---
title: "Parental control apps: Which are searched most?"
description: "Compare the apps parents use to manage screen time and keep children safe online. Share of Search among Google Family Link, Qustodio, Bark, Kidslox, Norton and Net Nanny, the parental control apps Brandwave compares worldwide, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time."
canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/categories/parental-control-apps"
publisher: "Brandwave"
---

# Parental control apps: Which are searched most?

Compare the apps parents use to manage screen time and keep children safe online. Share of Search among Google Family Link, Qustodio, Bark, Kidslox, Norton and Net Nanny, the parental control apps Brandwave compares worldwide, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.

## Key facts

- **Competitive set**: Parental control apps
- **Market**: Global
- **Brands compared**: 6
- **Month measured**: Sep 2026
- **Highest Share of Search**: Google Family Link, 66%

## Which brand is most popular in search among parental control apps worldwide?

- In September 2026, Google Family Link was the most searched among parental control apps worldwide, with an estimated 301K branded searches, 66% of all searches for the six we track.
- Qustodio is in 2nd place, 41.9 percentage points behind at 24.1%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Google Family Link’s share of searches among parental control apps worldwide increased from 55% to 66%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Qustodio’s share of searches among parental control apps worldwide decreased from 30.2% to 24.1%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Bark’s share of searches among parental control apps worldwide decreased from 7.2% to 4.9%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Norton’s share of searches among parental control apps worldwide decreased from 2.7% to 1.4%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Net Nanny’s share of searches among parental control apps worldwide decreased from 2.2% to 0.79%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Google Family Link’s share of searches among parental control apps worldwide peaked at 68.8% in July 2026 and was lowest at 55% in October 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Qustodio’s share of searches among parental control apps worldwide peaked at 30.2% in October 2025 and was lowest at 20.2% in January 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Norton’s share of searches among parental control apps worldwide peaked at 2.7% in October 2025 and was lowest at 1.2% in July 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Kidslox held steady: its share of searches among parental control apps worldwide moved less than 0.5 percentage points.

## Top parental control apps in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In Brandwave's three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Google Family Link, Qustodio and Bark appeared every time. Qustodio was recommended most often, coming first in three out of five answers. Bark was second, and Google Family Link was third. Kidslox, which ranked fourth in searches, was not mentioned at all.

Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options.

| Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | Google AI Overviews that named it | All answers that named it |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Qustodio | 1st | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 |
| Bark | 2nd | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 |
| Google Family Link | 3rd | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 |
| Norton | 4th | 0 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 1 of 5 |
| Net Nanny | 4th | 1 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 2 of 5 |
| Kidslox | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 |

## Every AI answer about parental control apps

- Asked ChatGPT "Which parental control app should I use?": 1. Google Family Link, 2. Qustodio, 3. Bark
- Asked ChatGPT "What are the best parental control apps?": 1. Qustodio, 2. Bark, 3. Google Family Link, 4. Net Nanny
- Asked ChatGPT "What's the best parental control app for managing a teenager's phone?": 1. Qustodio, 2. Bark, 3. Google Family Link
- Searched Google, AI Overview "parental control app": 1. Google Family Link, 2. Bark, 3. Qustodio, 4. Net Nanny
- Searched Google, AI Overview "best parental control app": 1. Qustodio, 2. Bark, 3. Norton, 4. Google Family Link

Not named in any answer: Kidslox.

Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in the United States on October 22, 2026.

## Compare search popularity between leading brands

- [Google Family Link vs Qustodio: compare search popularity](/demand/global-en/compare/google-family-link-vs-qustodio): 66% against 24.1% Share of Search.
- [Google Family Link vs Bark: compare search popularity](/demand/global-en/compare/bark-vs-google-family-link): 66% against 4.9% Share of Search.
- [Google Family Link vs Kidslox: compare search popularity](/demand/global-en/compare/google-family-link-vs-kidslox): 66% against 2.7% Share of Search.
- [Qustodio vs Bark: compare search popularity](/demand/global-en/compare/bark-vs-qustodio): 24.1% against 4.9% Share of Search.
- [Qustodio vs Kidslox: compare search popularity](/demand/global-en/compare/kidslox-vs-qustodio): 24.1% against 2.7% Share of Search.
- [Bark vs Kidslox: compare search popularity](/demand/global-en/compare/bark-vs-kidslox): 4.9% against 2.7% Share of Search.

