The Best Free Parental Control Apps in 2024

mSpy has one of the most extensive social media monitoring I’ve seen across spy apps. Apart from common platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram, you can also keep an eye on Snapchat, Viber, Skype, TikTok, and Tinder. Kids tend to use a lot of social media accounts, and mSpy lets you keep an eye on all of them.

I love that you can also monitor your child’s other online activities – the websites they visit, bookmarks they save, and the Wi-Fi networks they are connected to. Plus, there is also a keylogger that shows you every word they type. In my testing, I learned that you can extend this function to set keyword alerts that will notify you if they type specific words, which can be pretty handy to keep your kids away from inappropriate websites.

mSpy provides access to photos and videos saved on your children’s devices. What’s more – you can even use mSpy’s call recording feature to listen to your child’s incoming and outgoing calls. The platform supports ambient recording, which lets you listen to your child’s surroundings. Combined with the location tracker, you’ll be able to always make sure they’re in a safe environment.

The only issue I encountered with mSpy is its slightly complicated installation process. To access all mSpy features, you’ll need to jailbreak an iPhone or root an Android device. However, mSpy’s excellent customer support guided me through the process, and it ended up being a piece of cake.

mSpy offers significant discounts with long-term subscriptions.

While mSpy doesn’t offer a free trial, it provides a valuable demo that lets you explore its features in action. This demo closely mirrors the real experience, giving you a solid sense of how the app will perform in your day-to-day life. This is a great way to see firsthand how mSpy’s comprehensive features can help keep your child safe and secure.

Investing in mSpy might cost a bit, but the added features and peace of mind it provides make it a worthwhile consideration for anyone serious about online safety. Not to mention, when you pay annually, it works out to under $12/month, which is a small price to pay for your child’s safety.

mSPy is ideal if you’re looking for a single unified solution for multi-faceted tracking. Not only can you track your child’s socials, calls, and SMS, but also control the apps they have been using. You can record their screen and even track their live location.

Not many parental monitoring apps can track dating apps like Tinder, and if you’re the parent of a minor child who might be using the app, you’ll want to keep an eye on their dating. It’s easy for anyone to fall prey to scams on the app, and uMobix keeps an eye on their Tinder conversations so you can step in before things go south. In fact, with uMobix, you can track 15 social media apps, including popular apps like TikTok and X (formerly Twitter).

I was also impressed that uMobix goes beyond social media tracking. The platform allows you to monitor your kid’s YouTube activity, and details such as recently watched videos, search history, likes, and comments can be tracked. Overall, uMobix allows you to track more than 30 apps.

Another handy feature is uMobix’s Camera Snapshot, which captures a photo of your child’s surroundings using either the front or back cameras so that you know where they are. These photos are saved for up to six months and can be accessed anytime from your dashboard.

Finally, uMobix also provides complete remote control of the target device, allowing parents to delete unwanted apps. You can also set screen time limits so your kids aren’t spending all day on their devices.

However, many features, like complete remote control and camera snapshots, are only available on Android. It’s still a pretty good parental control app for iOS, though, and covers basics like calls and text messages, and some social media platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram.

Here’s what you can expect to pay with uMobix:

uMobix offers a comprehensive set of features with every plan, so you’ll have access to everything you need right from the start. While there isn’t a free trial, you can explore the app through its detailed demo, which provides a realistic preview of its capabilities.

Additionally, uMobix’s 14-day refund policy gives you peace of mind as you test it out. For those looking for exceptional value, their one-year plan not only includes a significant discount but also gives you an extra year for free, delivering over 75% off the regular price. This combination of affordability and extensive functionality makes uMobix a standout choice for anyone looking to enhance their child’s online safety.

uMobix is ideal if your child uses a variety of different apps throughout the day, as it can track up to 30 different apps. Apps like Reddit and Twitter have a reputation for hosting NSFW content — something you don’t want your kid to be exposed to.

During my research I discovered that although Spynger’s main angle is as an app to catch a cheating spouse, its features work equally well for parental control.

For instance, using Spynger, you can monitor up to 16 social media apps, including uncommon ones like Discord, Hangout, and Kik. Not only will get an idea of how your kids use social media, but you can actively monitor their accounts to stop inappropriate content and cyberbullying.

You can also track the exact real-time location of your child at all times, and you’ll get timestamps and dates. Plus, you can set geo-fencing alerts, which will notify you if your child goes beyond a set geographical boundaries, like school or your home.

One of the most impressive things I found using Spynger is its hidden screen recorder and keylogger, which can record your child’s phone screen and send you periodic screenshots. Spynger also claims to be end-to-end encrypted, which means only you can access the information from your child’s phone, ensuring no external foul play.

The best part? All of this tracking happens in Stealth Mode, which means that Spynger runs discreetly in the background and sends no notifications.

Spynger offers three plans based on duration, all of which are a tad cheaper than their competitors.

