Top 5 Alternatives for Google Family Link

Kids in the modern age are exposed to technology and innovation ahead of everything else. While the informative world of the digital space brings tons of advantages, the downsides can be wary as well. Owing to the scenario, it's a natural concern of parents to monitor the regular internet usage of their children for positive outcomes. Looking at the brighter side, technology has also introduced parental control apps to help parents inculcate healthy digital habits in their kids. Moving along the line, the Google Family Link application has emerged as a viable option. Also, there are some exciting alternatives to the same as discussed in the following article.

Google Family Link

Product Link: https://families.google.com/familylink/

Google Family Link app serves as a one-stop solution for ensuring safe and secure data usage for younger children. As a responsible parent, you can guide them to explore, learn and play online with the app, without the worry of anything going wrong. Enlisted below are some exciting features of the Google Family Link application:

Best Selling Point:

• Google Family Link is available for free download.
• The app is developed and protected by Google.
• The app facilitates parental control of Google accounts.

Price: Free

Compatible Platforms: Android, Chromebook, and iOS

Hands-on Experience:

The app welcomes you with a simple, clean, and easy-to-use interface, with a quick login and control of Google accounts. You can conveniently monitor the location and screen time of your child through this application. Looking at the other side, however, brings some downsides to light.

The app shows excellent compatibility with Google accounts but is a disappointment for iOS devices since most of the functions stop responding. Also, you cannot use the app to track the internet usage of children older than 13 years. A cheat to this limitation is however available as the 'Age Changing' feature of Google accounts.

Alternatives to Google Family Link:

As stated above, there are some potential limitations in the Google Family Link application that may prompt a switch to better alternatives. Discussed below are some potential contenders in this regard:

1. FamiSafe

Product Link: https://famisafe.wondershare.com/

Leading the list is the Wondershare FamiSafe application that allows parents to control the web activities of their kids through a host of interesting features. You can impose screen time limits, lock inappropriate content, ensure web safety and track the child's location through this app.

Best Selling Point:

• The app's Geofencing and live location features furnish the exact location of connected devices.
• The app keeps your child protected against online dangers.
• Screen Time and App Block features prevent smartphone addiction.

Price:

Monthly-$10.99 Quarterly-$20.99 Annual-$48.79

Compatible Platforms: Android, iOS, Kindle Fire, Chromebook, Windows, and Mac

Hands-on Experience:

The app is an excellent tool to safeguard children's digital life, thanks to its latest features and high-end utilities. The location tracker and web safety features are the most admired functionalities of the app by parents across the globe. The time-limiting feature has further helped many parents to curb mobile addiction in their kids.

Adding on, the app is convenient to use for newbies and non-tech-savvy users. The customer support of the app is quite responsive but sometimes lacks promptness. There are also some minor issues in payments, like discount codes not working, etc.

2. Net Nanny Parental Control

Product Link: https://www.netnanny.com/

Net Nanny Parental Control application comes with the best internet filters to ensure a safe and secure web browsing experience for your kids and family. The app is a dedicated internet security program that blocks inappropriate apps and websites, limits screen time, and protects users against cyber threats.

Best Selling Point:

• The app facilitates instant reports of online searches.
• You can monitor the content accessed by your kids.
• The app provides real-time alerts on inappropriate and toxic content.

Price:

• 1 desktop (PC/Mac): $39.99/year
• 5 devices (PC/Mac/Mobile): $54.99/year
• 20 devices (PC/Mac/Mobile): $89.99/year

Compatible Platforms: Android, iOS, Kindle Fire, Windows, and Mac

Hands-on Experience:

The app is quite responsive in protecting children against internet crimes and unhealthy access, while simultaneously having an in-budget price. The multiple device connectivity of the app serves as an added advantage. There are, however, some unwelcoming opinions about the application as well.

The app sometimes filters important pages and frustrates users with a passive notification response. Webpage unblocking requests are also not generated through automated calls and texts. The app has a limited functions menu and there are difficulties in creating customized settings on its PC and desktop versions.

3. Qustodio

Product Link: https://www.qustodio.com/en/

Next in the line is the Qustodio app that is dedicated to ensuring protected and healthy internet usage by your kids. The app provides a safe browsing environment to your children through content and app filtering, activity monitoring, SMS and call tracking, etc. The app also facilitates real-time alerts, SOS and report generation, and location tracking.

Best Selling Point:

• The app protects your child against cyberbullying.
• You get enough supervision flexibility through the app's latest and smart features.
• The app is simple to navigate and work with.

Price:

• 2070/year for 5 devices
• 3580/year for 10 devices
• 5150/year for 15 devices

Compatible Platforms: Windows, Mac, Chromebook, Android, iOS, Kindle

Hands-on Experience:

Qustodio is a sure-shot guarantee for the online safety of your child and family. The latest features and functionalities help your kids in maintaining healthier relationships with the advancing technology. The app works well to strike a balance between the child's online and offline exposure for all-round development.

