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Parenting · head to head

Apple Screen Time vs HiMama

Apple Screen Time logo

Apple Screen Time

Parenting

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
HiMama logo

HiMama

Parenting

Childcare made simpler for everyone

From
$2/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; HiMama no pricing rates published on vendor website; redirect to Lillio without public pricing page access
  • They diverge on capability: Apple Screen Time covers Screen time tracking, HiMama covers Daily activity updates.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Apple Screen Time and HiMama differ
AttributeApple Screen TimeHiMama
Starting priceFree$2/month
Pricing modelfreesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsIos, Ipados, MacosWeb, Ios, 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 HiMama

  • Daily activity updates
  • Photo and video sharing
  • Parent messaging
  • Attendance tracking
  • Curriculum planning
  • Developmental assessments
  • Digital check-in
  • Progress reports

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.

Apple Screen Time

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

HiMama

  • Parent engagementnot Apple Screen Time
  • Daily documentationnot Apple Screen Time
  • Curriculum trackingnot Apple Screen Time
  • Staff managementnot 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

HiMama

  • No pricing rates published on vendor website; redirect to Lillio without public pricing page access

Pricing, plan by plan

Apple Screen Time

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

HiMama

$2/month
  • Basic$2/month
    • Daily reports
    • Photo sharing
    • Messaging
  • Plus$4/month
    • All Basic features
    • Curriculum planning
    • Assessments

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 HiMama if

  • You need daily activity updates.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want photo and video sharing.
HiMama review

Questions people ask

Is Apple Screen Time or HiMama better?
Neither clearly leads. Apple Screen Time starts at Free and HiMama at $2/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Apple Screen Time or HiMama?
Apple Screen Time has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Apple Screen Time and $2/month for HiMama.
Does Apple Screen Time or HiMama run on more platforms?
Apple Screen Time runs on Ios, Ipados, Macos. HiMama runs on Web, 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. HiMama starts at $2/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 HiMama is typically brought in for.
What can Apple Screen Time do that HiMama cannot?
Apple Screen Time covers Screen time tracking, App limits, Downtime scheduling, Content filtering. HiMama covers Daily activity updates, Photo and video sharing, Parent messaging, Attendance tracking. Both handle Cloud deployment, Ios support, English language support, Spanish 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
HiMama: How much does Himama cost?

Himama's pricing is not published on its website. The site redirects to Lillio (lillio.com), which does not display pricing publicly. Contact sales required for quote.

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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Related pages

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