Spynger might not offer a free trial or demo, but it stands out for its exceptional value. Its 30-day refund policy gives you ample time to evaluate its features risk-free. Its annual subscription is notably more affordable than many alternatives, making it a budget-friendly option for parents.

When considering the benefits of a paid app over a free one, Spynger’s cost-effectiveness, combined with its comprehensive features, offers a compelling case. To sum it up, investing in Spynger means gaining access to reliable monitoring tools without straining your budget.

Spynger is perfect for the parent of any child addicted to social media if you want to track them on every platform possible. Spynger tracks 16 social media apps, including Tinder and Skype, which gives you a bird’s eye view of every social handle your kids use.

If there’s anything I know personally is that there’s a good chance your teenager is deleting inappropriate messages and content for fear of being caught. SpyBubble Pro allows you access to deleted calls, text messages, and social media messages, ensuring you’re always in the know. Besides this, you can extensively track your child’s email regardless of the provider. Here, too, you can view deleted emails and any attachments that might have been trashed.

I also found that the platform offers excellent device monitoring features. For example, if your child tries to swap out their SIM card, you will receive an instant notification (this is also handy if their device gets stolen or lost and someone switches the SIM card).

I love that SpyBubble can block Wi-Fi connections and websites. It also provides detailed reports on app usage, and you can restrict or even permanently delete overused apps on your child’s phone.

However, one area where I found SpyBubble falls a bit short is in its social media monitoring. You can only track four apps — Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Telegram. If your kids use apps like Snapchat, TikTok, and others, you might want to consider alternatives like mSpy.

SpyBubble Pro offers a standard plan with duration-based pricing tiers.

While SpyBubble Pro doesn’t offer a free trial or demo, it delivers impressive value through its long-term plans. Opting for the 3-month or annual subscription not only provides you with comprehensive monitoring features but also includes data storage for up to six months. This means you can review past activity and ensure you’re always informed.

Additionally, by reaching out to customer support via the chat function, I was able to secure an extra 15% discount on my subscription, enhancing its affordability. Overall I feel that SpyBubble Pro’s extended data storage and significant discounts make it a standout choice for managing devices remotely, offering a lot of value compared to some of the free options out there.

SpyBubble Pro is best if you want full monitoring of your child’s device in real-time. The platform sends you screenshots every 5 minutes, which means you instantly know what your kid is up to. It’s also ideal for non-tech-savvy parents with an easy-to-use dashboard.

When I was researching Phonsee, I noticed that it has an edge over many of its competitors when it comes to real-time GPS tracking. It gives you the exact coordinates of your child’s location. If you don’t want them to go to a particular part of the city, you can add a virtual geofence and get alerts when they stray outside these boundaries.

Another area where Phonsee does quite well is in social media monitoring. You can monitor up to 13 social media apps, including WhatsApp, Discord, Snapchat, Instagram, and others. You can read their private conversations and view posts, even if their accounts are private. Plus, I learned that Phonsee also allows you to see photos and videos shared in private chats on these social media platforms.

Phonsee also comes with a keylogger that lets you see everything typed on your child’s phone. This works best for encrypted spaces, such as Telegram secret chats. Plus, you can choose restricted words that, when typed, will trigger an alert. Other features include call and SMS tracking, screen recording, viewing website history, and the ability to block apps and websites.

Phonsee is relatively budget-friendly, considering its feature-packed offering.

Phonsee makes a strong case for itself with a free demo that allows you to experience its features before committing. This demo provides a hands-on look at how the app functions, ensuring you can see its capabilities in action.

In addition, Phonsee offers a 14-day refund policy, giving you a two-week window to evaluate its effectiveness risk-free. With an annual subscription priced at just $8.85 per month, it’s a highly affordable option for parents who are looking to invest a little for enhanced security.

Phonsee is best if your child uses an iPhone and you don’t want to mess with the device’s security settings. It also comes with an excellent GPS tracker that tells you the exact coordinates of your child’s location.

Eyezy stood out for me due to its Magic Alerts for location geofencing and keywords. With this tool, you can set a virtual fence around the area in which you want your child to be or choose a set of keywords you don’t want your child to use, and you’ll get automatic alerts on your device anytime these are breached. This handy function helps keep your kid safe both physically when they’re out of the house and virtually when they’re online.

In fact, I found that Eyezy’s keystroke capture tells you everything your child types on their device, even if they did not send the message. This includes every social media app, text message, and even Google searches. Combined with the platform’s Social Spotlight feature, you can keep an eye on each message sent on 11 popular social media apps like WhatsApp, Snapchat, Kik, Skype, and Telegram.

Plus, there’s a Connection Blocker feature that lets you block websites, Wi-Fi connections, and apps altogether, making it easy to manage access to addictive apps and inappropriate websites.

Eyezy is one of the few apps that come with an official app you can download from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. The features are limited, of course, but you can see information about calls and text messages and track your kid’s location, which may be more than enough for your needs.

You also get multiple options for iOS monitoring, from hands-free iCloud syncing (where you only need your child’s iCloud credentials) to jailbreaking (which adds features like social media monitoring and more).

