Screen Time is an app that gets right to the point, with a name that tells you exactly what this piece of software does, and its one of the best parental control apps.

When we’re all spending more time on our phones and children are easily distracted by inappropriate online content, it’s crucial to be able to restrict what they’re seeing and how often they’re able to use devices.

Despite the name, though, Screen Time doesn’t just concentrate on that feature – it’s actually got a full range of parental control abilities. And, as a bonus, there’s a free version.

Plans and Pricing

That free version includes daily reports on your children’s app usage and, on Android, it allows parents to view web and YouTube histories. The free product also includes some social media monitoring on Google’s platform.

The free version only includes support for one child device, though, which is a tight restriction. KidLogger’s free version includes support for five devices, and Qustodio’s free product also monitors just one device – but it has a better set of features.

Google Family Link and Microsoft Family Safety are both free, too, and both are more powerful.

Screen Time’s free product isn’t really representative, though, and its paid version is a far more compelling prospect – because it has the full range of features included. It’s affordable, too, at $6.99 per month with a seven-day free trial. That price is a little cheaper than the monthly cost of the full-fat versions of Qustodio, Bark, MMGuardian and KidLogger – four of our paid favorites.

Features

If you call your app Screen Time it has to impress in this category. And, thankfully, Screen Time doesn’t disappoint.

Parents can set daily screen time limits using the software, choose from preset options, alter timings for weekdays or weekends, and apply time limits to individual apps. It’s easy to build different schedules for different children, and one button allows parents to instantly pause their children's devices – handy if you need to get their attention.

There’s an innovative feature here, too, thanks to Free Play – an option to override all limits and schedules with just one tap. If you’re stuck with bored kids on a long journey, it could be a huge relief.

Screen Time also allows parents to maintain family harmony by rewarding kids with extra device time if they complete tasks, like chores or homework. Parents are able to set up the tasks and approve their completion to grant a custom amount of time as a reward.

Screen Time pairs its impressive device and app controls with solid reporting. Parents can see what apps children use most often, how much time they’ve spent on each app, and get daily summaries of all the important data – handy when things are hectic.

And if you want to prevent certain apps from being used entirely, Screen Time allows you to see what apps are installed, block specific apps, and only allow new apps to be installed with parental approval.

Screen Time also has conventional location-based features. Parents can see current child locations, monitor routes when children are travelling, and use geofencing to get alerts when kids enter or leave approved or restricted spaces. Trip and location records are kept for seven days – other apps provide longer histories.

Screen Time has some additional features that are only available on Android. Web filtering, for instance, is only available on Google’s platform, and there are 25 categories of content that parents can allow or restrict, and it’s possible to add or restrict individual websites too.

Android users can also monitor text messages, view photos on child devices, and monitor third-party messaging apps like WhatsApp, Viber and Kik.

This app is certainly weaker on iOS, then, and some features are not as comprehensive as those you’ll find elsewhere.

Its web filtering, for instance, is not as strong as those on rivals – apps like MMGuardian provide more categories for parents to use when filtering. Bark is notably better for social media monitoring, too.

Interface and in use

Screen Time has an effective, uncluttered interface with easy, color-coded buttons that let you see your schedules, app and web filter allowances and your children’s routes.

Other apps certainly pop with more color, but Screen Time looks good, and its effective design means it’s very easy for parents to use. This approach carries over to the monitoring interface available in web browsers, too.

Installation is similarly straightforward, at least on Android: sign up, download the app, follow easy instructions to pair with the app on your child’s device and you’re nearly there.

Once that’s done, you’ll have to set up a parental control PIN and allow the relevant permissions, then you’re good to go.

If you’re on iOS, it’s a little more complicated. Parents have to download and install profiles and change Remote Management settings on their devices.

Thankfully, both platforms are covered by comprehensive instruction articles and videos on the Screen Time website.

Support

This is one area where Screen Time didn’t impress – because clicking the Support link on the website led to a 404 error page.

That’s not a good start, but it is possible to use a web form elsewhere on the main Help Center page to request support from the Screen Time team, and the company assures parents of a response within 24 hours.

The FAQ and Help Center sections are also reasonable, with plenty of articles covering every aspect of the app.

Just don’t expect the phone support or live chat that you’ll sometimes find with rival products, like Qustodio or Norton Family.

The Competition

Screen Time lives up to its name – when it comes to scheduling and controlling how often your children use their devices and certain apps, this software matches every rival. Its location abilities compare well with other apps, too.

