The Best Parental Control Apps of 2026 (Independently Tested)

If you're already actively monitoring your kids’ devices and online activity, know you're not alone. Our 2026 survey found that 86% of parents check their children’s location, and 77% monitor their kids’ text messages. We decided to put the top parental control apps to the test.

After testing and comparing over a dozen options, Aura Parental Controls earns our top pick as the best parental control app for teens. Instead of simply handing parents a full message log, it reports on tone, patterns, and habits so you understand how your teen is communicating online without going through their texts.

Parental controls should combine smart content monitoring, screen-time management, content filtering, and location tracking while respecting a child’s growing independence. Here are our top six picks for the best parental control apps of 2026.

Best parental control software of 2026

Aura Parental Controls: Best for teens

What we liked

Aura Balance: Aura's new Balance feature is a unique alternative to spying. Balance evaluates how your child or teen is interacting online (tone, frequency, and style) and builds a mood/persona profile rather than exposing message content.

Parents receive tailored guidance based on patterns (such as late-night usage, irregular sleep, and heavy social media usage) rather than raw transcripts. Balance provides meaningful signals without “spying,” which reduces blowback from teens and helps to keep trust intact.

Unintrusive message monitoring: Aligned with Aura's balanced approach, Aura puts a new twist on message monitoring. While other parental controls apps let you view messages and emails without context, Aura provides parents with a more holistic view of how their children interact online.

When we tested the new messaging feature, Aura informed us about the number of messages our child sent on popular social media apps like Instagram, Messenger, and Snapchat. It then provided a detailed overview of how our child communicates online and how they compare with others using the same app. This approach gives parents more insight into their child or teen's behavior.

Well-rounded monitoring features: Aura nails the basics that matter for kids of all ages. Website and app blocking, schedules/routines for school nights vs. weekends, weekly/daily time budgets, and the ability to pause internet access when boundaries are crossed. For gaming households, Safe Gaming (via Aura’s security suite on Windows) adds in-game voice and text risk detection on platforms teens actually use (e.g., Discord), giving parents a heads-up on toxicity or harassment without requiring them to hover.

Age-based restrictions: You can set different content filters for children versus teens, then refine by app categories (social, streaming, games) and specific titles. In testing, Safe Search and YouTube Restricted Mode worked smoothly, and per-app allow/block/unmanaged states made it easy to adjust settings as maturity and responsibility evolve.

Also won:

• Best all-in-one: Subscribing families can bundle VPN, antivirus, password management, data breach alerts, and ID theft remediation. If you want a single subscription that covers digital safety and parenting features, Aura’s suite offers solid value. Learn more in our complete Aura Identity Theft Protection review.
• Best for child identity theft protection: On the Aura Family plan, you get child SSN monitoring and identity theft protection for minors. That’s a practical layer for high schoolers opening accounts, shopping online, and becoming targets of scams/fraud. Most parental control apps don’t include identity protection features.

What we didn’t like

No location tracking: There’s no GPS location or geo-fencing. For many families, that’s a deal-breaker (and a common feature in standalone parental control apps). If location is a must-have, pair Aura with Life360, which covers exactly this gap.

Site not user-friendly on Safari: Although the apps work on iOS/iPadOS and Android, we found the web portal harder to access and less usable in Safari. Expect to rely on mobile apps (or switch browsers) for a smoother management experience.

Star rating summary

Qustodio: Best for Android

What we liked

Full feature set on Android: Qustodio's Android build is the complete one. The Panic Button and message alerts for Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and X only work on Android, and monitoring calls and messages on iOS requires a Windows or Mac computer. If your kids are on Android, you get everything without workarounds, which is why it's our top pick among the best parental control apps for Android.

Real-time location tracking: Qustodio’s location tools were dependable in our tests. The Family Locator map was updated promptly, and the location timeline/history enabled us to audit a device's location throughout the day.

We also received change-of-location notifications shortly after movement, which were useful when kids leave school or arrive at practice. While Qustodio doesn’t advertise classic geo-fencing, the combination of accurate live tracking, history, and movement alerts covers what most parents actually want to know.

Panic Button: Qustodio’s Panic Button lets a child quickly share their live location with trusted contacts. It’s fast, simple, and practical in real-world scenarios (e.g., missed buses, unsafe rides). Many parental control apps skip an SOS feature entirely; Qustodio’s is built in and easy for kids to use without digging through menus.

