🛡️ Parental controls and family safety
Qustodio
By Qustodio Technologies. Visit Qustodio
Desk research from the maker's own pages. Not yet tried by us. Checked 2026-10-24.
A parental control app installed on each child device: phones, tablets, Windows and Mac computers, and Chromebooks. Parents set daily time limits and schedules, filter websites, block apps, and see reports of web, app and YouTube use. Higher plans add location tracking, call and text monitoring on Android, and AI alerts on social apps and in-game voice chat. Kids see limits and can ask for more time.
Our take: A strong choice for mixed-device households that want one dashboard; parents of older teens should weigh the monitoring against trust.
| Ages it suits | kids and teens |
|---|---|
| What its terms say about age | The account holder must be over 18. Parents must tell monitored users aged 14 and up that monitoring software is installed and get their consent, unless local law says otherwise. Qustodio says it is designed for parents, not children. (terms) |
| Price | Paid. Basic $59.95 a year; Complete $104.95 a year with Care Plus included (Oct 2026). |
| Works on | iPhone and iPad, Android, Windows, Mac, Chromebook |
| Account | A parent's account |
| Ads | None |
| In-app purchases | None |
| The AI in it | AI systems (Qustodio's own and third-party) flag harmful messages in social apps and transcribe in-game voice chat to raise alerts; Qustodio says device data is not used to train its AI. |
What's good
- Works across phones, computers and Chromebooks
- Clear daily reports
- States it does not train AI on kids' data
- Annual pricing is predictable
Watch for
- Message and voice monitoring is intrusive for teens
- iPhone controls are narrower than Android
- Advanced features only on the higher plan
- Teens 14+ must be told and consent
Data and privacy
Qustodio collects 'device data' from monitored devices, including websites, apps, contacts, messages and posted content, processed for the parent. Voice for gaming alerts is transcribed and not stored, data is pseudonymized before AI review, and Qustodio says it does not train its AI on device data. It states COPPA compliance. Read the privacy policy.
Does it work?
No study of this product itself. Two 2018 CHI studies of parental control apps in general found 76% of 736 child-written app reviews gave one star (kids called the apps too strict and invasive), and that heavier parental control went with more, not fewer, online risks for teens.
In the Big Index
- On the list 9 tablet and phone setups for kids in the AI era
Alternatives to Qustodio
Desk researchPaid
Amazon Kids Tablets (and Fire Kids tablets)
Amazon · ages 3+ and 6+ versions
A reasonable first tablet if you want Amazon's controls plus real Android apps; families who want a tightly closed device may prefer a device without the Play Store.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
Amazon Kids+ and Parent Dashboard
Amazon · ages 3-12
A good-value bundle for families already on Amazon devices with kids 3-12; skip it if your child mostly uses an iPad or a phone.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
Apple Messages and FaceTime (Communication Safety)
Apple · ages any age with a parent-made child account; teens 13-17
Worth turning on for any child with an iPhone or iPad; pair it with contact limits for younger kids.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
Apple Screen Time
Apple · ages any age under 18
The first stop for any family whose child uses an iPhone or iPad; it does nothing on Android or Windows.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
Apple Watch For Your Kids
Apple · ages kids who don't have their own iPhone; no set age
Good for iPhone families who want a phone alternative with strong contact controls; cheaper kids' watches exist if you only need calls and location.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
Aura Parental Controls
Aura · ages kids and teens
Makes sense for families who already want Aura's identity protection; those who only need screen time limits can use free built-in tools.
Where these facts come from
- https://www.qustodio.com/en/
- https://www.qustodio.com/en/premium/
- https://www.qustodio.com/en/family/privacy/
- https://www.qustodio.com/en/family/terms/
- https://epublications.marquette.edu/mscs_fac/618
- https://www.eecs.ucf.edu/~jjl/pubs/pn1838-ghoshA.pdf
- https://pure.psu.edu/en/publications/a-matter-of-control-or-safety-examining-parental-use-of-technical/
Prices, terms and features change. Nobody paid to be listed, nothing here is an affiliate link, and Peabody never rates itself. Where we and the maker disagree, the maker's own pages are the ones to trust.