Circle Parental Controls vs Family Orbit
Circle Parental Controls
meetcircle.com
Family Orbit
familyorbit.comSide by side
| Figure | Circle Parental Controls | Family Orbit |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $7.49/mo | $7.50/mo |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 3 | 3 |
| Spec score · Parental control apps | 8.7 (#13) | 8.8 (#9) |
| Activity reports | Yes | Yes |
| App blocking | Yes | Yes |
| Content filtering | Yes | Yes |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Location | Circle says the app can help track family members’ mobile devices. | GPS tracking includes real-time location, location history, geofence alerts, check-ins, and panic alerts. |
| Location tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Monitoring | The app offers usage and history monitoring, including a breakdown of sites visited throughout the day. | It offers monitoring of text messages, call logs, browsing history, photos, videos, contacts, and calendar events. |
| Purpose | Circle describes its app as a parental control tool for families to reduce screen time and create healthy online habits. | Family Orbit is a parental control app for monitoring a child’s phone usage, location, and online activities. |
| Screen-time schedules | Yes | Yes |
Plans
Circle Parental Controls
- Circle Parental Controls App$9.99 a month
- Circle Parental Controls App$7.49 a month
- Circle Home Plus Device + App$69, paid once
Family Orbit
- Monthly$19.95 a month
- QuarterlyPrice not published
- Annual$89.95 a year
In their own words
Circle Parental Controls
Circle Parental Controls has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
Family Orbit
Family Orbit is a parental control app for monitoring a child’s phone use, location and online activity. Parents can review text messages, call logs, browsing history, photos, videos, contacts and calendar events, and use content filtering, app blocking, screen-time schedules and activity reports. GPS features include real-time location, location history, geofence alerts, check-ins and panic alerts. The maker describes AI-powered alerts for inappropriate photos, profanity, sexting, cyberbullying and harassment. WhatsApp monitoring is listed, and the pricing page also names iMessages. Family Orbit supports Android and iOS devices, with desktop downloads for Windows and macOS; web is also listed as a platform. A desktop app supports Wi-Fi Sync with iTunes or Finder from the parent’s computer. iCloud monitoring uses the child’s iCloud credentials and does not require installing an app on the child’s device. The Monthly plan costs $19.95 a month for up to five devices, and a 3-day trial is offered. The maker says explicit parental authorization is required and the product is for legal parental monitoring.