The Best Parental Control Apps of 2025

Our family safety experts reviewed 30 parental control apps before naming Bark the best option on the market.
Preferred Partner
Qustodio
4.8 out of 5 stars
4.75
  • pro
    AI-powered alerts for 29+ categories
  • pro
    Limited social media monitoring
  • con
    No sexting prevention
Best overall
Bark
5 out of 5 stars
5
  • pro
    Alerts for 29+ content categories
  • pro
    Excellent social media monitoring
  • pro
    Sexting prevention
Most management tools
FamilyTime
4 out of 5 stars
4
  • pro
    Limited content alerts
  • pro
    Some social media monitoring
  • con
    No sexting prevention
Best for contact management
MMGuardian
4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5
  • pro
    Alerts for 9+ content categories
  • pro
    Good social media monitoring
  • pro
    Sexting prevention
Best for blocking explicit content
Canopy
4 out of 5 stars
4
  • pro
    Only looks for explicit imagery
  • pro
    Image & video monitoring for all apps
  • pro
    Sexting prevention

For over 11 years, SafeWise experts have conducted independent research and testing to write unbiased, human reviews (not robots). Learn more.

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Cathy, a Safe Sleep Ambassador, specializes in family safety, simplifying complex topics for trusted sites like Safety.com with 8+ years of writing experience.

After more than 250 hours of research and testing, we chose Bark as the best parental control app on the market. It scans messages, images, and songs for more than 29 inappropriate or harmful themes and sends parents real-time alerts. No other brand follows your child around the internet quite like Bark. That said, Qustodio is a close contender and our preferred partner in this category with the release of their new AI-powered alerts for suspicious content on websites, in apps and social media messages.

If you're on a budget or looking for specific monitoring tools, we trust three other brands to protect your child online: FamilyTime, MMGuardian, and Canopy. 

Below, we'll talk about the differences between our top picks and explain why other apps didn’t make the cut.

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SafeWise Kids Safety Awards

Four of the five best parental control apps are Kids Safety Award winners. We tested and measured four categories of kids' safety tech, including smartwatches, GPS trackers, parental controls, and phones, to find products parents and kids love. 



Compare the best parental control apps

Product
Best for
Monthly starting price
Trial period
Image scanning
Safe zones (geofencing)
Learn more
Read review
Best overall 7 days
Icon Yes  LightYes
Icon Yes  LightYes
Best management tools 3 days
Icon No  LightNo
Icon Yes  LightYes
Best contact management14 days
Icon Yes  LightYes
Icon No  LightNo
Best for blocking explicit content7 days
Icon Yes  LightYes
Icon No  LightNo
  • Canopy is the most expensive option, followed by Bark, MMGuardian, FamilyTime. 
  • Qustodio is the only parental control app on our list that offers a "forever free" option. The others offer free trial periods.
  • Only Bark, MMGuardian, and Canopy scan images for inappropriate content.
  • Only Bark, Qustodio, and Family Time offer safe zone alerts (also known as geofencing).
  • Bark is the only option on our list to offer both image scanning and geofencing. 

Info current as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. Read full disclaimer.
Paid annually: $29/yr. for 1 device.
Paid annually: $95.90/yr. for 3 devices.

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Is there a completely free parental control app?

Google Family Link is free and lets you manage apps, control screen time, and track your child’s location. Google Family Link’s closest competitor is the free version of Qustodio. 

