Comparison

Screen Time Parental Control vs Circle Parental Controls App

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Screen Time Parental Control

This app helps parents monitor and manage their children's device usage. It allows for setting time limits, blocking apps, tracking location, and assigning chores to earn extra screen time. The free version offers monitoring, while the premium version provides proactive control and advanced features.

Highlights
  • Monitor screen time
  • Block apps
  • Set time limits
  • GPS location tracking
  • Assign chores for screen time
  • Pause devices remotely
  • Set usage schedules
Features
Read full description

Screen Time Parental Control helps parents manage their children’s screen time and app usage. Set time limits, block apps during bedtime, reward them for chores and more. Kids who have a smartphone spend an average of 7.5 hours on their devices per day. Screen Time was developed to help parents get their children to put their phones down and engage in outdoor activities, family chats at the dinner table, concentrate on their homework, and get a good night’s sleep. The free version of Screen Time arms parents with information about their children's’ smartphone and tablet usage. With the free version of our screen time tracker, you are able to: ▪ Monitor your kids’ screen time ▪ View app usage - See which apps are being used and for how long ▪ Receive a notification when your kids try to install a new app ▪ Receive a daily summary of your kids app and web usage If you decide you need to proactively manage your children's’ screen time on iPhone or iPad, our Premium version of our app gives parents greater control over their kids’ devices. With Screen Time Premium, you can: ▪ Set a specific daily time limit for your kids’ screen time ▪ Set schedules of when they can and can’t use their device ▪ Instantly pause your kids’ devices at the push of a button ▪ Block certain app activity during bedtime ▪ See exactly where your children are with GPS phone location tracking ▪ Get an alert when your child arrives or leaves a specific location ▪ Receive a daily email summary of your kids app and web usage ▪ Set tasks and chores for your kids to complete, allowing them to earn additional screen time when they’re done ▪ Use Free Play mode to temporarily override time limit settings, like during long trips ▪ Share app management with other adults in your kids’ lives ▪ Have up to 5 devices per account, so you can track multiple kids and devices All new users will get a 7 day free trial of the Premium version of Screen Time. No credit card information is needed for this free trial, and you will not be automatically charged unless you decide to sign up for a membership. Please note: Some of Screen Time’s free and premium features are unavailable for iOS devices due to Apple restrictions. Feedback If you have any problems please take a look at our help pages, or contact us via the contact page of our website. Screen Time Parental Control App Help: https://screentimelabs.com/help Screen Time Parental Control App Contact: https://screentimelabs.com/contact

About

Circle Parental Controls App

This app helps parents manage their children's online activity and screen time. It allows for content filtering, setting time limits, pausing internet access, and monitoring usage across devices. Parents can also set bedtimes, reward good behavior, and schedule focus time for schoolwork.

Highlights
  • Content filtering by age
  • Set daily screen time limits
  • Pause internet access
  • Monitor browsing history and usage
  • Set device bedtimes
  • Reward extra online time
  • Schedule focus time
Features
Read full description

Block and limit screen time. Keep kids safe and focused with the most comprehensive and easy to use parental control app for devices in home and on the go. Circle Parental Controls App gives parents screen time control whether kids are playing their favorite online game, connecting with friends or doing schoolwork. Circle goes beyond setting Screen Time Limits and Filters with additional parental control features like Pause, History, Rewards and Bedtime. Parents can customize screen time and WiFi control based on their kids’ ages and their own family preferences, and even limit or block social media. SCREEN TIME PARENTAL CONTROL APP • Filter: Choose appropriate (or block inappropriate) content by age with web filters. Even block social media. • Time Limits: Set daily screen time limits for popular apps and sites. • Pause the Internet®: Make the Internet stop for every family member (or just one). MONITOR AND KEEP TRACK OF ONLINE TIME • History: Check out sites kids visited (or tried to visit) throughout the day. Or go back as far as you’d like for screen monitoring and phone monitoring. • Usage: Get a complete picture of your family’s Internet use, across all devices • Location: Keep track of your kids through their mobile devices. Monitor kids’ phones to keep them safe. BALANCE TIME ONLINE AND OFFLINE • Bedtime: Ensure your kids get the sleep they need. Set a bedtime for connected devices. • Rewards: Celebrate good behavior by giving a little extra online time just for the day. • Focus Time: Schedule distraction-free Internet time for school, homework or offline time. Start managing your family’s online screen time today with a free trial to access all the parental control app features like WiFi blocker, app blocker and other premium parental control app and screen time control features. Circle’s WiFi manager, Internet and website blocker, and mobile device management make for the most robust screen time parental control app available. Kids can use the Circle parental control app to keep track of their own screen time online with a personalized dashboard. THE ULTIMATE PARENTAL CONTROL APP Over 90% of Circle parental control app users say it helps keep their kids safe online and makes it easier to manage screen time in their family. ———— Circle Home Plus — sold separately Need an in-home device to manage online screen time on smart TVs, video game consoles, and computers? Manage all Wi-Fi connected devices in your home with the Circle Home Plus parental control device - universal parental control at home and away! Learn more: meetcircle.com The Circle Parental Controls App is not for use with Circle with Disney or Circle on Netgear routers. ———— Need Help? If you have any parental control app questions, need help with the Circle parental control app, or want to provide feedback, please contact our Support Team: help@meetcircle.com help.meetcircle.com ———— Subscription Pricing & Terms A Circle subscription is required and gives your family access to every Circle parental control feature. Circle Subscription comes with a FREE trial period (for new premium members only). The Circle subscription is an automatic renewing subscription. Your subscription will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase and will automatically renew unless auto-renewal is disabled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Subscriptions are billed at the start of each period and cannot be refunded. Subscribers can manage subscriptions and disable auto-renewal by visiting their iTunes Account Settings after purchase. Privacy policy: https://meetcircle.com/privacy/ Terms of use: https://meetcircle.com/license/

