Qustodio vs. mSpy 2024: Which Product Is Best for Your Family?

We put two parental control apps to the test to see which is better for your family: The feature-rich Qustodio or the surveillance-king mSpy?

Patti Croft, Author

Steph Trejos, Editor

Last updated Sep 25, 2024

We receive compensation from the products and services mentioned in this story, but the opinions are the author's own. Compensation may impact where offers appear. We have not included all available products or offers. Learn more about how we make money and our editorial policies.

4.4

Editorial Rating

On Qustodio's website

Parental Controls

Qustodio

Parental control app with lots of features
User-friendly, clean interface
Reads text messages but doesn't send alerts for harmful content

2.0

Editorial Rating

On mSpy's website

Parental Controls

mSpy

Extensive monitoring capabilities
Real-time location tracking
More of a tracker than a monitor

Qustodio is a better parental control app than mSpy, thanks to having more robust content filtering and screen time management features. But if your main priority is knowing everything that's typed on the target phone, then mSpy is a far more powerful surveillance app.

This matchup shows the difference between parental controls and complete surveillance. Where mSpy can be hidden on the target phone and give you complete access to every keystroke, Qustodio will only show you text messages, but provides you with many more features to promote healthy digital boundaries.

We’ll provide a comprehensive overview of Qustodio and mSpy so you can determine which parental control app is best for your scenario.

In this article

At a glance
Prices
Monitoring and alerts
Compatibility and customer support
FAQs
Which is better?

Qustodio vs. mSpy review at a glance

Qustodio is hands-down a better parental control app, thanks to it having a lot more monitoring and management features. mSpy is more focused on catching everything that goes on the phone, where Qustodio gives you more flexible restriction options.

Qustodio: Best for parents
mSpy: Best for complete monitoring

Qustodio vs. mSpy compared

	Our Pick
Star rating	4.4 AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.	2.0 AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.
Price	Free-$8.33/mo (billed annually)	$11.67-$48.99/mo
Free trial	Yes — 31 days
Number of protected devices	1, 5, or unlimited	1 - 3 kids
Web filtering
Conversation monitoring	Text only	Social media, text, email
Screen time management
Location tracking
Activity reports
Remote lock
Supported devices	Windows, Mac, Android, iPhone, iPad, Chromebook, Kindle	iOS, Android
Learn more	Read Qustodio Review	Read mSpy Review

How we test and rate parental control apps

We put every parental control app through vigorous hands-on testing by downloading the software to our own devices. We test how the product works from both the parent's and child's perspectives, evaluating how well we're able to monitor device usage and deliberately attempting to sneak around the limitations.

By taking a fine-tooth comb through all available features and settings, we carefully compare each product using our proprietary grading rubric. The star ratings take into account price, screen time management, content filters, location tracking, monitoring, alerts, and ease of use.

To learn more about how we test, check out our full testing methodology here.

Qustodio pros and cons

Qustodio is one of the best parental control apps you can get. Download it to your children's devices, and you can monitor text message, filter content, track location, and manage screen time access.

During our testing, we found the app to be easy to use and did everything it said it would, without draining the battery too much. We were able to easily block and restrict apps at a click of a few buttons and information was updated quickly on the dashboard.

The major downside to Qustodio is that it was named in a scathing review of parental control apps done by a research group in 2020. In the study, Qustodio was named as one of several apps that were using below par data privacy software to protect their user's data.

Pros

Comes with plenty of features
User-friendly interface
Can monitor unlimited devices

Cons

Comes with data privacy concerns
Doesn’t have third-party auditing

mSpy pros and cons

There's no doubt that mSpy is a powerful tool, but it begs the question of when power gets to be too much.

When we tested this app, we were able to track everything that was typed on the target phone in every app. There are no category filters or screen time management tools to speak of, so really it's just an app that shows you what's happening on the phone. The most you can do is block internet access or certain apps.

With extra features like the ability to remotely turn on the camera and microphone, we struggle to recommend this to anyone who cares about data privacy. Yes, your child won't be able to hide anything from you, but where's the line?

Pros

Has extensive monitoring features
Comes with keyword alerts
Includes real-time location tracking

Cons

Doesn’t have category-based filtering
No screen time management features
Features like remote camera access can be intrusive

Which parental control app is the better value?

Qustodio is much more affordable than mSpy, and also offers a free version, a free trial, and a money-back guarantee.

	Our Pick
Price range	Free-$8.33/mo (billed annually)	$11.67-$48.99/mo
Best value plan	Qustodio Basic for $4.58/mo (billed annually)	mSpy Premium for 3 months at $28.00/mo (billed every three months)
Free trial	Yes — 31 days
Money-back guarantee	Yes — 30 days
Learn more	Read Qustodio Review	Read mSpy Review

Qustodio plans

Qustodio has three plans, including its free version. It also comes with a short 3-day trial which didn't require a credit card to sign up for. When we tested the product, the trial was actually for 31 days, which was a nice surprise. As a bonus, there’s also a 30-day money-back guarantee if you aren’t satisfied after purchasing the product.

Here’s a summary of the features you’ll get with these plans:

Qustodio Free: Allows you to force safe search and filter web content, as well as pause the internet and set daily time limits.
Qustodio Basic: For $4.58/mo (billed annually), this plan comes with the above, plus games and app blocking, a panic button, location monitoring, and schedules to automate screen time management. It provides coverage for up to five devices.
Qustodio Complete: For $8.33/mo (billed annually), you get all the features of the Basic plan plus custom alerts, calls and text monitoring, device blocking routines, and app and web rule routines. It provides unlimited device coverage.

mSpy plans

There are three options with the mSpy plans: Premium, Extreme, or Family Kit. We had to do some digging to find the prices for these plans and noticed that mSpy doesn’t readily provide that information. Also, if you want to monitor more than three devices, you’ll need to buy more subscriptions, as mSpy covers only up to three with the Family Kit.

