Why Choose Qustodio over Circle?

Weighing up different parental control solutions

It can be time-consuming and maybe even a little confusing to pick the right parental control solution for your family, given the many options available on the market. We’ve dug a little deeper to provide you with the details you need to make an informed choice on how to keep your kids safe online. Today we look at Qustodio and Circle to find out what they have to offer and help you see if they’re the right fit for you.

Qustodio vs Circle

Cross-platform solution

Nowadays, due to the many different kinds of devices available, people need parental controls that support multiple platforms in order to meet their family’s needs. Whether you use a different kind of device from your child to monitor their activity, or maybe your child has several devices of their own, the more limited parental controls out there can pose problems for families. This is not an issue for Qustodio or Circle! Both work seamlessly across multiple platforms, meaning you can trust them to protect your child’s Windows, Mac, Android iOS, Kindle and Chromebook devices.

Easy setup

Busy parents need powerful solutions that are simple to use. When it comes to parental controls, they want a hassle-free app they can install on their children’s devices quickly and easily. While Qustodio’s setup is quick and simple, Circle is a little more cumbersome, requiring you to configure each device connected to the network individually.

Free Trial

A free trial lets you test out a parental control app so you can get a feel for it and make sure it meets your needs. Qustodio offers parents full access to the Premium version for 3 days, while Circle provides an impressive 30-day trial period. Qustodio also offers a permanent free option, with limited features, once the free trial is over.

Price

Pricing varies greatly across parental control apps. Qustodio’s annual Premium plans are easier on your wallet, starting at $54.95 and offer protection for 5+ devices. If you opt for Circle, you’ll first have to invest in their device which costs $129 and includes a one-year Premium membership. Once the trial is up, their Premium plan costs $9.99 per month.

Google Play Ratings

Customers tend to rate Qustodio significantly more highly than Circle in the Play Store.

Apple Store Ratings

Both apps enjoy ratings from happy parents in the Apple Store, with Qustodio generally scoring higher than Circle.

Geolocation

It’s natural for kids to explore and want to go off, unsupervised, with their friends. Understandably, this can cause a lot of stress and worry for parents. Both Qustodio and Circle offer geolocation services to give you that added peace of mind, so you can keep an eye on your child’s whereabouts while they enjoy being out and about.

Geofencing

Geofencing lets you define safe areas on the map that your child can visit such as home, school and grandma’s house. If your child wanders outside of these areas, you will receive an alert to let you know. Qustodio users already enjoy this feature but it is not available on Circle.

Call and Text Monitoring

Call and text monitoring lets you check only known or ‘safe’ contacts are messaging or calling your child. Qustodio offers this feature on Android devices. It is not currently available on Circle.

Time Limits

The massive move towards homeschooling means kids are spending more time on their devices than ever. While you may have tried to set healthy screen time limits at home, the reality is often different and it can be a struggle to keep them in place. Luckily Qustodio and Circle allow parents to establish time limits to suit their routine and stop kids from staring at the screen too long. Once the limit is reached, kids are automatically ‘locked out’ of their session, forcing them to take a break.

Block Apps

Kids today are constantly hearing about different apps or discovering them by themselves. Many of them are fun and maybe even educational, yet there is always a risk that these apps are meant for older teens or even adults. Qustodio and Circle allow parents to decide which apps they want their children to be able to use and to block any they deem inappropriate.

Activity Report & Alerts

Qustodio keeps parents up to date by sending alerts as well as an email outlining their child’s online activity and behavior. Parents can choose to receive this report daily or weekly. Circle also provides alerts and reports, however they tend to be more limited and do not include information about websites visited.

Panic Button

Kids need to play outside and meet up with other kids their age. More often than not, they spend their time having harmless fun. However, if children find themselves in a dangerous situation and need help, Qustodio’s panic button for Android gives them a quick way to alert a trusted parent or relative. This feature is not currently offered by Circle.

Web Filtering

Web filtering lets you control which kind of websites your child can access. Whether you choose to block unsafe or inappropriate websites, allow specific kinds of sites, or receive alerts when your child tries to access certain websites, Qustodio and Circle make this possible. Qustodio currently lets you filter 29 different kinds of websites, while Bark offers a total of 30 web categories.

Languages

Qustodio is available in 8 different languages (English, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, German, Chinese and Japanese). Circle is available in 4 languages (English, Spanish, French and German).

Note: This table has been prepared on the basis of public information available as of 8 February, 2021 using information from Meet Circle websites and product testing under similar conditions. No claims, representations or warranties, whether express or implied, are made as to the quality, reliability and performance of any of the referenced products. All third-party trademarks are property of the respective owners and Qustodio’s use of these trademarks and brand names does not indicate any sponsorship, promotion, or endorsement between Qustodio and the owners of these brands. Reference to the trademarks is merely to identify the corresponding third-party products and services and shall be considered nominative fair and legitimate use under trademark and advertising laws. For any queries, or if you believe any of the information is inaccurate, please contact info@qustodio.com

Qustodio provides the most parental control features and extensive reporting for parents who want one app that does it all, across devices and operating systems. Qustodio can also be used in combination with Google Family Link and Screen Time.

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