Software · head to head
Bark vs Qustodio
The short version
- Only Qustodio has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Bark the hardware products lock you into 24 month device payments on top of the monthly service; Qustodio monitoring requires installing a separate Kids App on each child device in addition to the parent app
- They diverge on capability: Bark covers AI-powered content monitoring, Qustodio covers Web filtering & blocking.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Bark and Qustodio actually diverge.
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Bark
- AI-powered content monitoring
- Text & email monitoring
- Screen time management
- Web filtering
- Check-in alerts
- Cyberbullying detection
- TikTok
Only in Qustodio
- Web filtering & blocking
- Screen time limits
- App blocking & control
- Calls & SMS monitoring
- YouTube monitoring
- Panic button
- All major browsers
- Social media platforms
Both cover
- Social media monitoring
- Location tracking
- YouTube
- Cloud deployment
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Bark
- Monitoring a child's texts, social media and photos for concerning contentnot Qustodio
- Blocking websites and apps by schedulenot Qustodio
- Location tracking for a child's phone or watchnot Qustodio
- Screen time limits across home devicesnot Qustodio
- A restricted phone or watch with no browser or social medianot Qustodio
Qustodio
- Blocking apps and inappropriate web content on a child's devicenot Bark
- Setting screen time limits and screen-free periods for childrennot Bark
- Tracking a child's location and getting arrival and departure alertsnot Bark
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Bark
- The hardware products lock you into 24 month device payments on top of the monthly service
- The app costs more on iOS at $20 a month than on Android at $14, because of what Apple allows a monitoring app to do
- Sold in the United States only, with the app also available in South Africa and Australia
- Bark Home at $6 a month covers home network devices only and does not travel with a phone
Qustodio
- Monitoring requires installing a separate Kids App on each child device in addition to the parent app
- The Android kids app requires Device Administrator, Accessibility and VPN permissions to filter content and prevent uninstall
- Web content filtering works by running a VPN service on the child's device
- On Huawei devices battery-saving mode must be disabled for Qustodio to work
- The product is available in only eight languages: English, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, German, Japanese and Chinese
- Coverage is limited to Windows, Mac, iOS, Kindle and Android devices
Pricing, plan by plan
Bark
$5/month- Bark Jr$5/month
- Screen time scheduling
- Web filtering
- Location tracking
- Bark Premium$14/month
- Everything in Bark Jr
- Content monitoring
- 30+ social platforms
Qustodio
Free- FreeFree
- 1 device
- Basic web filtering
- Daily activity reports
- Small Plan$54.95/year
- 5 devices
- Advanced web filtering
- App controls
- Medium Plan$96.95/year
- 10 devices
- All Small features
- Family locator
- Large Plan$137.95/year
- 15 devices
- All Medium features
- Priority support
Which should you pick?
Choose Bark if
- You need ai-powered content monitoring.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Windows, Mac, Chromebook.
- You also want text & email monitoring.
Choose Qustodio if
- You need web filtering & blocking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Windows, Mac, Chromebook, Kindle.
- You also want screen time limits.
Questions people ask
- Is Bark or Qustodio better?
- Neither clearly leads. Bark starts at $5/month and Qustodio at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Bark or Qustodio?
- Qustodio has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $5/month for Bark and Free for Qustodio.
- Does Bark or Qustodio run on more platforms?
- Bark runs on Web, Ios, Android, Windows, Mac, Chromebook. Qustodio runs on Web, Ios, Android, Windows, Mac, Chromebook, Kindle.
- Can I use Qustodio for free?
- Yes. Qustodio has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Bark starts at $5/month.
- What is Bark best used for?
- Bark is most often used for monitoring a child's texts, social media and photos for concerning content, blocking websites and apps by schedule, location tracking for a child's phone or watch, screen time limits across home devices. Of those, monitoring a child's texts, social media and photos for concerning content and blocking websites and apps by schedule are not what Qustodio is typically brought in for.
- What can Bark do that Qustodio cannot?
- Bark covers AI-powered content monitoring, Text & email monitoring, Screen time management, Web filtering. Qustodio covers Web filtering & blocking, Screen time limits, App blocking & control, Calls & SMS monitoring. Both handle Social media monitoring, Location tracking, YouTube, Cloud deployment.