# LinkVance vs Friend Controls

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: LinkVance at none against Friend Controls's 10. LinkVance also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.4). Friend Controls's advantage is update cadence (every 8 days vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (559 vs 2). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Friend Controls sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. LinkVance asks for nothing beyond the download.

LinkVance holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Friend Controls has 559 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

LinkVance ships an update every 5 months, Friend Controls every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on June 7, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | LinkVance | Friend Controls |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/linkvance/id1666416382/reviews)** | [4.7 (559 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/friend-controls-screen-time/id6651826679/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **559** |
| Positive reviews | — | 85.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 52 MB | 71 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 17.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Coding Minds, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1480612283) | [Ryan Moazzami](https://appshunter.io/developer/1552062516) |

## What reviewers say

### LinkVance

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/linkvance/id1666416382)

Monitor your child's device activity with AI-powered insights. See recent actions, timestamps, and screenshots, with AI identifying activities like gaming or web browsing. A history tab provides a detailed log of past usage.

**Highlights:** AI-based activity monitoring, Timestamped activity logs, Screenshot capture, AI recognition of activities, History tab for past usage

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Friend Controls

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/friend-controls-screen-time/id6651826679)

This app helps you manage your screen time by setting daily limits for app usage. When you reach your limit, friends can approve or deny your requests for additional time, putting accountability in their hands.

**Highlights:** Set time limits for apps, Schedule app block-out times, Request extra screen time from friends, Approve or deny time requests with messages, Monitor screen time reduction

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Access | $2.99 | per month |
| Weekly Access | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Access | $5.99 | per month |
| Monthly Access | $9.99 | per month |
| Monthly Access | $14.99 | per month |
| Yearly Access | $14.99 | per year |
| Yearly Access | $29.99 | per year |
| Yearly Access | $44.99 | per year |
| Yearly Access | $59.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Access | $29.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is LinkVance free?

LinkVance is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Friend Controls free?

Friend Controls is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, LinkVance or Friend Controls?

LinkVance is rated higher. LinkVance averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Friend Controls averages 4.7 from 559 ratings.

### Do LinkVance or Friend Controls have ads?

Neither LinkVance nor Friend Controls shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, LinkVance or Friend Controls?

LinkVance ships an update every 5 months, and Friend Controls every 8 days. Most recently, LinkVance was updated on June 7, 2026 and Friend Controls on September 26, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*