Looking for the best parental control app to protect your kids online? Whether it’s screen time limits, website blocking, or app monitoring, today’s tools offer smarter ways to keep children safe on every device.

We compare the top 8 parental control solutions, from popular apps like Bark and Qustodio to Race CommandIQ®, an all-in-one smart home internet control system.

Parental Control Apps: The Basics

Parental control apps help parents monitor and limit their children’s offline and online activity on tablets, smartphones, laptops, and other devices. While not a substitute for parenting and cyber education, these apps help you enforce rules around screen time and internet content.

How to Choose Parental Control Software?

There are many parental control applications on the market. To find the best app for you, parents need to consider the following questions:

Do you need a parental control app for iOS or Android? Make sure your chosen app is compatible with the device’s operating system. For example, some parental control for Android offers deep app-level control, while iPhone solutions may have more limited capabilities due to Apple’s privacy restrictions.
What is your budget? Parental software prices range from free to $15/month.
How many devices do you want to control? Some parental control apps offer unlimited connected devices, while others offer different plans based on the number of connected devices.
Which features are you looking for in your parental control software? Parental control apps vary in their features. The most common ones are location tracking, content filtering, and screen time management.
How old are your children? Make sure your chosen parental software offers features that make sense for your family. Different ages require different types of monitoring apps.

best parental control apps

Understanding Features and Restrictions

Parental control apps vary in their features and how restrictive they are. While some parental control app features are better suited for younger children, others cater to parents of teenagers. The older the children, the more privacy and autonomy they’ll want.

A University of Central Florida study suggests that the use of parental control apps on teenagers might even be counterproductive, citing that “the use of parental apps was associated with teens experiencing more, not fewer, online risks, including unwanted explicit content, harassment, and online sexual solicitations.”

That’s why it’s crucial to review the app’s features with your tweens and teenagers—keeping them in the loop helps prevent surprises and builds mutual trust.

The Best Parental Control Apps Have These Features

The best parental control apps come with a wide variety of features. Below, we break down essential parental control features that will keep your child safe online and offline.

Content Filtering & Blocking

The internet is brimming with content we don’t want our children to see. Consequently, most parental control software solutions offer to block content, such as:

Pornography
Nudity
Drugs
Gaming
Suicide
Death
Weapons

Are you feeling anxious after reading that list? You don’t have to be. The best parental apps divide online content into broad categories, and you can choose which they’ll block, allow, or receive a warning for.

Screentime Management

If it were up to them, children would watch YouTube and scroll through TikTok all day long. The CDC reports that children and teenagers spend between 6 and 9 hours in front of a screen. That’s far more than the recommended 2 hours of leisure screen time daily.

Parents should encourage kids to spend some time away from screens. Adverse effects of too much screen time include difficulty paying attention, internet addiction, and other psychological problems.

Thanks to the best parental control app features, parents no longer need to worry about screen time. Screentime management helps parents set and enforce boundaries around device usage.

Here’s how parents can benefit from screentime management:

Set offline hours during which children can’t use their devices
Set general limits on screentime (i.e., three hours a day)
Monitor average online time
Block access to the internet during specific hours, such as the time they spend at school

Location Tracking & Sharing

Location tracking is particularly popular among parents of younger children – not so much with teenagers. This parental app feature notifies parents of their children’s comings and goings, alerting them whenever their child arrives and leaves specific locations (school, home, friend’s house, extracurricular activities).

Should parents track the location of their teenagers?

While location tracking is an excellent parental control feature, tracking teenagers can become problematic. Teenagers can find a lack of privacy and trust frustrating, leading to more rebellious behavior, conflict, and higher levels of estrangement.

Before tracking teenagers, consider giving your teen space and encouraging them to communicate where and when they will be going places. This could build trust and strengthen relationships.

Social Media Monitoring

Social media can negatively affect the mental health of children and adults alike. But children and teens are especially vulnerable to the dark side of social media, such as cyberbullying, fake news, privacy issues, addiction, and feelings of inadequacy.

Naturally, parents want to know what content their children are exposed to while on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, and other social media apps.

Many social media apps have parental control settings built in. Still, the best parental control apps can monitor a handful of apps simultaneously and are easier to manage.

Depending on the age of the child and social media platform, parental settings allow parents to:

Block certain people
Hide the profile from the public
Restrict communication to followers/friends only
Turn off chat
Monitor who can comment on posts
Digital Danger Alerts

The best parental control apps also alert parents to instances of cyberbullying, sexting, or mental health problems in their children. Some of them scan emails, apps, text messages, and all other online activities and notify parents when their children are subject to any digital dangers.

These are the Best Parental Control Apps

Knowing what to look for, here are some of the most popular parental control apps currently available.

1. Bark

the best parental control app

Source: Bark

Best for: Social media and message monitoring

Bark is known for its wide-reaching monitoring across texts, emails, and 30+ popular social platforms. It uses AI to detect risks such as cyberbullying, grooming, and self-harm, alerting parents when something’s wrong.

