When you buy through affiliate links in our content, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Learn Choosing the best parental control app is crucial for peace of mind, ensuring your child navigates the internet safely. With countless risks online—from inappropriate content to unwanted contact from strangers—finding a reliable parental monitoring app can help protect your child from cyberbullying and harmful interactions.
In this guide, I’ve reviewed the best parental control apps for iPhone and Android. These tools can monitor online activity, track location, and promote healthy digital habits. I’ve evaluated each option based on safety, ease of use, device compatibility, and overall value to help you find the best fit for your family.
- Show Full Guide
Best Parental Control Apps Ranked
- mSpy – Best Parental Control App Overall
- uMobix – Best Parental Control App for Ease-of-Use
- Aura – Best Parental Control App for All-round Family Digital Safety Including ID Theft and Safe Browsing
- Norton Family – Best for Monitoring Multiple Devices and Enhancing Learning with School Time Mode
- Bark – Best Parental Control App With a Dedicated Driving Mode and a Free Phone Device
- Qustodio – Best Parental Control App for Budget Conscious Parents
- EyeZy – Best Parental Control App for Smart, AI-Driven Monitoring and “Magic Alerts”
- ClevGuard – Best Parental Control App That’s Unmatched for Discreet, Real-time Social Media Monitoring
- FamiSafe – Best for Screentime Management and Scheduling
- Cocospy – Best Parental Control App for Remote Surveillance
Aura – Best Parental Control App for All-round Family Digital Safety Including ID Theft and Safe Browsing
Norton Family - Web Supervision And Activity Reporting For Child Online Safety
FamiSafe - Comprehensive Parental Control Features, Ensuring Children's Safety
What Are Parental Control Apps and How Do They Work?
Parental control software encompasses a broad range of apps and tools that are designed to help parents remotely monitor and regulate what their children are doing on their digital devices. They can also help parents track the physical location of their children. Most of them work by being installed on the device, or multiple devices, of the child the parent wants to monitor — the parent can then access the data gathered by the monitoring app remotely on their own computer or device.
The best parental control apps alert parents to any threats or dangerous activity so that they can intervene and keep their child safe at the right time. Most of them are compatible with multiple types of device (smartphone, tablet, laptop) and operating system (iOS or Android). Some of them even provide educational tools to help children learn about how to develop health digital habits and to stay safe.
It’s important to balance the benefits of monitoring a child for their safety with respecting their privacy. Most apps allow you to customize the level of tracking and monitoring based on the child’s maturity and, age, and genuine need to be monitored.
The Best Parental Control Apps Reviewed
To help you find the best parental control software for your Apple or Android device, below I’ll review in detail the top performers that made it onto my shortlist based on my hands-on testing of the apps. For more information on this type of product, you can visit our page on the best free parental control apps and free parental control app alternatives.
1. mSpy — Best Parental Control App Overall
| Free Trial/Demo | Demo |
|---|---|
| Compatibility | iOS, Android |
| Max Devices | 1 |
| Money-back Guarantee | 14-day refund window |
| Price | Starting from $11.67/month |
Why I Picked It
mSpy stands out as the best parental control app overall. It’s a feature-packed tool that works for both iPhone and Android devices, and it can tell you everything from which apps your children install, who they call, what they chat about on social media, and so much more.
Features
mSpy is often regarded as one of the best parental monitoring apps on the market. It has a comprehensive range of features, including call tracking, text message monitoring, GPS location tracking, and app usage analysis, all wrapped up in an easy-to-use platform.
- GPS Location Tracking: mSpy’s GPS is pinpoint accurate, giving you peace of mind knowing your child is in a safe environment.
- Web Browsing History: This allows you to see exactly what your child is searching for so you can identify anything potentially dangerous or harmful in their searches.
- Keyword Alerts: In addition to the above you can set up alerts for certain dangerous or inappropriate words or phrases so you are notified when your child searches for these online.
- User-friendly Interface: The mSpy platform lets you easily navigate and access important information without needing technical expertise. You’ll be able to view everything in an easy-to-navigate dashboard that you can view in real time.
- Stealth Mode: This allows you to monitor your child’s phone discreetly, but this isn’t only advantageous for tracking a child without their knowledge (which not all parents want to do). It simply means you can have mSpy installed on the device you want to monitor without it interfering with the child’s use of their phone. mSpy supports various devices and operating systems, including both iOS and Android.
- Excellent Customer Support: I found the responses of the mSpy customer support team swift and helpful.
- Call Tracking: mSpy lets you see exactly who your child has been interacting with by phone. You can see their call log history complete with timestamps, call durations, names, and phone numbers.
mSpy does also offer social media tracking. Although it doesn’t monitor as many social media and instant messaging apps as some others, it can track WhatsApp, Snapchat, TikTok, and a few other apps, including their messages and the media they send or receive, such as images and videos. These social media monitoring tools can help you safeguard your kids from the dangers of sexting and cyberbullying
Do note that some features, like a keylogger and screen recorder, are exclusively available on Android.
mSpy Pricing
mSpy offers a tiered pricing structure with clear distinctions between the plans, starting at a relatively affordable monthly cost for long-term subscriptions. The monthly plan is priced higher than most alternatives, so opting for a longer subscription can provide significant savings.
| Plan | Pricing |
|---|---|
| 1 month | $48.99/month |
| 3 months | $28/month |
| 12 months | $11.67/month |
The 1-month plan is ideal for short-term monitoring needs, such as during a specific trip or event. The 3-month option offers a balanced solution for those seeking flexibility without committing to a full year. For families requiring extended monitoring, the annual plan delivers the best value and is well-suited for ongoing usage.
mSpy offers a free demo to help you explore its features before committing, along with a 14-day refund window, allowing you to evaluate whether the service aligns with your expectations.
Who It’s Best for
mSpy excels at tracking iPhone activities, and all you need to install it on an iPhone are your child’s iCloud credentials. However, you get access to a lot more features if you can root or jailbreak the device.
Read our full mSpy review.
