The Best Screen Time App 2026

We think Qustodio is the best screen time app for children and teens based on its robust customization features. Bark is another solid screen time management tool we’ve tested because of how it grows with your children as they go from new users to nearly independent teens.

We love Norton Family for its additional security features, while FamilyKeeper is a simple screen time management app that helps parents teach their children healthy online habits.

We’ve laid out all of our favorite and not-so-favorite things about each of these apps, plus our full side-by-side comparisons below. Continue reading to discover the best screen time management app for your family.

The best screen time apps 2026

Compare the best screen time apps for kids

	Best Overall
Best for	Customization	Children and teens	Real-time security	Ease of use
Star rating	5.0 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.	4.7 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.	4.8 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.	4.8 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.
Starting price	Starts at $4.58/mo	Starts at $5.00/mo	Starts at $49.99/yr	Starts at $15.99/mo
Free trial
Max # of children supported	Unlimited	Unlimited	15	Unlimited
Screen time management
App time limits
Routines
Learn more	Get Qustodio Read Qustodio Review	Get Bark Read Bark Review	Get Norton Family Read Norton Family Review	Get FamilyKeeper Read FamilyKeeper Review

Qustodio: Best for customization

Who it’s best for

Qustodio is a well-rounded parental control app that offers a range of features for conversation monitoring, screen time management, and location tracking. We appreciate that all these features can be tweaked to fit your parental control needs. 

With Qustodio, you can set screen time limits for weekdays and weekends, establish routines, and set restrictions for specific apps.

What we liked

Specific app limits: Qustodio lets you block app categories, and you can also set individual restrictions on specific apps. For example, you can specify if the TikTok app should always be allowed, only allowed during specific hours, or completely blocked. 

Flexible routines: If you're unsure where to start with managing your kid's screen time, Qustodio offers several presets. You can allow only educational sites during study time or completely block the device to get them ready for bed. 

In addition, you can create your preset routines based on your parenting style. 

Pause Internet: Even with established screen time rules, you can use Pause Internet to block internet access at any point in time. This feature overrides existing limits.

What we didn’t like

Limited monitoring: With Qustodio, you can monitor how much time your children spend on social media apps, but you can't monitor their conversations on those apps. This could be limiting if you want to monitor the conversations of younger children.

Issues with blocking: Most of our Qustodio testing went off without a hitch, but it struggled to block some apps. For example, we could still access Bluesky even with schooltime settings enabled. 

Star ratings summary

Bark: Best for children and teens

Who it’s best for

If your young children are ready for their first phone or are just getting used to having a mobile device, Bark is a great choice. You can set up stricter screen time limitations and content blocks that become increasingly customizable as your child gets older. 

Bark even has its own phone with its services preinstalled. This is the perfect service to teach your tween or teen about responsible device usage.

What we liked

Customization: You can customize your parental alerts however you want. If you want to allow your children more screen time or receive notifications if they attempt to visit a restricted site, Bark will notify you. If you prefer fewer or no alerts, you can also adjust this setting.

Social Media Monitoring: Your kids likely enjoy watching the latest TikTok videos or connecting with friends via Instagram. Social media isn’t necessarily the best place for kids, but Bark monitors over 30 social media sites, so you can feel better about their being connected to Discord, Snapchat, and more.

Multiple monitoring categories: When it is time for your kids to be on their devices, you can refine alerts for specific content. Bark offers more than 19 categories that can tell you if your child is experiencing online bullying or getting sent sexually explicit photos.

What we didn’t like

Delayed Alerts: During our Bark testing, real-time alerts occasionally experienced delays. Sometimes this isn’t a big deal, but if your kid is in the middle of a bullying situation or trying to access their phone when they’re not allowed to, you may want to know about it immediately. However, in our experience, most parental control apps have a bit of a delay.

