Aura Parental Controls vs. Qustodio 2024: Qustodio Provides a Proactive Approach

Best for identity theft protection

4.0

AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Editorial Rating

Learn More

On Aura Parental Controls's website

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Aura Parental Controls

• Blocks harmful content on mobile devices
• Unlimited devices
• Lacks location tracking and monitoring features

Best for day-to-day parental controls

4.0

AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Editorial Rating

Learn More

On Qustodio's website

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Qustodio

• Parental control app with lots of features
• User-friendly, clean interface
• Concerns surrounding data privacy

Qustodio and Aura offer parental control solutions to help parents understand what their kids are doing online. Aura’s parental controls are built into its identity theft protection solution, so you can’t purchase the parental controls on its own. Qustodio offers an easy-to-use solution that gives you access to a dashboard full of statistics on what your children do online.

We’ll compare Aura Parental Controls and Qustodio so you can learn which one is best for you.

Aura Parental Controls vs. Qustodio review at a glance

As technology evolves, so does parenting. Today’s youth are more reliant on technology and screens than ever before, and studies show that excessive screen time can have detrimental effects on their development.

Parental control solutions are one way to help your child have a better relationship with technology. These apps can monitor activity on the internet, give updates on overall screen time, and help parents protect their kids online.

While you can set up parental controls through iOS or Android, a parental control app gives you the ability to set more parameters to keep your children safe. There are several parental control solutions available, but we’ll compare Aura vs. Qustodio in this review — and explain their pricing, features, security, and more.

• Aura Parental Controls: Best for identity theft protection
• Qustodio: Best for day-to-day parental controls

Aura Parental Controls vs. Qustodio compared

Starting price	Starts at $8.33/mo (billed annually)	Starts at $4.58/mo (billed annually)
Free version
Max number of protected devices	Unlimited	Unlimited
Web filtering
Screen time limits
Location tracking
Activity reports
Learn more	Get Aura Parental Controls Read Aura Parental Controls Review	Read Qustodio Review

Aura Parental Controls pros and cons

Qustodio pros and cons

Aura Parental Controls vs. Qustodio: prices

		Our Pick
Price range	$8.33-$20.00/mo	$4.58-$8.33/mo (billed annually)
Best value plan	Aura Parental Controls for $8.33/mo (billed annually)	Qustodio Complete for $8.33/mo (billed annually)
Learn more	Get Aura Parental Controls Read Aura Parental Controls Review	Read Qustodio Review

Aura Parental Controls plans

Aura offers two different plans for parental controls: Aura Parental Controls and Aura Ultimate Family. Both plans include a robust set of identity theft protection services and can monitor an unlimited number of children. The plans differ based on the number of adults.

• Parental Controls: The Parental Controls plan offers identity theft protection services for one adult and parental controls for unlimited kids. It also comes with a virtual private network (VPN), antivirus, and a password manager for up to 10 devices.
• Ultimate Family: The Ultimate Family plan allows you to protect up to five adults from identity theft and it includes credit monitoring, reports, and scores. Parental controls don’t change with this plan, but it does add Social Security monitoring for children and the ability to freeze children’s credit with all three credit bureaus.

Qustodio plans

Qustodio also offers two different plans with varying monitoring levels and parental controls. Qustodio allows users to create a free account, but once you set up the account, you are informed you have 4 days remaining in your trial.

• Basic: The Basic plan gives you simple tools to help monitor your children’s activities online. With the Basic plan, you can block apps, limit daily usage, and monitor your child’s location. The Basic plan covers up to 5 devices.
• Complete: Qustodio’s Complete plan lets you monitor unlimited devices and also allows you to monitor calls and messages. The Complete plan also gives you access to Qustodio’s Care Plus, which is a premium support service with dedicated experts.

Aura Parental Controls vs. Qustodio: monitoring and alerts

		Our Pick
Website filtering
App filtering		Yes — YouTube
Social media monitoring		Yes — Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok
Text message monitoring
Email monitoring
Internet search monitoring
Screen time limits
Remote lock
Cyberbullying and online predator alerts
Location tracking
Geo-fencing
Activity reports
Learn more	Get Aura Parental Controls Read Aura Parental Controls Review	Read Qustodio Review

Aura Parental Controls and Qustodio both offer the basics. If you want to manage screen time, filter inappropriate content, and pause internet access, either Aura or Qustodio can help.

We also like that Aura offers features to ensure a safe gaming environment for your child. It provides 24/7 monitoring for in-game voice and texts and it provides alerts for cyberbullying and predators online.