Pros 
- Overall top-ranking parental control app
- The easy-access dashboard keeps you informed
- Plenty of web and social media monitoring tools
- Tracks Tinder activities on iPhones
- Accurate GPS location tracking
Cons 
- Requires physical access to target device on Android
2. uMobix — Best Parental Control App for Ease-of-Use
| Free Trial/Demo | Demo |
|---|---|
| Compatibility | iOS, Android |
| Max Devices | Up to 3 |
| Money-back Guarantee | 14-day refund window |
| Price | Starting from $12.49/month |
Why I Picked It
During my testing, I found uMobix one of the easiest parental control apps to use due to its intuitive interface and straightforward setup process, which means you can start monitoring your kids quickly without needing technical expertise. The app provides clear navigation, making it simple to access and understand various monitoring features, such as call logs, text messages, and location tracking.
Features
uMobix stands out as one of the easiest parental control apps you can use, thanks to its intuitive interface and seamless installation process. Designed with UX in mind, the provider guides you through the setup process step-by-step. Even if you are completely lost when it comes to technology, you’ll be able to get it up and running in no time, so you can spend more time keeping your kids safe and less time messing around with learning a new app.
- Call and Text Message Logs: See caller or texter names and numbers as well as call durations, timestamps. You can see all this information in real time, and even retrieve deleted SMSs and removed contacts.
- GPS location tracking: uMobix’s location tracking in accurate up to 7-10 meters, and there is a dedicated Map View in the monitoring dashboard where you can see where your child is and routes they’ve taken.
- Reddit Monitoring: uMobix is one of the only parental control apps to give you an overview of what your child does on Reddit, a platform that hides inappropriate content behind an age check that kids easily bypass.
- Remote Control and Blocking: This can help you keep your children safe from harmful content by blocking their access to websites and apps they shouldn’t be opening or visiting. Additionally, you can lock their phone remotely using uMobix, meaning they won’t be able to use it until you unlock it. This can help you set screen time limits when it’s past their bedtime or when they’re studying.
- Display Deleted Messages: A uMboix feature that stood out to me is its ability to display deleted messages. If your child has something to hide, they may try to do so by deleting incriminating messages, and uMobix will display them all in a dedicated tab on its dashboard.
- Customer Support: uMobix offers plenty of helpful resources and customer support options, so if you encounter any snags or have a question about a particular feature, you have somewhere to go.
While uMobix offers basic parental control monitoring for iPhones, it lacks features like the keylogger and location tracking and can’t monitor as many social media apps on iOS as it does on Android. Parents also get a mobile app to monitor their children’s phones on the go, which I found works really well in my testing. It’s also quite rare and something you won’t get with competitors like mSpy and Eyezy.
uMobix Pricing
uMobix is the most expensive parental control app on our list, with a straightforward pricing model that rewards long-term commitments with substantial savings. While the one-month plan is priced at $49.99 — higher than many competitors’ monthly costs — the annual plan offers significantly better value at just $12.49 per month, although this is still the highest on our list.
| Plan | Pricing |
|---|---|
| 1 month | $49.99/month |
| 3 months | $29.99/month |
| 12 months | $12.49/month |
The flexibility in pricing makes uMobix a good option for parents with varying needs. For short-term monitoring, the one-month plan provides complete access to all features without a long-term commitment. However, families requiring year-round monitoring will find the 12-month plan a much more budget-friendly choice.
While uMobix doesn’t offer a free trial, it includes a robust live demo that allows users to explore its interface and features before committing. Additionally, a 14-day refund policy is in place, though refunds are typically issued only for users experiencing technical issues.
Who It’s Best for
uMobix is the best parental control app for anyone who isn’t tech-savvy, as setting up and using the app is super simple, and the provider boosts this with its many helpful resources.
Read our full uMobix review.
Pros
- Great app for beginners
- Robust customer support and guides
- Feature-rich monitoring app
- Top-tier social media coverage
- Remote device locking
Cons
- The iPhone version lacks some features
- No geofencing
3. Aura – Best Parental Control App for All-round Family Digital Safety Including ID Theft and Safe Browsing
| Free Trial/Demo | 14-day free trial |
|---|---|
| Compatibility | iOS, Android, Windows, Mac |
| Max Devices | Unlimited (varies by plan) |
| Money-back Guarantee | 60 days (annual plans only) |
| Price | Starting from $10/month |
Why I Picked It
I chose Aura because it goes beyond offering a robust set of parental controls, offering comprehensive protection for the whole family. From managing screen time to ID theft prevention and cyberbullying alerts, it’s an all-in-one solution for digital safety.
Features
Aura’s feature offering is a little different from the others on this list. It reaches beyond the classic parental control features to provide families with more comprehensive safety features such as digital fraud protection.
- Comprehensive Parental Controls: Aura’s parental controls let you block harmful websites, manage screen time, and filter content on apps like YouTube and Snapchat. I appreciated how easy it was to set time limits tailored to each family member.
- Safe Gaming with Cyberbullying Alerts: This feature impressed me by monitoring in-game voice and text for over 200 popular PC games. You’ll get real-time alerts about online predators and cyberbullying, helping to keep kids safer while they play.
- Identity and Fraud Protection: Beyond just keeping kids safe online, Aura protects the entire family with features like identity theft alerts, dark web monitoring, and even SSN protection for children. It’s peace of mind for parents running a household, all in one app.
Aura Pricing
Aura’s Kids and Family plans are competitively priced compared to similar services, offering a strong mix of parental controls, safe browsing, and identity protection features. The annual plans provide significant savings over monthly billing.
| Plan | Kids | Family |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly | $13/month | $50/month |
| Annual | $10/month ($120/year) | $32/month ($384/year) |
- Kids Plan – This plan is perfect for families focused on robust parental controls. It includes features like content filtering, screen time management, and safe gaming alerts for an unlimited number of kids and devices.
- Family Plan – Ideal for larger households, this plan covers up to five adults and unlimited kids. It adds identity theft protection, child SSN monitoring, credit monitoring, and fraud alerts, offering peace of mind for the whole family.
Both plans come with a 14-day free trial and a 60-day money-back guarantee on annual plans, so you can test them risk-free.
Who It’s Best For
Aura is perfect for families looking for comprehensive family protection, including parental controls, identity theft prevention, and safe browsing, all in one easy-to-use platform. It’s also a great choice for the parents of young gamers thanks to its Safe Gaming features. However, if you’re mainly focused on parental control and not so fussed about the rest, uMobix might be a better fit due to its ease of use.