Star rating summary

Norton Family: Best for real-time security

Who it’s best for

Norton Family excels in providing real-time alerts and real-time protection. Kids have a knack for clicking on the spammiest, malware-laden things that can easily wreck a computer or phone. Norton Family can be bundled with Norton’s security products, like Norton 365, so screen time doesn’t lead to being hacked.

What we liked

Real-time alerts: In our testing, Norton did an excellent job of delivering alerts in real time. Whereas most parental control apps have a delay, Norton was prompt. If our test kid tried to access their phone during downtime, Norton notified us immediately.

Easy: We had no trouble installing and using Norton Family. It was easy to set up and to use. When apps are difficult to use, we tend to avoid them, and screen time apps need to be seamless.

Additional real-time security: Norton is one of the most trusted names in cybersecurity. Being able to bundle our screen time app with real-time antivirus software meant we didn’t need to worry about our kids accidentally downloading viruses or entering sketchy websites during their screen time.

What we didn’t like

Limited monitoring: The biggest downside to Norton Family is its limited monitoring features compared to services like Bark. Although Norton Family covers a whopping 47 content categories, it lacks monitoring for social media, text messages, and emails. 

Poor Apple compatibility: Norton Family didn’t work on our Mac and had limited functionality on our iOS devices. If you’re Windows or Android user, you shouldn’t have an issue. Mac and iOS users will pay the same amount for fewer features and services.

Star ratings summary

FamilyKeeper: Best for ease of use

Who it’s best for

If you’re just looking for screen time monitoring or have an older teen who needs a little help using their devices responsibly, FamilyKeeper may be a good choice. We found it to be simpler than our other two choices while still providing solid screen time settings.

What we liked

Easy: Simplistic software should be easy, and our testing found that FamilyKeeper is just that. While you won’t get more advanced features, you will get screen time management that isn’t overly complicated.

Screen time management: The screen time management feature stands out among FamilyKeeper’s offerings. It’s something this simplistic app does exceptionally well, which is why we think it’s a good choice for older kids who don’t require extensive content filtering.

Geo-fencing: While most parental control apps offer some form of location monitoring, we appreciate that FamilyKeeper is both simple and includes geo-fencing features. Even when our kids are on downtime, we can see where their devices are just by glancing at our monitoring app.

What we didn’t like

Lacks cross-platform compatibility: We could use FamilyKeeper only on mobile devices, so tech-savvy kids or those with multiple devices that require monitoring may be able to bypass some of FamilyKeeper’s features.

Star ratings summary

What are the 5 C's of screen time?

Navigating the online world has become a necessity, not an option. Children and adults alike need internet literacy to function in our current society, but that doesn’t mean it has to be a free-for-all.

The 5 C’s of screen time — Child, Content, Calm, Crowding Out, and Communication — help you focus on what’s important when learning about healthy online activity.

• Child: Tailoring your child’s online experience to who they actually are as a person.
• Content: Finding the right content that helps your child grow and evolve.
• Calm: Having a proven method for being able to calm themselves, whether through content or lack thereof.
• Crowding Out: Not allowing online content to crowd out the other important aspects of life, like family time or participating in hobbies.
• Communication: Helping children find a voice and learning how to discuss what is healthy and what could be improved, both online and off.

Bottom line: The best parental control app for screen time management

Qustodio is the best parental control app we’ve tested because of its compatibility, functionality, and flexibility. It offers extensive customization and monitoring features that go beyond screen time management.

That doesn’t mean we don’t also love Bark, Norton Family, and FamilyKeeper. Bark can help you adapt to your child's monitoring needs. Meanwhile, Norton Family offers the added advantage of award-winning cybersecurity protection, and FamilyKeeper provides simple management for parents who prefer a more streamlined approach.

Healthy online habits should start at a young age. Online literacy is a crucial skill for children to acquire. The best parental control apps make it easier for parents to help their children learn those skills. 

Remember to talk to your children about their online habits and model healthy ones for them, so they can learn responsible internet habits.

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