Parental Control Apps: Should You Pay for a Subscription?

The first step was hunting through multiple top apps lists and articles for parental control apps to narrow down the selection. I then tested 10 of the top-rated parental control apps by downloading each one on an iPhone 11 Pro and using the Device Management controls on a separate iPad Air 3. 

I tested each free version first, followed by upgrading to the premium version, if applicable, and testing each feature and page of the device for effectiveness and efficiency. I used these observations to determine the quality of each app version and noted the user interface and the number of features for each app. I also tried both the app and website versions of each control dashboard to compare ease of use. 

For the apps that included computer monitoring, I tested on a 2015 Macbook. I was not able to test the computer monitoring for the Circle app since that requires a device for home set-up, but based on my testing of the parental control app itself and the Circle 1st Generation app reviews, I determined that this is a valid option given its success for thousands of users. 

While I am not a parent myself, I have spent a lot of time with young kids and am familiar with device parental controls from previous babysitting gigs. I also surveyed the parents in my life ranging from those with kids aged 1 year old to 15 years old to get their opinions on useful app features for their family lifestyle. Based on my own research and testing as well as the insights gained from other parents and app reviews, these are the conclusions I came to.

Kidslox is the most feature-rich app of all the apps we tested, and it’s surprisingly low-priced given its quality. With the lowest monthly cost of all the paid subscriptions at $6 a month, this would be a great option for those that just want the control tools while virtual learning is still going on without being roped into a long-term commitment. 

Kidslox is also the only control app that offers lifetime access for a one-time fee of $99.99, so if you have young kids or more than one child and would like to use monitoring features for multiple years, this would be a great deal to look into. It is especially useful long-term since you can monitor Mac and PC computers as well as phones and tablets, and there are even safe driving features so the app can grow with your kids. As far as features go, the premium version really gives you just about everything you need, from blocking individual apps to website filtering and alerts for any detected threats. 

The most useful feature for parents of very young kids that need to log on to their online classes each day is the Child and Adult mode scheduling, where you can have certain apps locked in Child mode and then unlock them in Adult mode, making it easier to switch on a shared device. 

It’s worth noting that this feature is available with the free version, but you can only control 1 device at a time and you cannot choose which specific apps are blocked or allowed. If you only have 1 child and device, this could be a good option, but the robust features of premium, including the ability to block the messaging app in Child mode and filter website content, are definitely worth the cost. 

Overall, Kidslox Premium provides the easiest to use interface and the most flexibility with its features out of all the apps we tried, making it a clear winner.

One thing to keep in mind with Kidslox is that, like many parental control apps, there are ways around it. Kids may figure out how to uninstall the profile on their device or bypass the system in other ways. Kidslox gives parents an email notification immediately if anything becomes unlinked, so they suggest using the app in addition to family rules and restrictions. 

Also, the app developer responds to just about every single review, both good and bad, so they seem to be taking any problems very seriously and are actively working on improving based on user feedback.

OurPact is another feature-rich parental control app for phones and tablets. At $7 a month or $70 a year for premium, it is a bit on the pricey side, but it does have a reasonable free version that allows you to create one schedule for device blocking. 

This free version might do just fine if you’re looking for something simple to block apps during the school day or homework time. The basic version blocks most apps but does keep a few live; most notably messages. The free version is very effective and your kid can even get the PactJr dashboard to see how much time they have left until their apps return. 

OurPact also has a PLUS version which is an in-between step and only costs $1.99 a month but gets you 10 devices and unlimited schedules, which would be a great option for a multi-kid household. In order to get all the website filtering features, app lists and descriptions, and location tracking as well as access to up to 20 devices, you will have to spring for the premium. 

But there is a 14-day free trial for you to decide if it’s the right control for you. Keep in mind that this has great ratings for iOS at 4.8 stars but not as great for Google Play at only 3.2 stars, so if you’re an Android family, read on to the next one.

Google Family Link is 100% free and has tons of tools for parents to monitor all Google-compatible devices, including Android phones and Google chrome computers. 

You can manage all of the apps they use and see all of their screen time usage and activity. This one is particularly learning-friendly since there are app guides for parents, including teacher-recommended apps.

It has all the usual settings for screen time limits and manual locks as well as device tracking. Given all the features, it really is amazing that this service is provided at no cost, and might have made it to our top choice if not for its limitations on devices. 

You are able to use the Google Family Link control app for parents on any device, including iOS devices, and you can still control your kids’ Google account and Google web browsing through the Link even if they have an iPhone or iPad, but you will not be able to lock the device, control the apps, or see any activity or location information for iOS.

The Circle Parental Control is the best option we tested that has multi-device capability past phones and computers; this one also controls any WiFi-enabled device such as smart TVs and video game consoles. 

The parental controls really cover it all, so if you’re worried about leaving your kid unattended by their PS4 while you work in another room, this one is the way to go. 

It is no doubt the most expensive of the bunch with a necessary purchase of the $129 home plus device in order to connect and control all devices through your home WiFi. The subscription is $9.99 a month or $79.99 a year on top of this, but this really is the only option if you want to be able to control every device your kids have, (and we know there are a lot of them out there.) You get what you pay for with this one!

Luckily the parental control app itself is reasonably user friendly and allows you to block individual apps such as TikTok and Hulu along with the usual device lock schedules and location tracking. 

You can even pause the internet entirely across all devices with one tap and give rewards through the app such as bonus screen time in return for a chore well done. Not to mention the Circle system includes many other home security features. Even aside from virtual learning and keeping your kids focused, Circle Parental Control seems like a useful option for years to come.

Norton is a well-known security and protection software, and the parental controls are decent, especially considering it is cross-platform and includes computers. This is also one of the few apps that blocks Messages. However, the features are less customizable since the blocks are automatic based on age, and there aren’t any location tracking features. The good news is Norton has a six-month free trial, so you could use it for almost the entire school year for free.

This was another one that is not very customizable. It’s not possible to block specific apps, only app groups based on age ratings. This one has no free option or free trials either, so the other paid apps were better quality.

This one is a fairly popular app, but not as feature rich as Kidslox or OurPact despite that it’s on the more expensive side. Pricing is $8.99 per month for only 5 devices and up to $19.99 a month for 20 devices.

ScreenTime is a bit harder to use as far as user interface and the actions were slow to take effect in our testing. For example, pressing the lock button took a few minutes to kick in on the device where other apps were almost instant. The app blocks for this are all or none without the ability to block individual apps.

Saferkid is the most expensive app we tested at $200/year and we could not get it to work with pairing the “kids” device at all. All other apps tested were very easy for pairing, so this one was a bit of a let down.

This app is still downloadable on the app store and has decent ratings, but it appears the service is no longer available. There is no website and it is not possible to create an account! So don't waste your time trying.