FamilyAtlasStart with devices, not a brand name
Write down the phones, tablets, computers, consoles and TVs your family actually uses. Then check each feature on each platform. An app may offer a feature on Android while providing a different or more limited version on iPhone.
A home gateway manages supported traffic that passes through it. It is not a substitute for an enrolled child app on a phone using mobile data or another Wi-Fi network. For a mixed-device family, you may want both approaches.
Choose three tasks that matter to you
Try concrete tasks instead of comparing vague labels. Can you set a daily game allowance? Can your child request more time? Can you pause the console without changing everyone else's routine? Open the platform notes for each task.
A limit describes an amount of time. A schedule describes a time window. An app block controls access to a particular app. These controls solve different problems; check which ones are available before assuming that a single screen time switch covers everything.
- Check the child's exact operating system and installation requirements.
- Separate released features from Preview, planned or tester-only features.
- Test a rule, a permitted exception and the recovery path before relying on it.
Understand permissions and visibility
Ask what information is collected, who can view it and what your child sees. A protection status should explain missing permissions rather than implying that everything is working. Decide which information your family needs instead of enabling every optional feature automatically.
Talk through the boundaries with your child and revisit them as needs change. A shared plan is easier to understand when the child knows how to ask for an exception and which parent can approve it.
Compare the whole setup cost
Check the number of child devices, parent accounts, billing term and hardware costs. A monthly equivalent on an annual subscription is different from a month-to-month contract. Compare renewal prices and cancellation options as well as introductory prices.
FamilyAtlas offers a family app plan and a Family + Home plan with HomeControl. The optional Brume 2 gateway is bought separately. Our comparison pages link to competitor sources and show FamilyAtlas's early-access limitations; use those notes to build your shortlist.