Qustodio’s Complete plan offers a few standout features that make monitoring your children’s activity a little easier. You can set up alerts to help keep parents informed in real time about what their kids are doing online. Some alerts include web activity, blocked websites, app downloads, and saved places. Qustodio offers a robust dashboard so that parents can easily access information.

You can also monitor social media activity for your children with Qustodio, including Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat. By monitoring these accounts, parents can help keep children stay safe on social media.

Qustodio also provides location tracking so parents can always know where their children are — as long as they have their devices with them. You can also receive alerts when your child’s device arrives or leaves locations of your choosing, to help better monitor their location.

If you’re looking to monitor text messages and calls from your child’s device, you can do so with Qustodio. However, there are a few hoops to jump through if you want to monitor texts on an iOS device. You’ll just need to set it up on a Mac computer to get started.

Which is safer, Aura Parental Controls vs. Qustodio?

Overall, Aura Parental Controls and Qustodio have the same level of security for user information. Both organizations also collect personal information and share that data with third parties who are helping to facilitate their services.

Aura Parental Controls vs. Qustodio data security

	Our Pick
Two-factor authentication
Multi-factor authentication
Collects data
Shares data with third parties	Minimal	Minimal
Learn more	Get Aura Parental Controls Read Aura Parental Controls Review	Read Qustodio Review

However, if you’re looking to protect your identity, Aura’s main focus is identity protection, and the company has a robust product that monitors several aspects of your identity to keep your information safe. It also offers two-factor authentication via email or text message.

One concern about Qustodio is that it doesn’t offer two-factor or multi-factor authentication. Authentication methods create additional layers of protection for your accounts to keep them safe from hacks and other cyberthreats. We hope Qustodio adds authentication methods in the future.

Aura Parental Controls vs. Qustodio: compatibility and customer support

Windows app
macOS app
Android
iOS
Browser extensions	Yes — Chrome, Firefox, Edge	Yes — Chrome
24/7 customer support
Customer support options	Chat, phone, email, online guides	Phone, email, online guides
Learn more	Get Aura Parental Controls Read Aura Parental Controls Review	Read Qustodio Review

One big difference between Aura and Qustodio is that Aura doesn’t have an app for Mac or Windows computers. However, you can access Aura Parental Controls from any browser.

Unfortunately, we had a lot of trouble accessing the portal on Safari and signing in on our iPad. While we waited for a response from customer support, we couldn’t set any controls other than the default.

Alternatively, Qustodio was easy to download and install. We also found the interface to be user friendly and we received alerts in real time.

Both of the services have ample customer support options. Aura’s support options include chat, email, and phone support that’s available 24/7. Qustodio is limited to phone and email support, but you can also purchase Care Plus to receive priority expert help.

Aura Parental Controls vs. Qustodio FAQs

Aura Parental Controls vs. Qustodio: which is better?

We feel Qustodio is the clear winner for parental controls. Aura Parental Controls are an added benefit if you’re purchasing its identity theft protection. But if you’re just looking for a parental control solution, go with Qustodio.

Qustodio was easy for us to set up and install on our child’s phone. Within just a couple of minutes, you’ll have full insight into your child’s devices and online activity.

Aura Parental Controls vs. Qustodio alternatives

If neither of these provides the features you are looking for, there are several other options available. Find out more about each of these in our list of the best parental control apps:

• Bark: Bark is an excellent parental control solution with location tracking, content monitoring, and website and app blocking. You can also monitor text messages, social media, and web searches.
  Get Bark | Read Our Bark Review
• Norton Family: This is another option for parental controls. Norton Family offers an annual subscription for $49.99/first yr. With Norton Family, you’ll receive reports about your children’s online activity. You can also limit website and app access, set time limits, and track your child’s location.
  
  Get Norton Family | Read Our Norton Family Review
• Net Nanny: With Net Nanny, you can block apps, manage screen time, and filter internet activity. You can also select plans based on the number of devices you need.
  
  Read Our Net Nanny Review

4.0

AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Editorial Rating

Learn More

On Aura Parental Controls's website

Aura Parental Controls

• Blocks harmful content on mobile devices
• Unlimited devices
• Lacks location tracking and monitoring features

Author Details

Andrew Adams

About the Author

Andrew Strom Adams is a freelance writer focused on online privacy and digital security. He writes on various topics to help individuals protect themselves on the internet. Andrew has worked in legal marketing, technology, and startups. He has more than 12 years of experience in marketing and communications. He holds an M.B.A. from Westminster College and a B.A. in journalism from Oklahoma Baptist University. When he’s not writing, he’s playing with his two kids or watching reality TV.