Softwr

Education · head to head

GoGuardian vs Qustodio

GoGuardian logo

GoGuardian

Education

Web filtering, classroom screen monitoring and self-harm alerting for school-issued devices

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Qustodio logo

Qustodio

Parenting

The best parental control app for families

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Qustodio has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: GoGuardian beacon generates alerts that a human must act on, often outside school hours, and districts that buy it without agreeing who responds at 11pm have created a liability rather than resolved one.; Qustodio monitoring requires installing a separate Kids App on each child device in addition to the parent app
  • They diverge on capability: GoGuardian covers Admin, Qustodio covers Web filtering & blocking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which GoGuardian and Qustodio actually diverge.

Attributes where GoGuardian and Qustodio differ
AttributeGoGuardianQustodio
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotesubscription
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsChrome OS, Windows, macOS, iOS, WebWeb, Ios, Android, Windows, Mac, Chromebook, Kindle
CategoryEducationParenting
FoundedUnknown2012

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

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 GoGuardian

  • Admin
  • Teacher
  • Beacon
  • Beacon 24/7
  • Scenes and sessions
  • Smart Alerts
  • Off-campus filtering
  • Reporting

Only in Qustodio

  • Web filtering & blocking
  • Screen time limits
  • App blocking & control
  • Location tracking
  • Calls & SMS monitoring
  • Social media monitoring
  • YouTube monitoring
  • Panic button

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

GoGuardian

  • A US district that must demonstrate CIPA-compliant filtering on federally subsidised broadband and wants the activity logs to survive an audit.not Qustodio
  • A one-to-one Chromebook programme where devices go home and the district needs the filtering policy to travel with the device rather than stop at the school gate.not Qustodio
  • A school with a documented safeguarding concern about self-harm that needs flagged language escalated to a named counsellor with a timestamped record.not Qustodio
  • A teacher running an online assessment who needs pupil browsers locked to a single site for the duration without provisioning a separate lockdown browser.not Qustodio

Qustodio

  • Blocking apps and inappropriate web content on a child's devicenot GoGuardian
  • Setting screen time limits and screen-free periods for childrennot GoGuardian
  • Tracking a child's location and getting arrival and departure alertsnot GoGuardian

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

GoGuardian

  • Beacon generates alerts that a human must act on, often outside school hours, and districts that buy it without agreeing who responds at 11pm have created a liability rather than resolved one.
  • Detection is language-pattern based, so it produces false positives on coursework about difficult subjects and misses coded or oblique expressions, meaning it should never be presented to parents as a safety net.
  • Filtering on school-issued devices follows pupils home, which surveils domestic internet use on a household's own connection, and districts have faced public objections when this was not disclosed clearly in advance.
  • No pricing is published, and the multi-year reseller bundles make it hard to compare against a filtering-only competitor without running a full procurement.
  • Coverage is strongest on Chrome OS and thinner on Windows, macOS and iOS, so mixed-device districts get uneven enforcement and end up running a second filtering product for the non-Chromebook estate.

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

GoGuardian

On request
  • GoGuardian Suite$undefined/year
    • Priced per student or per device, quoted by district
    • Admin, Teacher and Beacon licensed individually or as a bundle
    • Sold heavily through education resellers as three, four and five year terms

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 GoGuardian if

  • You need admin.
  • You work on Chrome OS, Windows, macOS, iOS, Web.
  • You also want teacher.
GoGuardian review

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.
Qustodio review

Questions people ask

Is GoGuardian or Qustodio better?
Neither clearly leads. GoGuardian starts at On request and Qustodio at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, GoGuardian or Qustodio?
Qustodio has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for GoGuardian and Free for Qustodio.
Does GoGuardian or Qustodio run on more platforms?
GoGuardian runs on Chrome OS, Windows, macOS, iOS, Web. 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. GoGuardian starts at On request.
What is GoGuardian best used for?
GoGuardian is most often used for a us district that must demonstrate cipa-compliant filtering on federally subsidised broadband and wants the activity logs to survive an audit., a one-to-one chromebook programme where devices go home and the district needs the filtering policy to travel with the device rather than stop at the school gate., a school with a documented safeguarding concern about self-harm that needs flagged language escalated to a named counsellor with a timestamped record., a teacher running an online assessment who needs pupil browsers locked to a single site for the duration without provisioning a separate lockdown browser.. Of those, a us district that must demonstrate cipa-compliant filtering on federally subsidised broadband and wants the activity logs to survive an audit. and a one-to-one chromebook programme where devices go home and the district needs the filtering policy to travel with the device rather than stop at the school gate. are not what Qustodio is typically brought in for.
What can GoGuardian do that Qustodio cannot?
GoGuardian covers Admin, Teacher, Beacon, Beacon 24/7. Qustodio covers Web filtering & blocking, Screen time limits, App blocking & control, Location tracking.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

GoGuardian: Is GoGuardian required for CIPA compliance?

No. CIPA requires a filtering policy and technology, not a specific vendor. GoGuardian is one of several products that satisfy it.

Qustodio: How much does Qustodio cost?

Qustodio Basic Plan costs $59.95/year (approximately $5/month) for up to 5 devices. Complete Plan costs $104.95/year (approximately $8.75/month) for unlimited devices.

Source
GoGuardian: Does Beacon monitor pupils at home?

On a school-issued managed device, yes, including outside school hours, unless the district explicitly limits the policy. This should be disclosed to families.

Qustodio: Does Qustodio offer a free version?

Yes, Qustodio offers a free version that protects a single device with basic protection features. A free trial of premium features is also available with no credit card required.

Source
GoGuardian: Is Beacon included with Admin?

A starter level of Beacon is included with an Admin subscription. The 24/7 human triage service is a separate paid tier.

Qustodio: What is the difference between Qustodio Basic and Complete plans?

Basic plan ($59.95/year) protects up to 5 devices with core features like blocking, time limits, and monitoring. Complete plan ($104.95/year) adds unlimited devices, YouTube monitoring, and custom rules. Both include 30-day money-back guarantee.

Source
GoGuardian: Is Pear Deck part of the same licence?

No. Pear Deck Learning products are sold separately from the Admin, Teacher and Beacon suite even though the same company owns both.

GoGuardian: Can teachers view screens outside lesson time?

That depends on how the district configures sessions. Leaving screen viewing available at all hours is a configuration choice, not a product limitation, and it is the setting most worth reviewing.

Share

Related pages

More on GoGuardian

More on Qustodio

Keep looking

Other head to heads