Comparison

PiParent vs IP Scanner & Service Watcher

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

Head to head
About

PiParent

Manage your Pi-hole server for enhanced network oversight and parental controls. Organize devices into family groups, schedule internet access, and block specific content categories. Offers advanced features and insights with an optional premium upgrade.

Highlights
  • Network oversight
  • Parental controls
  • Family group organization
  • Scheduled internet access
  • Content category blocking
  • Pi-hole admin tools
  • Family insights
Features
Read full description

PiParent gives you ultimate network oversight and effortless parental controls without compromising your family data. Built exclusively to orchestrate your Pi-hole server, PiParent turns raw network rules into seamless, schedule-driven family oversight directly from your iPhone. Take control of screen time, shut down adult content, and reclaim peace of mind-all while remaining 100 percent invisible to third-party analytics and advertisers. ZERO DATA, MAXIMUM PRIVACY Unlike standard parental control apps that track every app open, route your traffic through their servers, and build profiles on your kids, PiParent operates with a strict Zero-Data architecture. NO Servers: The app talks directly to your local Pi-hole. NO Accounts: All preferences stay secure on your phone. NO Analytics: We never track what you tap, see, or view. SECURE STORAGE: Credentials live safely in iOS Keychain. SMART FAMILY GROUPS Stop managing raw IP addresses. Instantly organize your network devices into simple family profiles. Tap Assign to link dynamic clients to specific children, gaming systems, or workspaces. EFFORTLESS SCHEDULES AND BEDTIMES Define healthy digital boundaries that enforce themselves. Set Bedtime windows for any group, and PiParent will automatically lock down internet access at night, re-enabling it only when the sun comes up. Reclaim nightly routines effortlessly. CONTENT CATEGORY BLOCKING Switch off the noisy web. PiParent allows you to activate targeted blocking for specific content profiles with one tap: Social Media and Doomscrolling Streaming Video Services Video Gaming Portals Explicit and Adult Content Gambling and Tracking PIPARENT PLUS (Premium Upgrade) Take command of advanced administration and real-time oversight. Try it free for 7 days! INSTANT DOWNTIME Hit the master override button. One tap instantly severs internet access to any group until you manually turn it back on. Perfect for dinner time, study sessions, or family nights. FAMILY INSIGHTS Discover exactly how your network is behaving. Unlock visual breakdowns of query trends and get a real-time leaderboard of the Top Allowed Domains used by devices in each family group. REWARD TIME Grant bonus screen time without wrecking your permanent schedule. Grant 15, 30, or 60 minutes of unrestricted access that automatically sunsets itself when the timer hits zero. PI-HOLE ADMIN TOOLS Update your Pi-hole Gravity blocklists, flush temporary logs, or restart your DNS resolver remotely directly from the dashboard. Requirements: An active Pi-hole instance running on your local network. Note: PiParent is a remote management dashboard utility that interacts with a user's self-hosted Pi-hole server via API calls over the local network. The app does not implement VPN technologies, does not route user traffic, and does not collect or share any user data. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

IP Scanner & Service Watcher

Features
Read full description

IP Scanner & Service Watcher is a field toolkit for IT support engineers, network administrators, CCTV/camera technicians, and home lab users. Diagnose the network you are connected to, discover LAN devices, check open ports, inspect TLS certificates, resolve DNS, run ping/traceroute, and watch important services from your phone. KEY FEATURES - LAN discovery: scan the current subnet or a custom CIDR/IP range and review device IP, MAC, vendor, online/offline state, and open-port status. - Port scanning: use focused profiles for IT, servers, network devices, and CCTV systems, or enter custom ports and ranges. - Multi-instance tasks: run ping, LAN port checks, WAN checks, traceroute, and loop scans side by side, then jump back to each live task from the running-task badge. - WAN visibility: detect public IPv4/IPv6 and check public port reachability through an external probe. - Network tools: Ping, DNS Lookup, Traceroute, Website Check, Site Alive, Endpoint Health, Content Match, SSL/TLS Check, Domain Expiry, Subnet Calculator, Wake-on-LAN, and MAC vendor lookup. - Service Watchers: convert supported tool runs into recurring checks with healthy/failing/recovered states, thresholds, cooldowns, history, and optional notifications. - Clear diagnostics: TLS, HTTP, DNS, TCP, IPv6, and OS-level limitations are reported clearly so field work does not stop at a vague network error. The app is designed for networks and systems you own or are authorized to test. It is not a nearby Wi-Fi/SSID scanner, Wi-Fi analyzer, wardriving tool, VPN, proxy, or broad internet scanner. No account is required for the core scanning tools.

Screenshots

PiParent4 screens
IP Scanner & Service Watcher4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: IP Scanner & Service Watcher at none against PiParent's 3. PiParent's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 2 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. PiParent sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. IP Scanner & Service Watcher asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PiParent ships an update every 9 days, IP Scanner & Service Watcher every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
PiParent versus IP Scanner & Service Watcher: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPiParentIP Scanner & Service Watcher
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.115.1
Further details — not scored
Size41 MB33 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAnkur GuptaHung Cao Vu

In-app purchases

3 purchases

PiParent

Subscriptions2
  • PiParent+ Monthly$1.991 Month
  • PiParent+ Yearly$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • PiParent+ Lifetime$19.99
None

IP Scanner & Service Watcher

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PiParent free?
PiParent is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is IP Scanner & Service Watcher free?
IP Scanner & Service Watcher is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do PiParent or IP Scanner & Service Watcher have ads?
Neither PiParent nor IP Scanner & Service Watcher shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PiParent or IP Scanner & Service Watcher?
PiParent ships an update every 9 days, and IP Scanner & Service Watcher every 2 months. Most recently, PiParent was updated on October 7, 2026 and IP Scanner & Service Watcher on October 25, 2026.

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