What to look for in parental control apps

Consider the following features when choosing a parental control app to protect your kids online:

  • Safe web browsing: The app should allow you to create customized web filters, block specific websites, and disable other browsers. The best parental control apps also scan and block images and videos.
  • Text monitoring: Look for an app that alerts you if your child sends or receives inappropriate messages. Some apps let you read the full content of your child's texts, while others only show the problematic snippets.
  • Sexting prevention: Some apps recognize when nude photos are taken and will block access to those photos so they can't be shared.
  • Social media monitoring: Make sure you choose a parental control app that monitors content and messages on your child's favorite social media apps.
  • App management: Ideally, you should be able to approve an app before your child can download it. Otherwise, you should receive a real-time alert for all app downloads and have the ability to block specific apps or app categories.
  • Contact management: This is a relatively rare feature that allows parents to control who their child can call or text, and vice versa. 
  • Screen time management: Find out if you can set up time limits for specific apps and activities. Some apps also let you turn off internet access or shut down the phone depending on the time of day. 
  • Parent notifications: Make sure you'll get notifications about things that concern you, and that those notifications are delivered where you'll see them. Many apps only send push notifications, for example.
  • Usage reports: Find out how much time your child has spent on specific apps or websites. Some parental control apps will also display call logs, search history, and web history. 
  • Location tracking: Keep an eye on your child's whereabouts with built-in GPS tracking. Some apps also let you set up safe zone alerts, which tell you when your child left school, made it to a friend's house, etc.
  • Uninstall protection: This ensures the app can't be removed from your child's device without a password. All of the brands on our list have uninstall protection. 
  • Device compatibility: Make sure the app protects all of your child's devices. 
  • Free trial: Look for a parental control app with a free trial so you can test it and make sure it meets your needs.

If you're not sure which features to prioritize, check out our guide to parental controls.

Read more: How to secure your home internet connection

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A note about monitoring Android vs. iOS devices

Apple has some strict rules about call/text monitoring and tracking. That’s why parental control apps can’t offer the same features for all devices or platforms. If your child uses an Android device, you should be good to go. If your child uses an iPhone or iPad, pay special attention to each brand’s iOS functions. 

Read more: iOS vs. Android Security: Which One Keeps Your Child Safer Online?

Our top picks for the best parental control apps

1. Qustodio: Best free parental control app

Preferred partner
Qustodio
Qustodio
4.8 out of 5 stars
4.75
Price
$0+/mo.
Trial period
3 days
Devices covered
1, 5, or unlimited*

Info current as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

*Depends on plan

Monitoring
  • Texts: Yes
  • Emails: No
  • Social media messages: WhatsApp, Instagram


Blocking
  • Inappropriate images: Only on web browsers (toggle on "Enforce Safe Search" feature)
  • Specific apps: Yes
  • Specific websites: Yes
  • Songs with explicit lyrics: No
  • Spam calls: No
  • Specific contacts: Yes
  • Internet access: Yes


Apps
  • Download approval required: No
  • Block app store access: No
  • Limit screen time by app: Yes


Alerts
  • Delivery options: Push-notification, email
  • Types: More than 20 categories, including bullying, self-harm, and school absences
  • Safe zone alerts (geofencing): Yes


Other
  • Location tracking: Yes
  • Screen time schedules: Yes
  • Sexting prevention: No
  • Remote camera shut-off: No

We chose Qustodio as the best free parental control app because it offers a sufficient range of features to be truly useful. Most free parental control apps are borderline useless because the features are severely limited. With Qustodio, the main catch is that you can only monitor one device with the free plan.

Here's what you get for absolutely nothing:

  • Web, app, and search monitoring
  • Online content filter
  • Safe search
  • Internet pausing
  • Daily time limits
  • 7 days of activity reporting
pro
What we like
pro Excellent cloud-based parent dashboard
pro Web filter
pro Location history
pro WhatsApp and Line monitoring for iOS and Android
pro Browsing history report
pro Internet pause
pro Real time AI-powered alerts
con
Room for improvement
con No email monitoring
  • Go ahead and use Qustodio if you're dipping your toe into the world of parental controls and want to explore some features without committing.
  • Keep shopping if you want to monitor your child's activity in emails, doc-sharing apps, and other corners of the internet (see Bark above).

Our testing highlights

We tested Qustodio to explore all of its features and reports. We love the in-depth cloud-based dashboard, which shows you exactly what your child has been typing into search engines or YouTube and automatically flags concerning activity for you to review. Like Bark, Qustodio offers tips for addressing sensitive topics.