There’s a notice on the website showing that mSpy no longer offers free trials, so keep in mind that you aren’t able to try this product without committing to a purchase. We’ll give you the details of each plan below:

mSpy Premium: For $11.67/mo (billed annually), you get plenty of options that cover one device. Included are features like website filtering, social media monitoring, text and email monitoring, a keylogger, and screen time management.
mSpy Extreme: For $23.99/mo (billed annually), you’ll get everything offered with the Premium plan and get location tracking, screen recording, and remote camera features.
mSpy Family Kit: The Family Kit plan is $28.00/mo (billed annually) and covers up to three devices and includes all the same features you get with mSpy Premium.

Winner: Qustodio has plenty of features that come with a reasonable price, plus covers up to unlimited devices and offers generous money-back guarantees if you're uncertain. The mSpy plans are more expensive, and it’s hard to find information on how much you’ll pay on the product website.

Which app has the better monitoring and alerts?

While mSpy has better monitoring capabilities, Qustodio has better features overall that can help foster a healthier digital relationship with your children, like screen time management.

Feature	Our Pick
Website filtering
App filtering
Social media monitoring
Text message monitoring
Email monitoring
Internet search monitoring
Screen time limits
Remote lock
Cyberbullying and online predator alerts
Location tracking
Geo-fencing
Activity reports
Learn more	Read Qustodio Review	Read mSpy Review

Qustodio has almost all the features you need from a parental control app, minus geo-fencing and better cyberbullying alerts. If you’re a parent looking for software with comprehensive monitoring tools, this program has it all.

One unique feature Qustodio has is the panic button feature. This allows your child to hit a button to let you know they're in danger, and their location is automatically sent to your email on a recurring basis until the button is hit again.

For mSpy, you get full access to everything that is typed on the device and most conversations on social media platforms. Though it doesn't let you filter web content, you can set up keyword alerts to send you a notification if specific topics are brought up.

However, we found that this software seems more geared toward surveillance rather than parental controls. It includes features like screen recording and remote camera access, which might be excessive. As parents, we want to keep our kids safe, but we also recognize that privacy is important, especially for older children.

For iOS, we noticed that mSpy requires a jailbroken iPhone if you want to monitor certain applications, like Facebook and Tinder. That could be a dealbreaker for parents with children who use iPhones.

Winner: Qustodio has more features that we think parents will want. It also comes at a more affordable price.

Which parental control app has the better support and compatibility?

Qustodio is more much compatible overall, since it's available on both phones and computers. mSpy, in contrast, is only available on phones.

	Our Pick
Windows
macOS
Android
iOS
Other devices	iPad, Chromebook, Kindle
24/7 customer support
Customer support options	Guides, email, phone number	Chat, email, phone, guides
Learn more	Read Qustodio Review	Read mSpy Review

Neither of these apps has stellar customer service. They’re pretty basic, though mSpy does claim to have 24/7 customer service. We're currently working on getting a refund for a subscription we bought by accident and not having a good time with the email chat.

With Qustodio, you need the Premium plan to send a support ticket, and the response time could stretch to 48 hours. You won’t get better service with mSpy, as the selections are limited there, too. Either way, you’ll likely wait for a reply.

Winner: Qustodio wins this round thanks to being a much more flexible service available on both phones and computers.

FAQs

What are Qustodio’s disadvantages?

With Qustodio, some security issues are present. With the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) publishing a report regarding security vulnerabilities of parental control apps, we’d like to see Qustodio take an active role in making the platform more secure. This is true with many parental controls apps, not only this one.

Will my child know mSpy is on their phone?

Your child will not know mSpy is on their phone because there’s no app showing on the screen. That keeps them from finding an unfamiliar logo and knowing they’re being monitored.

Can kids disable Qustodio?

If kids see the Qustodio app on their phones, they may be able to disable it. The way around this is to deactivate the device admin feature to prevent them from uninstalling the app. You’ll set up parental controls on iOS or your Android device in the settings feature.

Qustodio vs. mSpy: Which is better?

As parental control apps go, we tend to think Qustodio is better than mSpy. It’s much more cost effective for parents needing a budget-friendly option, and you get more features for your money. We also found mSpy took monitoring a bit too far at the expense of more useful parental control features, like screen time monitoring.

	Our Pick
Value
Features
Compatibility & customer support
Learn more	Read Qustodio Review	Read mSpy Review

We think either of these apps will help parents monitor what their children do online, but mSpy leans more toward surveillance and that may put some parents off, especially if they want to build more trust with their kids. With all the social media apps in use today, we know parents want to make social media platforms safe to use and allow their children some space to have healthy boundaries.

If you want to balance parental oversight with keeping your child safe online, we’d recommend giving Qustodio a go over mSpy. But if you were put off by Qustodio’s security concerns, check out our list of the best parental control apps available.

Top alternatives

If you’ve checked Qustodio vs. mSpy but realized that neither piques your interest, then we have some alternatives you might like. These have security features many parents want and offer different pricing options.

Service
Star rating	4.4 AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.	4.4 AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.	3.7 AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.
Price	Starts at $5.00/mo	Starts at $4.16/mo (billed annually)	Starts at $8.25/mo (billed annually)
# of people covered	Unlimited	Up to 15 kids	Unlimited
Screen time management
Content filtering
Conversation monitoring	Yes, on social media, texts, and email
Location tracking
Details	Get Bark	Get Norton Family	Get Aura

Author Details

Patti Croft

About the Author

Patti Croft is a seasoned writer specializing in technology, with three years of experience. With a B.S. in Computer Science and a background as a technical analyst and security specialist, she covers a range of topics like data security and parental control software.