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Parenting · head to head

Apple Screen Time vs Gohenry

Apple Screen Time logo

Apple Screen Time

Parenting

Apple's built-in parental controls for iOS and Mac

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Gohenry logo

Gohenry

Parenting

The debit card for kids, managed by you

From
$3.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Apple Screen Time has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Apple Screen Time parental controls require setting up Family Sharing and a Child Account rather than working standalone; Gohenry goHenry has rebranded to Acorns Early; monthly charges apply until the plan is cancelled, per the App Store listing
  • They diverge on capability: Apple Screen Time covers Screen time tracking, Gohenry covers Kids debit card.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Apple Screen Time and Gohenry actually diverge.

Attributes where Apple Screen Time and Gohenry differ
AttributeApple Screen TimeGohenry
Starting priceFree$3.99/month
Pricing modelfreesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsIos, Ipados, MacosIos, Android
Founded20162012

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

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 Apple Screen Time

  • Screen time tracking
  • App limits
  • Downtime scheduling
  • Content filtering
  • App restrictions
  • Communication limits
  • Purchase controls
  • Family Sharing management

Only in Gohenry

  • Kids debit card
  • Spending controls
  • Chores & allowance
  • Savings goals
  • Money Missions lessons
  • Parent notifications
  • Custom card designs
  • Giving goals

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.

Apple Screen Time

  • Screen time managementnot Gohenry
  • Content filteringnot Gohenry
  • Device controlnot Gohenry
  • Family safetynot Gohenry

Gohenry

  • Kids spendingnot Apple Screen Time
  • Allowancenot Apple Screen Time
  • Teaching savingnot Apple Screen Time
  • Financial educationnot Apple Screen Time

Where each one falls short

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

Apple Screen Time

  • Parental controls require setting up Family Sharing and a Child Account rather than working standalone

Gohenry

  • GoHenry has rebranded to Acorns Early; monthly charges apply until the plan is cancelled, per the App Store listing
  • Acorns Early Lite tier is limited to 4 kids per account at $8/month (USD); the Gold tier is $12/month (USD), per the App Store listing

Pricing, plan by plan

Apple Screen Time

Free
  • Included with iOS/macOSFree
    • Screen time limits
    • App restrictions
    • Content filtering

Gohenry

$3.99/month
  • Standard$3.99/month
    • Debit card per child
    • Spending controls
    • Chores & allowance

Which should you pick?

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.
Apple Screen Time review

Choose Gohenry if

  • You need kids debit card.
  • You work on Ios, Android.
  • You also want spending controls.
Gohenry review

Questions people ask

Is Apple Screen Time or Gohenry better?
Neither clearly leads. Apple Screen Time starts at Free and Gohenry at $3.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Apple Screen Time or Gohenry?
Apple Screen Time has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Apple Screen Time and $3.99/month for Gohenry.
Does Apple Screen Time or Gohenry run on more platforms?
Apple Screen Time runs on Ios, Ipados, Macos. Gohenry runs on Ios, Android.
Can I use Apple Screen Time for free?
Yes. Apple Screen Time has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Gohenry starts at $3.99/month.
What is Apple Screen Time best used for?
Apple Screen Time is most often used for screen time management, content filtering, device control, family safety. Of those, screen time management and content filtering are not what Gohenry is typically brought in for.
What can Apple Screen Time do that Gohenry cannot?
Apple Screen Time covers Screen time tracking, App limits, Downtime scheduling, Content filtering. Gohenry covers Kids debit card, Spending controls, Chores & allowance, Savings goals. Both handle Cloud deployment, Ios support, English language support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Apple Screen Time: Is Screen Time included with iOS at no additional cost?

Screen Time is included with iOS as a built-in parental control feature. There is no additional cost beyond the iOS operating system.

Source
Apple Screen Time: What parental control features does Screen Time provide?

Screen Time allows parents to set time allowances across app categories like Entertainment, Games, and Social Media, create schedules to control which apps are available at specific times or days, and check how children are using their devices.

Source
Apple Screen Time: Which iOS devices support Screen Time?

Screen Time is available on iOS-compatible devices. Based on current iOS, this includes iPhone SE (2nd generation) and later, as well as current-generation models including iPhone 17.

Source
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