## How did search popularity change for parental control apps worldwide in September 2026?

- In September 2026, Google Family Link gained share of searches among parental control apps worldwide, from 65.3% to 66%.
- In September 2026, Bark lost share of searches among parental control apps worldwide, from 5.8% to 4.9%.
- Net Nanny’s share of searches among parental control apps worldwide has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 1.4% to 0.79% in September 2026.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for Norton worldwide fell 45.5% over 12 measured months, from 12.1K to 6.6K in September 2026.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for Qustodio worldwide fell 18.5% over 12 measured months, from 135K to 110K in September 2026.

## Share of Search ranking

| Rank | Brand | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches | Change vs prior month | Owned by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Google Family Link | 66% | 301K | 0.0% | Google |
| 2 | Qustodio | 24.1% | 110K | 0.0% | Qustodio |
| 3 | Bark | 4.9% | 22.5K | -15.4% | Bark |
| 4 | Kidslox | 2.7% | 12.1K | 0.0% | Kidslox |
| 5 | Norton | 1.4% | 6.6K | 0.0% | Norton |
| 6 | Net Nanny | 0.79% | 3.6K | -18.2% | Net Nanny |

## Historical estimated branded-search demand

| Month | Brand | Estimated monthly branded searches | Share of Search | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Oct 2025 | Google Family Link | 246K | 55% | 1 |
| Oct 2025 | Qustodio | 135K | 30.2% | 2 |
| Oct 2025 | Bark | 32.1K | 7.2% | 3 |
| Oct 2025 | Kidslox | 12.1K | 2.7% | 4 |
| Oct 2025 | Norton | 12.1K | 2.7% | 5 |
| Oct 2025 | Net Nanny | 9.9K | 2.2% | 6 |
| Nov 2025 | Google Family Link | 301K | 59.8% | 1 |
| Nov 2025 | Qustodio | 135K | 26.8% | 2 |
| Nov 2025 | Bark | 35.2K | 7% | 3 |
| Nov 2025 | Kidslox | 12.1K | 2.4% | 4 |
| Nov 2025 | Norton | 12.1K | 2.4% | 5 |
| Nov 2025 | Net Nanny | 8.1K | 1.6% | 6 |
| Dec 2025 | Google Family Link | 368K | 63.8% | 1 |
| Dec 2025 | Qustodio | 135K | 23.4% | 2 |
| Dec 2025 | Bark | 37K | 6.4% | 3 |
| Dec 2025 | Kidslox | 14.8K | 2.6% | 4 |
| Dec 2025 | Norton | 12.1K | 2.1% | 5 |
| Dec 2025 | Net Nanny | 9.9K | 1.7% | 6 |
| Jan 2026 | Google Family Link | 368K | 67.7% | 1 |
| Jan 2026 | Qustodio | 110K | 20.2% | 2 |
| Jan 2026 | Bark | 30.3K | 5.6% | 3 |
| Jan 2026 | Kidslox | 14.8K | 2.7% | 4 |
| Jan 2026 | Norton | 12.1K | 2.2% | 5 |
| Jan 2026 | Net Nanny | 8.1K | 1.5% | 6 |
| Feb 2026 | Google Family Link | 301K | 65.1% | 1 |
| Feb 2026 | Qustodio | 110K | 23.8% | 2 |
| Feb 2026 | Bark | 24.7K | 5.3% | 3 |
| Feb 2026 | Kidslox | 12.1K | 2.6% | 4 |
| Feb 2026 | Norton | 8.1K | 1.8% | 5 |
| Feb 2026 | Net Nanny | 6.6K | 1.4% | 6 |
| Mar 2026 | Google Family Link | 301K | 64.7% | 1 |
| Mar 2026 | Qustodio | 110K | 23.6% | 2 |
| Mar 2026 | Bark | 24.7K | 5.3% | 3 |
| Mar 2026 | Kidslox | 14.8K | 3.2% | 4 |
| Mar 2026 | Norton | 8.1K | 1.7% | 5 |
| Mar 2026 | Net Nanny | 6.6K | 1.4% | 6 |
