Bark vs Google Family Link
Learn how the Bark Premium app stacks up against Google Family Link.
Compare the Features
Set custom rules for school time, bedtime, and free time.
Allows schedules for downtime and school time.
Block specific sites and apps or choose from 19 categories, including adult content, gaming, and streaming sites — all on any browser.
Family Link blocks specific sites and tries to block adult content; Chrome must be the default browser.
Disable the internet whenever needed — no matter where your kids are.
Lock your child’s device at any time.
Scans online activities like texts, emails, and social media platforms for concerning content.
Google Family Link doesn’t offer content monitoring.
Get email/text notifications for issues like cyberbullying and sexual content.
Google Family Link doesn’t offer content monitoring, so alerts aren’t sent.
Keep restrictions in place no matter how YouTube is accessed while connected to Bark.
Offers restricted mode for teens to help screen out potentially harmful content.
Prevent children under 18 from opting out of Bark.
Children can turn off parental controls when they turn 13.
Check your child’s location in real time on a map.
Receive location alerts when child arrives or leaves pre-set locations.
Get your child’s exact location with check-ins.
GPS map allows real-time location tracking.
With Bark, you can:
Monitor content
Get alerts for issues like bullying, predators, sexual content, and more.
Manage screen time
Create custom daily screen time schedules for your child’s device.
Block websites
Block access to specific websites or even whole categories.
Track location
Stay on top of your child’s location with our real-time map, location alerts, and check-ins.
Pricing & Details
- Monitor texts, email, YouTube, and 30+ apps and platforms
- Monitor web searches and saved photos & videos
- Receive parental monitoring alerts for issues like cyberbullying, online predators, suicidal ideation, and more
- Get insights into your child’s digital activities
- Learn how to address issues with child-psychologist advice and tips
- Manage screen time
- Block website and apps
- Keep up with kids with location alerts and check-ins
- Free access to Talkspace Go
FAQs
Content Monitoring
Bark uses advanced machine learning and statistical analysis techniques to recognize potential problems. Simple keyword searches are not enough to detect the majority of issues, which is why our parental control app uses contextual analysis and natural language processing to determine when something serious might be happening.
For example, Bark knows the difference between a kid saying “This homework makes me wanna kill myself,” versus “Nobody cares about me!! I wanna kill myself.” Our algorithm also keeps up with the latest in teen slang.
Screen Time Management and Website Blocking
Families can manage not only when their kids can access the internet on their devices, but also which sites and apps they can visit.
You can create custom profiles for each child in your house, create screen time schedules, and manage access to a wide variety of websites — including video streaming, gaming, adult content, and more.
Bark's phone monitoring app for parents not only provides comprehensive coverage for all the top apps and devices, but also takes the crucial extra step of helping families navigate the issues raised by alerts.
Here's a complete list of absolutely everything Bark monitors on every device.
With Bark, you can manage your children’s screen time from your own phone via the Bark app or website, regardless of whether you have an iPhone and your kids have an Android (or vice versa).
In terms of web filtering, Apple's Screen Time and Google Family Link web filters only block general content. Bark, on the other hand, breaks down a wide range of categories and exceptions to enable a more customized and refined level of protection.
Ready to get started?
Bark was created by parents, for parents, to offer a better, easier, and more effective way to help families create healthy digital habits.
