Google Family Link vs mSpy
Google Family Link
families.google.commSpy
mspy.comSide by side
| Figure | Google Family Link | mSpy |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $11.66/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 6 |
| Spec score · Parental control apps | 8.7 (#10) | 8.0 (#47) |
| App blocking | Yes | Yes |
| Content filtering | Yes | Yes |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Headquarters | Mountain View, California, United States | Prague, Czech Republic |
| Location tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Purpose | Family Link helps parents guide their child’s online experience and build digital habits. | mSpy describes itself as parental monitoring software that lets a user view a child’s device activity through an account on a smartphone or computer. |
| Support | Google directs parents to its Help Center and offers feedback through the Family Link app, email, or phone. | mSpy says free service includes 24/7 email support and live chat, while its paid Support Priority Line offers 24/7 phone assistance. |
Plans
mSpy
- Premium — 1 month$69.99 a month
- Premium — 3 months$40 a month
- Premium — 12 months$16.67 a month
- Premium — 12 Months$11.66 a month
- Premium — 3 Months$27.99 a month
- Premium — 1 Month$48.99 a month
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.