Software · head to head
Find My Kids vs Apple Screen Time
Apple Screen Time
Software
Apple's built-in parental controls for iOS and Mac
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Find My Kids screen time limiting on Android depends on the accessibility services permission; Apple Screen Time parental controls require setting up Family Sharing and a Child Account rather than working standalone
- They diverge on capability: Find My Kids covers Real-time GPS tracking, Apple Screen Time covers Screen time tracking.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Find My Kids and Apple Screen Time actually diverge.
| Attribute | Find My Kids | Apple Screen Time |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | free |
| Platforms | Ios, Android | Ios, Ipados, Macos |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown), founded (2016).
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 Find My Kids
- Real-time GPS tracking
- Location history
- SOS button
- Loud signal
- App usage stats
- Screen time control
- Geofencing
- Battery status
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
- Spanish language support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Find My Kids
- Viewing a child's live location and the route they travelled during the daynot Apple Screen Time
- Getting alerts when a child arrives at or leaves school, home or another saved placenot Apple Screen Time
- Sending a loud signal that rings through silent mode and receiving SOS alertsnot Apple Screen Time
Apple Screen Time
- Screen time managementnot Find My Kids
- Content filteringnot Find My Kids
- Device controlnot Find My Kids
- Family safetynot Find My Kids
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Find My Kids
- Screen time limiting on Android depends on the accessibility services permission
- The app requires camera and photo access to set a child avatar and microphone access to send voice messages in chat
- Tracking requires the child to carry a phone running the paired child app
Apple Screen Time
- Parental controls require setting up Family Sharing and a Child Account rather than working standalone
Pricing, plan by plan
Find My Kids
Free- FreeFree
- Basic location
- SOS button
- Limited history
- Premium$2.99/month
- Real-time tracking
- Unlimited history
- Multiple children
Apple Screen Time
Free- Included with iOS/macOSFree
- Screen time limits
- App restrictions
- Content filtering
Which should you pick?
Choose Find My Kids if
- You need real-time gps tracking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Ios, Android.
- You also want location history.
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 Find My Kids or Apple Screen Time better?
- Neither clearly leads. Find My Kids 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, Find My Kids or Apple Screen Time?
- Find My Kids starts at Free and Apple Screen Time at Free.
- Does Find My Kids or Apple Screen Time run on more platforms?
- Find My Kids runs on Ios, Android. Apple Screen Time runs on Ios, Ipados, Macos.
- Can I use Find My Kids for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Find My Kids best used for?
- Find My Kids is most often used for viewing a child's live location and the route they travelled during the day, getting alerts when a child arrives at or leaves school, home or another saved place, sending a loud signal that rings through silent mode and receiving sos alerts. Of those, viewing a child's live location and the route they travelled during the day and getting alerts when a child arrives at or leaves school, home or another saved place are not what Apple Screen Time is typically brought in for.
- What can Find My Kids do that Apple Screen Time cannot?
- Find My Kids covers Real-time GPS tracking, Location history, SOS button, Loud signal. Apple Screen Time covers Screen time tracking, App limits, Downtime scheduling, Content filtering. Both handle Cloud deployment, Ios support, English language support, Spanish language support.