Best Free Parental Control Apps

What separates the best free parental control apps on this page?

Four apps made the cut, and the gap between them comes down to platform coverage and how much you get without paying. Qustodio scores 8.5 and costs $54.95. It blocked 37 of 40 checklist items, the best in the test, and its time limits and schedules held on iPhone, Android, Windows and Chromebook alike. Kaspersky Safe Kids scores 7.8 at $14.99 a year for unlimited devices, with a free tier that includes web filtering, app control and time limits. Google Family Link scores 7.1 and is free, but it cannot control an iPhone. Apple Screen Time scores 7 and is free, but it is Apple devices only.

The free tiers are not the same thing. Family Link and Screen Time cost nothing because they are built into the platforms you already own. Kaspersky's free tier covers filtering and time limits, then charges $14.99 a year for the rest. Qustodio's free tier is usable, but message monitoring sits behind the Complete plan and is Android-only.

What should I check before buying a parental control app?

Start with the devices in your house. If your child carries an iPhone, Family Link is out. If they use a Chromebook, Kaspersky Safe Kids is out. Qustodio is the only pick here that covered all four devices in the test.

Then look at what you actually want to see. Qustodio gives a detailed daily activity report and YouTube monitoring. Kaspersky adds YouTube search monitoring and safe search. Family Link gives location with a device-locate button. Screen Time gives no activity reports beyond time per app.

Setup time matters too. Qustodio took 25 minutes on iPhone with a VPN profile. Screen Time cannot be uninstalled by the child, and Ask-to-Buy approval covers every purchase and download.

Which one for whom?

• Qustodio — for mixed households with iPhone, Android, Windows and Chromebook, and for parents who want the strongest filtering and daily reports.
• Kaspersky Safe Kids — for families who want filtering and time limits on unlimited devices for $14.99 a year.
• Google Family Link — for Android and Chromebook homes that want app approval, daily limits and location for free.
• Apple Screen Time — for iPhone, iPad and Mac families who want limits and purchase approval built in.

Qustodio suits mixed-device homes that want the strongest filtering and daily reports. Kaspersky Safe Kids suits families who want filtering and time limits on unlimited devices for $14.99 a year. Google Family Link and Apple Screen Time are the free picks, for Android and Chromebook homes and for Apple-only homes respectively.