The Best Parental Control Apps in 2026
Eight parental control options compared on device limits, checked yearly prices, free trials and the cost of a five-device household.
Net Nanny is the cheapest priced app here that covers five devices, at $54.99 a year, against $59.95 for Qustodio Basic and $99 a year for the Bark app, which covers the whole family. All prices were checked on vendor pages on 10 October 2026, in US dollars. For a free start, Qustodio offers a free account and Bark a 7-day trial.
Apple Screen Time, Microsoft Family Safety and Google Family Link come from the device makers, but none of their vendor pages quotes a price, so confirm the terms on each device before you call them free. A household with more than 20 devices should compare the family-wide plans instead, because the cheapest line changes there.
Key facts8 tools compared: Net Nanny, Qustodio, Bark, Bitdefender Total Security Family, Aura, Apple…
- 8 tools compared: Net Nanny, Qustodio, Bark, Bitdefender Total Security Family, Aura, Apple Screen Time, Microsoft Family Safety, Google Family Link
- Qustodio (best for: Parents who want to try a free account before paying for device limits): Free account with no card; Basic $59.95/yr for up to 5 devices, Complete $104.95/yr for unlimited devices.
- Bark (best for: Families with several children who want one price with no device cap): App $14/mo or $99/yr for the whole family, no kid or device limit; 7-day free trial.
- Bitdefender Total Security Family (best for: Families who also want antivirus across their PCs, Macs and phones in one bundle): $79.99 for the first year, 5 family members and 25 devices; parental control only in family bundles.
A parental control app does three jobs: it limits screen time, filters what a child can open, and sets rules for the apps on each device. Most comparison pages quote the first-year offer. The bill that matters is the one at the second invoice, and the price once the household grows.
We read eight options on their own vendor pages.
How we chose: the three platform tools, because the device makers themselves ship them, and five paid brands with a family or device-count plan on their own site. We do not rank Kaspersky products.
The US Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security has barred them from selling cybersecurity and antivirus products to US customers and, since 29 September 2024, from providing their updates.
Cyberpresso data: Five of the eight options publish a dollar price on the vendor pages we checked on 10 October 2026.
Across those five, the gap between the cheapest five-device plan and the whole-family Bark app is $44.01 a year. Only two options show a free trial or free account on their vendor pages: Bark and Qustodio.
Top Picks
Based on features, real-world fit, and value for money.
| Tool | Pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Net Nanny | $54.99/yr for 5 devices, $89.99/yr for 20, $39.99/yr for 1 desktop; yearly billing only. | Households with five to 20 devices that want the lowest yearly price per device |
| Qustodio | Free account with no card; Basic $59.95/yr for up to 5 devices, Complete $104.95/yr for unlimited devices. | Parents who want to try a free account before paying for device limits |
| Bark | App $14/mo or $99/yr for the whole family, no kid or device limit; 7-day free trial. | Families with several children who want one price with no device cap |
| Bitdefender Total Security Family | $79.99 for the first year, 5 family members and 25 devices; parental control only in family bundles. | Families who also want antivirus across their PCs, Macs and phones in one bundle |
| Aura | Family $32/mo billed yearly ($50 monthly); Kids $10/mo billed yearly ($13 monthly). | Families who want identity monitoring for children alongside parental controls |
| Apple Screen Time | No price on Apple's page; set up through Family Sharing with the child's own Apple Account. | Households with iPhones and iPads that already use Family Sharing |
| Microsoft Family Safety | No price on Microsoft's page; screen time limits for Windows, Xbox and Android. | Families with Windows PCs, Xbox consoles or Android phones |
| Google Family Link | No price on Google's page; screen time, app approval, location and content filters. | Families with children on certain Android phones or Chrome devices who want location and app approval |
Pricing read from each vendor's own published pricing page, checked Oct 2026. Every vendor here publishes a price.
Best for: Households with five to 20 devices that want the lowest yearly price per device
Pricing$54.99/yr for 5 devices, $89.99/yr for 20, $39.99/yr for 1 desktop; yearly billing only.
Best for: Parents who want to try a free account before paying for device limits
PricingFree account with no card; Basic $59.95/yr for up to 5 devices, Complete $104.95/yr for unlimited devices.
Best for: Families with several children who want one price with no device cap
PricingApp $14/mo or $99/yr for the whole family, no kid or device limit; 7-day free trial.
Best for: Families who also want antivirus across their PCs, Macs and phones in one bundle
Pricing$79.99 for the first year, 5 family members and 25 devices; parental control only in family bundles.
Best for: Families who want identity monitoring for children alongside parental controls
PricingFamily $32/mo billed yearly ($50 monthly); Kids $10/mo billed yearly ($13 monthly).