Screenshots

Screen Time Parental Control4 screens
Circle Parental Controls App4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Circle Parental Controls App at 4.2 against Screen Time Parental Control's 1.5. Circle Parental Controls App also leads on ratings volume (13K vs 184). Screen Time Parental Control's advantage is review sentiment (29% vs 10%) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 13.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Screen Time Parental Control sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days and Circle Parental Controls App sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Circle Parental Controls App holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 1.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Circle Parental Controls App has 13K ratings behind it against 184, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 29% of Screen Time Parental Control's written reviews are positive against 10% of Circle Parental Controls App's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 6 weeks. Both last shipped on October 22, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Screen Time Parental Control versus Circle Parental Controls App: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterScreen Time Parental ControlCircle Parental Controls App
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.5 (184 ratings)4.2 (13K ratings) — better
Positive reviews28.8% of reviews — better10.4% of reviews
Number of ratings18413K — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size31 MB144 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperScreen Time LabsCircle Media Incorporated

Customer experience

Screen Time Parental Control

All ratings185 ratings
Positive10.3%
Neutral3.2%
Negative86.5%
Written reviews749 reviews
Positive28.8%
Neutral5.5%
Negative65.7%

Circle Parental Controls App

All ratings13,424 ratings
Positive80.4%
Neutral3.5%
Negative16.1%
Written reviews231 reviews
Positive10.4%
Neutral8.2%
Negative81.4%

User reviews

Screen Time Parental Control

From 184 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent parental controls
  • 📊 Detailed usage metrics
  • ⏱️ Flexible scheduling options
  • 🎁 Ability to reward kids with extra time

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy and unreliable
  • 🔒 Difficult to uninstall or bypass
  • 🤯 Frustrating for kids
  • 🤔 Confusing setup and usage

Circle Parental Controls App

From 13K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Effective at blocking content
  • ⏱️ Helpful for setting time limits
  • 👍 Allows monitoring of device usage

Room to improve

  • 🐢 Slows down internet speed
  • 🔒 Privacy concerns with monitoring
  • 🔍 Lack of control/customization
  • 🤬 Causes family conflict
  • 💔 Damages parent-child relationship

Bugs and requests

Screen Time Parental Control

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Randomly deleting or rearranging apps
  • Failing to properly block or unblock access
  • Inconsistent behavior across devices
  • Connectivity issues and syncing problems

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to restrict specific apps instead of all-or-nothing approach
  • Remote access and control from parent device
  • Better integration with iOS and Android platforms
  • More transparent and user-friendly interface

Circle Parental Controls App

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Inconsistent behavior
  • Connectivity issues
  • Difficulty setting up and managing

Requested features

4 requests
  • More flexible time/content controls
  • Ability to whitelist/blacklist apps/sites
  • Better notification system
  • Improved performance and reliability

In-app purchases

12 purchases

Screen Time Parental Control

Subscriptions12
  • Screen Time Premium$0.997 Days
  • Web Filtering - Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Geolocation - Monthly$2.491 Month
Show 9 more
  • Premium Plan - Monthly$3.991 Month
  • Geo & Web Filtering - Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Premium Plan - Monthly$6.491 Month
  • Everything Plan - Monthly2 variants$8.991 Month
  • Geolocation - Annual$11.991 Year
  • Premium Plan - 6 Months$32.996 Months
  • Everything Plan - 6 Months$39.996 Months
  • Premium Plan - Annual$51.991 Year
  • Everything Plan - Annual$64.991 Year
4 purchases

Circle Parental Controls App

Subscriptions4
  • Monthly14 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Yearly14 Days trial$89.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Annual$89.991 Year

Questions

Is Screen Time Parental Control free?
Screen Time Parental Control is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Circle Parental Controls App free?
Circle Parental Controls App is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Screen Time Parental Control or Circle Parental Controls App?
Circle Parental Controls App is rated higher. Screen Time Parental Control averages 1.5 out of 5 from 184 ratings, while Circle Parental Controls App averages 4.2 from 13K ratings.
Do Screen Time Parental Control or Circle Parental Controls App have ads?
Neither Screen Time Parental Control nor Circle Parental Controls App shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Screen Time Parental Control or Circle Parental Controls App?
Screen Time Parental Control ships an update every 6 weeks, and Circle Parental Controls App every 6 weeks. Most recently, Screen Time Parental Control was updated on October 22, 2026 and Circle Parental Controls App on October 22, 2026.

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