Pros
- Unlimited device coverage on both the Kids and Family plans
- Quick fraud alerts, up to 250x faster than competitors
- Covers parental controls and identity protection in one platform
Cons
- Lacks customizable geofencing for location tracking
- No real-time social media message monitoring
4. Norton Family – Best for Monitoring Multiple Devices and Enhancing Learning with School Time Mode
| Free Trial/Demo | 30-day free trial |
|---|---|
| Compatibility | iOS, Android, Windows |
| Max Devices | Up to 10 |
| Money-back Guarantee | 60 days |
| Price | Starting from $1.25/month ($14.99/year) |
Why I Picked It
I included Norton because it combines strong parental controls with features like School Time mode, which fosters focus during learning. Its ability to monitor up to 10 devices makes it perfect for larger families managing multiple platforms.
Features
Norton offers a range of features to keep your children focused and safe in the online world but can also ensure they’re in secure environments in the offline, “real” world thanks to GPS location tracking.
- School Time Mode: This feature is a game-changer for remote learning. It lets you block distracting sites and apps, creating a focused environment for kids to tackle schoolwork without unnecessary interruptions.
- Location Supervision: I love how you can track your child’s location and even see a 30-day history of their movements. It’s a reassuring tool for keeping tabs on their whereabouts without constant check-ins.
- App and Web Supervision: Norton keeps you informed about the apps your kids download and the sites they visit, helping you ensure their digital habits stay age-appropriate and safe. It’s a relief to know you can catch potential risks early.
Norton Family Pricing
Norton Family is an extremely budget-friendly option, costing just $1.25 per month when billed annually. It offers robust features for families at a fraction of the price of many competitors.
| Plan | Norton Family | Norton 360 Deluxe | Norton 360 Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly | – | $9.99/month | $14.99/month |
| Annual | $14.99/year | $99.99/year | $149.99/year |
- Norton Family – This plan includes all parental control features such as web supervision, app monitoring, location tracking, and School Time mode. It’s perfect for families who want affordable and comprehensive child safety tools.
- Norton 360 Deluxe – This plan includes all Norton Family features alongside antivirus protection, a secure VPN, and cloud backup for up to five devices. It’s an excellent choice for small families looking for broader device protection.
- Norton 360 Premium – Covering up to 10 devices, this plan is perfect for larger families or households with many devices. It offers all Deluxe features, additional cloud storage, and enhanced device management.
Who It’s Best For
Norton Family is perfect for parents managing multiple devices who want affordable, effective tools for web filtering, screen time limits, and School Time mode to encourage focused learning. However, if you’re looking for in-depth identity theft protection alongside parental controls and antivirus, Aura might be a better choice for your family’s needs.
Pros
- School Time mode helps reduce distractions during learning hours
- Detailed activity reports are sent directly to parents’ email inbox
- Supports multiple devices with affordable annual pricing
Cons
- Web filtering requires specific browser use on some devices
- No geofencing features or app blocking capabilities
5. Bark – Best Parental Control App With a Dedicated Driving Mode and a Free Phone Device
| Free Trial/Demo | 7-day free trial |
|---|---|
| Compatibility | iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, Kindle Fire, Chromebook |
| Max Devices | Unlimited |
| Money-back Guarantee | ❌ |
| Price | Starting from $5/month |
Why I Picked It
I chose Bark for its innovative Driving Mode, which automatically locks the Bark Phone while driving to keep teens focused on the road. It also impressed me that Bark includes a free kid-safe smartphone in any of its premium plans.
Features
Beyond offering an impressive range of features that keep your kids and teens safe in the on- and offline worlds, Bark will also give you a free phone device for your children to use if you sign up to a premium plan.
- Driving Mode: One feature I thought was particularly practical when I was testing out Bark was its Phone Driving Mode. It locks the device whenever it detects the user is in a moving car, helping teen drivers stay focused and distraction-free.
- Customizable Screen Time Schedules: I love how Bark gives you the ability to set specific schedules for app and device usage. Whether it’s blocking Fortnite during homework time or shutting down YouTube at bedtime, it’s easy to keep kids on track.
- Real-Time Alerts: Bark sends instant alerts if it spots anything concerning, like bullying or explicit content. This will reassure parents that they’ll always be ready to step in quickly and support their child when needed.
- Free Phone Device: Yes, you read correctly. Bark will give you a free, child-safe phone handset worth $240 with any premium plan. It’s the only parental control app I’ve come across that does this, and I feel it’s a particularly generous offer.
Bark Pricing
Bark offers two affordable plans, making it a good fit for families who want basic or premium features at a reasonable price. The options range from an entry-level plan for younger kids to a comprehensive premium plan.
| Plan | Bark Jr | Bark Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly | $5/month | $14/month |
| Annual | $49/year | $99/year |
- Bark Jr – Designed for younger children, this plan includes basic screen time management and app blocking. It’s a great option for parents looking for foundational controls at a budget-friendly price.
- Bark Premium – This plan offers more advanced features, like monitoring for over 30 social media platforms, customizable web and app filtering, and real-time alerts for harmful content. It’s ideal for parents who need comprehensive tools to keep older kids safe online.
Who It’s Best For
Bark is perfect for parents of younger kids and teens who want a mix of screen time management and safety alerts, especially with its Driving Mode and real-time monitoring features. However, it’s less suited for those needing advanced stealth tracking or detailed keylogging — apps like mSpy might be a better fit for those requirements.
Pros
- Driving Mode locks devices to prevent distractions while driving
- Unlimited devices covered under one subscription
- Kid-safe Bark Phone available for added parental control
Cons
- Limited social media monitoring compared to some competitors
- No keylogging or screen recording features
6. Qustodio — Best Parental Control App for Budget Conscious Parents
| Free Trial/Demo | Free Plan |
|---|---|
| Compatibility | iOS, Android, Windows, macOS |
| Max Devices | Unlimited |
| Money-back Guarantee | 14-day refund window |
| Price | Starting from $4.58/month |
Why I Picked It
Qustodio works across all PC and mobile devices, and it has a free-forever plan, making it an excellent all-in-one solution for families on a budget who just need basic monitoring features.