Customization: Qustodio offers per-app screen-time limits, per-app blocking, scheduling, and 15-minute time increments. You can pause internet access entirely, allow, warn, or fully block categories, and tune routines for school nights vs. weekends. That flexibility is ideal for multi-kid households with very different needs.

Also won:

• Best Bark alternative: If you want robust core controls without Bark’s heavier message-analysis approach, Qustodio is the best substitute. It offers SMS/call monitoring on Android (with the required add-on), strong web/app controls, accurate location tracking, and a fair price across tiers (including a free option), making it a balanced pick for families that value customization and location visibility over deep in-app content scanning.

What we didn’t like

Limited features on iOS: Qustodio offers comprehensive content monitoring and location tracking, but some features are available only on Android. The Panic Button and in-app monitoring for Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and X messages are unavailable on iOS, leaving some protection gaps for Apple-exclusive families. Apple households are better served by Norton Family.

No check-in feature for location monitoring: Qustodio offers real-time alerts when your child is on the move, but no option to check in once they've arrived at their location. You'll have to keep an eye on their location in your Qustodio dashboard or just request a check-in text from your child.

Star rating summary

Bark: Best for social media monitoring

What we liked

Robust message monitoring: Unlike most competitors, Bark’s AI-driven monitoring covers text messages, emails, and 30+ popular social platforms, including Instagram, TikTok, Discord, and Snapchat. It leverages machine learning to flag slang, code words, or risky behavior linked to bullying, self-harm, sexual content, and online predators. Parents receive targeted alerts instead of full message logs, striking a balance between safety and privacy.

Expert advice: Beyond software, Bark uniquely provides access to parenting resources and expert advice. The in-app guides help parents understand difficult topics like sexting, anxiety, or risky app usage, something most parental control apps don’t offer. This added context makes alerts more actionable.

Complete parental control package: Bark offers one of the most comprehensive parental control toolsets on the market. Parents can manage screen time, filter websites and apps, monitor social media platforms, and track real-time locations with geo-fencing alerts. The ability to pause the internet entirely or create custom routines for school time, free time, and bedtime makes Bark stand out from competitors who offer only surface-level content filtering.

Unlimited coverage at a good price: Unlike many competitors that charge per device, Bark supports unlimited devices under a single subscription. At $14.00/mo for Bark Premium, parents gain access to complete monitoring, screen-time management, and location services at a cost-effective rate compared to other apps that scale pricing based on the number of devices.

Also won:

• Best parental control hardware: Bark isn’t only an app. Families can purchase the Bark Phone (a child-safe Android device with built-in parental controls) or Bark Home (a router add-on that filters and manages every device connected to your Wi-Fi). These hardware options are ideal for parents seeking an all-in-one digital safety ecosystem that extends Bark’s protection beyond mobile devices. Learn more in our Bark pricing guide.

What we didn’t like

Tedious setup: Setup can be frustrating, particularly on Android and iOS. Android users often have to sideload an APK file, which can feel risky. iOS users must connect devices through a desktop app, which can take up to 45 minutes. While this isn’t unusual for advanced monitoring software, it feels clunky compared to competitors with smoother onboarding.

No email image scanning: Bark does a good job monitoring text-based content in emails, but it doesn’t scan attached or embedded images. This means parents may miss inappropriate photos or memes sent through Gmail, Outlook, or other supported platforms.

Delayed alerts: Bark’s alerts are typically delayed by a few minutes, and its activity reports are sent weekly rather than daily. While this is consistent with other parental control apps, the lack of true real-time reporting may frustrate parents who hope for instant notifications in critical situations.

Star rating summary

Norton Family: Best for iPhone

What we liked

The strongest iPhone feature set: Apple's privacy rules limit what any third-party app can see on iOS, so the apps that win on iPhone are the ones whose strengths survive those limits. Norton's do. Web filtering, schedules, and Instant Lock all work the way they're supposed to on iPhone and iPad, and in our testing Norton was the most reliable and user-friendly option we've run on iOS.

Robust content filtering: Norton Family’s category engine is the reason it wins on iPhone. You’re not stuck with a single “adult content” toggle; you get deep, stacked controls with high-level categories (e.g., Sexual Content, Violence/Weapons, Drugs/Alcohol, Hate/Extremism, Gambling, Scams/Hacking, Web Proxies/VPNs) plus subcategory allow/blocked states.

In our tests, you can either block entire categories, allow specific subcategories, or warn first, which keeps younger kids safe while giving older kids some autonomy. SafeSearch enforcement was effective, and, critically, incognito/private browsing was still regulated. When we attempted restricted terms, email alerts landed fast, and the dashboard populated immediately with the attempted queries.