You’ll see which apps and websites your kid spends the most time on, who they’re calling, and the content of their texts. There’s also social media monitoring, but it’s currently limited to Instagram messages and WhatsApp. 

You can also set up rules and restrictions from this dashboard, but that’s where Qustodio’s user-friendliness takes a nosedive. Other apps offer simpler interfaces for parents.

The other neat feature we like about Qustodio is its “family tracker.” You can glance at it and see the current location of each child. Need to trace their steps? You can do that, too, with the “location history” function. However, you need to pay for a subscription if you want to track more than one kid. 

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Thoughts from a Qustodio tester
"Qustodio was easy to set up and install for the most part, but there's kind of a weird process for setting up uninstall protection. You need to download an extra tool from Qustodio onto a desktop computer. Without it, you won't get any tamper alerts." — SafeWise Qustodio tester

Bottom line: Qustodio is a good option for tech-savvy parents looking for a free way to keep their kids safe online.

Get the full scoop of our testing experience in our in-depth Qustodio review, or learn how Qustodio compares to Bark, our top pick.

2. Bark: Most comprehensive monitoring

Best parental control app for comprehensive monitoring
Bark
Bark
5 out of 5 stars
5
Price
$5+/mo.
Trial period
7 days
Devices covered
Unlimited

Info current as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

Monitoring
  • Texts: Yes
  • Emails: Yes
  • Social media messages: Yes - most popular apps


Blocking
  • Inappropriate images: Yes
  • Specific apps: Yes
  • Specific websites: Yes
  • Songs with explicit lyrics: Yes
  • Spam calls: No, only available with Bark Phone or Bark Watch
  • Specific contacts: No, only available with Bark Phone or Bark Watch
  • Internet access: Requires Bark Home


Apps
  • Download approval required: No, only available with Bark Phone
  • Block app store access: No, only available with Bark Phone
  • Limit screen time by app: Yes


Alerts
  • Delivery options: Text, push-notification, email
  • Types: 29 categories, including bullying, drugs and alcohol, depression, violence, and sex
  • Safe zone alerts (geofencing): Yes


Other
  • Location tracking: Yes
  • Screen time schedules: Yes
  • Sexting prevention: Yes
  • Remote camera shut-off: Yes

We chose Bark as the best parental control app because it screens social media and other messaging avenues—like text messages, emails, and doc-sharing apps. No other parental control app screens so many messaging platforms at once—and we researched over 30 competitors just to make sure.

Plus, we were really impressed with the sensitivity of Bark's content filters and the immediacy of their alerts during testing. You'll know right away when your child needs some guidance.

pro
What we like
pro Computer and phone monitoring
pro Email monitoring
pro Social media monitoring
pro Text message monitoring
pro Text, push, and email alerts
pro Explicit lyric screening
pro Sexting prevention
pro Location tracking
pro Screen time schedules
con
Room for improvement
con No browsing or search history
con No call log
  • Go ahead and buy the Bark app if you want reliable content monitoring across a variety of platforms and communication channels.
  • Pivot to the Bark Phone if you want even more protections, like the ability to remotely disable the phone's camera or control the contact list.
  • Keep shopping if you want to see your child's call logs, search history, browsing history, and text messages in the parent dashboard (see MMGuardian below).

Read more: What age should my child get a phone?


The Bark Watch is here!

Bark is a two-time Kids Safety Awards winner: Best Parental Control App and Best Kids Phone. And this year they released a new kids smartwatch!

Key features:

  • Bark Premium app subscription included
  • Water-resistant
  • Mobile talk & text
  • No games or web browsers
  • Cost: $169 for the device, then $15/mo for wireless plan
  • Manage your child’s contacts
  • GPS location tracking

Our testing highlights

You'd be surprised how many ineffective content filters and web blockers we've tested over the years. Bark is not one of them. It caught all of our inappropriate messages and web searches during testing and immediately notified the parent account. Bark is undoubtedly the most thorough, reliable, and easy-to-use parental control app we've seen so far.

