Family Orbit vs Google Family Link
Family Orbit
familyorbit.com
Google Family Link
families.google.comSide by side
| Figure | Family Orbit | Google Family Link |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $7.50/mo | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 3 | 1 |
| Spec score · Parental control apps | 8.8 (#9) | 8.7 (#10) |
| Activity reports | Yes | Yes |
| App blocking | Yes | Yes |
| Content filtering | Yes | Yes |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Location | GPS tracking includes real-time location, location history, geofence alerts, check-ins, and panic alerts. | Parents can see a child’s location on a map when the child is carrying a powered-on, recently active device connected to the internet. |
| Location tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Privacy | The privacy policy says data may be stored or processed in Australia, the United States, India, and Hong Kong, and describes transfers via HTTP or FTP. | Google says personalized advertising is prohibited for minors, though children may see contextual ads and ads from non-Google providers. |
| Purpose | Family Orbit is a parental control app for monitoring a child’s phone usage, location, and online activities. | Family Link helps parents guide their child’s online experience and build digital habits. |
| Screen-time schedules | Yes | Yes |
| Support | The support center says support tickets are answered by email within 24 hours and links to a knowledge base. | Google directs parents to its Help Center and offers feedback through the Family Link app, email, or phone. |
Plans
Family Orbit
- Monthly$19.95 a month
- QuarterlyPrice not published
- Annual$89.95 a year
In their own words
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.
Google Family Link
Google Family Link helps parents guide a child’s online experience and build digital habits. Parents can set daily screen-time limits and School Time or Downtime schedules, set individual app limits, allow unlimited time for selected apps, or block apps. Controls cover Chrome, Google Play, YouTube, and Search, including site blocking and app approval. Activity reports and location tools add visibility: a child’s location appears when the device is powered on, recently active, and connected to the internet. Family Link can alert parents when a child arrives at or leaves a location, ring devices, and show remaining battery life. Parents can install the app on Android or iOS, and some settings are available on the web. Child supervision supports Android 6.0 or later, Chromebook with Chrome OS 71 or later, and compatible Fitbit devices. It cannot supervise iPhones, iPads, or computers other than Chromebooks, and it cannot manage Google Workspace for Education accounts. Purchase approvals apply only to purchases through Google Play billing. The service is free; some features require a compatible device.