TechRadar Verdict
Qustodio is one of the best parental control apps we have tested. It offers many features to help monitor your wards' online activities and prevent inappropriate contact. You can set time limits for your wards, supervise their social media use, block inappropriate websites, monitor messages & calls, etc. However, the tool is relatively expensive and can be bypassed on desktops through a virtual private network (VPN).
Pros
- +
Intuitive interface
- +
Cross-platform support
- +
Supports app blocking
- +
Supports time limits
Cons
- -
Relatively expensive
- -
Bypassable through VPNs
- -
Limited iOS features
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Qustodio is an American software company with an additional office in Spain. Its name stems from the Latin word for guardian, "custodia." A trio of entrepreneurs – Eduardo Cruz, Josh Gabel, and Josep Gasper – built the prototype of Qustodio in 2011 and formally launched the app the following year.
As a piece of parental control software, Qustodio performs extremely well. The app lets parents oversee their kids' online activities in an intuitive interface. The platform enables you to block inappropriate websites, games, and apps for kids, set device time limits, monitor your kids' location, track their calls & messages, and oversee general online activity. There's also a version for schools to ensure student safety.
We tested Qustodio to give you a detailed, impartial review. We evaluated the app based on specific criteria, including features, ease of use, pricing, customer support, etc.
Plans and Pricing
Qustodio has different plans for families and schools. Its three plans for families are Small, Medium, and Large. The Small plan supports monitoring for up to five devices, the Medium plan for ten devices, and the Large plan for 15 devices. The Small, Medium and Large plans cost $55, $97, and $138 yearly.
Qustodio charges schools according to the number of devices (between 5 and 100). Anything above 100 devices requires a custom quote from the company. Qustodio charges $35 monthly for five devices, $45 monthly for ten devices, $71 monthly for twenty-five devices, $115 monthly for fifty devices, and $195 monthly for hundred devices. You can observe significant discounts as the plans scale up.
Qustodio offers a free version but with limited features. The company also provides a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Features
Filter content and apps
Qustodio enables you to block potentially harmful sites so your kids can't access them. These can be gambling sites, sites with mature content, violence, public chat rooms, etc. You can also receive alerts anytime they try to access blocked content.
Kids aren't mature enough to handle certain types of online content, so this feature is beneficial.
Time Limits
Qustodio lets you set limits on how long your kids can use their devices. You can adjust these limits at any time. This feature helps prevent screen addiction, which kids are prone to.
Location Tracking
Qustodio lets you track your kids' location to ensure they're safe. You can also receive notifications when their devices ping at specific areas, for example, your home.
Track Calls & SMS
You can monitor whom your kids contact through calls or SMS with the Qustodio app. You can block any suspicious numbers that you detect.
Reports
Qustodio can give you scheduled reports of your child's online activity, delivered straight to your inbox.
Interface and in use
Qustodio has an intuitive interface. The software is straightforward to navigate, including for not-too-tech-savvy parents. Any parent should have no problem monitoring their kids' online activities with it. They can easily set time limits and block access to inappropriate platforms.
Qustodio's Activity Timeline shows you a bit-by-bit breakdown of your child's online activity, including the websites they visit, social media posts, and apps. It can alert you if your child visits specific websites, such as a file-sharing site or public chat room.
You can access Qustodio through the website or native apps on Windows, ChromeOS, macOS, iOS, Android, and Kindle.
Customer Support
Qustodio offers 1:1 support for customers through a package called Care Plus. It requires extra payment for customers subscribed for five devices but none above that level. With Care Plus, you can book a call at any time and talk to a Qustodio expert to help you solve problems you encounter when using the app.
You don't even need to have a problem before placing a call. You can also request Qustodio's experts to guide you in installing and using the platform. Live chat support is also available in English and Spanish languages.
Qustodio also offers an online Help Center with solutions to common problems and tutorials on using the platform.
The Competition
Qustodio's main competitors include SentryPC, Screen Time, and OurPact. Qustodio offers more features than these competitors and has a more intuitive interface. However, Qustodio is also significantly more expensive than them.
Final Verdict
Qustodio is an excellent piece of parental control software offering many features to oversee kids' online activities. It has an intuitive interface that even non-technical parents can easily navigate. The platform lets you prevent your kids from accessing improper websites, set time limits to avoid smartphone addiction, monitor calls and messages to avoid inappropriate contact, etc.
However, Qustodio has some noticeable flaws. Anyone using a virtual private network (VPN) can bypass its website filtering controls on a desktop. The iOS app also has limited features compared to the other native Qustodio apps, likely because of Apple's restrictions on device control capabilities. Qustodio is also relatively pricey, mainly for people managing a small number of devices.
Buying Guide
Qustodio is a comprehensive parental control app. It has different plans for families and schools and lets you monitor as many devices as possible. The app has three family plans; Small (5 devices), Medium (10 devices, and Large (15 devices), respectively costing $55 yearly, $97 yearly, and $138 annually.
Qustodio charges schools based on the number of devices they monitor. It charges $35 monthly for five devices, $45 monthly for ten devices, $71 monthly for twenty-five devices, $115 monthly for fifty devices, and $195 monthly for hundred devices. You'd need to contact the company directly for a quote for anything above 100 devices.
Qustodio is compatible with Windows, ChromeOS, macOS, iOS, Android, and Kindle. It has some significant disadvantages, including being relatively expensive. We also observed that any user could bypass its web filtering tools on a desktop with a VPN service, which is a drawback.
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