Qustodio allows parents to monitor and restrict what their kids get up to online. It is perfect for parents who want more insight into their children’s online activity. It has features like web filtering, screen time scheduling, and restrictions on games, apps, and websites. On top of that, Qustodio’s location tracking services are very precise!
But is Qustodio worth your money? In this Qustodio review, our parent and kids testing panel put this parental control app under a loop to find out for themselves.
Can’t wait to try the app, Qustodio offers a fantastic three-day free trial of its premium features! You don’t have to submit any payment information and can connect your kids’ devices right away!
Qustodio: Short Review
What We Like
- Lots of features: screen time scheduling, app limits, and web filtering
- Works on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Amazon Kindle, and Chromebook
- User-friendly app, very quick to install
- Has a free version available!
- Three-day trial of Premium features (no payment info required)
- Available in English, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, German, Japanese, and Chinese
What We Don't Like
- More expensive than other parental control apps
- Set-up of some features can be time-consuming
- Limited features on iOS
Our Qustodio review revealed that this parental control app provides a range of parental control features that are very helpful and easy to use, such as:
- Web and app filtering: You can select which apps and websites kids can use.
- Location tracking: Provides information on the places your kids have been and their current location
- Screen time limits and schedules: This setting allows you to choose how long your kids spend on certain sites and when they can use their devices.
- Activity reports: Through this feature, you can have a look at which sites your kid visited and how long they spent on them.
We’re particularly impressed with the insight parents get in their kids’ online activity. While real-time alerts were not as time-sensitive as we’d hoped, there’s a timeline overview that shows you exactly what apps your children used, including videos watched on YouTube.
On top of that, our parent testing panel was positively surprised by how easy it is to set up a daily screen time schedule that actually works! No more worrying about unfinished homework.
When it comes to pricing, Qustodio’s premium subscription is on the expensive side. However, there’s a free trial that you can make use of to see for yourself how well these features work and if Qustodio is the right parental control app for you. And the best part? You don’t have to register any payment information.
Qustodio: How Much Does It Cost?
Qustodio has various plans available at different costs:
- Qustodio Free
- Qustodio Basic for $54.95/year
- Qustodio Complete for $99.95/year
New users get a three-day free trial of all premium features. You don’t need to submit any credit card details or other payment information. When your free trial ends, you can continue with Qustodio Free or upgrade to Qustodio Basic or Qustodio Complete.
Premium plans have a 30-day money-back guarantee: if you’re not satisfied with the software, you can be refunded within the first 30 days of your purchase.
Keep reading our Qustodio review as we specify which features are included in which plan.
Qustodio’s specifications
In the table below, we include more information about the features offered in each subscription package for this parental app.
| Specifications | Qustodio Free | Qustodio Basic | Qustodio Complete |
|---|---|---|---|
| Download link | Get Qustodio Free | Get Qustodio Basic | Get Qustodio Complete |
| Pricing | Free | $54.95/year | $99.95/year |
| Available devices | PC, Mac, Android, iPhone/iPad, Chromebook, Kindle | PC, Mac, Android, iPhone/iPad, Chromebook, Kindle | PC, Mac, Android, iPhone/iPad, Chromebook, Kindle |
| Number of devices | 1 | Up to 5 | Unlimited |
| Safe Search | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Screen time monitoring | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Daily time limits | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Restricted time periods | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Web filtering | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Location tracking | ✖ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Panic button | ✖ | ✔ (Android devices) | ✔ (Android devices) |
| Games and apps blocking | ✖ | ✔ | ✔ |
| YouTube monitoring | ✖ | ✖ | ✔ |
| Call & SMS monitoring | ✖ | ✖ | ✔ |
| Customer support tickets | ✖ | ✖ | ✔ |
Based on our Qustodio Free review and as you can see from the table above, a lot of essential features are included with the free version of Qustodio. However, to get the full range of premium features, we recommend opting for the Qustodio Complete plan.
Features and Effectiveness: How Well Does Qustodio Perform?
Qustodio is one of the best parental control apps. For performance, we give it a score of 9/10 since the app is packed with features to keep your children safe online.