Key Features

AI scans messages, images, and videos for harmful content
Overall screen time schedules and device-based time limits
Filters websites by category (more effective on Android)
Block apps or websites (Android-focused)
Basic location tracking and check-ins
SOS button available only with Bark phone/watch

Cons

No full app usage logs or per-app time limits (except Bark Phone)
No geofence alerts; location tracking is basic
Features limited on iOS due to Apple restrictions

Pricing

Bark Jr: $5/month or $49/year
Bark Premium: $14/month or $99/year

2. Qustodio

Source: Qustodio

Best for: Balanced, all-in-one parental control on Android

Qustodio is a robust and flexible tool for parents who want control over app usage, screen time, web safety, and location tracking.

Key Features

Real-time web filtering with 20+ customizable categories
Per-app daily time limits (Android/iOS)
App blocking and usage insights
Live GPS tracking and geofence alerts
SOS button (Android only)
Monitors WhatsApp, Instagram DMs (Android only)

Cons

Limited call/text monitoring (Android only)
No true social media post/content monitoring
iOS features limited compared to Android

Pricing

Free: 1 device with limited tools
Premium: 5 devices $54.95/year, 10 devices $96.95/year

3. Google Family Link

Best for: Basic controls on Android, free of charge

Google Family Link is a great entry-level tool for managing Android and Chromebook usage, offering foundational screen time and app controls.

As one of the most effective free parental control software options, Google Family Link gives parents core tools for screen time, app approvals, and location tracking at no cost.

Key Features

Set device screen time schedules and limits
Approve or block app installs
Location tracking (Android only)
Restrict Chrome browsing with basic filters
Set app time limits and activity reports

Cons

Very limited iOS capabilities
No content scanning or social monitoring
Children over 13 can opt out of supervision

Pricing

Free for all features

4. Net Nanny

Source: Net Nanny

Best for: Powerful content filtering across devices

Net Nanny remains a top pick for parents wanting to prevent access to harmful websites and manage screen time at a detailed level.

Key Features

Real-time web content analysis (14 filter categories)
Device screen time schedules and daily limits
App usage reports and app blocking (platform-dependent)
YouTube search and viewing monitoring
Instant alerts for blocked site attempts
Family feed dashboard for real-time updates

Cons

No call, text, or social monitoring
Some features not equal across iOS/Android/PC
May take time to fully configure

Pricing

5-device plan: ~$55/year
20-device family plan: ~$90/year

5. Race CommandIQ®

race commandiq app guide

Best for: Home-wide control

Race CommandIQ® is a network-level tool for managing Wi-Fi, screen time, and online safety directly from your home router.

Key Features

Pause internet per device or profile
Set time schedules and offline hours
Category-based content filtering (e.g. adult, violence)
View connected devices and usage stats
Built-in malware/phishing protection
No app installs required; protects every device at home

Cons

Only works with Race Communications internet
Controls apply only to home network (not mobile data)

Pricing

Included free with Race fiber internet plans

6. Aura

best parental control apps

Source: Aura

Best for: Families focused on digital threats and emotional safety

Aura offers a child protection suite that includes basic parental controls, identity protection, and alerting for online risks like cyberbullying.

Key Features

Blocks harmful sites and flags risky behavior
AI alerts for signs of cyberbullying or online abuse
Monitors screen time and device use patterns
Identity protection bundled in family plans

Cons

Less control over apps or per-app time limits
Lacks GPS tracking or geofencing
Some features only available in premium tiers

Pricing

Bundled with Aura plans (typically $9–$20/month for families)

7. Nintendo Switch Parental Controls

Best for: Console gameplay time and age controls

Nintendo’s free parental app lets you manage when and what kids play on the Switch console.

Key Features

Daily play-time limits and game suspension
Age-based restrictions by ESRB rating
View game titles played and duration
Push notifications for daily activity summary

Cons

No per-game blocking (only rating-based)
Doesn’t restrict social media or browsing
Alerts are limited and not real-time

Pricing

Free app, available for iOS/Android

8. Kaspersky Safe Kids

Source: Kaspersky Safe Kids

Best for: Affordable, cross-platform monitoring

Kaspersky Safe Kids provides strong filtering, screen time tools, and location tracking at a budget-friendly price.

Key Features

Filters inappropriate content across major categories
Time limits and device schedules
Location tracking and geofencing alerts
Monitors app installs and usage
YouTube search and watch history reports
Battery level alerts for child’s device

Cons

Limited social media monitoring (only basic Facebook/VK features)
Some tools less functional on iOS
Setup may feel complex for new users

Pricing

$22.99/year (1 license covers unlimited devices/children)

Talk to Your ISP About Parental Controls

There, you have a list of the best parental control apps available. Before implementing any of these tools, discussing them with your kids is crucial. Gaining their consent is particularly important for teenagers who value their privacy. They’re more likely to try to bypass these controls without their agreement.

Whether or not you decide to use parental control apps, consider placing your kids’ devices on a separate WiFi network, often referred to as a guest network. This simple step can enhance security and manage usage without extensive monitoring.

Also, consult your internet service provider (ISP) about parental controls. Leading ISPs don’t just offer internet access; they provide essential tools for safe browsing. For example, Race Communications offers the Race CommandIQ app, which enables parents to manage WiFi access effectively.

If you’re interested in learning more about the services from Race Communications, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re committed to delivering reliable, fast internet service with top-notch online safety features.