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Parenting · head to head

Google Family Link vs Life360

Google Family Link logo

Google Family Link

Parenting

Google's free family device management and controls

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Life360 logo

Life360

Parenting

Family safety and location sharing

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Google Family Link google documents that iPhones, iPads and computers other than Chromebooks cannot be supervised with Family Link; Life360 the Silver membership stores only 2 days of location history and allows only 2 Places with alerts
  • They diverge on capability: Google Family Link covers Screen time management, Life360 covers Real-time location sharing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Google Family Link and Life360 actually diverge.

Attributes where Google Family Link and Life360 differ
AttributeGoogle Family LinkLife360
Pricing modelfreefreemium
PlatformsAndroid, WebIos, Android, Web
Founded20192008

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Google Family Link

  • Screen time management
  • App approval system
  • Device locking
  • Location tracking
  • Settings management
  • Password controls
  • Google Play filtering
  • Account monitoring

Only in Life360

  • Real-time location sharing
  • Place alerts
  • Location history
  • Crash detection
  • Emergency SOS
  • Driving safety reports
  • Roadside assistance
  • Family messaging

Both cover

  • Cloud deployment
  • Android support
  • Web support
  • English language support

What people use each for

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

Google Family Link

  • Setting screen time limits and app approvals on a child's Android devicenot Life360
  • Creating and managing a Google Account for a child under 13not Life360
  • Seeing which apps a child uses and where their device isnot Life360

Life360

  • Sharing family member locations on a shared mapnot Google Family Link
  • Alerting parents when a child arrives at or leaves school, home or worknot Google Family Link
  • Crash detection and roadside assistance for family driversnot Google Family Link

Where each one falls short

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

Google Family Link

  • Google documents that iPhones, iPads and computers other than Chromebooks cannot be supervised with Family Link
  • Supervision is built around a Google Account, so activity outside Google accounts and Android devices is not covered
  • Parent controlled account creation applies to children under 13 or the applicable age in the country

Life360

  • The Silver membership stores only 2 days of location history and allows only 2 Places with alerts
  • 30 days of location history and unlimited Place alerts require the Gold membership
  • Crash detection with emergency dispatch and live agent support, 24/7 roadside assistance and individual driver reports are Gold membership features
  • Stolen phone protection is capped at $250 on Gold and $500 on Platinum
  • Stolen fund reimbursement is capped at $25,000 on Gold, with $1 million only on Platinum
  • Free towing is limited to 50 miles and only on the Platinum membership
  • Travel support with disaster assistance and medical support are Platinum only
  • The Android app contains ads and in-app purchases

Pricing, plan by plan

Google Family Link

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Screen time limits
    • App approval
    • Device locking

Life360

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Location sharing
    • Place alerts
    • 2 days location history
  • Silver$7.99/month
    • Everything in Free
    • 30 days location history
    • Unlimited place alerts
  • Gold$19.99/month
    • Everything in Silver
    • 24/7 emergency dispatch
    • Roadside assistance
  • Platinum$39.99/month
    • Everything in Gold
    • SOS emergency response
    • Medical assistance

Which should you pick?

Choose Google Family Link if

  • You need screen time management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Android, Web.
  • You also want app approval system.
Google Family Link review

Choose Life360 if

  • You need real-time location sharing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Ios, Android, Web.
  • You also want place alerts.
Life360 review

Questions people ask

Is Google Family Link or Life360 better?
Neither clearly leads. Google Family Link starts at Free and Life360 at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Google Family Link or Life360?
Google Family Link starts at Free and Life360 at Free.
Does Google Family Link or Life360 run on more platforms?
Google Family Link runs on Android, Web. Life360 runs on Ios, Android, Web.
Can I use Google Family Link for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Google Family Link best used for?
Google Family Link is most often used for setting screen time limits and app approvals on a child's android device, creating and managing a google account for a child under 13, seeing which apps a child uses and where their device is. Of those, setting screen time limits and app approvals on a child's android device and creating and managing a google account for a child under 13 are not what Life360 is typically brought in for.
What can Google Family Link do that Life360 cannot?
Google Family Link covers Screen time management, App approval system, Device locking, Location tracking. Life360 covers Real-time location sharing, Place alerts, Location history, Crash detection. Both handle Cloud deployment, Android support, Web support, English language support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Google Family Link: Is Google Family Link free?

Yes, Google Family Link is completely free. Creating or joining a family group does not require any paid membership or subscription.

Source
Google Family Link: Do any Family Link features require payment?

Family Link itself is free, but some Google products that integrate with it like YouTube Premium for families or Google One require separate paid subscriptions if you want premium features.

Source
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Related pages

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More on Life360

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