The Best Parental Control Apps for NZ Families (2026)

Last updated: July 2026 · Reviewed by the Kiwi Families team

Worried about what your kids are seeing — and who’s contacting them — online? You’re not alone, and the numbers back you up. In a 2025 survey of 997 New Zealand children and young people by Save the Children NZ and Netsafe, only 64% said they feel safe online, with kids themselves asking for better tools to stop online bullying and harmful content (Save the Children NZ / Netsafe, 2025). Meanwhile, 44% of young New Zealanders have been contacted online by a stranger, rising to 54% of 15–17-year-olds (ECPAT NZ Online Safety Review).

Yet only about 9% of NZ parents had installed a safety filter on their child’s device, even after the government’s Keep It Real Online campaign (ECPAT NZ). A good parental control app is the simplest way to close that gap. We’ve compared the leading options below — and importantly, we’ve checked which ones actually work in New Zealand, because several popular US apps don’t.

Our top picks at a glance

• Best overall for NZ families: Qustodio
• Best free option (Android): Google Family Link
• Best free option (iPhone/iPad): Apple Screen Time
• Best from a trusted brand (with NZ$ pricing): Norton Family
• Best value / most devices: Mobicip
• Best flexible scheduling with a free tier: OurPact
• Best confirmed-NZ free tier alternative: Kaspersky Safe Kids

Quick comparison table

Prices are in USD unless marked NZ$ and are indicative — always confirm at checkout, as promo pricing changes often. Sources for each app are cited in the reviews below.

What to look for in a parental control app

Before you choose, think about what actually matters for your family:

• Your devices: iPhone-only homes have different options than Android or mixed households. Some apps are much weaker on iOS.
• Your child’s age: Younger kids mainly need screen-time limits and content filtering; teens need thoughtful monitoring and location, with room for trust.
• Free vs paid: Free tools (Family Link, Apple Screen Time) cover the basics brilliantly. Paid apps add social-media and message monitoring, AI alerts, and cross-platform coverage.
• NZ availability: This is the one most “top 10” lists ignore. We’ve verified it for you.

For free, independent NZ advice alongside any app, Netsafe offers a helpline (0508 638 723) and a Managing Online Screen Time guide (Netsafe).

The best parental control apps for NZ families

1. Qustodio — Best overall for NZ families

Qustodio hits the best balance of features, price, and platform coverage for most Kiwi families, and it’s fully available in New Zealand.

• Price: Free plan available; Basic ~US$59.95/year (up to 5 devices); Complete ~US$104.95/year (unlimited devices, AI alerts, social monitoring). 3-day premium trial and 30-day money-back guarantee
• Platforms: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Chromebook, Kindle
• Features: App/game blocking, screen-time scheduling, web filtering, live GPS tracking, YouTube monitoring, social-media and call/text monitoring, AI real-time alerts

We love: A genuinely useful free tier plus one of the most complete paid plans in the category (unlimited devices, AI alerts, social monitoring).
Keep in mind: Full social-media/message monitoring and the panic button are Android-only; iOS loses some premium features.

2. Google Family Link — Best free option for Android families

If your child uses an Android phone or a Chromebook, Family Link is free, deeply integrated, and all most families need (Family Link).

• Price: Completely free, no premium tier.
• Platforms: Android and ChromeOS for the child; parent app on Android and iOS.
• Features: Daily screen-time limits, Downtime and School Time schedules, per-app limits, app-approval requirements, SafeSearch/content filters for Google Play, Chrome and Search, family-map location, device ring/locate (Family Link).

We love: Free and seamlessly built into Android, Google Play, YouTube and Chrome.
Keep in mind: It can’t monitor non-Google apps (like WhatsApp or Snapchat content) and does very little on iPhones.

3. Apple Screen Time — Best free option for iPhone/iPad families

Already built into every iPhone, iPad and Mac, Apple Screen Time costs nothing and needs no downloads (Apple Support).

• Price: Free, built in.
• Platforms: iPhone, iPad, Mac only.
• Features: Content & Privacy Restrictions (block apps/content by rating, restrict web content and purchases), Communication Limits, Communication Safety (flags inappropriate images in Messages), Family Sharing sync, and in-app time/app requests (Apple Support).

