Comparison

Circle Parental Controls App vs Parental Control App:PatLock

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

Head to head
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/

About

Parental Control App:PatLock

Remotely manage your child's phone with app locking, screen time limits, and geofencing. Control usage from your own device without needing direct access to theirs. Features include scheduled locks and customizable rules for weekdays and weekends.

Highlights
  • Remote app locking and unlocking
  • Set daily screen time limits
  • Geofencing for location-based restrictions
  • Scheduled auto-locks for specific times
  • Pure iCloud remote control
  • Optional virtual pet task assignment
Features
Read full description

PatLock — Remote Parental Control App. Manage Your Child's Phone from Anywhere. PatLock lets you lock apps, set screen time limits, and monitor usage — all from your own phone, remotely. No need to touch your child's device. Simple, secure, effective. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Remote App Locking - Lock/unlock any app on your child's device from your phone - Commands delivered in seconds - Schedule auto-lock for homework, bedtime, school hours Remote Screen Time Management - Set daily usage limits per app - Visual countdown, auto-lock when time's up - Different rules for weekdays vs weekends Remote Geofencing - Auto-restrict games near schools or study zones - Auto-unlock when leaving the area - Multiple zones supported Pure iCloud Remote Control - All commands via iCloud — no third-party servers - Real-time sync, instant status updates - Your data stays in your iCloud only Bonus: Xingbao Pet Tasks (Optional) - Assign chores through a virtual pet - Kids earn stars upon completion - Optional feature, not required for core controls Optional Disguise Mode - App can appear as a puzzle game to reduce resistance - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Security and Privacy - Face ID / passcode protection - Pure Apple CloudKit — no third-party servers - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Why PatLock? - Core features free - Truly remote — no need to touch child's device - Privacy-first, your data stays yours - 10 languages supported - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Download PatLock today and take control of your family's digital life — from your phone. Privacy Policy: https://alexjiang1.github.io/privacy.html Terms and Conditions: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Circle Parental Controls App4 screens
Parental Control App:PatLock4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Parental Control App:PatLock at 100% against Circle Parental Controls App's 10%. Parental Control App:PatLock also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.2) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 weeks). Circle Parental Controls App's advantage is ratings volume (13K vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.4). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Circle Parental Controls App sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Parental Control App:PatLock sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Parental Control App:PatLock holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Circle Parental Controls App has 13K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 10% of Circle Parental Controls App's written reviews are positive against 100% of Parental Control App:PatLock's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Circle Parental Controls App ships an update every 6 weeks, Parental Control App:PatLock every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Circle Parental Controls App versus Parental Control App:PatLock: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCircle Parental Controls AppParental Control App:PatLock
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (13K ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews10.4% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings13K — better1
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better18.4
Further details — not scored
Size144 MB38 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCircle Media Incorporated飞 江

Customer experience

Circle Parental Controls App

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

Parental Control App:PatLock

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

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

Parental Control App:PatLock

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

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
4 purchases

Parental Control App:PatLock

Subscriptions2
  • Parental Control Pro (Monthly)$2.991 Month
  • Parental Control Pro (Yearly)$12.991 Year
One-time2
  • Parental Control Pro - Half Price$19.99
  • Parental Control Pro(Lifetime)$39.99

Questions

Is Circle Parental Controls App free?
Circle Parental Controls App is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Parental Control App:PatLock free?
Parental Control App:PatLock is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Circle Parental Controls App or Parental Control App:PatLock?
Parental Control App:PatLock is rated higher. Circle Parental Controls App averages 4.2 out of 5 from 13K ratings, while Parental Control App:PatLock averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Circle Parental Controls App or Parental Control App:PatLock have ads?
Neither Circle Parental Controls App nor Parental Control App:PatLock shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Circle Parental Controls App or Parental Control App:PatLock?
Circle Parental Controls App ships an update every 6 weeks, and Parental Control App:PatLock every 3 weeks. Most recently, Circle Parental Controls App was updated on November 3, 2026 and Parental Control App:PatLock on October 24, 2026.

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