No hiccups: Unlike many parental control apps that promise the world and then miss alerts or lag by hours, Norton Family’s alerts arrived in real time in our testing. All restricted search terms and blocked attempts showed up in the parent portal quickly, and Instant Lock reliably shut down device use when triggered. Daytime/nighttime schedules applied correctly, and per-child activity reports updated promptly.

Video reports: If you disable the native YouTube app, Norton Family can track YouTube videos watched in the browser (title/URL history visible in the portal). That gives parents context on what kids are actually watching, far more actionable than raw “minutes on YouTube.”

Geo-fencing and location tracking: Location pinpointed our device accurately (down to the exact spot). Favorite Locations/geo-alerts functioned as expected during prior tests, and you can “Locate Now” to force a refresh. For routine check-ins, you can schedule location updates at specific times.

Also won:

• Best for ease of use on desktop: Setup is straightforward (QR codes to the right app, step-by-step permission walkthroughs). The parent portal is clean and clearly labeled, making rules, schedules, and reports easy to find, which is significantly less cumbersome than several top competitors. Norton also scored full marks for compatibility in our testing, so families who'd rather manage everything from a computer aren't boxed in the way they are with mobile-only tools like FamilyKeeper.
• Best for younger kids: Norton Family is a comprehensive yet lightweight solution for parents who don’t want invasive message monitoring. Older, tech-savvy teens may find edges to push (especially on iOS, where app-usage visibility is limited), but for kids 12 and under, Norton’s strong web controls, fast alerts, and simple schedules are a great fit.

What we didn’t like

Limited app-level visibility on iOS: Norton Family reports app usage and alerts on Android but not on iOS. That's a platform ceiling more than a Norton flaw, since Apple's privacy rules restrict text and social monitoring for every third-party app. On iPhone and iPad you'll lean on web filtering, schedules, and Instant Lock rather than granular per-app activity. Those happen to be Norton's best features, which is why it's still our pick for the best parental control app for iPhone.

Setup takes a few steps: Installing the child profile and enabling VPN-based web filtering means working through several permissions, which can feel like a lot if you're not especially technical. Worth knowing that the Norton Secure VPN piece is optional, and the parental control features work fine without it.

No conversation monitoring: There’s no monitoring of texts, emails, or social DMs. Norton Family will block/allow sites and categories, but it won’t flag risky language inside messages.

Star rating summary

FamilyKeeper: Best for easy setup

What we liked

Fastest setup we tested: Setup took around 5 to 10 minutes, and the mobile apps are easy to find via the store links in the onboarding flow. Pairing the parent/child apps is straightforward with a passcode, and common tasks (blocking an app, setting a daily allowance, or reviewing recent activity) are easy from the dashboard. No desktop required, no technical knowledge, a low learning curve, and minimal fiddling once installed.

Good basic coverage: If you want “lightweight” rather than forensic monitoring, FamilyKeeper covers the fundamentals. Per-app time limits (as low as 1 minute, up to 24/7 blocks), app blocking, web/content filtering, activity summaries, and location + geo-fence alerts. In practice, it works best alongside native Apple/Google parental controls to fill gaps (such as quick app blocks and simple time budgets) without becoming a surveillance suite.

Cyberbullying alerts: FamilyKeeper flags risky terms, profanity, and other concerning keywords, and can alert parents so they can step in early. In our testing, keyword flags were reliably triggered for Google/Chrome searches. We could not consistently validate keyword scanning in third-party apps or via SMS, so treat this as a useful but basic signal rather than a comprehensive in-app analysis.

Also won:

• Best for mobile: This is a phone-first product. The UI is optimized for quick changes from your device, and routine actions (blocking an app, extending time, checking location) take just seconds. If your whole workflow is on mobile, FamilyKeeper keeps the overhead low.

What we didn’t like

Lacks advanced features: Despite marketing claims, we were unable to reliably replicate true in-app/social content monitoring or SMS capture. What you get is primarily time/app usage, as well as filtering, not message-level insight. That’s fine for lightweight guardrails, but power users who want AI-style language detection for DMs or emails should look to heavier options (e.g., Bark).

Limited compatibility: FamilyKeeper is mobile-first and single-OS. During testing, parent and child apps had to be on the same operating system (iOS to iOS or Android to Android). There’s no desktop app, and tablet support is unclear, which makes management more challenging for mixed-ecosystem families (e.g., an iPhone parent and an Android child, or kids on school Chromebooks). Practically, that means more friction day to day and fewer ways to supervise devices beyond phones.