Much of Bark's success lies in its ability to analyze incredible amounts of data for concerning content, whether it be in a photo, text message, or audio file. It even uses AI to learn the latest slang, so kids can't easily code their messages to avoid triggering an alert.

If you do get an alert from Bark, the app offers tips on how to talk to and support your kid. Bark monitors for 29 categories of concerning or dangerous content, and their tips are tailored to each scenario. 

Bark also gives parents the ability to set screen time schedules, block specific apps, and view their child's current location. The Bark app works best on Android phones because Apple limits its ability to access and analyze data on iPhones.  

If you're looking for a parental control app that will let you look at all of your child's text messages, web searches, call history, and browsing history, Bark may not be right for you. Bark's philosophy hinges on respecting kids' privacy when nothing's wrong, which may allow a more trusting relationship to develop between the two of you. 

Bark's unique in this approach, so if you do want to have a more hands-on role in your child's digital life, the other parental controls on our list have you covered.

We recommend pairing the Bark app with a router-level control called Bark Home to protect your child on gaming consoles, TVs, and more. And if you haven't bought a phone for your kid yet, check out our Bark Phone review to learn why it's even better than the Bark app.

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Thoughts from a Bark tester
"It's so obvious to me that Bark was made by parents, for parents. It's very sensitive and sends immediate notifications for me to review. Not all of the flagged content is dire, but some of it does require a conversation. I also like that I can toggle so many content categories on or off based on my kid's maturity." — SafeWise tester

Image credit: SafeWise

Bottom line: Bark offers the most comprehensive content monitoring available today, making it a great choice for kids of all ages. 

Read our full Bark app review to learn more about what it monitors and how it performed during our tests. 

3. FamilyTime: Best management tools in a parental control app

Best management tools
Price
$29+/yr.
Trial period
3 days
Devices covered
1–5

Info current as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

Monitoring
  • Texts: Yes
  • Emails: No
  • Social media messages: WhatsApp, Bip, Instagram, TikTok, Imo, Twitch, and Signal


Blocking
  • Inappropriate images: Through search only
  • Specific apps: Yes
  • Specific websites: No
  • Songs with explicit lyrics: No
  • Spam calls: No
  • Specific contacts: Yes


Apps
  • Download approval required: Yes
  • Block app store access: No
  • Limit screen time by app: No


Alerts
  • Delivery options: Push-notifications
  • Types: Pornography, Drugs, Abortion, Dating, Gambling, Films, TV Programs, Apps
  • Safe zone alerts (geofencing): Yes


Other
  • Location tracking: Yes
  • Screen time schedules: Yes
  • Sexting prevention: No
  • Remote camera shut-off: No

We chose FamilyTime as "best for management tools" because it gives parents tons of options for controlling the device, including the ability to remotely shut down its internet access or completely turn off the device. Parents can also control the phone's contact list and get alerts when specific people call or text the phone.  

We think all of these management tools and alerts make FamilyTime a great option for younger kids and tweens. While FamilyTime does have some teen-specific features, like speed limit alerts, its lack of social media monitoring could be a dealbreaker for older kids. 

pro
What we like
pro Location tracking and safe zones
pro Web filtering and blocking
pro Web and search history
pro More iOs features than competitors
pro Detailed call logs
pro YouTube and TikTok watch history
pro Access to full text content
pro App approval and blocking
pro Robust screen time scheduling and monitoring
pro Contact list management and alerts
con
Room for improvement
con Limited social media monitoring
con No email monitoring
con No internet filter for iOS devices
con Can't limit screen time by app
con Numerous reports of cancellation difficulties
  • Go ahead and buy FamilyTime if you have younger kids and want as many controls and alerts as possible to help them stay safe.
  • Keep shopping if you want to monitor or block harmful content on social media, in photos, or in audio clips (see Bark, MMGuardian, or Canopy). 

Our take on FamilyTime

In many ways, FamilyTime is the opposite of Bark.  Whereas Bark screens tons of content but lacks some management tools, FamilyTime offers a plethora of management tools but goes light on content monitoring.  

