Parental control alternatives
3 Best Google Family Link Alternatives in 2026
Quick answer Family Link is free, which is great, but it's limited to the Google world (Android + Chromebook), and the screen time controls stay simple. Here are three alternatives with more serious controls.
This page compares three alternatives on a selection of key features, platforms and pricing.
Overview
Three alternatives at a glance
Top pick
Starting at $19.95
12-month or 24-month license. No subscription. No auto-renewal.
Shared screen time across devices
Bonus time codes
Weekly + monthly limits
Made in Germany
From $59.95/year
Basic plan, 5 devices. $109.95/year Complete (unlimited).
iOS + macOS + Chromebook
YouTube monitoring
Calls & SMS monitoring
Per-app limits: Higher-priced plan only
$99/year or $14/month
Bark Premium. Unlimited devices.
AI content alerts
30+ platforms
45 content categories
US, AU, ZA only
Top pick
Salfeld Child Control: the full toolkit for Windows and Android families
Salfeld Child Control is made in Germany by Salfeld Computer GmbH. It runs on Windows and Android using a fixed-term license (12 or 24 months) with no automatic renewal. All features are included in every license. Prices start at only $19.95.
✓
Per-app time limits for full control
Set individual daily, weekly and monthly time limits for each app or group of apps. Gaming, social media, homework apps: each one can have its own schedule.
✓
Limit audio apps too, not just visual ones
Salfeld can also limit time spent on audio-only apps like Spotify, podcasts or YouTube Music. Kids sometimes use audio to “step away” from screens without truly disconnecting. With Salfeld, audio counts toward the daily limit too, so when time is up, they actually switch off.
✓
Readable YouTube history for real conversations
See the actual video titles your child watched, not cryptic URLs. Makes it much easier to talk about what they are watching instead of guessing.
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Works everywhere, no country restrictions
Salfeld is available worldwide. Whether you live in Europe, North America, Asia, Oceania or Latin America, you can use it without any regional limitation.
✓
One shared screen time budget across devices
Your child's Windows PC, tablet and Android phone share the same daily time budget. Switch devices, the timer keeps running. No more arguments about which device counts.
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Reward good behaviour with bonus time
Bonus Time Codes: 6-digit codes your child enters to unlock extra minutes. You can also auto-generate bonus time for educational apps, so learning earns screen time.
✓
Made in Germany, no data sharing
Developed by Salfeld Computer GmbH, a German software company. We do not share or sell your family's data to third parties. Salfeld operates under German data protection law, widely regarded as one of the strictest in the world: on top of GDPR, Germany enforces its own additional regulations (BDSG) and applies them rigorously.
Free 30-Day Trial.
Full features for 30 days. 30-day money-back guarantee if you buy.
Download Salfeld Plans & PricingFeatures
Full feature comparison
| Feature | Salfeld | Family Link | Qustodio | Bark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time controls | ||||
| Daily screen time limit | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Weekly or monthly screen time limit | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Daily time limit per app (e.g. 30 min of TikTok a day) | Highly Customizable | ✓ | ✓ Higher-priced plan only | Bark Phone only |
| Weekly or monthly time limit per app | Highly Customizable | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Block an app at set times (e.g. no games during homework) | Highly Customizable | ✓ via Downtime / School Time | ✓ | ✓ day-of-week routines |
| Time limit on music & podcasts | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Shared limit for a group of apps (e.g. all social media together) | Customizable create your own groups | ✗ | Standard predefined categories | Standard predefined categories |
| One screen time limit across all devices (phone + tablet + PC combined) | ✓ | Partial app limits shared, daily limit per-device | ✓ within one child profile | ✗ |
| Reward extra time with a code | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Blocked hours (e.g. bedtime, school hours) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Content filtering | ||||
| Block websites by category (adult, gambling, etc.) | ✓ | ✓ Chrome only | ✓ | ✓ |
| Block specific apps | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| AI alerts on risky messages & posts | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ Higher-priced plan only | ✓ |
| See what your child watches on YouTube | Advanced | Partial via YouTube Family Center, not Family Link app | ✓ Higher-priced plan only | Alerts only content scans, not a view history |
| See screenshots of your child's activity | ✓ Windows | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Location & communication | ||||
| See where your child is | ✓ Android | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Read your child's calls & texts | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ Higher-priced plan only | ✓ |
| Platforms | ||||
| Windows | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ Edge browser monitoring |
| Android | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Chromebook | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| iOS | ✗ | ✓ Parent app only | ✓ | ✓ |
| macOS | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ Edge browser / iOS relay only |
| Pricing & availability | ||||
| Free plan | 30-day trial | ✓ Completely free | 30 days | 7 days |
| No subscription required | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Available worldwide | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | US, AU, ZA |
Try Salfeld on your own family’s devices
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What you actually pay over 2 years
For a family protecting 5 devices over 2 years. USD amounts shown first for easier scanning. Salfeld's official price is in EUR.