Features
I am generally not one to recommend no-cost or free parental control apps, as there are many dangerous providers out there that advertise themselves as free but contain malware or steal your child’s data. Many free spy apps are just completely fake, but Qustodio is one of the few exceptions, so I’ll give a a bit more information on its free offering as well as it’s premium plans:
- Free Essential Parental Control Features for One Device: This makes it an appealing choice for families looking to enhance their children’s online safety on one device without any cost. The free plan will let you monitor your child’s web activity, set time limits on their device usage, and manage their app permissions.
- Free Basic Reporting Tools: These give insight into your child’s online behavior and usage patterns so you can prevent technology addiction and ensure they are managing their time effectively—for example, if you want to check if they are doing their homework or studying when they’re supposed to be.
I must note that you get a whole lot more with Qustodio’s paid plans, such as:
- Comprehensive Web Filtering: Allowing you to block inappropriate content and set time limits for specific apps and websites
- Robust and Detailed Activity Reports: Meaning you can learn more about your child’s online behavior across multiple devices
- Detailed Social Media Monitoring: So you can see what they’re doing on platforms like Facebook and Instagram
- Simultaneous Monitoring of Unlimited Devices: Perfect if you need to monitor multiple children. In fact, it’s one of the few parental control apps that covers multiple devices under one plan.
- YouTube Monitoring: Qustodio’s YouTube tracking features are quite robust. You can use them to monitor and block inappropriate YouTube content in real time, set screen time limits, and give you detailed activity reports.
- Real-time Alerts and Notifications: These alert you to potential risks your child might be encountering in real time, allowing you to respond quickly. You can set up alerts for certain keywords and activity.
Qustodio offers unmatched customer support quality, especially if you opt for its Care Plus add-on, which comes free with its Complete plan and grants you access to phone support.
With Qustodio, you don’t have to worry about complicated installation processes, jailbreaking, or rooting iPhones and Android devices. Parents can download the monitoring app on their phones from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, where you’ll also find the complementary app for your children’s phones. Qustodio also has apps for Windows computers, Macs, Chromebooks, and Amazon Fire tablets.
Qustodio Pricing
Qustodio is a standout option for budget-conscious parents, offering a free plan with essential features and competitively priced premium plans. Its annual subscriptions deliver excellent value, particularly for families needing to monitor multiple devices.
| Plan | Pricing | Monthly Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $54.95/year | $4.58/month |
| Complete | $99.95/year | $8.33/month |
- Basic Plan: The Basic plan is ideal for single-device users looking for core parental controls like web filtering, daily time limits, and location monitoring. It’s one of the most affordable entry points for effective child monitoring.
- Complete Plan: The Complete plan expands on the Basic plan with AI-powered alerts, app insights, and the ability to monitor unlimited devices. It’s perfect for families needing comprehensive monitoring across multiple devices.
Qustodio also offers a free-forever plan, providing essential monitoring tools for one device at no cost, making it a fantastic option for parents trying out parental control software for the first time. A 14-day refund window allows you to test the service risk-free.
Who It’s Best for
Qustodio is ideal for parents on a budget, as its free plan lets you test out the app before committing to one of its more robust paid plans. It excels in helping you manage your children’s screen time limits and lets you monitor unlimited devices with its top-tier plan.
Read our page on Qustodio vs mSpy.
Pros
- Best-in-class customer support
- Works across PC and mobile
- Lets you pause and unpause the internet
- Affordable
Cons
- The free version has minimal features
- No social media monitoring
7. Eyezy — Best Parental Control App for Smart, AI-Driven Monitoring and “Magic Alerts”
| Free Trial/Demo | Demo |
|---|---|
| Compatibility | iOS, Android |
| Max Devices | Up to 3 |
| Money-back Guarantee | 14-day refund window |
| Price | Starting from $7.99/month |
Why I Picked It
I picked Eyezy for its powerful AI-driven keyword and geofencing alerts tool that makes monitoring your child so much easier if you don’t have the time to live-monitor throughout the day.
Features
A standout feature of Eyezy is that it uses artificial intelligence to ensure the app sends you the most useful alerts possible based on locations, searches, language, or people you have flagged as unsafe.
- Magic Alerts: This feature lets you set customized alerts for potentially concerning words, names, usernames, language, or anything else. This means that you’ll always be informed about your child’s conversations in real time without needing to monitor the app nonstop. If they talk about another kid you don’t want them hanging out with, you’ll know in an instant. If they access a certain app or website you don’t want them to see, you’ll be on top of it.
- Location and Geofencing Alerts: Geofencing allows you to set virtual boundaries on a map, and when your child crosses these boundaries, Eyezy sends you a notification. For example, if you’ve drawn a geofence around their school, and then they unexpectedly leave this are during the school day, you’ll know about it.
- Accurate Keylogger: based on my testing of Eyezy and dozen of other parental control apps, I was impressed with the accuracy of Eyezy’s keylogger. This can record every keystroke on your child’s device, giving you insight into what they’re typing, even if they delete it before sending it.
- Social Spotlight: This tool lets you see who they’re chatting with on social media, and what images or media they exchange.
- Remote Blocking: Lets you remotely block your child’s access to inappropriate websites and apps. Although it doesn’t give you insight into your child’s screen time like FamiSafe, you can access their browsing history and installed apps list and block the ones you don’t want them to visit or use.
Eyezy offers multiple installation options for iPhones, depending on the level of monitoring you need. For on-device information, like incoming and outgoing calls, text messages, iMessage, location tracking, and gallery access, you only need your kid’s iCloud credentials.
Installing the app on Android is more straightforward than iPhone, but neither device takes very long to get going.
Eyezy Pricing
Eyezy’s subscription plans are competitively priced, offering flexibility for various needs and significant savings with longer commitments. The monthly plan, at $38.39, is reasonably priced compared to competitors, while the annual plan delivers exceptional value at just $7.99 per month. These options make Eyezy an attractive choice for both short-term and long-term monitoring.
| Plan | Pricing |
|---|---|
| 1 month | $38.39/month |
| 3 months | $22.39/month |
| 12 months | $7.99/month |
Eyezy’s monthly plan provides full access to its features, making it a practical choice for parents who need immediate, short-term solutions. Meanwhile, the three-month plan offers a middle ground, reducing the monthly rate and providing enough time to evaluate the platform. For families requiring continuous monitoring, the annual subscription delivers substantial savings and unmatched affordability.