Best for: Households with iPhones and iPads that already use Family Sharing
PricingNo price on Apple's page; set up through Family Sharing with the child's own Apple Account.
Best for: Families with Windows PCs, Xbox consoles or Android phones
PricingNo price on Microsoft's page; screen time limits for Windows, Xbox and Android.
Best for: Families with children on certain Android phones or Chrome devices who want location and app approval
PricingNo price on Google's page; screen time, app approval, location and content filters.
What it is
A parental control app limits screen time, filters websites and sets app rules on a child's phone, tablet or computer, and reports activity to a parent's account. Paid versions charge per device or per family, and the first-year price can be the lowest figure on the page.
The platform tools are the baseline.
Apple Screen Time, Microsoft Family Safety and Google Family Link set limits and content filters inside the child's account. Paid apps add cross-device management, alerts and, in some plans, identity monitoring. Pay for those extras only if you will use them.
Why it matters
The price per device decides most of this comparison. Net Nanny's five-device plan works out to $11 a device a year, and its 20-device plan to under $5 a device. Its top plan stops at 20 devices.
A bigger household moves to a family-wide price such as Bark's, to Qustodio Complete for unlimited devices, or to Bitdefender's 25-device bundle.
Trials are the other gap. Bark's app has a 7-day trial. Qustodio's homepage offers a free account and a premium trial, and says no credit card is required.
Neither Net Nanny's nor Aura's pricing text mentions a trial, so do not assume one. Billing term matters too: Aura's Family plan is $384 a year billed yearly and $600 billed monthly.
Key features to look for
Pricing
All prices below were checked on vendor pages on 10 October 2026, in US dollars. Net Nanny shows $39.99 a year for one desktop, and its five-device and 20-device plans each sit beside a higher struck-through price.
Qustodio's premium page lists a yearly Basic plan for up to five devices and Complete at $104.95 a year for unlimited family devices.
Bark charges $14 a month or $99 a year for its app, and its wireless phone plans start at $29 a month.
Bitdefender sells parental control only inside family bundles: Total Security Family covers 25 devices and five family members at its first-year price, plus sales tax, and the page gives no renewal price.
Aura lists Family at $32 a month billed yearly or $50 billed monthly, and Kids at $10 a month billed yearly or $13 billed monthly.
Apple's Screen Time page, Microsoft's Family Safety page and Google's Family Link page quote no price, so they appear in the table without one.
| Plan | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Screen Time | No price shown | Approval rules, schedules, time allowances and Communication Safety; needs Family Sharing |
| Microsoft Family Safety | No price shown | Screen time and content filters on Windows, Xbox and Android; iOS managed in the app |
| Google Family Link | No price shown | Screen time, app approval, location alerts and content filters on certain Android and Chrome devices |
| Net Nanny, 1 desktop | $39.99/year | PC and Mac; shown beside a higher struck-through price |
| Net Nanny, 5 devices | $54.99/year | PC, Mac and iOS; about $11 a device a year |
| Net Nanny, 20 devices | $89.99/year | Under $5 a device a year; yearly billing only, with no monthly option |
| Qustodio Basic | $59.95/year | Up to five devices; the page also shows the same price as $5.00 a month |
| Qustodio Complete | $104.95/year | Unlimited family devices; includes Care Plus, sold as a $12.99 add-on to Basic |
| Bark app | $99/year | Whole family with no limit on kids or devices; $14 a month billed monthly; 7-day trial |
| Bitdefender Total Security Family | $79.99 first year | 5 family members and 25 devices; security suite with parental control; renewal not shown |
| Aura Kids | $10/month billed yearly | Unlimited kids and devices; $13 a month billed monthly; adult count not stated |
| Aura Family | $32/month billed yearly | 5 adults and unlimited kids; $50 a month billed monthly; adds child SSN monitoring and fraud alert sharing |
The bottom line
Net Nanny is the cheapest priced option for a household of up to five devices, and Bark is the simplest bill for a family with no device cap, with a 7-day trial. Pay for Aura only if you also want identity monitoring for the family, and budget $384 a year at annual billing.
Toolradar's profiles for Aura and Bitdefender show the wider market view.
Our family password manager guide covers the other half of a family's account security.
Methodology: we read the vendor pricing and product pages for eight options, with no hands-on testing.
Prices are US dollars, checked on 10 October 2026, and we will refresh them as vendors change them. Where a vendor page quotes no price, we say so and do not estimate one.
Cite this: Cyberpresso, "Best Parental Control Apps in 2026", October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Some offers on this page may be paid placements or contain affiliate links.
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