best Parental Control Apps
Top parental control apps ranked by transparent trust scores.
8 products ranked
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Top Pick
9.4
Excellent
Qustodio Premium
Ranked #1 based on expert reviews, user sentiment, and value analysis.
#1
9.4
Excellent
Consensus
Compare
Ranked #1 based on expert reviews, user sentiment, and value analysis.
Pros
- Covers up to 15 devices on premium plan
- Covers up to 15 devices on premium plan
- Cross-platform including Kindle
Cons
- iOS features are more limited than Android
- iOS features are more limited than Android
- Social media monitoring is basic
Don't buy this if…
- iOS restrictions limit Qustodio's ability to block specific apps and monitor some activities.
- iOS restrictions limit Qustodio's ability to block specific apps and monitor some activities.
#2
9.2
Excellent
Consensus
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Ranked #2 based on expert reviews, user sentiment, and value analysis.
Pros
- AI scans 30+ apps and platforms for dangers
- AI scans 30+ apps and platforms for dangers
- Alerts-based approach respects teen privacy
Cons
- Limited screen time management tools
- Limited screen time management tools
- Cannot read encrypted messages
Don't buy this if…
- Bark monitors content but cannot access end-to-end encrypted apps like Signal or WhatsApp messages.
- Bark monitors content but cannot access end-to-end encrypted apps like Signal or WhatsApp messages.
#3
9.0
Excellent
Consensus
Compare
Ranked #3 based on expert reviews, user sentiment, and value analysis.
Pros
- Real-time AI content filtering
- Real-time AI content filtering
- Profanity masking on web pages
Cons
- Does not monitor social media content
- Does not monitor social media content
- VPN detection can be inconsistent
Don't buy this if…
- Net Nanny works primarily as a web filter and does not deeply monitor social media or messaging apps.
- Net Nanny works primarily as a web filter and does not deeply monitor social media or messaging apps.
#4
8.7
Excellent
Consensus
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Ranked #4 based on expert reviews, user sentiment, and value analysis.
Pros
- Completely free with no premium tiers
- Completely free with no premium tiers
- Deep Android and Chromebook integration
Cons
- Android and Chromebook only
- Android and Chromebook only
- Limited web filtering beyond SafeSearch
Don't buy this if…
- Family Link supervision can be removed by the child once they turn 13 unless you set up additional restrictions.
- Family Link supervision can be removed by the child once they turn 13 unless you set up additional restrictions.
#5
8.5
Excellent
Consensus
Compare
Ranked #5 based on expert reviews, user sentiment, and value analysis.
Pros
- Free and built into all Apple devices
- Free and built into all Apple devices
- Seamless Family Sharing integration
Cons
- Apple devices only
- Apple devices only
- Savvy kids find workarounds easily
Don't buy this if…
- Screen Time passcode workarounds are widely shared online and tech-savvy children may bypass restrictions.
- Screen Time passcode workarounds are widely shared online and tech-savvy children may bypass restrictions.
#6
8.3
Good
Consensus
Compare
Ranked #6 based on expert reviews, user sentiment, and value analysis.
Pros
- School Time mode for educational focus
- School Time mode for educational focus
- 30-day activity history and reports
Cons
- No iOS app blocking capability
- No iOS app blocking capability
- No social media monitoring
Don't buy this if…
- Norton Family has significant feature limitations on iOS compared to Android.
- Norton Family has significant feature limitations on iOS compared to Android.
#7
8.1
Good
Consensus
Compare
Ranked #7 based on expert reviews, user sentiment, and value analysis.
Pros
- Intuitive traffic-light category system
- Intuitive traffic-light category system
- Cross-platform including Chromebook
Cons
- Smaller user base than major competitors
- Smaller user base than major competitors
- Social media monitoring is limited
Don't buy this if…
- Mobicip requires a VPN profile on iOS which can conflict with other VPN apps.
- Mobicip requires a VPN profile on iOS which can conflict with other VPN apps.
#8
7.9
Good
Consensus
Compare
Ranked #8 based on expert reviews, user sentiment, and value analysis.
Pros
- Very affordable premium plan
- Very affordable premium plan
- GPS tracking with geofencing
Cons
- Kaspersky brand banned on US government devices
- Kaspersky brand banned on US government devices
- iOS features are limited
Don't buy this if…
- Kaspersky products are restricted on US government networks and some organizations may have policies against its use.
- Kaspersky products are restricted on US government networks and some organizations may have policies against its use.
Quick Comparison
How We Rank
Composite trust score from expert reviews, user sentiment, complaint analysis, and value assessment.
Trust Score
Weighted composite of all factor scores
Expert Score
Aggregated expert review ratings
User Sentiment
Community votes and review analysis
Value Score
Price-to-performance ratio
Freshness
Recency of reviews and data
Change Log
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