Eyezy also offers a Family Kit plan, which supports up to three devices, making it a good choice for larger families. Pricing details for this plan are not listed but can be obtained by contacting customer support.
It’s worth noting that once the subscription period ends, pricing will revert to the standard monthly rate. However, Eyezy provides a free demo so you can explore its dashboard before subscribing and offers a 14-day refund window for users who encounter technical issues.
Who It’s Best for
Eyezy is ideal for parents who want an alert-based system for parental control, meaning they’re alerted to potential issues as they arise, and so don’t have to be looking at the app or their child’s activity at all times. Its AI-driven insights do a lot of the work for you and will send you smart alerts so you can still keep your child safe.
Read our full Eyezy review.
Pros
- Uses powerful AI to make monitoring easier
- Logs every keystroke
- Lets you view deleted messages
- Useful insights into their social activity
- Lets you remotely block apps and websites
Cons
- Some of its features require jailbreaking on iPhone
| Free Trial/Demo | Demo |
|---|---|
| Compatibility | iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, Kindle Fire, Chromebook |
| Max Devices | 5 (Family Plan) |
| Money-back Guarantee | 30 days |
| Price | Starting from $9.16/month (billed annually) |
Why I Picked It
I included ClevGuard because its real-time social media monitoring stands out for parents needing discreet insights into their child’s online social interactions. Its robust tracking tools and stealth mode make it invaluable for safeguarding digital well-being.
Features
Pretty much all parental control apps will offer some form of social media monitoring. The reason I’ve highlighted this for ClevGuard specifically is that based on my product testing, it offers the most advanced and comprehensive social media monitoring tools of any other parental control app I’ve tried. If social media activity is a paarticularly big concern for parents, ClevGuard may the best choice.
- Remote Control Capabilities: The app allows you to take remote actions like capturing screenshots or recording surroundings. This feature is invaluable for staying informed without intruding, especially in potentially unsafe situations.
- Hidden Call Recorder: Elevate your monitoring with our discreet call recorder. It remains completely hidden on the target device, allowing you to record and review up to 20 minutes of incoming and outgoing calls remotely, ensuring you’re always informed without being intrusive.
- Social Media Monitoring: ClevGuard excels at tracking activities on platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, and TikTok. It delivers real-time updates on chats, posts, and multimedia, giving parents a discreet yet comprehensive view of their child’s online interactions.
ClevGuard Pricing
ClevGuard offers flexible pricing options across various plans, ranging from affordable single-device coverage to feature-packed family plans, making it accessible for different budgets and monitoring needs.
| Plan | KidsGuard for Children | KidsGuard Pro Lite | KidsGuard Pro Premium | KidsGuard Pro Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly | $14.99/month | $39.99/month | $49.99/month | $245.99/month |
| Quarterly | $11.99/month | $55.99/quarter | $75.99/quarter | $375.99/quarter |
| Annual | $5.83/month | $109.99/year | $139.99/year | $655.99/year |
- KidsGuard for Children – Designed for basic parental monitoring, this plan offers tools like screen time control and real-time GPS tracking at one of the most affordable rates available, especially with the annual plan.
- KidsGuard Pro Lite – A budget-friendly option for those needing essential monitoring tools, covering features like app and call tracking for one device.
- KidsGuard Pro Premium – A step up from Lite, it includes advanced features like live listening, screen recording, and keyword alerts, making it ideal for more comprehensive monitoring needs.
- KidsGuard Pro Family – Perfect for households with multiple devices, this plan supports up to five devices simultaneously and includes all Premium features along with dedicated customer support for seamless management.
Both the KidsGuard Pro Lite and Premium plans allow you to add a second device at a slightly discounted rate, making it more cost-effective for monitoring multiple devices.
Who It’s Best For
ClevGuard is ideal for parents who prioritize discreet, real-time social media monitoring and need detailed insights into their child’s online activities without raising suspicion. However, it might not be the best fit for those looking for budget-friendly options like Qustodio.
Pros
- Advanced stealth mode ensures undetectable operation
- Supports keystroke logging for in-depth usage tracking
- Remote control features like screen capture and call recording
Cons
- Premium pricing compared to some competitors for monitoring multiple kids
- Doesn’t offer the ability to set screen time limits
9. FamiSafe – Best for Screentime Management and Scheduling
| Free Trial/Demo | 3-day free trial |
|---|---|
| Compatibility | iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, Kindle, Chrome |
| Max Devices | Unlimited (annual plan) |
| Money-back Guarantee | 7 days |
| Price | Starting from $4.99/month |
Why I Picked It
I chose FamiSafe because it excels at managing screen time and setting schedules, making it ideal for families aiming to cultivate healthy digital habits. Its simple setup, robust controls, and unlimited device monitoring make it stand out.
Features
Another parental control app that’s good for both online and offline monitoring, FamiSafe blends features that help you create a safe and balanced online environment for your children but also understand whether they’re safe in their physical location.
- Screen Time Restrictions: I appreciate how FamiSafe allows for detailed screen time limits. With the ability to block devices remotely or set downtime schedules, it ensures a better balance between digital use and offline activities without constant oversight.
- App Scheduling: The app scheduler stands out as a highly practical tool. It lets you restrict access to distracting or age-inappropriate apps during important hours like study time or bedtime, keeping productivity and focus intact.
- One-Way Audio: The one-way audio feature is an impressive addition. It provides the ability to remotely listen to the surrounding environment of an Android device, ensuring your child’s safety in unfamiliar situations without being intrusive.
FamiSafe Pricing
FamiSafe offers flexible pricing options that align well with its feature-rich offerings. While the costs are reasonable compared to similar tools, the standout benefit is how higher-tier plans allow unlimited device tracking, making it ideal for families or schools.
| Plan | Family | School |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly | $9.99/month | From $39.98/month |
| Quarterly | $6.67/month | From $119.98/quarter |
| Annual | $4.99/month | From $239.98/year |
- Family Monthly – A good starter option for smaller families or short-term monitoring needs, but it only supports up to five devices.
- Family Quarterly – Offers a noticeable discount per month compared to the monthly plan and supports up to 10 devices.
- Family Annual – The most cost-effective choice, offering unlimited device tracking, making it a great option for larger families or long-term use.