FamilyTime lets parents see a detailed call log history, general app and device usage history, web browsing history, and YouTube and TikTok watch history. Parents can also view the full content of their child's text messages and WhatsApp, Bip, Instagram, TikTok, Imo, Twitch, and Signal chats. 

One unique feature is the ability to put contacts on a watchlist. If that person messages or calls your child's phone, you'll get an alert. It's a quick way to monitor messages for inappropriate content, but it requires a more hands-on approach than Bark. 

Here are some of the other management tools available through FamilyTime: 

  • Remote internet shutdown
  • Remote device shutdown
  • Uninstall protection
  • Internet or app time limits
  • Contact management
  • App installation management
  • SOS/panic button
  • Speed limit alerts
  • Location history
  • PickMeUp alerts
  • Gamified screen-time management with TimeBank and FunTime

Like most parental control apps, FamilyTime works best on Android devices. The representative we spoke with confirmed that FamilyTime doesn't have an internet filter for iOS devices, so you may need to use a separate filter or turn off internet access completely if your child has an iPhone.  

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Thoughts from a FamilyTime customer
"I'm using the FamilyTime app to control my kids' internet activity. The web blocking function is very impressive. [...] Facebook monitoring needs some improvement. Overall, [I've had a] good experience with this app." — Zaeem B. via Trustpilot, 11/27/2024.

Bottom line: FamilyTime is a good choice for families with younger kids thanks to its emphasis on screen time and location tracking. 

Learn more in our full FamilyTime review.

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Why bother with parental controls?

With 79% of kids aged 15-24 online, today's youth is more connected than ever. With so many kids online, it's no surprise that over a third of young people in over 30 countries being cyberbullied.1

Parental controls can help you track who your kids talk to and other major threats online, including: 

  • Cybersecurity 
  • Sexual exploitation and abuse 
  • Human trafficking 
  • Disinformation 

4. MMGuardian: Best parental control app for contact management

Best for contact management
Price
$4.99+/mo.
Trial period
14 days
Devices covered
1–5

Info current as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

Monitoring

  • Texts: Yes
  • Emails: No
  • Social media messages: WhatsApp, Kik, Facebook Messenger, Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, and Discord on Android, and WhatsApp, Kik, and Tinder on iPhone



Blocking

  • Inappropriate images: Yes
  • Specific apps: Yes
  • Specific websites: Yes
  • Songs with explicit lyrics: No
  • Spam calls: Yes
  • Specific contacts: Yes



Apps

  • Download approval required: Yes
  • Block app store access: Yes, on Android
  • Limit screen time by app: Yes



Alerts

  • Delivery options: Push notifications
  • Types: Bullying, drugs, suicidal thoughts, violence, nudity, etc.
  • Safe zone alerts (geofencing): No



Other

  • Location tracking: Yes
  • Screen time schedules: Yes
  • Sexting prevention: Yes
  • Remote camera shut-off: Yes

MMGuardian is our pick for "best contact management" in a parental control app because parents have the option to only allow calls from specific contacts, which may help cut down on spam, scams, and bullying. Parents also have the ability to view their child's call log history and the full content of all sent and received texts.

pro
What we like
pro Excellent cloud-based parent dashboard
pro Web filter
pro Location tracking
pro Text monitoring
pro Some social media monitoring
pro Remote camera shut-off
pro Sexting alerts
con
Room for improvement
con Expensive plans
con No free version
con No email monitoring
con No geofencing
  • Go ahead and buy MMGuardian if you like Bark but want to see your child's browsing history, call logs, and sent and received messages.
  • Keep shopping if you want to monitor emails or more than five devices. 

Our take on MMGuardian

We think MMGuardian is a good alternative to Bark because they share some important features, such as image scanning and social media monitoring on popular platforms. Parents must also give permission before any apps can be downloaded, and they have the ability to remotely turn off the phone's camera.

