Comparison

Google Family Link vs boundrees

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

Head to head
About

Google Family Link

This app helps parents manage their children's digital lives by setting screen time limits, managing app usage, and filtering online content. It allows parents to track device location, secure accounts, and receive important notifications.

Highlights
  • Set screen time limits
  • Manage app usage
  • Filter online content
  • Track device location
  • Secure child accounts
  • Approve/block apps
Currently charting
Read full description

Google Family Link is a parental controls app that helps you keep your family safer online. Every family’s relationship with technology is unique, so we built tools for you to choose the right balance for your family, and help them create healthy digital habits. You can use the app to see how your child is spending time on their device, see their device location, manage privacy settings, and more. With Family Link, you can: Establish digital ground rules • Set screen time limits — Find the screen time that works best for your child. Family Link lets you set daily time limits, with school time and downtime schedules for their devices, so you can help your child find a healthy balance. • Manage your child’s apps — Give your child the flexibility they need when it comes to app usage. Set individual app time limits, and unlimited time for educational or regularly used apps. You can block apps, too. Manage content filters and security & privacy • Manage what they see online — Set up parental controls on Google services like Chrome, Play, YouTube, and Search. Family Link allows you to block inappropriate sites, require approval for new apps, manage permissions for apps and websites, and more. • Secure their account — Family Link gives you access to manage your child’s account and data settings. As a parent, you can help change or reset your child’s password if they forget it, edit their personal information or even delete their account if you feel necessary.* *Children over the applicable age can manage their own account. Stay connected on the go • See where they are — It’s helpful to be able to find your family when they’re on the go. With Family Link, you can locate your children on one map, as long as they’re carrying their device. • Get notifications and alerts — Family Link delivers critical notifications including when your child arrives or leaves a certain location. You can also ring devices and view the device’s remaining battery life. Important Information • Family Link’s tools vary depending on your child’s device. See a list of compatible devices at https://families.google/familylink/device-compatibility/ • While Family Link helps you manage your child’s purchases and downloads from Google Play, they will not need approval to install app updates (including updates that expand permissions), apps you have previously approved, or apps that have been shared in Family Library. In addition, purchase approvals will apply only when your child makes a purchase through Google Play’s billing system and will not apply to purchases made through alternate billing systems. Parents should regularly review their child’s installed apps and app permissions in Family Link. • You should carefully review the apps on your child’s supervised device and disable those you don’t want them to use. Note that you may not be able to disable some pre-installed apps such as Play, Google, etc. • To see the location of your child or teen’s device, the device must be powered on, recently active, and connected to the internet through data or wifi. • Family Link parental controls are only available for supervised Google accounts. With supervised Google Accounts, children get access to Google products like Search, Chrome, and Gmail, and parents can set up basic digital ground rules to supervise them. • While Family Link provides tools to manage your child’s online experience and keep them safer online, it does not make the internet safe. Family Link can not determine the content on the internet, but it can give parents the opportunity to make decisions about how their child spends time on their device, and determine what path to online safety looks best for your family.

About

boundrees

This digital safety app provides parents with AI-powered alerts for cyberbullying, self-harm signals, and inappropriate content. It offers reliable location tracking and works across all apps children use, prioritizing privacy and secure on-device monitoring.

Highlights
  • AI-powered safety alerts
  • Real-time location tracking
  • Cross-app monitoring
  • Privacy-first design
  • Simple setup
  • COPPA/GDPR compliant
Features
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boundrees is a powerful parental control app designed to help parents protect kids online, monitor phone activity, and detect potential risks early. With boundrees, you can: • Monitor your child’s phone activity in real time • Receive alerts for harmful or risky behavior • Detect concerning language and interactions • Stay informed about your child’s digital safety • Help guide healthier online habits boundrees alerts on serious risks like: • Cyberbullying • Self-harm and mental health issues • Grooming or contact with adult strangers • Inappropriate content • Violence, including dating violence • Releasing personal information like real name, phone number, address, email • Sextortion • Drugs/alcohol You don’t need to read every message or monitor every app. boundrees flags concerns only when it matters most. The boundrees Difference • Real-Time Safety Alerts: AI-powered insights that detect warning signs early — before issues escalate. • Reliable Location Tracking: Know where your child is in real time. • Works Across ALLApps Kids Use Daily: boundrees helps parents stay aware beyond just the “popular” platforms. • Privacy-First by Design: Monitoring happens securely on-device, and we never sell, rent, or share your family’s data. • Simple Setup, No Headaches: No VPNs. No complicated controls. Just safety that runs quietly in the background. Why Parents Choose boundrees™ boundrees isn’t about control — it’s about trust, boundaries, and protection. Parents choose boundrees because it’s: • A digital safety partner, not invasive surveillance • Designed to reduce overwhelm and increase peace of mind • Built for modern parenting conversations • Safe, secure, and COPPA/GDPR compliant Get protected in 5 easy steps: 1. Download boundrees™ 2. Create your family account 3. Start with a free trial 4. Connect your child’s device 5. Receive alerts and location updates instantly boundrees™ helps you strike the balance between protection and privacy — because knowing is protecting, and parenting deserves better tools. boundrees™: Protecting Kids. Respecting Privacy. Boundrees uses the standard Apple Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Boundrees requires a subscription purchase to continue use after the 14-day free trial period. The base price is $14.99/month or $99/year.

Screenshots

Google Family Link4 screens
boundrees4 screens

Verdict

The call

Google Family Link and boundrees both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of boundrees's written reviews are positive against 27% of Google Family Link's. Google Family Link's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ratings volume (297K vs 7). On price, rating, ads and device support 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. boundrees sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month. Google Family Link asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

boundrees holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Google Family Link has 297K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 27% of Google Family Link's written reviews are positive against 100% of boundrees's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Google Family Link ships an update weekly, boundrees fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Google Family Link versus boundrees: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGoogle Family Linkboundrees
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (297K ratings)4.9 (7 ratings) — better
Positive reviews27.1% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings297K — better7
Update frequencyWeekly — betterFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#71 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size185 MB6 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperGoogleE-2 Unlimited Technologies, Inc

Customer experience

Google Family Link

All ratings295,833 ratings
Positive92.3%
Neutral2.6%
Negative5.1%
Written reviews2,235 reviews
Positive27.1%
Neutral7.8%
Negative65.1%

boundrees

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Google Family Link

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Keyboard disappears when trying to edit time limits
  • Devices randomly disconnecting from the app
  • Inability to remove child accounts after they turn 13
  • Incompatibility with certain devices and operating systems

Requested features

4 requests
  • More flexible scheduling options
  • Ability to whitelist/blacklist apps
  • Improved communication between parent and child devices
  • Support for multiple child accounts

boundrees

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Google Family Link

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

boundrees

Subscriptions2
  • Boundrees14 Days trial2 variants$14.991 Month
  • Boundrees14 Days trial2 variants$99.991 Year

Questions

Is Google Family Link free?
Google Family Link is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is boundrees free?
boundrees is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Google Family Link or boundrees?
boundrees is rated higher. Google Family Link averages 4.7 out of 5 from 297K ratings, while boundrees averages 4.9 from 7 ratings.
Do Google Family Link or boundrees have ads?
Neither Google Family Link nor boundrees shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Google Family Link or boundrees?
Google Family Link ships an update weekly, and boundrees fortnightly. Most recently, Google Family Link was updated on November 9, 2026 and boundrees on November 5, 2026.

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