About these prices: Prices are published on each vendor's website and can change. Promotions, regional pricing and currency conversion may give you a different total. Always check the official website for the current price in your country before buying. Salfeld's official price is in euros; USD amounts are approximate. Salfeld's 24-month license covers the full 2-year period in a single one-time payment. Qustodio Basic 2-year total reflects Qustodio's published year-1 price ($59.95) plus its published renewal price ($72.94), as shown on Qustodio's pricing page.
FAQ
Google Family Link Alternatives: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best alternative to Google Family Link in 2026?
It depends on your devices and priorities. Salfeld Child Control is the strongest choice for Windows and Android families wanting weekly and monthly screen time allowances, shared screen time across devices, bonus time codes, and a category-based web filter that works independently of Google. Qustodio suits families who need coverage across iOS, macOS, Chromebook and other platforms. Bark suits parents who prefer AI-driven content alerts across social media.
Why would I pay for a parental control when Family Link is free?
Family Link is a good starting point, but it has significant limitations: no weekly or monthly screen time allowances, no bonus time rewards, and web filtering limited to Chrome and SafeSearch. If your child uses a Windows PC, Family Link cannot help at all. A paid solution like Salfeld offers much finer control. Starting at $19.95 for 12 months, it's a modest cost for a full set of parental control tools.
Does Google Family Link work on Windows?
No. Google Family Link only supervises Android devices and Chromebooks. It does not cover Windows devices. If your child uses a Windows PC, Salfeld Child Control or Qustodio are good options. Salfeld covers both Windows and Android under a single license with shared time limits.
Does Salfeld support iOS or macOS?
No. Salfeld runs on Windows and Android only. The parent portal works from any browser, including iPhone, iPad and Mac, but child-side software requires Windows or Android. If your children use iOS devices, Qustodio is a better choice.
Can I set one screen time budget that applies across all my child's devices?
Partially with Google Family Link. Its app-level time limits apply across all of a child's Android and Chromebook devices, but the overall daily screen time limit applies to each device separately, so a child who runs out of time on their tablet could pick up their phone and get a fresh allowance. With Salfeld, both the daily and weekly/monthly screen time budgets are shared across all linked Windows and Android devices under one profile. Qustodio does this too within a child profile. Bark tracks time per device separately.
Can Salfeld block YouTube?
Yes. Salfeld can block YouTube through its web filter (by blocking the video streaming category) or through app controls (by blocking the YouTube app). It also provides a readable YouTube viewing history that shows actual video titles so you can see what your child has been watching, not just that they were on YouTube.
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Full features for 30 days. 30-day money-back guarantee.
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All trademarks, product names, logos, and brands referenced on this page are the property of their respective owners. Their use here is for identification and comparison purposes only and does not imply any affiliation, endorsement, or sponsorship by or with Salfeld Computer GmbH. Google Family Link is a trademark of Google LLC. All third-party product information is sourced from publicly available official websites and is provided in good faith. Prices and features are subject to change: verify on official websites before purchasing. Salfeld Computer GmbH is not responsible for the accuracy of third-party information shown above. Please check official websites yourself to ensure the most accurate and up-to-date information.