There are many parental controls apps on the market, and parental controls space is changing all the time.

Parental controls is a game of Whack-a-Mole:

• New devices (like Internet of Things) invade our homes and present new threats to our kids
• New services (any new gaming, video, and social media apps) are developed and parental controls need to catch up
• New features are introduced by the existing platforms that are not covered by previous parental controls
• Big tech companies are modifying their platforms, causing software bugs and problems with third-party parental control settings
• Kids keep discovering new loopholes!

That’s why it is so hard – if not impossible – to claim which parental control app is “the best”. They might be doing great today, but broken by the changes in the tech landscape tomorrow. Or the other way around – they might be performing poorly, but get fixed, upgraded, and become stellar. The best strategy when making a choice is probably to read MOST RECENT reviews from the actual customers – they will reflect the current situation.

TIP: If you see hundreds of 1-star reviews from teenagers starting with words “I hate my parents”, the app definitely works!

We have studied the reviews from actual users: parents who downloaded and used these apps, and confirmed that they do what parents expect them to do: limit screen time, filter content, and develop good digital habits.  

Since Apple, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft all have their own integrated parental controls systems, they can – and often do – limit the functionality of third-party parental controls apps. Which means that the developers of these apps have to work extra hard to stay in business – which for customers usually means great product quality and customer service.