Go beyond this, though, and Screen Time begins to fall short. MMGuardian is stronger with web filtering, for instance, and Bark is better with social media, messaging and calls. If you’re on iOS, consider OurPact too.

Screen Time may undercut other paid options with slightly lower prices, but if you want a free parental control product then you’d potentially be better with Microsoft or Google’s in-built tools or with KidLogger.

Final Verdict

If you want an affordable app that provides comprehensive scheduling alongside device and app limitation and control, then Screen Time is one of the best choices around. In this regard it’s got good core functionality alongside a couple of innovative features.

Beyond that, though, it’s middling. Its location-based functionality is fine, it blocks apps, and provides reporting, but rivals do that, too – while also being stronger in other categories. And weaknesses on iOS mean Screen Time is only really suitable for families on Android.

Screen Time is not a bad parental control app – and if you do want to concentrate on restricting the amount of time your kids spend on their devices, it’s excellent. But for a more rounded experience or a better option on iOS, we’d rather spend a little more and shop elsewhere.

Some of the best parental control apps that use keylogging, like Spyrix, can sometimes generate spirited discussion around the ethics and morality of tracking literally everything children do on their devices, but their popularity proves that there’s undoubtedly a place for them in the market.

And when it comes to pairing a comprehensive set of features with a tempting price, Spyrix gets off to a good start – because it’s free.

With remote monitoring, app activity, screenshots and reporting all available, there’s no doubt that Spyrix has plenty of ability – but this software is designed for PCs rather than mobile devices, so parents may need to combine this tool with other apps for a more comprehensive picture.

Plans and pricing

As the name suggests, Spyrix Free Keylogger doesn’t cost a penny – a good start for any parent who wants a PC-based keylogging tool.

The free version includes keylogging, app activity, screenshot capturing, USB drive and printer monitoring, keyword alerts and remote monitoring with advertisements included in the interface.

Spyrix is a larger software company with plenty of apps available, though, so you’ve got options if you want a broader monitoring solution and if you’re happy to pay.

If you want to remove adverts and add live viewing, message monitoring, and dozens more features to your children’s PCs, then Spyrix Personal Monitor is your best bet. It costs $79 for a one-PC license, $89 to monitor three devices and $129 to cover five, and if you want to add screen, webcam and call recording, or facial recognition, it costs extra.

Those prices are mirrored for MacOS functionality. There’s an Android version too, called Spyrix Phone Tracker, which adds monitoring across a host of social media apps and messaging tools – although it’s very powerful, prices start at $99.95 annually.

On iOS, there’s a rudimentary tool called Spyrix Viewer, but it’s basic and wasn’t available at the time of writing due to technical maintenance.

Beyond the free tool, then, Spyrix gets expensive, and that leaves it a little weaker when compared with its keylogging rivals.

KidLogger, for instance, has a free version that works on Windows, Android and Mac OS that supports five devices – and as well as keylogging, it monitors calls and can be used to block and limit app access, too.

KidLogger’s paid version is more affordable than Spyrix’s paid options, and it includes many of the same options as Spyrix’s equivalent tools.

The third option here is mSpy. It works well on Android and is packed with features, but it’s very expensive.

Features

Let’s get back to Spyrix Free Keylogger, though – the most likely option for parents who want to easily monitor everything their kids are typing on Windows desktop and laptop devices.

As the name suggests, this app is a keylogger – you’ll see all recorded keystrokes on your child’s device, even if they’re deleted.

Parents can view all running applications on child PCs using Spyrix, and also monitor and control the usage of removable USB and SSD drives and even printers.

Spyrix allows parents to see all content copied to the clipboard, record the date and time the computer is used, and capture screenshots of the device without the user's knowledge.

That’s a reasonable set of PC-based keylogging features, especially for a free app, but the paid versions of this tool are far more powerful.

If you want to upgrade to Spyrix Personal Monitor you’ll get access to a far more capable piece of software.

Parents can monitor remotely from a secure web account, for starters, and view the device and its cameras live. The paid version includes screen recording, monitoring of popular messaging tools, and facial recognition.

The paid version monitors URLs and search engines, can block websites and alert parents if certain keywords are typed. And if you want to pay even more for Spyrix Personal Monitor Pro, you can add microphone monitoring, webcam snapshots and more features to the list.

