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Best for Advanced Features
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Parental control app with lots of features
User-friendly, clean interface
Best for Security and Support
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Excels at app blocking and content filtering across 47 categories
Offers age-specific restriction levels to enhance safety and unlimited device connections
Parental control apps can help parents who want to introduce their children to internet-connected devices but don’t want them to stumble across inappropriate content online. Qustodio and Norton Family are both notable services with various features that help kids gain independence and learn healthy online habits.
Qustodio has a few plans, including a free one, with advanced features like text message monitoring, social media monitoring, app and website blocking, and even YouTube-specific filters. Norton Family is a standalone plan that can be bundled with other Norton security products. Norton offers advanced parental control security features like the inclusion of age-specific restriction levels as well as comprehensive app blocking and content filtering across 47 categories.
These two parental control apps have their positives and negatives, but ultimately, one is going to be better for you and your family than the other one. Qustodio offers more features like text and call monitoring, while Norton Family secures its service with two-factor authentication and includes advanced customer support options.
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| Starting price | $4.58/mo (billed annually) | $49.99/first yr |
| Free version | ||
| Max number of protected devices | 1, 5, or unlimited | Unlimited |
| Web filtering | ||
| Screen time limits | ||
| Location tracking | ||
| Activity reports | ||
| Learn more | Read Qustodio Review | Get Norton Family |
Best Value |
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| Price range | $4.58-$8.33/mo (billed annually) | $49.99/first yr |
| Best value plan | Complete for $8.33/mo (billed annually) | Norton Family for $49.99/first yr |
| Learn more | Read Qustodio Review | Get Norton Family |
Qustodio offers free monitoring on one device with limited features. If you want expanded access, try one of the paid plans. While Basic coverage has a device cap, Complete coverage is unlimited. You’ll also find more monitoring features in the paid plans with expanded reporting.
There is only one option for Norton Family, and it includes all of the service's features and functions. Some other Norton plans, like Norton 360 + Lifelock, include Norton Family as well. However, if you’re just looking for parental controls, this is the Norton product for you.
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Our Pick |
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| Website filtering | ||
| App filtering | ||
| Social media monitoring | Yes, limited monitoring for Android | |
| 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 | Read Qustodio Review | Get Norton Family |
Both apps offer screen time management, but Qustodio has more advanced features than Norton Family. You’ll have text monitoring and geo-fencing features, as well as more ways to stay safe on social media. Geo-fencing is nice because you’ll be alerted when your child is in a set location, like school or an afterschool program, and when they leave. This is especially helpful for younger children who want a little independence but are too young to be on their own.
Norton Family includes all of the features necessary to have a successful parental control experience but does lack the geo-fencing features that help kids with burgeoning independence. Unlike Qustodio, however, you don’t have to purchase a more advanced tier to get all of Norton’s features. With one plan, you can feel good knowing everything is included for one price.
Neither service includes email monitoring or alerts for cyberbullying or predators. While the tools offered allow you to set parameters that help guard against these things, the alerts offered by other parental control products can notify you about something the filters didn’t catch. It’s a great feature to have, so it’s a shame both of these leave it out.
Norton Family conveniently centralizes its parental control management features in the dashboard. However, it does not support app filtering for iOS devices. /images/2024/03/11/nortonfamily_dashboard.png)
Parental control services guard a lot of information. You're not only inputting all of your personal and financial information, but you’re also giving it access to your children. It’s important that any service you choose maintains your children’s privacy and helps safeguard saved information from being stolen. Two-factor authentication (2FA) is an important step in securing accounts. Making sure limited data is shared with third parties can go a long way toward reducing the amount of spam that you, as an adult, receive as well.
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Our Pick | |
| Two-factor authentication | ||
| Collects data | ||
| Shares data with third parties | ||
| Learn more | Read Qustodio Review | Get Norton Family |
Both of these services collect data on you and the features you use because they need it to render services. The biggest issue we have is when data is shared with third parties, whether through cookies or “trusted partner” deals. Both Qustodio and Norton Family participate in this kind of data sharing. Don’t worry, though. Children under 18 are protected. It’s you, however, who will have your information distributed.
