Software · head to head
Tiny Beans 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: Tiny Beans the free Tinybeans plan is capped at 20 uploads per month and 5GB of storage; Apple Screen Time parental controls require setting up Family Sharing and a Child Account rather than working standalone
- They diverge on capability: Tiny Beans covers Private photo sharing, Apple Screen Time covers Screen time tracking.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Tiny Beans and Apple Screen Time actually diverge.
| Attribute | Tiny Beans | Apple Screen Time |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | free |
| Platforms | Ios, Android, Web | Ios, Ipados, Macos |
| Founded | 2012 | 2016 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Tiny Beans
- Private photo sharing
- Video sharing
- Milestone tracking
- Daily email digests
- Child timelines
- Comments & reactions
- Print products
- Memory search
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
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Tiny Beans
- Keeping a private family photo and video journal organised by datenot Apple Screen Time
- Sharing baby photos with invited grandparents and relatives onlynot Apple Screen Time
- Turning saved moments into printed photo booksnot Apple Screen Time
Apple Screen Time
- Screen time managementnot Tiny Beans
- Content filteringnot Tiny Beans
- Device controlnot Tiny Beans
- Family safetynot Tiny Beans
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Tiny Beans
- The free Tinybeans plan is capped at 20 uploads per month and 5GB of storage
- The free plan shows ads; an ad-free experience requires Tinybeans+
- A second user account to share the journal is a Tinybeans+ feature
- High-quality video uploads are limited to 5 minutes and require Tinybeans+
- Tinybeans+ storage is capped at 200GB rather than unlimited
- Priority support is restricted to Tinybeans+
- Subscriptions renew automatically unless auto-renew is switched off at least 24 hours before the period ends
Apple Screen Time
- Parental controls require setting up Family Sharing and a Child Account rather than working standalone
Pricing, plan by plan
Tiny Beans
Free- FreeFree
- Photo & video sharing
- Daily email updates
- Milestone tracking
- Premium$4.99/month
- Everything in Free
- Unlimited storage
- Video longer than 1 min
Apple Screen Time
Free- Included with iOS/macOSFree
- Screen time limits
- App restrictions
- Content filtering
Which should you pick?
Choose Tiny Beans if
- You need private photo sharing.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Ios, Android, Web.
- You also want video sharing.
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 Tiny Beans or Apple Screen Time better?
- Neither clearly leads. Tiny Beans 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, Tiny Beans or Apple Screen Time?
- Tiny Beans starts at Free and Apple Screen Time at Free.
- Does Tiny Beans or Apple Screen Time run on more platforms?
- Tiny Beans runs on Ios, Android, Web. Apple Screen Time runs on Ios, Ipados, Macos.
- Can I use Tiny Beans for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Tiny Beans best used for?
- Tiny Beans is most often used for keeping a private family photo and video journal organised by date, sharing baby photos with invited grandparents and relatives only, turning saved moments into printed photo books. Of those, keeping a private family photo and video journal organised by date and sharing baby photos with invited grandparents and relatives only are not what Apple Screen Time is typically brought in for.
- What can Tiny Beans do that Apple Screen Time cannot?
- Tiny Beans covers Private photo sharing, Video sharing, Milestone tracking, Daily email digests. Apple Screen Time covers Screen time tracking, App limits, Downtime scheduling, Content filtering. Both handle Cloud deployment, Ios support, English language support.