On Android, Spyrix Phone Tracker includes loads of options, including monitoring across lots of messaging and social media apps, keylogging, scheduled screen, photo and audio recording, social media tracking, call capturing, location tracking, geofencing, app blocking and monitoring and more.

Indeed, that version is more like a traditional parental control app than anything else, but it’s expensive compared to other conventional tools – if you want the full array of features, pricing ranges between $119.95 and $249 annually to protect one to five devices.

Interface and in-use

Spyrix Free Keylogger is easy to use. Download the app from the Spyrix website, create an account and install the app on the target system and you’ll be able to link the tools together and start monitoring. Bear in mind that parents have legal obligations to let children know their devices are being monitored.

Be aware that your system’s antivirus software may flag Spyrix Free Keylogger as a malicious tool, so you may have to allow the download and permit the software to run from within your system or antivirus settings.

Once it’s installed, Spyrix has a conventional Windows app experience, with a slick summary screen highlighting activity in your child’s device and individual modules that allow parents to delve into specific areas to see events, typing, social media activity or anything else.

Support

Spyrix’s support ticket system is available 24/7 by emailing the company, and Spyrix assures customers that replies will arrive within 48 hours.

Elsewhere, the Spyrix website has a comprehensive online manual that takes users through the basics of installing and setting up apps, but that’s it.

It’s not a particularly impressive support offering. Many companies offer faster responses, loads of rivals have more comprehensive knowledge bases and FAQ sections, and some even offer phone and live chat support.

The competition

KidLogger and mSpy both have similarly underwhelming support options, so that certainly seems to be a trend with keylogging tools. A conventional parental control tool will be a better option if you want better support, including phone and live chat help or a customer forum.

And in terms of pure keylogging software, Spyrix Free Keylogger may not be your best choice, either. KidLogger’s free version is more versatile thanks to a broader range of features and Android support.

If you want to pay for keylogging software Spyrix suffers from high pricing. KidLogger is more affordable while maintaining a similar slate of features.

We wouldn’t consider mSpy, though. Its keylogging abilities are fine and it includes conventional parental control features too, but it’s very expensive. Want a keylogger? Both Spyrix and KidLogger are better. Want parental control? Check out Qustodio or Bark.

Final verdict

Spyrix Free Keylogger is an effective PC monitoring tool with plenty of functionality, but it does have some severe weaknesses.

It only works on Windows, for starters – if you want keylogging functionality and more features on other platforms, you’ve got to pay for it.

If you want a free keylogging app, then KidLogger is a much better option thanks to its increased functionality. And while Spyrix is much better if you’re willing to pay, KidLogger offers a comparable array of features at a lower price.

Spyrix Free Keylogger is effective, but other apps are much better – so if you do want keylogging, shop around.

The best parental control apps differ in terms of the level of trust they provide to children – some offer more freedom, only reporting notable activity to parents, while others track everything children do on their device. KidLogger falls into the latter category.

That may not work for some parents, but it’s ideal if you need to closely monitor what your children are doing. And, as an added bonus, there’s a free version available – suitable if you want to save some pennies, too.

Plans and pricing

With the free version of KidLogger, you can monitor up to five devices and keep logs and histories for 18 days. You get a meagre 18MB of cloud storage space for storage.

The Standard plan costs $9 for three months of access, $17 for six months of usage, and £29 for one year – so that latter option is the best deal. It retains the five-device limit, which means it won’t be suitable for larger families with numerous devices, but it does increase the storage to 400MB and keeps logs for 60 days – both much better options than the free product.

That plan also adds features, including analytics, email reporting, dedicated technical support, and screenshotting.

The most powerful option is the Professional tool. This product allows parents to monitor ten devices, keep logs for 90 days and use 1GB of cloud storage, and it costs $89 for a year of access.

At this tier, you get scheduled email reports, more in-depth options for monitoring messenger apps, phone calls and cameras, the option to hide the software on children’s phones and powerful keylogging features.

Features

There will, of course, but many parents are unhappy with the prospect of using a keylogger that takes screenshots, looks through the camera, and listens to phone calls. There are plenty of parental control tools that are less intrusive.

It’s also worth checking whether this type of app is even legal in your country – in some countries, using such a keylogger may contravene the law.

If you do need that level of control and it’s legal, though, there’s no denying that Keylogger gets the job done, and it works on Android, Windows and Mac OS – so there’s more platform support than you’ll find on most parental control apps.

You’ll notice that iOS is missing because KidLogger is extremely limited on Apple’s smartphones, essentially functioning as a location tracker with little else available.