- School Plans – Tailored for schools or large-scale monitoring needs, these plans allow bulk rules and reports across classrooms or groups, ensuring a unified and manageable approach to digital safeguarding. Contact FamiSafe for specific pricing based on the number of devices.
All plans auto-renew at the end of the subscription period, but you can cancel at any time. If you’re unsure about committing, the 3-day free trial is a good way to explore its features.
Who It’s Best For
FamiSafe is perfect for families and schools looking to manage screen time, set schedules, and ensure safe online habits. However, if discreet monitoring is a priority for you, ClevGuard or mSpy might be better suited for that purpose.
Pros
- Unlimited device monitoring with the annual family plan
- Dedicated school plans with bulk management tools
- Geofencing alerts for precise location monitoring
- Driving reports for teen safety tracking
Cons
- Performance inconsistencies in location tracking
- Short 7-day money-back guarantee
10. Cocospy — Best Parental Control App for Remote Surveillance
| Free Trial/Demo | Demo |
|---|---|
| Compatibility | iOS, Android |
| Max Devices | 1 |
| Money-back Guarantee | 14-day refund window |
| Price | Starting from $12.49/month |
Why I Picked It
Cocospy excels in its remote surveillance, and it lets you track a wide range of activities on your child’s devices, including calls, text messages, GPS location, and social media interactions, all accessible from a secure online dashboard. Its stealth mode means your child will never know it’s there, so you can see what they’re up to without being invasive.
Features
Cocospy offers real-time tracking of a wide range of activities in a discreet way. In addition to core parental control feature such as monitoring call logs and text messages, the app has the following standout features:
- Sim Location Tracking: Not to be confused with standard GPS tracking, Cocospy’s sim tracking can locate a phone’s location using network information. It can also tell you if a phone number is changed or if a sim card is removed from a phone (potentially to swap it for a secret one). Finally, it can be used to identify the sim’s IMEI which will help the network carrier track the phone down if it is lost or stolen.
- Stealth Mode: Cocospy lets you see everything on your child’s device remotely without it being invasive. It has an easy-to-use and intuitive dashboard that gives you access to vital information, so you can quickly see and then respond to any concerns that might come up—before they get out of hand or become dangerous.
- Social Media Messaging Monitoring: Cocospy offers insights into what your kids are doing on more than 16 social media and messaging apps, which is more than most of its competitors. For each social media app, Cocospy provides a dedicated tab on its dashboard. Here, you can access the messages your child sends and receives, complete with timestamps, contact details, and even deleted messages. Additionally, Cocospy will tell you if your child is online, allowing you to tap into their conversations in real-time.
Like the other parental control apps on this list, Cocospy offers monitoring for Android and iPhone. However, you’ll have to turn to Qustodio to monitor macOS and Windows devices.
Cocospy Pricing
Cocospy’s pricing is designed to cater to different user needs, from individual parents to businesses monitoring multiple devices. While its monthly plans are on the pricier side, longer subscriptions offer significant discounts, making it an appealing option for long-term users or organizations requiring scalability.
Android Pricing
| Plan | Basic | Premium | Family |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Month | $39.99 | $49.99 | $69.99 |
| 3 Months | $59.99 | $69.99 | $99.99 |
| 12 Months | $99.99 | $119.99 | $199.99 |
iOS Pricing
| Plan | Basic | Family | Business |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Month | $49.99 | $99.99 | $399.99 |
| 3 Months | $79.99 | $199.99 | $699.99 |
| 12 Months | $129.99 | $399.99 | $999.99 |
- Basic Plan: A solid choice for parents monitoring a single device, it covers essential features such as call logs, GPS tracking, and text monitoring. Best suited for those new to parental control apps or with minimal requirements.
- Premium Plan (Android only): Adds enhanced features like social media monitoring for an extra layer of insight. Ideal for families who want a more comprehensive view of their child’s online interactions.
- Family Plan: Designed for larger households, it allows monitoring on multiple devices. It’s cost-effective for parents or guardians managing two or more children.
- Business Plan (iOS only): Aimed at organizations, this tier enables tracking across up to 25 devices, making it suitable for employee monitoring.
Cocospy also offers a free demo that provides a hands-on look at its user interface and features. This allows you to explore its dashboard before committing to a subscription. While there’s no free trial, Cocospy includes a 14-day refund policy for users facing technical issues.
Who It’s Best for
Cocospy is perfect if you’re looking for an app that excels in remote surveillance, ideal for parents concerned about their child’s exposure to inappropriate content on social media, dating, and messaging apps, including encrypted ones. With its dedicated tabs for 16 apps and the ability to track messages your children delete, Cocospy ensures you won’t miss any details.
Read our full Cocospy review.
Pros
- Superior stealth monitoring
- Monitors 15+ social media, messaging, and dating apps
- Shows deleted messages
- Accurate GPS and SIM location tracking
- Logs outgoing and incoming calls
Cons
- Fewer features for non-jailbroken iPhones
- Inconsistent impact on the target device’s battery
The Best Parental Control Apps 2025 Compared at a Glance
For a quick-look comparison of how the best parental control apps square up to one another, take a look at the table below.
| Parental App | mSpy | uMobix | Aura | Norton Family | Bark | Qustodio | EyeZy | ClevGuard | FamiSafe | Cocospy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best For | Overall | Ease of use | All-round family digital safety | Multiple device tracking; School Mode | Free phone device; Driving Mode | Budget option | AI-driven alerts | Discreet social media monitoring | Screentime management | Remote surveillance |
| Free Trial/Demo | Demo | Demo | 14-day free trial | 30-day free trial | 7-day free trial | Free plan | Demo | Demo | 3-day free trial | Demo |
| Starting Price | $11.67/month | $12.49/month | $10/month | $1.25/month ($14.99/year) | $5/month | $4.58/month | $7.99/month | $9.16/month (billed annually) | $4.99/month | $12.49/month |
| Compatibility | iOS, Android | iOS, Android | iOS, Android | iOS, Android | iOS, Android | iOS, Android | iOS, Android | iOS, Android | iOS, Android | iOS, Android |
| Max Devices | 1 | Up to 3 | Unlimited (varies by plan) | Up to 10 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Up to 3 | Up to 5 (Family Plan) | Unlimited (annual plan) | 1 |
| Money-back Guarantee | 14-day refund window | 14-day refund window | 60 days (annual plans only) | 60-day return window | ❌ | 14-day refund window | 14-day refund window | 30-day refund window | 7-day refund window | 14-day refund window |
How We Review And Test Parental Control Software
Important Note: Parental control software is not legal to use without the device owner’s permission in many countries and states. When we test the software, we do so only with the explicit consent of the device owner and in compliance with local laws and regulations.