After testing the app extensively for this Qustodio review, here are some main things we took note of:
- Web and app filtering works well and is easily customizable.
- Setting up daily time limits and a screen time schedule was very easy and worked well.
- Location tracking is very accurate.
- Setting up the calls and messages feature is complex, and the tool can be invasive.
Web filtering
Qustodio’s web filtering settings are impressive! We found 25+ predefined web categories that you can control, including Social Media, Entertainment, Games, Violence, Pornography, Mature Content, and Profanity. We could also add websites manually by clicking on the “Websites” tab at the top of the app.
For each category or site, parents can click on the three dots on the right of the categories to choose “Allow,” “Alert Me,” or “Block.”
Qustodio can also block unknown websites that are not included in the website categories and automatically enable “Safe Search” for Google, Bing, and YouTube. We could do this by clicking on the toggle on the right next to “Block unknown websites.” If the toggle is blue, then that means you have enabled that feature.
During testing, we were happy to see that web filtering worked effectively! The kids in our testing panel could not gain access to categories or sites that were restricted, even in Incognito Mode.
Note:
Not all browsers are compatible with Qustodio. Browsers that work are Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, and Amazon Silk Browser. If your child uses more anonymous browsers such as Tor, Opera, and Brave, Qustodio won’t work.
When testing for our Qustodio review, we found that alerts were not always very timely, especially when kids were using iOS devices. However, they were very accurate. Parents can keep an eye on their kids’ timeline to see which apps and websites they use.
If you want to ensure your kids have a safer browsing experience (and protect their devices from malware!), you might consider using a VPN. The best VPN providers add an extra layer of security to your internet connection and keep online threats at bay.
NordVPN’s Threat Protection feature blocks websites that contain malicious software, so you can have peace of mind that your children will not access a site that may infect their device with malware or other online monitoring programs.
Games and apps blocking
Don’t want your kids to spend excessive time playing games or watching videos on TikTok and its alternatives? Qustodio lets you block apps completely or set time limits for games and apps.
The table below shows you which apps Qustodio can block.
| App | Can Qustodio Block It? |
|---|---|
| TikTok | ✔ |
| YouTube | ✔ |
| ✔ | |
| ✔ | |
| ✔ | |
| Snapchat | ✔ |
| Telegram | ✔ |
| ✔ | |
| Omegle | ✔ |
| Roblox | ✔ |
| Minecraft | ✔ |
| Fortnite | ✔ |
We were happy to see that app blocking worked well with iOS devices. Not all parental control software apps can get past Apple’s defenses so easily. Of course, it’s also possible to manage and block apps on Android devices, Windows, macOS, Kindle, and Chromebook.
For each app, you can block or allow access by clicking on the arrow on the right. You can also set a daily time limit by selecting the tab at the top that says “Limit set.” This prevents your kids from using unsafe apps like Instagram or playing games you might think they’re too young for.
While Qustodio can manage time spent on social media apps, parents won’t be able to see their kids’ messages or posts. Depending on your parenting style, this can be a positive or a negative feature for your family. If you’d like more comprehensive social media monitoring, Bark is a good alternative.
Screen time scheduling
One of our favorite features during this Qustodio review was screen time monitoring! Parents can create a weekly screen time schedule or set daily screen time restrictions for each of their children.
Want to give your child enough time to connect with their friends online but still do their homework in the afternoons? Or make sure they can’t access their phone at night? Qustodio lets you create a customizable schedule that works for your family!
Qustodio divides the day into morning, afternoon, and night. Simply highlight the restricted time periods in red. During these hours, your kids won’t be able to access their devices unless they use them for emergency calls or the panic button (Android app).
Important:
Unfortunately, the panic button is only available for Android devices.
As another measure of internet safety for your kids, you can also set screen time limits on a daily basis and choose to receive alerts when your kid reaches their screen time limit. Once a limit has been reached or your child is in a “red” zone, their phone will be locked.
All time restriction features work seamlessly and definitely made Qustodio rise in our rankings!
Location services/location tracking
As a parent, it can be helpful to know your child’s location. Qustodio lets you keep an eye on your child and shows you an overview of where they’ve been. You’ll receive updates from your child’s device every five to 10 minutes.
