Parental control alternatives
3 Best Qustodio Alternatives in 2026
Quick answer Qustodio works well, but it's a yearly subscription that auto-renews, and some key features (app-level rules done in the full sense, weekly and monthly screen time allowances) are not part of the feature set. Here are three solid alternatives depending on what you need.
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 (EUR 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
$99/year or $14/month
Bark Premium. Unlimited devices.
AI content alerts
30+ platforms
45 filter categories
US, AU, ZA 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: focused screen time control for Windows and Android families
✓
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 | Qustodio | Bark | 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 | ✓ Higher-priced plan only | Bark Phone 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 | ✓ | ✓ day-of-week routines | ✓ 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 | 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 | ✓ 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 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| iOS | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| macOS | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ Edge browser / iOS relay only | ✓ |
| Chromebook | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pricing & availability | ||||
| Free trial | 30 days | 30 days | 7 days | No trial - 14-day refund |
| 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
Qustodio Alternatives: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best alternative to Qustodio in 2026?
It depends on your devices and priorities. Salfeld Child Control is the strongest choice for Windows and Android families wanting granular time limits and no recurring subscription. Bark suits parents who prefer AI-driven content alerts across social media. 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. Qustodio, Bark and Net Nanny all use subscriptions that renew automatically unless you cancel.
Does Qustodio work without internet?
Qustodio's web filtering and activity monitoring require an active internet connection. Salfeld Child Control stores time limits and web filter rules locally and syncs changes through its web portal. Qustodio relies on its cloud servers for rule enforcement and activity monitoring.
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.
Can I set one screen time budget that applies across all my child's devices?
Yes, with several of the tools on this page. With Salfeld, a single daily/weekly/monthly budget is shared across all linked Windows and Android devices under one child profile. Qustodio and Net Nanny share their daily limit across a child's devices too. Bark tracks time per device separately.
Is Qustodio worth the price in 2026?
Qustodio offers the broadest platform coverage of any option on this page. The Basic plan at $59.95/year for 5 devices covers daily time limits, games & apps blocking, web filtering and location monitoring. YouTube monitoring, individual app time limits, custom routines, calls & messages monitoring, AI content alerts and social media monitoring are reserved for the $109.95/year Complete plan. Families primarily on Windows and Android may still find better value with Salfeld, which includes all features in every license, adds weekly and monthly screen time allowances, and uses a fixed-term license with no automatic renewal.
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