We love: Free, no third-party app, and some safety defaults switch on automatically based on your child’s age via Family Sharing.
Keep in mind: No location tracking or broad social-media monitoring, and nothing for Android devices.

4. Norton Family — Best trusted brand, with real NZ$ pricing

Norton Family is the only app here with a genuine New Zealand storefront charging in NZ dollars — an easy, credible choice, especially if you already use Norton

• Price: NZ$59.99/year on Norton’s NZ store; some App Store listings note a 14-day trial. Also bundled inside Norton 360 Deluxe
• Platforms: Windows, Android, iOS (no Mac support)
• Features: Web supervision and content blocking, app supervision, search-term insight, time limits/schedules, School Time mode, location supervision with 30-day history and check-in requests, email activity reports.

We love: A trusted global security brand with local NZ$ pricing and support.
Keep in mind: No Mac support, and renewal pricing typically jumps well above the first-year rate.

5. Kaspersky Safe Kids — Best confirmed-NZ app with a free tier

Kaspersky Safe Kids is one of the few apps that explicitly lists New Zealand as supported, with a solid free tier.

• Price: Free tier with basic features; optional premium (often bundled into Kaspersky Premium). 8-day premium trial, no card required; 30-day money-back guarantee. Confirm current NZ pricing at checkout (SafetyDetectives review).
• Platforms: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS.
• Features: 24/7 GPS tracking with alerts, app/web/YouTube reports, web filtering, YouTube Safe Search, app blocking, screen-time scheduling, and a child dashboard showing remaining time.

We love: Officially available in NZ with a genuinely free basic tier and strong GPS features.
Keep in mind: Some parents may have reservations about Kaspersky’s Russian origins (note: it’s banned from sale in the US, which is why US lists often omit it — that ban does not affect NZ).

6. Mobicip — Best value and widest platform coverage

Mobicip officially lists New Zealand among its supported countries and offers some of the lowest entry pricing plus the broadest device support.

• Price: Lite ~US$2.99/mo (5 devices), Standard ~US$4.99/mo (10 devices), Premium ~US$7.99/mo (20 devices), billed annually. 7-day trial and 30-day money-back guarantee.
• Platforms: iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, Chromebook, Kindle Fire — one of the widest ranges here.
• Features: App blocking with uninstall protection, website-category blocking in any browser, screen-time limits and schedules, family locator/geofencing, remote lock, activity reports, and social-media monitoring with alerts.

We love: Broadest platform coverage (including Chromebook and Kindle Fire) at bargain pricing, confirmed for NZ.
Keep in mind: Reviewers rate its monitoring depth as slightly less polished than Qustodio.

7. OurPact — Best flexible scheduling with a free tier

OurPact is confirmed available in NZ and shines at scheduling device access around school, meals and bedtime.

• Price: Free tier (1 device, limited blocks); Premium US$6.99/mo or US$69.99/yr; Premium+ US$9.99/mo or US$99.99/yr (adds screenshots and 30-day location history). 14-day trial.
• Platforms: iOS and Android, and a child can mix both under one account.
• Features: Unlimited schedules and manual blocks, daily screen-time “Allowance,” app and web blocking, texting blocking, location with place alerts, tamperproofing, and (Premium+) screenshots with keyword image filtering.

We love: A genuinely useful free tier and the most flexible scheduling in this list.
Keep in mind: The deeper monitoring (screenshots, extended location) needs the pricier Premium+ tier.

8. MMGuardian — Best for deep Android control

The MMGuardian app is available in New Zealand and offers granular Android controls, though its bundled “MMGuardian Phone” hardware is US-only.

• Price: Single Phone ~US$4.99/mo or ~US$49.99/yr; Family ~US$9.99/mo or ~US$99.98/yr (5 devices). 14-day trial, no card required.
• Platforms: Android and iOS (mobile only).
• Features: Inappropriate-image alerts, app control and blocking, web filtering, SMS monitoring, location tracking, and (Android) call/SMS blocking and time limits (SafetyDetectives review).

We love: Strong, detailed Android-side controls including call/SMS blocking.
Keep in mind: iOS loses several features (time limits, call/SMS blocking, location history) at the same price.