Star rating summary

Life360: Best for family location sharing

Life360 isn't a parental control app: it doesn't filter content, manage screen time, or monitor messages. What it does is family location sharing, and it does that better than anything else we've tested. It's also the natural companion to Aura, our top pick, which has no GPS or geo-fencing at this time.

What we liked

Reliable real-time location: Location tracking worked consistently throughout testing. Places took almost no time to set up, Life360 updated our movements in real time, and it rarely misplaced a pin. Notifications for arriving at or leaving a saved place came through in seconds.

Fast setup on both platforms: We tested Life360 on iOS and Android, and both apps ran quickly and stayed stable. Setup takes a minute or two to approve a few permissions and enter an invite code. Joining a Circle worked on the first try.

Bubbles: Bubbles masks a Circle member's precise location while still showing their general area, and safety tools like SOS stay active. It's a middle ground that keeps location sharing switched on without it feeling like surveillance, which matters more with teens than with younger kids.

Real-world safety features: Crash Detection runs automatically on every plan, including the free one. SOS alerts start a countdown before sending, so an accidental trigger is easy to cancel, and in testing, the alert reached everyone in the Circle promptly. Emergency Dispatch connects to local responders on Gold and Platinum, and Gold adds roadside assistance. For a household with a new driver, that does more real work than a content filter.

What we didn’t like

No content filtering, screen time, or message monitoring: Life360 doesn't do web filters, screen time limits, activity reports, or conversation monitoring, and it isn't trying to. If you want oversight of what your kid is doing online, this isn't the tool.

Moderate battery drain: We measured roughly 10% more battery use than average over a 24-hour period, and the app pulls extra power during long drives. Accuracy held up, but it's worth knowing before installing it on a kid's phone.

Clunky account verification: Setting up our parent and child accounts, the verification email took longer than expected to arrive. When we resent codes, the emails overlapped, and some texted codes never showed up at all.

Are free parental controls enough? Apple Screen Time and Google Family Link

Every iPhone and Android device ships with free parental controls, and they should be your first step even if you plan to pay for an app. Here's what each one does and where it runs out.

Apple Screen Time

Screen Time lives in Settings on iPhone and iPad. You can set app limits, schedule downtime, restrict content, and manage who your child communicates with. It works across Apple devices through Family Sharing.

One catch matters more than the rest: Screen Time needs its own passcode. Without one, your child can tap straight through a time limit prompt and keep using the app anyway. Set the passcode first, and make it one they don't know.

Our full walkthrough covers the rest in our guide to setting up parental controls on iPhone and iPad.

Google Family Link

Family Link lets you approve app downloads, set screen time limits, view activity reports, and track your child's device location. It notifies you when they arrive at or leave an approved place, and it shows their remaining battery level, which is more useful than it sounds when your kid is out.

Its ceiling is platform coverage. Family Link only works on Android devices and Chromebooks. It can't supervise an iPhone, an iPad, or a Windows or Mac computer. Mixed-device households hit that wall fast.

Here's how to set up parental controls on Android.

Why we still recommend a dedicated app

Built-in controls handle time and access well. What they can't do is see inside social media and messaging apps, and that's where most of the risk actually lives.

If you want alerts for self-harm language, cyberbullying, contact from predators, or your child leaving a location, you need a parental control app. Native tools don't generate those alerts, and no amount of configuring will make them.

Parental control apps vs. monitoring apps: what's the difference?

Search for parental controls, and you'll run into a second category of app that markets itself the same way and works nothing like it. mSpy, Eyezy, and uMobix all pitch themselves to parents, but they're built to monitor someone covertly. We break the distinction down in full in our guide to parental control apps vs. spy apps, and the short version is that we don't recommend spy apps for any reason.

What we found testing them

mSpy: It stealthily tracks phone activity and hides on the child's device as "Update Service." It includes a keylogger, remote camera access, and call recording, and it doesn't offer two-factor authentication. A keylogger captures everything typed, not just what gets sent, which makes it a real liability for passwords. We'd call it a surveillance tool, not a parental control app. Learn more in our mSpy review.