Unlike Bark, MMGuardian allows parents to see their child's full browsing history. You can also track your child's location at any time without requesting a check-in. However, MMGuardian no longer offers geofencing, though, since it led to too many false alarms. 

MMGuardian isn't very affordable if your children use more than five devices altogether. The price for a single child device is around $50 a year, and it doubles to around $100 a year for five child devices, such as smartphones and tablets. That price is comparable to Bark, but you get unlimited coverage with Bark's parental control app.  

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Thoughts from an MMGuardian customer
"[I have] four kids, grade 7 and up. In my experience, parental control apps have generally been terrible. MMGuardian is the exception. It allows me to see how much time my child is spending on every app. It also allows parents to control how much time is allowed on each app. [...] It's not perfect but it's far and away the best I've tried out of three or four others. They also have keyword and photo monitoring. Excellent." —C.B. via Google Play Store, 2/27/2025

Bottom line: MMGuardian is a good choice for parents who want to keep a close eye on who their kids contact and what they're saying without compromising on quality content monitoring. 

Read more in our full MMGuardian review.

5. Canopy: Best parental control app for blocking explicit content

Best for blocking explicit content
Canopy
4 out of 5 stars
4
Price
$7.99+/mo.
Trial period
7 days
Devices covered
3–10

Info current as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

Monitoring
  • Texts: Yes, but limited functionality
  • Emails: No
  • Social media messages: No


Blocking
  • Inappropriate images: Yes, including third-party videos
  • Specific apps: Yes
  • Specific websites: Yes
  • Songs with explicit lyrics: No
  • Spam calls: No
  • Specific contacts: No


Apps
  • Download approval required: No
  • Block app store access: No
  • Limit screen time by app: No


Alerts
  • Delivery options: Push notifications
  • Types: Sexting alerts
  • Safe zone alerts (geofencing): No


Other
  • Location tracking: Yes
  • Screen time schedules: Yes
  • Sexting prevention: Yes
  • Remote camera shut-off: No

We chose Canopy as the best parental control app for blocking explicit content because it scans all sites, apps, and texts for inappropriate photos or videos and covers them with a white rectangle. It also detects when the phone has taken a nude photo and will block access to that photo so it can't be shared. 

This focused approach earned Canopy the title of Best Parental Control App to Block Explicit Content in our inaugural Kids Safety Awards.

pro
What we like
pro Real-time filtering
pro Sexting prevention (images/videos)
pro Pornography blocker
pro Location alerts
pro Removal prevention
con
Room for improvement
con No email or text scanning
con Can't limit screen time by app
  • Go ahead and buy Canopy if inappropriate images are your main concern and you don't mind using a second parental control app to bolster Canopy's weak spots.
  • Keep shopping if you want an all-in-one solution with numerous content alerts (see Bark above).

Our take on Canopy

Blocking explicit images and videos is Canopy's primary goal, and we think it succeeds. But there's a huge piece missing from Canopy's content monitoring: text scanning. If your child is receiving explicit texts or emails, you may not realize it unless you have a secondary parental control in place like Bark. 

While Canopy says it plans to introduce new features to monitor text content, oversee social media usage, and identify potentially harmful or bullying conversations, we don't know when parents can expect these upgrades. 

Parents can choose to filter content on apps and websites or block them altogether. If you're looking for alerts, Canopy's not for you. 

Bottom line: Canopy is an ideal secondary line of defense against pornography and sexual content, but it's not powerful enough to protect your child from other online dangers.

Check out our full Canopy review for more details. 

More parental control apps we considered

We started out with a list of 30 parental monitoring apps. Here's why some notable brands didn't make the cut. 

Boomerang

Boomerang's main appeal is its affordability—about $16 a year for one device or $31 a year for ten devices. But most of its features are limited to Android devices, so skip this one if your child uses an iPhone.

We also like that Boomerang doesn't allow new apps to be downloaded until you give the OK. It also has good screen time management features. 

Boomerang just squeaked out of our top five. If you're on a budget, give it a closer look by reading our full Boomerang review.