Pro Tip:
On Android, Qustodio can give parents directions to their child’s location via Google Maps.
Be aware that children, especially older kids, might feel like location tracking is too invasive. If you’d like to give your child more privacy, you can use a feature called Your Places, which is available in the Qustodio parents app.
This is a geo-fencing tool that lets you mark a certain area as safe. You will only be notified if your child leaves this area.
Call & SMS monitoring
Premium Qustodio plans allow you to monitor calls and text messages on your child’s device. It requires a separate setup that you need to download directly from Qustodio’s website rather than the App Store or Google Play Store.
When setting it up for this Qustodio review, we realized the process is not very straightforward, but the feature works well.
You can block or allow certain phone numbers and even monitor the content of your children’s text messages in Qustodio’s activity reports. Keep in mind that it won’t work for third-party apps like Snapchat or WhatsApp.
Keep in Mind:
Monitoring your child’s texts and phone calls is not to be taken lightly. We advocate for privacy, including children’s privacy. Moreover, spying on your children can backfire quickly. Make sure you communicate openly with your children at all points and consider what is best for your family in the long-run.
While you might want to prevent cyberbullying, experts warn that monitoring your children too closely limits their development of digital skills.
YouTube monitoring
Is YouTube safe for kids? It’s certainly very popular! Qustodio’s parental control software lets you set limits for YouTube and gives insight into what your children are watching.
In the “Timeline,” you can see your kids’ YouTube app search history as well as what videos they watch. On your child’s device, you will see that comments are disabled due to the “Restricted Mode.”
Depending on the age of your children, you might consider YouTube monitoring to be too invasive and disregard it. But if you choose to use the feature for younger kids, it can help to also enable “Safe Search” in the web filtering section.
This way, your child doesn’t risk accidentally coming across any harmful YouTube videos.
Ease of Use: How User-Friendly Is Qustodio?
Qustodio has a user-friendly interface and is pretty easy to install. Certain set-ups require more time and effort. Overall, we give Qustodio a rating of 8/10 for ease of use. Here’s what our testing panel noted during our Qustodio review:
- Qustodio’s website is easy to navigate.
- The installation process for the parental control software takes some time, but the steps are easy.
- Customer support is helpful, but there is no live chat feature.
Qustodio’s website and installation process
When you get started with Qustodio, you get a free three-day trial. This is a great way to get acquainted with the app.
How to install Qustodio
If you’re looking for good parental control software, this app definitely worth a try, as we discovered during our Qustodio review.
As for most parental control apps, it takes some time to set up Qustodio. But luckily, the process is very easy! New to parental controls? Here’s a step-by-step guide to installing the app:
- On the Qustodio homepage, click the “Sign Up” button or “Get Started for Free.”
- Enter your name, email address, and password, and click “Create an account.”
- Log into Qustodio once your account is successfully created to connect your children’s devices.
- To sync your child’s device (whether phone or laptop), download Qustodio from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. For the iOS app, the configuration requires a few extra steps, but Qustodio guides you through the process. You can cover multiple devices.
- Head over to the online dashboard for parents to set your “Rules” once you’ve got the app installed.
Using Qustodio
Qustodio is very intuitive to use and easy to understand. On the parent app, you can see each of your children and their connected devices under the “My Family” tab.
Click on your child’s name to see the details of their activity. You can see how much time they’ve spent on their device, as well as their app and web activity. For example, if your kids are addicted to video games, you can see how long they have spent playing games on their devices.
For an extensive overview, go to the “Timeline” tab. This is also where you can see your child’s location. If you’d like to manage any of the settings, head over to “Rules” to find all Qustodio features in one place.
Our testing panel was impressed with the wide range of features that can help your kids be safer online. What’s important to note is that kids can’t delete the Qustodio app off their phones without parental permission. This might be useful for younger children but causes resistance in teens.
From experience, we know that communication is key. Internet safety experts for kids remind us that children don’t learn from being spied on, so be mindful of over-surveillance.
For a more privacy-sensitive app that’s focused on promoting communication between kids and parents, you can also have a look at Bark.
