Microsoft Family Safety vs Apple Screen Time

Microsoft Family Safety8.7Visit Apple Screen Time8.6Visit

Higher score Microsoft Family Safety #5 in Parental Control Apps 8.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 5 features Visit Microsoft

vs

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

• Microsoft Family Safety fits best

  Microsoft households using Edge and Xbox

• Apple Screen Time fits best

  Apple-only households

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Side by side

Feature	Microsoft Family Safety 8.7/10 Visit ↗	Apple Screen Time 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.7	8.6
Ranking	#5 in Parental Control Apps	#6 in Parental Control Apps
Best for	Microsoft households using Edge and Xbox	Apple-only households
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free
Starting price	$129.99/yr	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Mobile	Desktop, Mobile
Platforms	Web, Windows, iOS, Android	iOS, macOS
Support	Docs	Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business	Solo, Small business
Features Microsoft Family Safety 5/5 · Apple Screen Time 5/5
Content filtering	✓	✓
Screen-time schedules	✓	✓
App blocking	✓	✓
Activity reports	✓	✓
Location tracking	✓	✓
Specs
Device platforms	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Device limit	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Free plan includes schedules, filters, app controls, and activity reports Connects with Edge, Bing, Xbox, Microsoft accounts, and Microsoft 365 Supports purchase approvals, allowances, and mobile location alerts	Free built-in controls across iPhone, iPad, and Mac Detailed app, website, scheduling, and activity controls Family Sharing and iCloud integration
Cons	Web filtering requires Microsoft Edge and a signed-in Microsoft account Location and driving safety features are going away Some premium location features require Microsoft 365 Family	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	Microsoft Family Safety helps parents manage children’s digital activity across Windows, Xbox, Android, iOS, and the web. It is designed for households that already use Microsoft accounts, Edge, Xbox, Bing, or Microsoft 365. Core controls… 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

• Microsoft Family Safety — where it wins

  • Free plan includes schedules, filters, app controls, and activity reports
  • Connects with Edge, Bing, Xbox, Microsoft accounts, and Microsoft 365
  • Supports purchase approvals, allowances, and mobile location alerts

  Where it doesn't

  • Web filtering requires Microsoft Edge and a signed-in Microsoft account
  • Location and driving safety features are going away
  • Some premium location features require Microsoft 365 Family

• 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

• Microsoft Family Safety8.7/10 · Free plan

  A capable free option for families using Windows, Edge, Xbox, and Microsoft accounts.

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

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

  Visit AppleFull verdict →