Free Vs. Paid Parental Monitoring Apps for Android

Parents want to keep an eye on their children at all times as they are not only faced with in-person threats but also online dangers in today's world. But how do they do that? Confiscating their phones or banning social media is definitely not the solution. It is where the role of spy apps come in. By using these apps, parents can pay close attention to their interactions and whereabouts, just to make sure they are safe and sound.  

In this article, let's dive into what spy apps are and draw a conclusion between free and paid spy apps, so that you can choose the right one for your child. Let's dive in.  

What are spy apps?

Spy apps use software to track the activities on a target mobile phone. These apps can be used for live location tracking, hidden call recording, social media monitoring and more. The primary advantage of such apps is that they can be used for parental monitoring without having to confiscate the phone or without hindering the functionality of the target phone, operating silently in the background. If you start searching for these apps you'll be able to fetch a lot of results with options of both, free and paid apps. So how do you choose the right one? Well, you'll be able to find out by the end of this article.  

Paid Vs Free Apps

Monetary involvement: It is quite obvious that paid apps involve some sort of monetary commitment, be it less or more. But, what about free apps? While they might not involve any upfront cost, they might lure you into downloading the app first only to ask you to upgrade to a paid version later, as the free version might only be for a limited time.  

Quality of data: The quality of data fetched for example, the quality of call recordings might be compromised on free apps. However, in paid apps the quality of the data captured is top -notch, thus enhancing the overall experience.  

Features: Paid apps usually have multiple features like WhatsApp spy, hidden call recording, social media monitoring etc. On the contrary, free apps might be limited to restricted features so you might have to download multiple apps for multiple needs. Even if you get all features in one app, you might have to pay to use them.  

Privacy & security: Paid apps usually keep safety and privacy as their top most priority, therefore they usually offer end-to-end encryption. However, free apps might not prioritize privacy. They might actually be making money selling user data to third parties.It might be extremely risky and can lead to serious threats as well.  

Safety from malware: The chances of getting malware with free apps is much higher. On the other hand, with paid apps you don't have to worry about unknowingly downloading an app with malware as they are very secure and safe to download and use.  

Compatibility: Paid spy apps for Android are compatible with all Android devices. However, free apps might or might not work on your phone. In this case installing the app might be a waste.  

Mobile functionality: Paid apps usually work silently in the background once installed on the target phone without disrupting the functioning of the phone. However, stealthy monitoring might not be the case with free apps. The target phone might also be required to install or reinstall the app for better functioning.  

Which is the best parental control app & what are its features?

We recommend using CHYLDMONITOR which is a paid app offering 60+ features. The app keeps safety as its top most priority, thus offering end-to-end encryption. Only a person with the password for the dashboard can fetch the information on the target phone and nobody else, not even anyone from CHYLDMONITOR's team can view it. Apart from the safety aspect, the app also offers easy installation and the process only takes a few minutes. Even then, if you don't want to install the app yourself, you can opt for installation assistance. Additionally, if you have any queries related to installation or usage of the app, you can call or chat 24*7 with customer support.  

Now let's look at CHYLDMONITOR's offerings in depth.  

Hidden call recorder: All the incoming and outgoing calls on the target device can be tracked using the hidden call recording feature of Chylmonitor. Even the minutest of details like duration of the call, timestamp along with the contact details are available along with the recordings on the dashboard. There is also an option to download the recordings for later.  

Social media monitoring: Different social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and more can also be accessed using CHYLDMONITOR. Details like messages. VoIP calls, posts, likes, comments and all the other activities done on the app can be viewed using this feature.  

WhatsApp spy: Messages exchanged on the instant messaging app, WhatsApp can be captured and viewed from the dashboard. Additionally, calls, multimedia files and status can also be accessed.  

Live location tracking: This app can ensure safety not only in the online space but also in the real world through live location tracking. Live location along with the time and map view of the location are available to view on the dashboard. This feature is very essential in case of emergencies.  

Photos, apps, contacts and more: Apart from call recordings and internet monitoring, the data stored on the target phone like photos, applications and contacts can also be viewed using Chylmonitor. There is also an option to delete and block the applications if required.  

The final verdict - Free or paid apps?

There are multiple apps available in the market that can be used for spying. If you go on a search for one, there is a bright chance that you'll find yourself confused amidst the choices offered. However, not all the apps that are available are safe and secure to use. Therefore, it is very crucial to choose the right one.  

We compared free and paid apps above based on various parameters to see which is the better and clearly, paid apps like CHYLDMONITOR took the lead offering better value for money.