Google Family Link vs KidGate
Google Family Link
families.google.com
KidGate
kidgate.appSide by side
| Figure | Google Family Link | KidGate |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Parental control apps | 8.7 (#10) | 7.6 (#65) |
| Privacy | Google says personalized advertising is prohibited for minors, though children may see contextual ads and ads from non-Google providers. | KidGate says it does not sell personal data or use children’s data for advertising, and families can request deletion of their data. |
| Purpose | Family Link helps parents guide their child’s online experience and build digital habits. | KidGate gives parents controls for children’s screen time, apps, web use and safety. |
| Screen time | Parents can set daily screen time limits and School Time or Downtime schedules. | Parents can set a daily cap and blocked hours, and the device locks itself when time is up. |
| Support | Google directs parents to its Help Center and offers feedback through the Family Link app, email, or phone. | The site directs users to Support and lists [email protected] as its contact email. |
Plans
In their own words
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.