Google Family Link vs Apple Screen Time

Google Family Link8.8Visit Apple Screen Time8.6Visit

Higher score Google Family Link #4 in Parental Control Apps 8.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 5 features Visit site

vs

Apple Screen Time #6 in Parental Control Apps 8.6/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 5 features Visit Apple

• Google Family Link fits best

  Families wanting broad free Google controls

• Apple Screen Time fits best

  Apple-only households

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Side by side

Feature	Google Family Link 8.8/10 Visit ↗	Apple Screen Time 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.8	8.6
Ranking	#4 in Parental Control Apps	#6 in Parental Control Apps
Best for	Families wanting broad free Google controls	Apple-only households
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Free plan	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Mobile	Desktop, Mobile
Platforms	Web, Android, iOS, Chrome extension	iOS, macOS
Support	Email, Docs	Docs
Built for	Solo	Solo, Small business
Features Google Family Link 5/5 · Apple Screen Time 5/5
Content filtering	✓	✓
Screen-time schedules	✓	✓
App blocking	✓	✓
Activity reports	✓	✓
Location tracking	✓	✓
Specs
Device platforms	Android	Not checked yet
Device limit	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Free access to screen-time limits, schedules, app controls, and reports Broad controls across Chrome, YouTube, Search, Play, and Google Accounts Location viewing, notifications, and battery status for compatible devices	Free built-in controls across iPhone, iPad, and Mac Detailed app, website, scheduling, and activity controls Family Sharing and iCloud integration
Cons	Most Family Link tools cannot supervise iPhones, iPads, or non-Chromebook computers Location features depend on compatible Android and Fitbit devices Feature availability varies by device, account, country, and age requirements	No location tracking within Screen Time Limited to Apple's iOS and macOS platforms Requires Apple devices for the built-in feature set
Our verdict	Google Family Link is a free parental-control app for families using supervised Google Accounts. It lets parents manage children’s apps, set daily screen-time limits, create Bedtime, School Time, and Downtime schedules, restrict content,… Read the review →	Apple Screen Time is a built-in parental control feature for families managing children’s use of iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It combines app and website activity reports with Downtime schedules, app and category limits, website controls, and… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Google Family Link — where it wins

  • Free access to screen-time limits, schedules, app controls, and reports
  • Broad controls across Chrome, YouTube, Search, Play, and Google Accounts
  • Location viewing, notifications, and battery status for compatible devices

  Where it doesn't

  • Most Family Link tools cannot supervise iPhones, iPads, or non-Chromebook computers
  • Location features depend on compatible Android and Fitbit devices
  • Feature availability varies by device, account, country, and age requirements

• Apple Screen Time — where it wins

  • Free built-in controls across iPhone, iPad, and Mac
  • Detailed app, website, scheduling, and activity controls
  • Family Sharing and iCloud integration

  Where it doesn't

  • No location tracking within Screen Time
  • Limited to Apple's iOS and macOS platforms
  • Requires Apple devices for the built-in feature set

• Google Family Link8.8/10 · Free plan

  A free Google-centered toolkit for screen time, content, apps, activity, and location.

  Visit siteFull verdict →
• Apple Screen Time8.6/10 · Free plan

  A free, Apple-integrated control layer for managing apps, content, schedules, and communication.

  Visit AppleFull verdict →