Screen Time

Screen Time (not to be confused with Apple's parental control of the same name) has a free version that covers one Android device. The Premium subscription comes to about $84 a year. 

As long as your child uses an Android phone, you can read their full texts with Screen Time, monitor messages sent through WhatsApp, Viber, and Kik, and see all the photos your child takes, sends, and receives.

There's no contact management or call log history, but Screen Time has a nice buffet of other management tools. We especially like that it can block all new app downloads. 

Norton Family

Norton Family is best for parents and kids who already have an open dialogue about internet safety because the dashboard is more for guiding your conversations than instituting a total device lockdown. It lacks the social media monitoring and app management of more comprehensive parental control software like Bark. Norton Family starts at about $50 for the first year.

Circle Home Plus

The Circle Home Plus internet filter (now part of Aura) costs $10 per month or $89 per year; however, the Aura pricing isn't listed plainly anywhere on their website and I had to dig through FAQ to find it without signing up for a plan. Circle Home Plus controls any device connected to your home’s Wi-Fi. If that sounds good to you, we recommend Bark Home instead. It costs about $80, and you don’t need to pay an annual fee. 

Circle also came out with an app that's now sold with Circle Home Plus, but it didn't knock our socks off. It doesn't monitor texts, emails, or social media messages and doesn't provide call logs or contact management. It's good for regulating screen time and blocking apps or content categories, though.

Mobicip

Mobicip offers a web filter, screen-time management, location tracker, app blocker, website blocker, and history report starting at around $36 per year for five devices. If you use Android devices, Boomerang offers those same features and more at around $31 per year for 10 devices.

If you use iOS, macOS, Windows, Kindle, or Chromebook, then Mobicip is a slightly more affordable alternative to Qustodio (but without the info-heavy reporting dashboard).

OurPact

OurPact offers a free version that lets you block apps and set up one schedule for screen time. If you want any other functionality, you need to pay $6.99 per month—but if you pay for a year in advance, you get two months free. If you can pay it all at once, your annual rate will be about $70 and that lets you manage up to 20 devices.

We do think it’s cool that this parental control software lets you see a live view of your child’s screen, but its reporting dashboard lacks insight into web history, call history, and overall device usage.

Google Family Link

Google Family Link is free and lets you manage apps, control screen time, and track your child’s location. Google Family Link’s closest competitors are the free versions of Kaspersky or Qustodio, which don’t track location but do offer a web filter. We think web filtering is the more useful feature, but you can always install Google Family Link in addition to Kaspersky or Qustodio if you want.

Net Nanny

Once upon a time, Net Nanny earned a spot among the top parental controls. We bumped it down the list because there were more affordable and easier-to-use alternatives on the market now. 

But Net Nanny has adjusted its pricing, and it's now more competitive. Plans start at $50 per year for one desktop device, $80 per year for up to five devices, and $130 per year for as many as 20 devices. And we've found that the company offers discounts pretty regularly.

The biggest issue we had was how hard it was to set up the app. It took our tester an hour to set up Net Nanny for one device, and they were able to get around the web filter. We need to give Net Nanny another look, but as of our last round of testing, we don’t see a reason to choose this brand, especially since it offers no message monitoring. 

Cocospy

Cocospy helps parents track where their kids are and what they are up to online. Its features include geofencing plus the ability to check WhatsApp, contacts, browser history, and call logs. Monthly prices range from $40 to $70 per month, which makes this a pretty pricey option.

One thing we don't love about Cocospy is the remote surveillance feature that lets you spy on your kid's device without their knowledge. We prefer open communication and honesty when it comes to parental controls and teaching kids how to become responsible digital citizens. 

Kidslox

Kidslox takes the cake for location history. It not only shows your child's current location, but the route they took to get there and how long they lingered at stops along the way. You'll see corresponding addresses and times too. 

Location history is saved for 7 days. You can also set up geofences. Other than that, Kidslox offers average parental controls with no message monitoring. 