To provide our readers with accurate and well-informed recommendations, we test the most popular parental control applications on the market to find the best options for you. Our methodology consists of the following criteria:
- General Features: We evaluate the comprehensive feature set of each app, including but not limited to features such as App Management, Time Management, Call Monitoring, Device Control and GPS Tracking.
- Ease of Use: We gauge the user-friendliness of each app, considering factors such as installation process complexity, the necessity of jailbreaking (for iOS) or rooting (for Android) the target device, and more.
- Device Support and Compatibility: We thoroughly examine the compatibility of each parental control app with different devices and operating systems, including iOS and Android. We also assess whether the app offers a unified dashboard accessible from both desktop and mobile devices.
- Customer Support: We test the responsiveness and effectiveness of customer support provided by each app developer. We evaluate the availability of support channels, such as live chat, email, or phone support, as well as the satisfaction ratings of customer assistance.
- Price and Value for Money: We assess each parental control app’s pricing structure in relation to its features and functionalities, aiming to determine its overall value proposition. We analyze whether the app offers different subscription tiers, flexible payment options, and discounts for long-term commitments.
- Privacy and Security: We prioritize the privacy and security of user data in our evaluation. We scrutinize the app’s data encryption measures, adherence to privacy regulations, and commitment to regular security updates to safeguard user information from unauthorized access or breaches.
What Will a Parental Control App Show Me?
There are several key benefits to using a parental control app to protect your child’s device.
- Time Management: Parental control solutions offer many different technologies to manage your child’s time on their phone, such as time-of-day locks, features for managing screen time effectively, remote app management, website blocking, and device use notifications. These all allow you to tailor your child’s use of their phone.
- Theft and Loss Prevention: Many solutions also come with the ability to locate and manage the phone remotely. If you’re really worried about your contacts list falling into the wrong hands, some even come with the ability to delete your phone’s contents remotely.
- Online Safety: One of the biggest problems with letting your child have unfiltered and unsupervised access to the Internet is the sheer amount of unpleasant content available. In fact, 56% of children under 16 have seen inappropriate content online.
- Offline Monitoring: With real-time updates on their physical movements, you’ll always know where your child is, which will give you complete peace of mind.
Parental control suites allow you to adjust what your child sees, who they talk to, and where they go, alerting you to potential problems long before they become serious.
Will Parental Control Apps Block All Inappropriate Content?
While some apps and services have built-in parental controls, it may not be too difficult for your kids to bypass these restrictions. With the best parental control app for iPhones, Android devices, and desktops, you should be able to block access to all inappropriate content on your children’s phones and computers. Here’s what some parental control apps can do:
- Restrict access to inappropriate websites
- Remote block access to sites and apps
- Monitor browser history to see the sites your children are visiting
- Comprehensive social media monitoring to ensure they aren’t receiving inappropriate content from friends or strangers
- Keyloggers let you see everything your children type on their iPhone or Android
Benefits and Limitations of Parent Control Apps
While parental control apps can play a key part in keeping your children safe from online and offline harm, they can lead to unwelcome violations of privacy and broken trust if not used sensitively.
Some of the main benefits of parental control apps that can help keep you children safe include:
- Content filtering: blocking a child’s access to certain websites, apps, or content that may be inappropriate or harmful
- Managing screen time: setting limits on how much time a child can spend on their devices to prevent unhealthy behavior
- Monitoring device usage and activity: monitoring what the child is downloading, what they’re installing, and who they’re calling or talking to
- Social Media monitoring: preventing cases of cyberbullying or harmful content reaching the child over social media, which is increasingly common
- Geotracking and geofencing: seeing the child’s current location, or setting geofencing parameters around “safe zones” like schools or friends’ houses so the parent is alerted if the child leaves these areas
- Reports and real-time alerts: having detailed device usage reports as well as alerts the moment that potentially dangerous activity is happening.
Some of the limitations of parental control apps are:
- Unwillingness to be tracked: Some children might not like the idea of being monitored; if you’re committed to only monitoring your child with their consent, it may be difficult to persuade some children of the benefits.
- Access to the target device or iCloud account is required: it’s fast and easy to install parental control apps on the target device, but acquiring the device access you need to do this is still a crucial step of the process and can be difficult.
- Breeches of trust or privacy: we’d recommend only tracking your children with them knowing. This helps to avoid breakdowns in trust which could, in turn, lead to more challenging behaviour or relationships.
My advice is that openness and transparency is the key, especially as the child you are monitoring becomes more mature and is a teenager or pre-teen. Communicating with your child about how and why you will use parental control apps can help to maintain trust and understanding.
Which Devices Can I Track With Parental Control Apps?
Depending on your needs, you can find parental control apps for iPhones, Android devices, and Windows and Mac computers. However, not every service offers the same features.
- Android — Most of these apps will work on Android devices. The best parental control app for Android should offer most, if not all, of its features without requiring “root access” on the target device, which means changing in-built device settings and configuration. Rooting an Android phone can be a complicated process that may not be ideal for non-tech-savvy parents. uMobix is an excellent Android parental control app because you can use pretty much all of its features “without root”. It’s worth checking if the app you want to use offers full functionality on Android operating systems before committing.
- iPhone — Finding the best parental control app for an iPhone is a touch more complicated since it’s not easy to bypass Apple’s built-in restrictions, and some apps offer certain features for Android or other systems only. However, there are plenty of parental control apps designed with iPhones in mind, such as mSpy. In some cases, you won’t even need access to your child’s physical device to start tracking activity on their phone; you just need to know the child’s iCloud credentials. If you are planning to track activity on an iPhone, I’d recommend that you make sure the app you choose offers all the features you want for iOS, and not just for Android.
