Best 7 Parental Control Software For Android and iOS in 2021

The best parental control software for Android and iOS guaranteed the safety of your kids against an adult or inappropriate content. Therefore, these apps can give you peace of mind by allowing your children to use the internet without you watching them directly, some of them at no cost too. So, this set of apps helps you keep an eye on your adorable young teenagers without you been directly present to them. In an ideal world, the internet should be a safe place for kids to learn. Unfortunately, this is far from reality as most of the internet content is filled with inappropriate articles and videos.

These parental control software can track your kids’ current location, set limits on the time they spend with their gadgets, block inappropriate websites, and see whom they’re interacting with. However, Some of this software can show you the content of sent and received text messages on social media, call logs, texts, etc. As a busy parent, you might not be able to be with your kids all the time and see what they do online. The best parental control software will be a coach to your kids when you’re unable to, giving you an account of what they normally do with their phones and tablets.

However, don’t rely mostly on these apps as they won’t do everything for you. Their work is to be part of a comprehensive coach to having your kids behave responsibly online. That means, you need to be with your kids and coach them on what they shouldn’t do online, explain the type of content you want them to watch, how you want them to act, and state you are monitoring their tablets and phones. This software will help you monitor all the content surfed around your home internet while you’re busily engaged with your work.

Buying a smartphone or tablet for your kids is a good approach, but safeguarding their future by monitoring what they do online is among the best thing you can do for them. Do your kids’ tablets or phones have access to the Internet, social apps like Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, or Whatsapp installed? These best parental control software for Android and iOS phones can help keep an eye on your ward’s gadgets, both offline and online. In this write-up, you’ll find the best parental control software to assist you in your parental duties.

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Best 7 Parental Control Software for Android and iOS 2021

#1: Net Nanny Parental Control

Compatibility: iOS and Android
Price: $54.99/year

The Net Nanny is our pick for the best parental control software because of its ultra-modern intuitive design, and amazing web- filtering technology. This app’s iOS and Android versions have plenty of features and won’t be affected by the recent iOS policy changes.

Zift/Net Nanny can track your ward’s location, keep a record of their location history, and set schedules and time allowances on both versions. So, the Android version can block all the apps on your child’s phone. Unfortunately, the iOS version allows you to block only but several dozen of them.

Recently, Net Nanny added a content screening feature that works on most social media apps instead of blocking them including TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. The only disadvantage of Net Nanny is its inability to monitor texts or calls. However, we haven’t find the software that can do that on iOS, but instead only on Android platforms.

Pros:

Outstanding web filters
Excellent design
Near parity between iOS and Android versions

Cons:

A bit expensive
Can’t monitor call/text

#2: Kaspersky Safe Kids

Compatibility: iOS, Android, Macs, PCs
Price: $14.99/year

Kaspersky is a great parental control software that lets you monitor your kids’ activities on Macs, PCs, including Android and iOS smartphones. Amazingly, Kaspersky free plan allows you to filter websites, set time limits, and manage other numerous apps. However, this makes it a hit and one of the most sorted parental control software in the market. Even better, the paid tier is only but $15 per year, and you’re guaranteed enticing features that’ll keep your kids safe.

Kaspersky’s location tracking, device scheduling, web monitoring, and geofencing work in both iOS and Android versions. Unfortunately, the iOS app management is limited, and can’t monitor calls or texts. Also, there’s a new feature that lets you review YouTube search history, and block any specific YouTube search, but it’s only limited to Android, iOS, and Windows. However, Kaspersky is a great parental control software apart from its inability to read the kids’ text.

Pros:

Not expensive
Compatible with Macs, and Windows too
Lots of free enticing features

Cons:

Clustered user interface
Web portal frequently slow down

#3: Norton Family

Compatibility: Android, iOS, PCs
Price: $49.99/year

Apart from Kaspersky, Norton Family is another great parental control software that works on both Android and Windows systems. This software boasts of outstanding power and features that can suit every household, and also offering all the necessary features a parent could want from control software.

This software web filtering, location tracking, and monitoring capabilities work on both Android and iOS devices. Unfortunately, Norton Family text-message monitoring and app management don’t work in the iOS app, and there’s no geofencing feature on either of the mobile platforms.