Kidslox bills customers annually, charging $49.99 per year for its single-device basic plan or $79.99 for the family plan, which covers up to 10 devices.

mSpy

mSpy is an invasive parental control that shows you almost everything that happens on your child's device—including any captured photos and videos. It also can also monitor emails, texts, Facebook messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Snapchat, and seven other social media apps.

mSpy is very expensive compared to the competition and charges extra for technical assistance. It also hides pricing and makes claims like "#1 choice in the United States" that comes with a disclaimer that the statement is only the opinion of the company. We'd steer clear. 

Parental control apps FAQ

We think Bark is the best app for parental control in terms of screen-time management and internet safety. Other brands worth considering include Qustodio, MMGuardian, FamilyTime, and Canopy. 

A parental control app provides information about your child’s app usage, overall screen time, web searches and history, text message history, and more. You’ll receive a push notification, email, and/or text if the app detects concerning words in your child’s search history or text messages. Some parental control apps also monitor calls and social media activity. 

Exact features and reports vary by app. We recommend Bark for comprehensive phone and internet monitoring.

Yes. We like the free version of Qustodio or Kaspersky Safe Kids. Google Family Link is free, as is Screen Time, the built-in parental control for iOS devices.

Some parental control apps, like MMGuardian, let you use your phone to control your child's phone, while others only monitor your child's phone. 

Here are some of the control options you can look for:

  • Remote internet shutdown
  • Remote device shutdown
  • Remote camera shut-off
  • Contact management
  • App and website blocking

How we chose the best parental control apps

  • 30+ parental control apps considered
  • 27 data points assessed
  • 50 hours of testing
  • 200 hours of research

To find the best parental control apps, we started by making a list of as many brands as possible. We found more than 30 on the market. Then, we looked at all the features available. We wanted to focus on comprehensive apps or apps with unique features. We ended up comparing each app across 27 data points.

After narrowing down our initial list of apps, we started testing them hands-on. One team member set up the child account, and another team member set up the parent account. The "child" then tried to trigger alerts by searching for concerning topics, sending mean-spirited texts, and attempting to download other web browsers and apps.

Meanwhile, the "parent" evaluated the reporting dashboard. Was it easy to use? Were alerts sent in a timely manner? What kind of reports and data are available? Was it easy to set up the app? Were there any neat features the brand didn't advertise?

On top of hands-on testing, we read customer reviews for each app, spoke with customer service as mystery shoppers, consulted with other online safety experts, and interviewed brand representatives.   

Read more about our methodology.

Final word: Bark is our pick for best parental control app

We think Bark offers the most comprehensive monitoring service if you can spare about $100 per year toward your child’s online safety. It’s the only parental app that monitors email, and that’s just as important as monitoring text messages and DMs. Plus, it caught all of our deviant activity during testing, so we know it works. 

If you have only one device to monitor and want to get a real feel for how well it works before you commit to a monthly payment, start with Qustodio. In addition to the best free version, Qustodio earns top marks for its family tracker and real-time AI-powered alerts.

Want email monitoring?
Want family tracking?
Sources
  1. United Nations, "Global Issues: Child and Youth Safety Online" Accessed April 9, 2025.
Disclaimers

*Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. Safewise.com utilizes paid Amazon links.

Certain content that appears on this site comes from Amazon. This content is provided “as is” and is subject to change or removal at any time.

Cathy Habas
Written by
With over eight years of experience as a content writer, Cathy has a knack for untangling complex information. Her natural curiosity and ability to empathize help Cathy offer insightful, friendly advice. She believes in empowering readers who may not feel confident about a purchase, project, or topic. Cathy earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Indiana University Southeast and began her professional writing career immediately after graduation. She is a certified Safe Sleep Ambassador and has contributed to sites like Safety.com, Reviews.com, Hunker, and Thumbtack. Cathy’s pride and joy is her Appaloosa “Chacos.” She also likes to crochet while watching stand-up comedy specials on Netflix.

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