KidLogger will let you record keystrokes and, on certain platforms, text copied to the clipboard. It’ll monitor web history on Edge, Chrome, Firefox, Opera and Safari, and track the amount of time your children spend using their devices.

The app can log all external drives connected to devices, record the names of files and folders that are opened, take screenshots of the device every five minutes, and even take screenshots when children type particular keywords.

It monitors chats and messages on apps like Facebook Messenger, Kik, WhatsApp, and Viber, and tracks the most frequently used applications on your children’s devices.

On certain platforms, like Android, you can track location, record incoming and outgoing calls, monitor text message content and view all the photos taken with the camera.

And if that wasn’t enough, there’s now an offline mode that tracks activity and reports back once the children’s device reconnects to the internet – and an option to prevent any unauthorized user from removing the app’s monitoring abilities.

At certain product tiers, you can block websites and apps, and because KidLogger monitors everything, it does a better job of tracking direct messages, notes and search terms – things that other apps may struggle to track.

KidLogger doesn’t have traditional social media monitoring, even if it does have its keylogging and screenshotting features, and if you want to create screen time and app usage schedules then you’ll need to install a separate app. Using this module, parents can also allow kids to use certain apps without any time limits.

Also bear in mind that KidLogger does not support conventional website and content filtering options, but this is a philosophical choice: because while KidLogger tracks everything your children do on their devices, it’s not designed to be particularly restrictive with what they do.

It’s an app about tracking what they’re doing – not stopping them from doing it.

Interface and in-use

KidLogger is easy to install across all platforms, and its dashboard is easy to use, with clear sections for screenshots, messages, web usage, text records and other data that has been gathered from children’s devices.

The user interface doesn’t look particularly attractive due to its old-fashioned and basic design, but it’s very straightforward, making it easy to access the content you need to see.

There are few options here for actually interacting with your children’s devices – you won’t be able to check in, message, or restrict usage like you can with other tools.

Support

Head to the KidLogger website, and you can log a support ticket, consult the forum and browse knowledge base articles, and you can also email KidLogger directly. The company aims to respond to queries in 48 hours.

In terms of support, though, that’s it – don’t expect live chat or phone support from this relatively small organization.

The competition

KidLogger falls behind most of the competition in terms of its interface – tools like Qustodio and Bark are far more visually appealing.

Bark does a better job of monitoring social media and using AI to stay on top of new trends, and Qustodio is available on many platforms, including iOS.

The best alternative to keylogging is mSpy, which offers many of the same features as KidLogger – but that app is also more expensive. It’s worth weighing up the features of both to decide which one is more applicable to your situation.

Final verdict

KidLogger may not be a moral or legal choice in your family or location but if you do want a logging app for your children’s devices, there are few better than this – especially on Android.

It’ll track everything that children do on their phone, even going beyond texts with its screenshotting, camera monitoring and call recording, and it works on Windows devices too.

You’ll need to look elsewhere if you want a service that can block websites and apps and allow you to control your children’s screen time, but this is a first-class tool if you want to log, monitor and keep track of children’s device habits.

Mobicip is positioned as one of the best parental control app for busy parents who want to restrict the impact of big tech companies on their children’s lives, and it’s got Family Voice and Mom’s Choice Awards to back up its claims about protecting kids.

Mobicip also claims that “more than 2 million parents” love its app, and that it can protect kids from social media, apps, websites and excessive screen time.

It can be a little pricey, though, and faces strong competition, so should you consider Mobicip if you want to protect your children?

Plans and pricing

That pricing, for instance, can ramp up if you want the maximum level of protection available from this service.

Mobicip’s Premium package costs $7.99/£6.26 per month if you pay annually, and that tier includes protection for 20 devices and every feature that Mobicip offers.

Qustodio, meanwhile, costs $7.44/£5.83 per month if billed annually and that includes support for unlimited devices, and Norton Family is even cheaper. Bark is more expensive, though, but does go further than almost anything else when it comes to social media monitoring.

If you’d rather not shell out for Mobicip’s premium package, the Standard tool supports ten devices and costs $4.99/£3.91 per month if purchased annually. You don’t get social media monitoring or app timers with that tier, though – and those are two of the biggest draws of any parental control tool. Similarly, the Lite package is affordable at $2.99/£2.34 per month, but it omits those features and only supports five devices.