Eyezy: During installation, it asked us to turn off Google Play Protect, which is a huge red flag, since Play Protect is what checks that Android apps are safe and free of viruses. Eyezy markets an "invisible shield" for undetected monitoring. There's no free version, no trial, and no money-back guarantee. We hesitate to recommend it. Learn more in our Eyezy review.

uMobix: It runs in stealth mode on the child's device. Setup required enabling full trust for root certificates, which lets third parties view any private data submitted on the phone. It isn't on the App Store or Google Play, likely because it violates their terms of service, so you have to sideload it. It also offers a location check-in link disguised as a photo. Learn more in our uMobix review.

When spy apps cross a legal line

Monitoring your own minor child is lawful. Beyond that, the ground gets thin fast. In the U.S., spy apps are legal in a narrow set of circumstances: the person is your legal dependent and under 18, the person agrees to install the software on their own device, or the person is an employee using a company-issued device.

Outside those cases, installing one can put you on the wrong side of wiretapping law. That includes an adult child, a spouse, or a partner. Rules vary by country, so check local law before you install anything.

Why it matters for your kid

There's a security problem underneath the ethics one. If an app gives you live access to your child's screen, messages, and location, it gives the same access to anyone who breaches it. Several spy apps don't encrypt sensitive data in transit at all, which means your child's location, interests, and most personal details can be intercepted.

Then there's the cost you can't measure. Monitoring children without their knowledge doesn't teach them good online habits, and research suggests covert surveillance undermines the parent-child relationship rather than protecting it. If a kid finds a hidden app on their phone, you've lost the trust you'd need to have a real conversation when something actually goes wrong.

Every app in the lineup above is meant to be visible to your child. That's the point, not a limitation.

How to choose the best parental control apps

To keep your children safe online, there are key features to look for that make all the difference. To make the most informed decision, you’ll want to have some or all of these options included in the parental control software you choose. Here are some questions to consider when searching for a parental control app.

• What is the cost? Price matters, and if you can get another comparable product for less, you’ll want to know.
• Is it simple to install and set up? Some products are easier to install than others. For instance, Bitdefender comes in two parts and can be a bit cumbersome to get started.
• How many devices can it cover simultaneously? Some control apps support an unlimited number of devices, but others may be limited to as few as 20, such as Net Nanny.
• Does it have customization options? Some apps have ad/block lists for websites.
• Will it include additional features, like smart gaming or a virtual private network (VPN)?
• What kind of content can the app block? Some parental control apps allow you to view content, but not all will block everything.
• Does it include location tracking? One of the most important aspects for many parents is knowing their child’s location at all times.
• How detailed are the activity reports? Is it easy to check the dashboard and get an overview? Can you delve deeper into each monitoring category to gain a more comprehensive picture?
• Does the app offer the same features on all operating systems? Some products are more geared toward Android, and some include support for iOS.

Why we don't recommend Net Nanny

Net Nanny comes up in almost every parental controls search, and it isn't in our lineup for a reason. We rate it 3.0, and the problem isn't the feature list.

We bought an annual subscription and asked support to cancel auto-renewal, which they confirmed. We've since been charged eight times across two separate cards. One card showed the charge as "CW Acquisition Corp" rather than Net Nanny. We don't recommend paying for it, because we no longer trust the company to handle the basics of a subscription.

The testing didn't help its case. Custom content filters didn't hold up: we blocked "casinos" and "bulimia" and could still reach related content. Searches for "Suicide," "Gambling," and "Death Gore" never appeared in the Family Feed, so a parent would have no idea they happened. Its content filtering covers only 14 categories. And Net Nanny still isn't compatible with Android, which support confirmed to us with no release date, despite marketing claims.

Common parental control mistakes (and how to avoid them)

The decision to integrate parental control software into your family's dynamic can feel heavy. Most parents don't want to overstep, while others want straight-up spyware-style transcripts of their teens' every chat.

Knowing how to use parental control apps to help support communication, respect, and trust is a balancing act. Even the most well-intentioned parents make mistakes.

Here are the top 5 parental control mistakes we've encountered, and our expert guidance on how to avoid them.

1. Overrelying on technology. The best parental control apps help parents strike a balance between monitoring their children's digital activities and bridging the communication gap about online safety. A common mistake is simply buying a parental control app and expecting it to do all the work. While a lot of apps are set-and-forget, it's crucial to pair the monitoring app with real-life check-ins.
2. Overrestricting older kids. If you've ever read any parental control app reviews, you will find scathing feedback from angry teens. It's not practical to think that just installing a monitoring app on your teen's device will curb any undesirable behaviors or thwart all unwanted communications.
   