The app comes with bug interferences and the latest version does not facilitate accurate time tracking for the apps being used. Some of the locked apps are also available for access, which is quite an inconvenience.

4. MMGaurdian

Product Link: https://www.mmguardian.com/

This one is another viable tool for ensuring your child's healthy internet usage. The app is loaded with a host of activity tracking features that help you monitor your kid's web exposure. You can track locations, monitor messages, and receive safety alerts for the kid's betterment. Features of web filtering and content management are here to control how your child spends time on the internet.

Best Selling Point:

• You can read the deleted text messages of your child's connected device.
• On Android devices, you can control incoming and outgoing calls and messages.
• You can block inappropriate URLs and receive timely alerts of unsafe content being accessed.

Price:

• Family Plan (up to 5 Devices)

Monthly: $7.99 Annual: $69.99 5-Year License: $149.99

• Single Phone

Monthly: $3.99 Annual: $34.99 5-Year License: $79.99

Compatible Platforms: Android, iOS

Hands-on Experience:

The app can be conveniently hidden from the device's main screen to go unnoticed by your kids. The app is quite effective with the present functionalities; however, there is enough room for improvement.

The app's location tracking feature is not quite responsive and getting an update is a big hassle. Other issues include social media apps and chats not getting properly blocked and delayed app response exceeding 5 minutes.

5. OurPact

Product Link: https://ourpact.com/

OurPact is a reliable parental control application for monitoring the internet activities of your child. The app comes with updated features of blocking, customizing, content filtering, and device tracking to provide parents with complete control of their kids' web exposure. The app helps parents and children to strike the needed balance in every day online and offline activities.

Best Selling Point:

• The app has an exclusive feature of text blocking across iOS and Android devices.
• Parents can selectively block distracting game apps while allowing access to educational ones.
• The app facilitates automated periodic views of the child's device gallery on demand.

Price:

Premium: $6.99/month Premium +: $9.99/month

Compatible Platforms: Android, iOS

Hands-on Experience:

The app is a welcome add-on for Android devices that greets users with a simple and easy-to-use interface. The app permissions can be conveniently modified and the remote device controls perform exceptionally well. The app's turn-on and turn-off layout is quite impressive and never disappoints with time lags.

Apple devices, however, report some performance glitches with a tricky installation process. Automatic sync changes and delayed customer support responses are potential downsides of the app.

6. Kidslox

Product Link: https://kidslox.com/

Kidslox is here to protect your child's web access for healthy and safe surfing with a diversity of new-age features. Parents can instantly lock and schedule accessible apps while setting daily limits on online exposure. The live location and usage statistics can also be tracked with the app for complete cyber security.

Best Selling Point:

• The app allows parents to disable apps individually.
• You can switch on Google SafeSearch and YouTube restricted mode.
• The app facilitates inter controllability of Android and iOS devices.

Price:

• Lifetime: 75.89/month, Rs. 4549.47 with one-time payment
• Monthly: 446.09/month billed monthly
• Quarterly: 378.99/month billed 3 monthly
• Annually: 236.99/month billed annually

Compatible Platforms: Android, iOS

Hands-on Experience:

The app works well with an excellent response on both, Android and iOS devices. Payment irregularities can, however, pose problems. Missing out on your periodic billing may lead to the app getting reset, which means that you need to lock everything again. Customizing the default settings all over again is additionally frustrating.

The screen time, lockdown, and screenshot features are remarkable, but the repetitive notifications can be irritating. The beta mode of the app has uneven responses that switch between fine and frustrating.

7. Bark

Product Link: https://www.bark.us/

Last on the list is the Bark parental control application that is dedicated to protecting children against unsafe internet access and usage. Working with the app, parents are in total control of what and how their children are viewing the web. The app works well to track text messages, emails, activities on 30+ social networking sites, and much more.

Best Selling Point:

• The app is available at an on-budget price.
• Parents can manage screen time, filter URLs, and monitor content for cyber safety.
• You are allowed to set location alerts for tracking the whereabouts of your kids.

Price:

• Bark Jr.: $5/month
• Bark Premium: $14/month

Compatible Platforms: Android, iOS, Kindle Fire

Hands-on Experience:

The latest version of the app promises general bug fixes and improved performance. The overall response of the utility is quite appealing with appreciable excellence. The latter, however, lacks VPN compatibility and prompts multiple alerts for a particular thing. The need to manually open and delete each notification is further annoying.

The app is not compatible with the changes in your phone's general settings and reverts to the default mode when something is customized. If your child is aware of the fact, the app is not credible for use.

Parental control plays a very important role in raising well behaved and healthy kids. By setting limits and time restrictions, you can influence good digital habits in your kids. This is why apps like Google Family Link, FamiSafe, and Net Nanny are becoming popular these days. The bottom line is No matter which parental app you choose, just make sure you are keeping a check on your children's online activities. Now, start to set up Google Family Link for your kids.