Parenting & Family · head to head
FamilyAlbum vs Apple Screen Time
Apple Screen Time
Parenting & Family
Apple's built-in parental controls for iOS and Mac
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: FamilyAlbum premium One covers only the subscriber at $2.99 a month while Premium Family and Premium Family Pro cost $5.99 and $10.99 a month respectively to cover the rest of the household; Apple Screen Time parental controls require setting up Family Sharing and a Child Account rather than working standalone
- They diverge on capability: FamilyAlbum covers Unlimited photo storage, Apple Screen Time covers Screen time tracking.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which FamilyAlbum and Apple Screen Time actually diverge.
| Attribute | FamilyAlbum | Apple Screen Time |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | free |
| Platforms | Ios, Android, Web | Ios, Ipados, Macos |
| Founded | 2015 | 2016 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Parenting & Family).
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 FamilyAlbum
- Unlimited photo storage
- Video sharing
- Private family groups
- Auto-generated slideshows
- Comments & reactions
- Growth record
- Photo print ordering
- Photo books
Only in Apple Screen Time
- Screen time tracking
- App limits
- Downtime scheduling
- Content filtering
- App restrictions
- Communication limits
- Purchase controls
- Family Sharing management
Both cover
- Cloud deployment
- Ios support
- English language support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
FamilyAlbum
- Sharing family photos and videos privately with invited relativesnot Apple Screen Time
- Auto-generating monthly highlight videos of a child's growthnot Apple Screen Time
Apple Screen Time
- Screen time managementnot FamilyAlbum
- Content filteringnot FamilyAlbum
- Device controlnot FamilyAlbum
- Family safetynot FamilyAlbum
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
FamilyAlbum
- Premium One covers only the subscriber at $2.99 a month while Premium Family and Premium Family Pro cost $5.99 and $10.99 a month respectively to cover the rest of the household
- Subscriptions renew automatically every month or year and the first month free trial converts to a paid plan unless cancelled at least 24 hours before it ends
- Free tier slideshow features are capped at up to 3 photos or videos
Apple Screen Time
- Parental controls require setting up Family Sharing and a Child Account rather than working standalone
Pricing, plan by plan
FamilyAlbum
Free- FreeFree
- Unlimited photo storage
- Unlimited video (3 min)
- Up to 50 members
- Premium$7.99/month
- Everything in Free
- 10-minute videos
- Original quality storage
Apple Screen Time
Free- Included with iOS/macOSFree
- Screen time limits
- App restrictions
- Content filtering
Which should you pick?
Choose FamilyAlbum if
- You need unlimited photo storage.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Ios, Android, Web.
- You also want video sharing.
Choose Apple Screen Time if
- You need screen time tracking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Ios, Ipados, Macos.
- You also want app limits.
Questions people ask
- Is FamilyAlbum or Apple Screen Time better?
- Neither clearly leads. FamilyAlbum starts at Free and Apple Screen Time at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, FamilyAlbum or Apple Screen Time?
- FamilyAlbum starts at Free and Apple Screen Time at Free.
- Does FamilyAlbum or Apple Screen Time run on more platforms?
- FamilyAlbum runs on Ios, Android, Web. Apple Screen Time runs on Ios, Ipados, Macos.
- Can I use FamilyAlbum for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is FamilyAlbum best used for?
- FamilyAlbum is most often used for sharing family photos and videos privately with invited relatives, auto-generating monthly highlight videos of a child's growth. Of those, sharing family photos and videos privately with invited relatives and auto-generating monthly highlight videos of a child's growth are not what Apple Screen Time is typically brought in for.
- What can FamilyAlbum do that Apple Screen Time cannot?
- FamilyAlbum covers Unlimited photo storage, Video sharing, Private family groups, Auto-generated slideshows. Apple Screen Time covers Screen time tracking, App limits, Downtime scheduling, Content filtering. Both handle Cloud deployment, Ios support, English language support.