Mobicip is one of the pricier parental control apps on the market, but that Premium package is still the best value by some way thanks to its features. And, pleasingly, there’s a seven-day free trial and thirty-day money-back guarantee.

Final verdict

Mobicip setup is easy and the ability to filter content by keyword gives you more control over web blocking. It's missing some common features, though - can't set an overall device usage time, for instance, just a schedule - and dated app lists and poorly chosen default settings mean you'll need to pay extra attention when setting up.

Features

Mobicip’s screen time scheduling is immediately impressive. Parents can create specific schedules for homework, sleeping or school time.

Daily screen time limits are available and, in an innovative twist on screen time features, parents can call for “family time” by locking all managed devices instantly – perfect for grabbing people’s attention.

You can create an unlimited number of custom filters, build schedules with five-minute increments, and allow or restrict apps or websites based on categories, too. There’s also a Vacation Mode feature that parents can deploy to allow more leniency.

This is comfortably one of the best scheduling tools on the market thanks to its great set of features – the only thing missing is the ability to set time limits for individual apps.

If you want to ensure that phones don’t capture attention, Mobicip allows parents to limit time spent on apps that hit certain categories, like social media or games, and particular apps can also be blocked entirely – while others can be put on a safe list.

Mobicip’s web filtering comes with 20 different categories of inappropriate content alongside the ability to block adult content, block specific words and block specific websites. Parents can also use a “whitelist-only” mode that allows children to only browse a list of pre-approved sites.

GPS functionality extends to a family locator tool, location sharing and geofencing – an ideal slate of location-specific options, even if Mobicip doesn’t have the innovative driving abilities found in some rival tools. Its geofencing includes a 1,000m radius, which is more generous than many other apps – even if Norton is wider still.

When it comes to reporting, parents can access a slick dashboard that provides browsing histories, location histories, your children’s access requests and a graphical representation of screen time usage displaying the categories of content your kids use the most – like social media apps, games or browsers.

Children also have access to a dashboard where they can request more screen time or ask to access blocked apps.

And if you want multiple people to be able to manage the app, parents can add trusted guardians or contacts using a straightforward and secure invitation system.

Elsewhere, Mobicip monitors Facebook and Snapchat for harmful content, but that’s it for social media monitoring – a poor showing compared to most rivals and, notably, Bark.

You can’t set time limits for individual apps on Mobicip, only categories of apps, and Mobicip doesn’t monitor text messages or calls.

Interface and in-use

It’s very easy to get started with Mobicip: download the app, allow permissions, and off you go. And, impressively, Mobicip works across loads of platforms, from Android and iOS to Windows, macOS, Chromebook and even Kindle.

In-depth guides make setup and configuration even easier, and parents can duplicate settings across multiple child devices – ideal for families with more than one child.

Mobicip’s web interfaces and apps are clean, intuitive and easy to use, too: for kids, it’s easy to check their screen time allowances and schedules. For parents, it’s simple to find every setting required and to access activity reports and analytics.

Support

This is another area where Mobicip goes above and beyond many rivals. As well as submitting a support ticket, parents can schedule a call with Mobicip’s customer service teams – ideal if you want to speak to a human.

An AI-powered chatbot provides answers to simpler questions, and there are loads of guides with useful imagery on Mobicip’s website.

It’s a good support option, with callbacks available alongside more conventional email support and loads of comprehensive articles.

The competition

Mobicip is a strong contender when it comes to parental control, but it still has rivals that are better in some areas.

Bark, for instance, is a much better option for social media monitoring – which is one of Mobicip’s weaker departments. MMGuardian, meanwhile, is better for checking calls and messages.

Qustodio and Norton Family are both cheaper than Mobicip, with the former supporting an unlimited number of devices and offering more robust social media and message monitoring too.

Final verdict

Social media and messaging are the two areas where Mobicip could be better, then, and if these are important to you, then we recommend you look elsewhere.

That said, Mobicip impresses in loads of other departments. Its filtering is effective, and its screen time and scheduling options are among the best you’ll find anywhere. Its location-tracking features are strong, too, and this app is attractive and easy to use for parents and children.

Customer support is excellent, its activity reporting is comprehensive, and it does some innovative things with scheduling and screen time that some rivals simply don’t offer – like its Vacation Mode or Family Time settings.

Mobicip is a little pricier than some tools, and it’s not ideal if you want to monitor social media. But if you need filtering, screen time controls and GPS-based functionality, Mobicip is one of the best parental control apps around.

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