   One reason we like Aura is its unique approach to evaluating how your teen interacts online. With tailored reports on your teen's digital habits, you can customize your approach to parental control rather than wholesale restrictions on apps, content, or communications.
3. Forgetting to update settings. Kids these days are tech-savvy, and even your pre-teen can likely bypass parental restrictions if you don't keep up with updates. That means staying on top of settings, new app features, and other important customizations to make sure your parental controls evolve with your child. Top parental control apps include age-based limits, so be sure to update app settings as needed.
4. Ignoring app permissions. Even the most trustworthy apps may ask for access to your data. With so many prompts asking you to accept cookies, share your location, and more, it's essential for parents to read the fine print before installing software on children's devices.
   
   Unfortunately, companies may collect more data on your child than you're comfortable with, so eliminating unnecessary access is up to you. Whenever possible, select options such as "only when using the app" to avoid third-party tracking and data collection.
5. Not testing the parental control software first. While reading firsthand accounts of using parental control software is a good start, you should test-run your parental app before installing it on your child's device. Testing it out can give you a feel for how to set filters, alerts, and time limits. You can see what works, and more importantly, what doesn't.
   
   Although it's not uncommon for most parental control apps to have delayed alerts, you don't want to rely on knowing your child or teen's location only to find out later that geo-fencing failed.

Advice from the experts

There are many difficulties when it comes to navigating your child's internet activity. We asked experts for their opinions on how best to monitor their children’s online activity.

What suggestions do you have for parents trying to balance their kids’ independence online vs. protecting them from potential harm?

How and when should parents talk to their kids about the risks of their online behaviors?

What are the biggest dangers online for kids? What should parents be looking out for when monitoring their children’s internet usage?

^{Some responses may have been slightly edited for clarity and brevity.}

Bottom line: The best parental controls of 2026

In our age verification survey, we found that 55% of Americans say parental controls and monitoring are the best way to protect minors online. Based on our in-house testing, we think the best parental control app of 2026 is Aura Parental Controls. It stands as the best overall. With unintrusive monitoring, healthy insights for parents, and cyberbullying alerts, Aura has quickly become one of the best monitoring apps for teens.

Close behind are Qustodio, Bark, Norton Family, FamilyKeeper, and Life360. Qustodio is the most complete option for Android families, since the Panic Button and social message alerts only run there. Bark stood out in testing as a comprehensive solution for families seeking reliable, AI-powered monitoring and broad device coverage. Norton Family excels at web filtering and holds up best of anything we've tested on iPhone, where Apple's rules limit what any app can see. FamilyKeeper sets up faster than anything else in this lineup. And Life360 handles family location sharing well, which makes it a useful companion to Aura since Aura has no location features at all.

All About Cookies picks for best parental control apps of 2026

• Aura Parental Controls
  • Number of devices covered: Plans cover unlimited children and devices, while the included antivirus software covers up to 10 devices
  • Free trial: Yes, 14 days
  • Starting cost: $8.25/mo
  • Best for: Families who want non-intrusive monitoring, insights into their child or teen’s online habits, and robust security tools to keep kids safe online
• Qustodio
  • Number of devices covered: Paid plans cover either five or unlimited devices
  • Free trial: Yes, 30 days
  • Starting cost: $4.99/mo
  • Best for: Android families who want the complete feature set, including the Panic Button and social message alerts
• Bark
  • Number of devices covered: Unlimited devices across plans
  • Free trial: Yes, 7 days
  • Starting cost: $14.00/mo
  • Best for: Complete suite of parental control features, including screen time management, content filtering, location tracking, geofencing, and message monitoring for texts, emails, and social media
• Norton Family
  • Number of devices covered: Covers one device unless parental controls are bundled with other Norton security software
  • Free trial: Yes, 30 days
  • Starting cost: $4.17/mo
  • Best for: iPhone and iPad families, with 45+ content categories and subcategories for in-depth filtering, plus SafeSearch and Instant Lock
• FamilyKeeper
  • Number of devices covered: Unlimited devices per subscription
  • Free trial: Yes, 7 days
  • Starting cost: $12.56/mo
  • Best for: Parents who want to be set up in about 10 minutes, with basic screen time monitoring, location tracking, and app blocking
• Life360
  • Number of devices covered: Up to 99 members per Circle on every plan, though Life360 recommends keeping it to 10
  • Free trial: Yes, 7 days
  • Starting cost: $7.99-$24.99/mo
  • Best for: Family location sharing, with crash detection and SOS alerts on every plan, paired with a dedicated parental control app for online oversight

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