As far as protecting your children’s information, it’s good to have strong passwords on your accounts, but 2FA is better. When you incorporate 2FA along with a strong password, you add another layer of security to your accounts. We’re very surprised Qustodio doesn’t offer this option.
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Our Pick | |
| Windows | ||
| macOS | ||
| Android | ||
| iOS | ||
| Browser extensions | Yes — Chrome | Yes — Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge |
| 24/7 customer support | ||
| Customer support options | Online guides, phone, email | Online guides, phone, community forums, social media messages, live chat |
| Learn more | Read Qustodio Review | Get Norton Family |
Qustodio offers more device compatibility, with the ability to install its monitoring features on a Mac and a Kindle. Norton Family offers more compatibility with various browsers, including Firefox and Microsoft Edge. If you like what Norton offers, you can always set up the parental controls on iOS and then use Norton as another layer of security. This levels the playing field a little, but there are still some major differences; the biggest being the customer support options.
Qustodio’s customer support is pretty sparse and makes users purchase the Complete package if they want phone support. Since Norton has only one plan option, everyone is covered by Norton’s 24/7 customer support, which includes community forms, social media messaging, and live chat, none of which Qustodio offers. We love a live chat, so that’s always a huge win for us.
Norton Family doesn’t monitor texts or emails, and it doesn’t have geo-fencing features that can alert you when your child enters and exits a certain area. It also lacks compatibility with macOS and has limited features on iOS.
There are also no direct alerts about cyberbullying or potential predators. You can set up protections to reduce the risk of those things happening, but if something slips through, there isn’t a notification system in place for parents. This means you can allow your child to use Discord, but you won’t get a notification if something happens.
Qustodio lacks two-factor authentication to protect your account and also has limited customer support options. It also makes users buy the most expensive plan if they want any type of phone support. While the features included in Qustodio can assist in preventing cyberbullying and online predators, there aren’t any direct alerts that let parents know if something slips through those features. Sites like TikTok and Instagram can be full of trolls and haters, so it’s good to have software that can help you talk to your child about people like that and how to protect themselves.
Bark. Other parental control apps don't offer comprehensive social media, text message, and email monitoring features. Bark’s features include the ability to scan texts and emails, and the parental control software uses machine learning to monitor your children’s interactions with predators and potential cases of self-harm. To top it off, Bark has different product offerings to cover your needs. This helps keep kids safer on social media platforms and online forums, where they might find an outlet for their interests but won’t have to deal with bullies.
No, Norton Family can’t see or scan text messages. It also lacks the ability to scan emails. Qustodio has some text message monitoring. The best parental control app we’ve found for monitoring texts and emails is Bark. If text message monitoring is important to you, you may want to check out that service.
It’s a tie. Qustodio offers a free plan, advanced features, and more operating system compatibility but falls short with 2FA and customer support. It also makes customers pay more for unlimited device connections. Norton Family offers one plan that includes all its features, including 2FA to secure your kids’ info and robust customer support options, but it lacks text message and call monitoring. Norton Family also lacks compatibility with macOS and has limited features on iOS.
If you’re not an Apple user, Norton Family may be a great option because you’ll get all of its benefits as well as great customer service. If you have multiple devices on varying operating systems and want to monitor your child’s texts and calls, Qustodio may be for you. Whichever you choose, it’s always a good idea to protect your kids. Using this kind of software helps them create healthy habits and gives you peace of mind while they explore their independence. It’s a win-win.
Excels at app blocking and content filtering across 47 categories
Offers age-specific restriction levels to enhance safety and unlimited device connections
If neither parental control app works for you, or you want to evaluate all of the best parental control services out there, we have suggestions. All of these services offer robust monitoring plus additional features you’re sure to find useful. Keeping your kids safe in this digital world is a top priority. Parental control software can help you do it.
Machine learning catches the latest slang and keywords
Screens content across 19 categories
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