PiParent vs Network Scan
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Network oversight
- Parental controls
- Family group organization
- Scheduled internet access
- Content category blocking
- Pi-hole admin tools
- Family insights
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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/
Network Scan
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Who's on my Wi‑Fi? What's that unknown device? Can I reach my server? Network Scan answers all of it. It finds every device on your network, and opens a real SSH terminal to any of them. Discover, diagnose, and connect, all in a clean, native app with nothing to sign up for. SCAN YOUR NETWORK • See every device on your local network with its IP address and open ports. • Group and filter devices (SSH hosts, media and smart‑home gear, newly seen devices) so the list stays readable. • Continuous monitoring keeps watch and shows when devices come online or drop off. • Identifies the maker of many smart-home devices from the built-in IEEE hardware registry — entirely on device. DIAGNOSE AND EXPLORE • Ping and TCP reachability checks, DNS lookups, port scans, and service banners. • A subnet calculator and interface details for quick network math. • Tap any device to see what it likely is, based on its services and open ports. A REAL SSH TERMINAL • Connect to your servers with a full interactive terminal. Run htop, editors, Claude Code, Codex, and other full‑screen programs. • Works with any SSH server: Raspberry Pi, NAS, routers, and home‑lab machines. • Keep multiple live sessions open at once, to the same server or different ones, and switch between them instantly. • Save hosts and store passwords or generated keys securely in the iOS Keychain, unlocked with Face ID or Touch ID. PRIVATE BY DESIGN • No account, no analytics, no ads, no tracking. • Scans, saved connections, and credentials stay on your device. Network Scan is built for home labs, smart homes, and small offices, anywhere you want to understand your network and reach the machines you run. FREE • Network scanning, the grouped device list, ping and TCP reachability, DNS lookups, and recent scan history. PRO (optional) • The SSH terminal with multiple live sessions. • Custom device names, larger port scans, CSV export, and full scan history. • Try Pro free for 7 days with the yearly plan. • Prefer to pay once? Pro Lifetime is a single one‑time purchase. Pro is available as a monthly or yearly auto‑renewing subscription, or as a one‑time lifetime purchase. Payment is charged to your Apple Account. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. A free trial converts to a paid subscription unless canceled before the trial ends. Privacy Policy: https://www.superextramega.com/networkscan/privacy/ Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is device support: PiParent at 3 against Network Scan's 1. PiParent also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). 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
Both are free to download. PiParent sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Network Scan sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
PiParent ships an update every 9 days, Network Scan every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PiParent | Network Scan |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 2 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 41 MB | 12 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Ankur Gupta | Earl Jones |
In-app purchases
PiParent
- PiParent+ Monthly$1.991 Month
- PiParent+ Yearly$9.991 Year
- PiParent+ Lifetime$19.99
Network Scan
- Network Scan Pro (Monthly)$2.991 Month
- Network Scan Pro (Yearly)7 Days trial$19.991 Year
- Network Scan Pro — Lifetime$49.99
Questions
Is PiParent free?
Is Network Scan free?
Do PiParent or Network Scan have ads?
Which is updated more often, PiParent or Network Scan?
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