Parental control alternatives
3 Best Norton Family Alternatives in 2026
Quick answer Norton Family is a yearly subscription ($49.99/year, prices may change) that auto-renews. If you miss the cancel window, you get charged again. Here are three alternatives, including one with no auto-renewal at all.
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
From $39.99/year
1 device. $54.99 for 5. $89.99 for 20.
AI web filtering
macOS + iOS
No Android
Top pick
Salfeld Child Control: screen time and app control 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.
✓
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.
✓
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 | Norton Family | Qustodio | Net Nanny |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | ✗ blocks apps, no timer | ✓ Higher-priced plan only | ✗ blocks apps, no timer |
| Weekly or monthly time limit per app | Highly Customizable | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Block an app at set times (e.g. no games during homework) | Highly Customizable | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ schedule only |
| 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) | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ within one child profile | ✓ 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.) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| AI alerts on risky messages & posts | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ Higher-priced plan only | ✗ |
| See what your child watches on YouTube | Advanced | ✓ browsers only, not apps | ✓ Higher-priced plan only | ✓ |
| See what your child searches online | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| See screenshots of your child's activity | ✓ Windows | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Location & communication | ||||
| See where your child is | ✓ Android | ✓ Android, iOS | ✓ | ✓ |
| Read your child's calls & texts | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ Higher-priced plan only | ✗ |
| Platforms | ||||
| Windows | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| iOS | ✗ | ✓ daily time limit not available on iOS | ✓ | ✓ |
| macOS | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Chromebook | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pricing & availability | ||||
| Free trial | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days | No trial - 14-day refund |
| No subscription required | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Available worldwide | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
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
Norton Family Alternatives: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best alternative to Norton Family 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 fixed-term license with no auto-renewal. Qustodio suits families who need coverage across iOS, macOS, Chromebook and other platforms. Net Nanny is strongest for real-time AI web filtering on Windows, macOS and iOS, but does not support Android.
Is there a parental control app without a subscription?
Yes. Salfeld sells fixed-term licenses for 12 or 24 months. When the license period ends, it simply expires. Nothing renews automatically and no credit card is needed for the free trial. Norton Family, Qustodio and Net Nanny all use subscriptions that renew automatically unless you cancel.
Does Norton Family work on macOS?
No. Norton Family supports Windows, Android and iOS (with limited features on iOS), but it does not support macOS. If your child uses a Mac, Qustodio or Net Nanny are better options as both support macOS.
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 or Net Nanny are better choices.
Which parental control tracks screen time across multiple devices?
With Salfeld, a single screen time budget is shared across all linked Windows and Android devices under one profile. If your child uses 45 minutes on their laptop, that time is deducted from the same budget on their phone. Qustodio and Net Nanny share the daily limit across a child's devices too within a single profile. Norton Family tracks time per device separately.
Does Norton Family have per-app time limits?
Norton Family has "App Supervision" which monitors which apps a child downloads or installs. However, we found no official documentation confirming the ability to set time limits on individual apps. The time controls appear to be device-level daily limits and scheduled times. If app-level time limits are important, Salfeld includes them in every license, and Qustodio offers them on the Complete plan.
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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. Norton Family is a trademark of Gen Digital Inc. 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.