| Apr 2026 | Google Family Link | 301K | 65.5% | 1 |
| Apr 2026 | Qustodio | 110K | 23.9% | 2 |
| Apr 2026 | Bark | 23.5K | 5.1% | 3 |
| Apr 2026 | Kidslox | 12.1K | 2.6% | 4 |
| Apr 2026 | Net Nanny | 6.6K | 1.4% | 5 |
| Apr 2026 | Norton | 6.6K | 1.4% | 6 |
| May 2026 | Google Family Link | 246K | 60.9% | 1 |
| May 2026 | Qustodio | 110K | 27.2% | 2 |
| May 2026 | Bark | 24.7K | 6.1% | 3 |
| May 2026 | Kidslox | 12.1K | 3% | 4 |
| May 2026 | Norton | 6.6K | 1.6% | 5 |
| May 2026 | Net Nanny | 4.4K | 1.1% | 6 |
| Jun 2026 | Google Family Link | 246K | 64.2% | 1 |
| Jun 2026 | Qustodio | 90.5K | 23.6% | 2 |
| Jun 2026 | Bark | 26.2K | 6.8% | 3 |
| Jun 2026 | Kidslox | 9.9K | 2.6% | 4 |
| Jun 2026 | Net Nanny | 5.4K | 1.4% | 5 |
| Jun 2026 | Norton | 5.4K | 1.4% | 6 |
| Jul 2026 | Google Family Link | 301K | 68.8% | 1 |
| Jul 2026 | Qustodio | 90.5K | 20.7% | 2 |
| Jul 2026 | Bark | 26.2K | 6% | 3 |
| Jul 2026 | Kidslox | 9.9K | 2.3% | 4 |
| Jul 2026 | Norton | 5.4K | 1.2% | 5 |
| Jul 2026 | Net Nanny | 4.4K | 1% | 6 |
| Aug 2026 | Google Family Link | 301K | 65.3% | 1 |
| Aug 2026 | Qustodio | 110K | 23.9% | 2 |
| Aug 2026 | Bark | 26.6K | 5.8% | 3 |
| Aug 2026 | Kidslox | 12.1K | 2.6% | 4 |
| Aug 2026 | Norton | 6.6K | 1.4% | 5 |
| Aug 2026 | Net Nanny | 4.4K | 0.96% | 6 |
| Sep 2026 | Google Family Link | 301K | 66% | 1 |
| Sep 2026 | Qustodio | 110K | 24.1% | 2 |
| Sep 2026 | Bark | 22.5K | 4.9% | 3 |
| Sep 2026 | Kidslox | 12.1K | 2.7% | 4 |
| Sep 2026 | Norton | 6.6K | 1.4% | 5 |
| Sep 2026 | Net Nanny | 3.6K | 0.79% | 6 |

## What is being compared

- **Bark**: Measured on the search terms “bark app” and “bark parental controls”, summed into one figure.
- **Google Family Link**: Measured on the search term “google family link”.
- **Kidslox**: Measured on the search term “kidslox”.
- **Net Nanny**: Measured on the search term “net nanny”.
- **Norton**: Measured on the search term “norton family”.
- **Qustodio**: Measured on the search term “qustodio”.

- [Bark](/demand/global-en/brands/bark)
- [Google Family Link](/demand/global-en/brands/google-family-link)
- [Kidslox](/demand/global-en/brands/kidslox)
- [Net Nanny](/demand/global-en/brands/net-nanny)
- [Norton](/demand/global-en/brands/norton)
- [Qustodio](/demand/global-en/brands/qustodio)

## Methodology

- [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which brand is most popular in search among parental control apps worldwide?

In September 2026, Google Family Link was the most searched among parental control apps worldwide, with an estimated 301K branded searches, 66% of all searches for the six we track. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.

## Cite this page

Brandwave. "Parental control apps: Which are searched most?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/categories/parental-control-apps

This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/categories/parental-control-apps. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.