- iPads — Similar to the above, you will find parental control apps that work very well on iPads, but you’ll need to make sure they are specifically compatible with iOS systems, and that they offer all the integral features you need for this operating system. I’d also check that iPads are listed as a compatible device for the app, and that people who are using them on iPad devices have rated them well in reviews, as phones seem to be the primary device that these apps were designed for. Again, mSpy is a good choice of parental control app for iPad.
- Desktops — Most parental control apps are built for iPhones and Android devices, but a few options, like Qustodio and Famisafe, offer desktop tracking as well. Kids spend a lot of time on their computers, so it’s important to find the right parental control app to monitor these devices
What is the Best Parental Control App for iPhone?
When it comes to the best parental control app for iPhone, Eyezy stands out as a top choice. Its standout feature is the ability to monitor an iPhone without needing physical access to the device, thanks to its integration with iCloud. This means you can track calls, text messages, social media activity, and app usage directly through iCloud credentials, making it incredibly convenient for parents.
Eyezy also provides detailed insights into web browsing history and offers real-time location tracking, which is crucial for monitoring your child’s online and offline activities.
Another solid option is mSpy, one of the most popular apps known for its comprehensive monitoring features, including call tracking, message monitoring, and app usage insights. However, mSpy does have some limitations. mSpy does offer some monitoring features for iPhones through iCloud credentials, but its full range of capabilities often requires jailbreaking the device, which can be a technical hurdle and potentially compromise the device’s security. Eyezy operates without such requirements, and it’s also a bit more affordable than mSpy when paying for the annual plan, offering excellent value for parents.
Paid vs. Free Parental Control Apps – What You Need to Know
Some parental control apps out there claim to be free, but more often than not, they’re harvesting your data to fund hackers, thieves, and scam artists. When you monitor your child’s phone, you’re handling highly sensitive data, so you need to be confident it’s in good hands. With one of the paid apps on my list, you’ll be assured your data is safe.
Of course, Google and Apple have built-in parental controls on their smartphones, and some apps, like YouTube, allow content filtering. These aren’t particularly robust, though, and a tech-savvy child can bypass them easily. The Google Family Link service provides more granular control but still doesn’t match what the providers on this list can do.
Some paid providers offer a free trial version of the app, allowing you to try it before you subscribe. However, these free trials are often reduced to basic monitoring features like call logging and address book monitoring.
Overall, I recommend testing paid products with demos, trials, and guarantees and avoiding free parental control apps that advertise as completely free.
How to Use a Parental Monitoring App – A Guide
Parental control apps can be overwhelming to use at first. I’ve chosen the top provider on my list, mSpy, for a step-by-step guide that’ll walk you through all you need to do to get set up and started with one of the best parental apps for Android on the market.
Choose a Plan
Go to the mSpy website and purchase your desired subscription, based on the features you need.
Install
Get physical access to the target device to install mSpy on the device you want to track. This should only take a few minutes.
Disable Play Protect
Head to the Play Store, click ‘Settings’ and choose ‘Play Protect’ to disable it.
Turn Off Notifications
Next, go to the main screen to settings > apps > Google Play Store> notifications > show notifications. Turn this setting off.
Install on Your Device
Now to set up your view on your laptop, computer, or device. Open Google Chrome and enter the link from the mSpy email to download the app. Click open when the download is complete, allow all permissions, and click ‘Install.’
Complete Setup
Launch mSpy and enter the registration code you got via email from mSpy. Click ‘Complete installation.’
Now, mSpy will monitor the target device. Simply access the mSpy dashboard from your own device to see the data it syncs. Note that all parental control apps on my list follow a similar installation process, and you’ll receive in-depth assistance on how to do it when you sign up.
How to Choose the Best Parental Control App
There’s a lot to consider when choosing the best parental control app. Here are a few factors to keep in mind:
- Features: Not all parental control apps are built equally, nor are they all intended for the same situation. Some providers on my list, such as FamiSafe, offer features more closely focused on content protection and online filtering to block inappropriate web content. Others, like mSpy, are built to be a complete mobile monitoring platform. Consider your needs and then pick the solution that’s closest to them.
- Device Compatibility: While most apps work across platforms, finding a parental control app for Android is much easier than for iOS. Parental control on an iPhone is a lot more complicated, but there are apps, like mSpy and Phonsee, that are better suited for iOS devices. You’ll have to look to other apps to monitor activity on Windows and Mac computers.
- Resource Usage: Most mobile phone monitoring solutions I’ve reviewed here don’t significantly impact the device’s battery life or processing power, but be warned. Turning on location features for long periods or with short update rates is likely to drain battery life and make the app’s use more noticeable.
- Safety: When using a parental control Android or iOS app, you’re entrusting sensitive data about your family to a third party. You want to be assured that whichever provider you use is taking appropriate security measures to protect your data.
- Price: Some tools are more expensive than others, with discounts for longer-term subscriptions. That said, take advantage of any demos, free trials, or money-back guarantees before making any long-term commitments.
- User Reviews: Seeing what others say about an app can help you choose the one you prefer. To help with this, when looking at the feedback on the best apps for parental control, I only look at real user reviews.
Conclusion: What is the Best Parental Control App?
The best parental control app is mSpy, and for good reason. With its comprehensive range of features—including call and text monitoring, GPS location tracking, and social media oversight—mSpy provides an all-encompassing solution for keeping your child safe online.
Its user-friendly interface makes it easy to navigate, while its stealth mode ensures discreet monitoring without alerting your child. Additionally, mSpy’s reliable customer support and compatibility with both iOS and Android devices make it a top choice for parents who are looking for effective and versatile parental controls. Overall, mSpy combines functionality, ease of use, and discretion, making it the number one choice for parental control.
FAQs
What’s the best parental control app?
Are parental control apps safe?
Which is the best free parental control app?
Can I lock my child’s iPhone remotely?
Can my child see mSpy on their phone?
How to put parental control on an iPad?
What is the best parental control app for monitoring YouTube?
References
- Safeguarding Children Online: The Importance of Monitoring Internet and Socal Media Usage (Child Rescue Coalition)
- Sexting: The Risks and How To Talk to Your Children About It (Cleveland Clinic)
- Technology Addictions: Social Media, Online Gaming, and More (American Psychiatric Association)
- How to Set Limits on Screentime (Child Mind Institute)
- Learn About Inappropriate Content (Internet Matters)