Fortunately, Norton Family comes free if you get it’s Norton 360 Deluxe anti-virus app at a discounted price of $50 per year. At that price, getting parental control software and Norton’s anti-virus protection would be a great gain for you unless your kids use Macs instead of compatible Windows PCs.

Pros:

Works with Windows
Unlimited devices
Excellent call/text monitoring and web filtering

Cons:

Quite expensive for a single device
Absent of geofencing

#4: Qustodio

Compatibility: Android, iOS, PCs, Amazon Fire tablets
Price: $49.46/year

Qustodio is a parental control software for iOS, Macs, PCs, and Android devices, including Amazon Fire tablets. So, this software lets you set specific time limits for apps and devices. Fortunately, parental control software has a location tracking that works on both Android and iOS. Finally, Qustodio has added a geofencing feature on the 2019 model. Also, there’s a “Family Locator” feature that tracks your kids and shows you their current location.

Unfortunately, iOS devices are only limited to manage few dozen apps, contrary to all Android apps. Meanwhile, web filtering is more effective on iOS, while call/text monitoring works only on Android. However, one big drawback of Qustodio parental control software is that it’s expensive, costing a whopping $138 per year for 15 devices.

Pros:

Exceptional call/text monitoring for Android
Wide feature set
Monitors iOS, Android, Mac, PCs, and Amazon Fire tablets

Cons:

Very expensive
Outdated web portal

#5: Screen Time

Compatibility: Android, iOS
Price: —

Screen Time parental control software does a great job of managing kids’ devices and scheduling their access to smartphones and tablets. However, it doesn’t do much work on iOS devices, and it’s web filtering and app management are limited to only Android. Unfortunately, you can’t block apps or monitor calls/texts on iOS. However, location history and geofencing were recently added but only limited to Android phones.

So, Screen Time has additional charges for web filters and location tracking, both of which are essential features in other parental-control apps.

Pros:

Great design
Task/reward system
Handles access well

Cons:

Additional charges for web filters and geofencing
Absent of call or text monitoring

#6: OurPact

Compatibility: Android, iOS
Price: —

Once, one of the most powerful and popular iOS parental control software – OurPact was hobbled by Apple rule back in 2018 that prohibited the app service’s location tracking, time scheduling, and geofencing on iPhone.

In early 2019, OurPact was completely removed from the App Store but was later reinstated in July of that year after Apple eased up its restrictions. Before then, OurPact was the only parental control software that could manage or block an iOS app, including in Android smartphones.

Meanwhile, OurPact allows kids to be involved in scheduling and managing their daily allowance of screen time. Unfortunately, it’s web filtering that blocks porn sites, and you can’t manage text/call even on Android devices. However, you can block messaging apps, which is a great advantage of this parental control software.

Pros:

Allows kids to get involved
Outstanding design

Cons:

Limited website filters
Can get expensive
Absent of call/text monitoring

#7: ESET Parental Control for Android

Compatibility: Only Android
Price: $29.99/year

ESET parental control software sticks to only Android device, but yet isn’t the best there. This parental control software lacks some basic needed features including text message/call-monitoring and implementing clunky controls.

However, the free version app and time management do work well, but you’ll have to pay the yearly subscription fee to get geofencing and location tracking. Fortunately, there’s a 30 year free trial with access to all features. Meanwhile, there’s an SOS message feature that allows kids to send messages to designated phones with just a single click.

The $30 yearly subscription fee is quite expensive unless you get it bundled with ESET Smart Security Premium.

Pros:

Unlimited devices
Great location features

Cons:

Absent of call or text monitoring
Clustered user interface
Compatible to only Android

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Conclusion

This concludes the list of the best 7 parental control software for Android and iOS devices available in the market in 2021. Meanwhile, the type of parental control software you need depends on your child’s age and gender. The best parental control software will at least offer location tracking, website filter, app blocker, and must include scheduler.

Other useful features include geofencing, which alerts you when your kids leave a specific area. Some of these apps help you monitor, block, or the calls/texts your child receives, but only limited to Android devices. They’re the best software that’ll safeguard the future of your kids either directly or indirectly.