Customer service
As a parent, you want to know that you can ask for help when needed. During our Qustodio review, we discovered that this app provides good customer support for premium users.
There’s no live chat feature, but you can use the ticketing system to get email support. Customer support responded promptly to our request (within 24 hours) and provided expert advice.
Qustodio also offers a feature called Care Plus, which comes with an extra charge for the Basic plan subscription but is free with the Complete plan. Through this feature, users can arrange a call with a customer representative.
Moreover, the Qustodio website has a very in-depth and helpful support library where you can find frequently asked questions (FAQs), tutorials, and some troubleshooting tips.
Data Privacy: How Does Qustodio Use Your Data?
The Qustodio parental control app treats your data with relative care. Our testing panel gives Qustodio an 8/10 for data privacy overall. Here’s why:
- Qustodio does not share personal data with third parties.
- Anonymous data may be provided to other service providers to enhance Qustodio’s performance.
- By contacting Qustodio, you can ask for your data to be deleted.
Privacy policy
We looked into Qustodio’s privacy policy to see how they handle user data. On the whole, it seems pretty standard, and the company assures that it treats personal data “with strict confidentiality in accordance with applicable law.”
They claim that, unless otherwise indicated, personal data will not be provided to third parties. The company is COPPA-compliant and processes data of EU users under the GDPR.
However, Qustodio does claim that they may share information with specific third-party service providers when necessary. This is required for the optimal performance of the app. This happens on an “aggregated non-identifiable basis.”
Information stored by Qustodio on their secure servers is non-identifiable: even if a server is hacked, data cannot be easily connected to a specific person.
Pro Tip:
You can contact Qustodio at any point to request access to your data and ask them to delete it if you want.
Keeping Kids Safe Online With Qustodio
Parental control apps let parents keep a closer eye on their kids’ online lives. But is Qustodio the best parental control app out there? It’s certainly among the best parental control apps you can get right now, as we discovered during our Qustodio review.
With essential parental control software features such as web and app filtering, screen time scheduling, and detailed activity reports, the Qustodio app can optimize your family’s online security.
The app is easy to install and is compatible with many different operating systems. On iOS, some of the features require a more thorough setup. Moreover, we found that real-time alerts do not arrive as quickly as they could.
We also want to note that some of Qustodio’s features, such as Call & SMS monitoring and YouTube monitoring, are pretty invasive. Since your children cannot delete or manage the Qustodio app, it takes away almost all their control. Alternative parental controls have more nuance in their features.
Even so, Qustodio does what a parental control app should do! It blocks apps whenever your child has reached their daily limit, comes with customizable web filtering settings, and provides accurate location updates.
Along with the three-day free trial, you also have a 30-day money-back guarantee to try the premium Qustodio app before committing!
For more information on other parental control apps and the features they offer, have a look at the following articles:
- Bark Review: Is This Parental Control App Any Good?
- Norton Family Review: Will It Keep Your Family Safe?
- Canopy Review: Is the Canopy Parental Control App Safe?
Got a question about the Qustodio app? We’ve got you covered in the FAQ section below. Click or tap on a question to see the answer.
Qustodio is one of the best parental control apps and helps parents monitor and limit their children’s online activity. It includes features like web and app filtering, YouTube monitoring, location monitoring, and more.
Yes, Qustodio is reliable. We tested Qustodio and found that it is a highly effective app that lets parents control what their kids can view online and how much time they spend on the internet.
To disable Qustodio, your child will need to enter the password for the parent account. So, as long as your child does not know the password, they cannot disable or delete Qustodio from their device.
Yes, Qustodio is a safe app that treats your data with care. However, if you want to optimize your online safety even more, we recommend using a VPN on top of parental control software.
Qustodio's iOS protection can be easily bypassed, and the company has not been transparent in informing customers about this vulnerability or providing guidance on how to address it. When I requested a refund due to Qustodio not effectively protecting my child, they declined without addressing the core issue.
We were aware of the limited features available on iOS, but will look into this particular issue during our next round of testing and adjust the review according to our results! Thank you for notifying us.