Eyezy is one of the cheapest parental control apps you can get, and it gets cheaper the longer you subscribe:

Eyezy stands out as one of the most affordable parental control apps when you choose its annual plan. You can explore its features through its convenient demo, giving you a hands-on preview of how the app works before making a commitment.

Plus, with its 14-day refund window, you have ample time to test its effectiveness and ensure it meets your needs. The combination of its low annual price, a practical demo, and a generous refund policy makes Eyezy a fantastic choice for any parent on a tight budget.

Eyezy is the best option for parents with busy schedules who want an app for hands-free monitoring. Its custom alert for keywords is an excellent feature; your child doesn’t have to send the blocked word; just type it for you to get notified.

I love ClevGuard’s Monivisor because it’s one of the few monitoring apps that works well on Windows PCs, supporting Windows 7/8/8.1/10/11.

The platform offers a file activity feature that lets you keep track of created, deleted, or renamed files. This feature comes in handy if your child is looking to hide inappropriate content.

Besides this, I learned that you can view the entire browser history across all browsers, which not only tells you the website visited but also the frequency of visits. You can also block specific websites with content involving drugs, violence, phishing, or pornography and set a custom blacklist of websites.

Right from the start, I could also track incoming and outgoing calls and monitor text messages made on the PC, giving me a clear picture of communication activity. It seamlessly tracked interactions across major platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp and even saw how long was spent on each app.

While ClevGuard provides a range of apps tailored to different monitoring needs, from comprehensive smartphone tracking solutions to specialized tools like those for WhatsApp, its MoniVisor app is what you’ll need for monitoring desktop PCs running Windows. This specialization allows MoniVisor to offer detailed insights into PC activity, making it a valuable tool for parents concerned about their child’s computer usage.

Although MoniVisor is not free, its robust features and specialized monitoring capabilities justify the investment. For those considering a free parental control app, MoniVisor’s targeted approach and detailed reporting offer significant value that might change their minds, especially when it costs under $2 per day.

ClevGuard is ideal for those looking for an affordable parental control app with excellent desktop monitoring features, which is something that not many parental apps do.

Geofinder is a no-nonsense parental control app that excels in one aspect—finding your child’s exact location. You don’t need to install anything on your child’s phone. Simply visit Geofinder’s official website and enter your child’s phone number. Your child will receive a link, which, when clicked, will show you their exact GPS coordinates.

The platform also has a VPN checker that tells you if your child’s phone is connected to a VPN. Plus, you can get other information like IP addresses, cell phone carrier information, and connected Wi-Fi details.

However, I found in my research that this is all Geofinder can do for you. The platform doesn’t offer other parental control features, such as app management, social media tracking, and call and SMS monitoring. Still, it’s great at what it says it does so if this is all you need, Geofinder is a solid pick.

Geofinder costs $49.99/month flat, with no discounts for long-term subscriptions. While this app might seem more expensive compared to other robust monitoring options, it offers some distinct advantages that might make you reconsider. It’s user-friendly, doesn’t require any app installation, and is free from compatibility issues, making it a straightforward choice for parents who prefer simplicity.

If you’re hesitant about paying upfront, you can take advantage of its one-day $1 trial to explore its features. Just be sure to cancel before the trial period ends to avoid being automatically upgraded to the higher monthly plan.

Geofinder is ideal for parents who just want to know their child’s location and need no other monitoring features. It’s also great if you don’t want to install an app on your child’s device or find that difficult. The platform pulls data from Google Maps, giving you the exact coordinates.

xMobi offers features similar to other parental control apps on the list. You can view incoming and outgoing calls, along with a complete call history, time stamps, and duration of these calls, even if your child deletes call history or renames a contact. Plus, you get detailed device information, including apps installed on your child’s phone and their duration of use. xMobi will also locate the presence of any other spy apps on the device.

If your child spends a lot of time gaming, xMobi can help you monitor their Discord account. Discord is a communication platform used widely by gamers to share gaming tips and tricks and find like-minded gamers. xMobi helps you ensure your child isn’t interacting with a potentially harmful group on the platform. However, xMobi’s social media monitoring is limited to Meta apps – Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

Besides live location, xMobi tracks your child’s entire route, so you’ll know if, say, your child is taking detours while coming back from school.

xMobi has a similar pricing setup as its competitors, so it’s cheaper the longer you subscribe:

Xmobi is worth considering even if you’re initially looking for a free parental control app, as there are virtually no free options that will let you monitor Discord. While it does come with a cost, it offers several compelling benefits that justify the investment. The app is feature-rich, providing extensive monitoring capabilities that cover everything from call tracking and text message monitoring to app usage and web browsing history.

For those on the fence, Xmobi offers a demo that lets you explore its features before committing. Additionally, there’s a 14-day refund window, giving you a risk-free opportunity to evaluate how well it meets your needs.

xMobi is ideal for tracking kids and teens who are really into gaming since it can track conversations on Discord — something that not many spy apps can do.