9. Net Nanny — Strong content filtering (Apple/PC only)

Net Nanny has an excellent content-filtering engine but is USD-only and has no Android app, so it suits Apple/PC households (AllAboutCookies review).

• Price: 1 desktop US$39.99/yr; 5 devices US$54.99/yr; 20 devices US$89.99/yr. No free plan or trial.
• Platforms: Windows, Mac, iOS — no native Android app (Internet Matters).
• Features: Real-time AI content filtering, internet scheduling/pause, app blocking, screen-time management, family location tracking, and an activity feed.

We love: Widely rated as the best real-time content-filtering engine in the category.
Keep in mind: No Android app, no free trial, USD-only, and the priciest entry-level option here.

10. Aura — Great gaming safety, but US-focused

Aura offers standout gaming-chat monitoring, but its headline value (US identity and credit protection) doesn’t translate to NZ, and NZ availability isn’t confirmed.

• Price: Kids plan US$10/mo (annual); Family plan US$32/mo (annual, adds US identity protection). 14-day trial, 60-day money-back guarantee.
• Platforms: iOS and Android only.
• Features: Content filtering, screen-time limits, “pause the internet,” Safe Gaming with in-game voice/text monitoring across 200+ titles, and a behavioural dashboard flagging changes in a child’s routine.

We love: Best-in-class gaming-chat safety and an innovative behaviour dashboard.
Keep in mind: NZ availability is unconfirmed and its premium identity/credit features are US-specific — verify directly with Aura before buying.

Free parental control apps that work in NZ

You don’t have to pay to get started. The strongest free options confirmed for New Zealand are:

• Google Family Link — free, best for Android and Chromebooks.
• Apple Screen Time — free and built into every iPhone, iPad and Mac.
• Qustodio free plan — free basic web filtering and daily limits for one device.
• Kaspersky Safe Kids — a free basic tier with GPS, officially available in NZ.
• OurPact free tier — free scheduling and manual blocks for one device.

How to set your child up for online safety

1. Start with the built-in tools. Turn on Family Link (Android) or Screen Time (iPhone) first — they’re free and cover the basics.
2. Add a paid app if you need more. Choose one confirmed for NZ (Qustodio, Norton Family, Mobicip) if you want social-media/message monitoring or cross-platform coverage.
3. Talk to your kids about it. Tools work best alongside open conversations. Netsafe has free NZ guidance and a helpline on 0508 638 723.
4. Review together as they grow. Loosen monitoring as trust builds, especially with teens.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best parental control app in New Zealand?
For most NZ families, Qustodio is the best all-round choice — it’s confirmed available in New Zealand, works across Windows, Mac, iOS, Android and Chromebook, has a useful free tier, and offers AI alerts and social-media monitoring on paid plans. If you want a free option, use Google Family Link (Android) or Apple Screen Time (iPhone).

Can I use Bark in New Zealand?
No. Bark only supports the US, Australia and South Africa, so New Zealand parents cannot sign up or log in. Good NZ alternatives include Qustodio, Norton Family and Mobicip.

Are there any free parental control apps that work in NZ?
Yes. Google Family Link and Apple Screen Time are completely free and built into Android and iPhone respectively. Qustodio, Kaspersky Safe Kids and OurPact also offer free tiers that work in New Zealand.

How do I monitor my child’s phone?
Install a parental control app on the child’s device and pair it with your parent account. Depending on the app, you can then see activity, set app and screen-time limits, filter content, and track location. On iPhone, some monitoring is limited by Apple’s privacy rules; Android generally allows deeper monitoring.

Which parental control app is best for iPhone?
Apple Screen Time (free and built in) is the best starting point for iPhones. For more features, Qustodio and Norton Family both support iOS, though some social-media and message monitoring is limited on Apple devices compared with Android.

Which parental control app is best for Android?
Google Family Link is the best free choice for Android. For fuller monitoring, Qustodio and Mobicip offer strong Android features and are confirmed available in New Zealand.

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Kiwi Families may earn a commission if you sign up through some of the links above, at no extra cost to you. This never affects our recommendations — we only include apps we believe genuinely help New Zealand families, and availability in NZ is a requirement to be recommended.

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