Microsoft Family Safety and Google Family Link are free, widely used, and capable. Kidsplorer is not a replacement for every job they do. This page explains where they overlap, where their approach differs, and when one of them (or both) fits better than Kidsplorer.
Features of other services change. Treat the descriptions below as a starting point and check Microsoft’s and Google’s current help pages before you decide, including Microsoft’s Family Safety website filtering and Google’s Family Link help for managing website access in Chrome .
The short version
- Choose Family Safety or Family Link when you want account-level controls across a family’s phones, tablets and computers, and each child already has, or is happy to have, a Microsoft or Google account.
- Choose Kidsplorer when your child uses a Windows computer, you want a dedicated approved-site browser, and you would rather not create a child account with a large technology company.
- Use both when you want an account-level layer and a dedicated approved-site browser for younger children.
Comparison
| Question | Kidsplorer | Microsoft Family Safety | Google Family Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Child account needed? | No. An adult creates a profile; no child email | A Microsoft account for the child | A Google account for the child |
| Approved-sites-only browsing | Yes, inside the Kidsplorer browser | Offers an allowed-websites mode in Edge | Can limit Chrome to approved sites only, with caveats on Windows (see Google’s help page) |
| Where rules apply | Kidsplorer’s own browser | Signed-in account and supported apps | Signed-in account on supported devices |
| Other browsers and apps | Not controlled. Use Windows account controls | Depends on account and device settings | Depends on account and device settings |
| Shared computer with several children | Profiles per child; on Family a PIN-protected picker chooses the profile | Follows each child’s signed-in account | Follows each child’s signed-in account |
| Schedules | Browser schedule on Family | Device and app screen-time features | Device screen-time features |
| Platform | Windows | Windows, Xbox, Android and others | Android, ChromeOS and others |
| Cost | Free for one device; Family $49.99/year for up to five devices | Free tier available | Free |
Allow-only mode: Edge or Chrome versus a dedicated child browser
All three can restrict a child to a list of approved websites, so this is a question of fit rather than capability. Both Microsoft and Google document an allow-only option for their own browsers. The table below states how the approaches differ in setup, based on each provider’s help page at the time of writing. Confirm the details there and test on your child’s device.
| Question | Allow-only in Edge (Family Safety) | Allow-only in Chrome (Family Link) | Dedicated child browser (Kidsplorer) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Which browser does the rule cover? | Edge, with the child’s Microsoft account signed in | Chrome, with the child’s Google account (see Google’s page for Windows caveats) | The Kidsplorer browser only |
| Child account | Microsoft account | Google account | None; an adult creates a profile |
| Other browsers | Microsoft’s page describes blocking unsupported browsers while filtering is on | Check Google’s page for what happens in other browsers | Not controlled; use Windows account controls |
| Where the list is managed | Family Safety settings | Family Link settings | Kidsplorer web dashboard |
| Requests for new sites | Check Microsoft’s current feature set | Check Google’s current feature set | Email requests on Family |
| Shared computer | Follows the signed-in child account | Follows the signed-in child account | Profile per child; PIN-gated picker on Family |
None of these is a safety guarantee. An approved domain can still contain content you did not expect, so review each site and test the activity as the child.
Where Kidsplorer differs
The child needs no account. Kidsplorer profiles are created and managed by an adult, with no child email address. That suits families who prefer not to create an account for a young child.
It works on a shared family computer. Siblings can share one Windows PC. On Family, a PIN-protected profile picker lets each child open their own approved sites.
Narrow scope, stated plainly. Kidsplorer blocks unapproved navigation inside its own browser. It does not capture keystrokes, screenshots, messages or location, and it does not control other apps or browsers.
Where they are the better choice
- Your child uses phones, tablets and a computer and you want one place to manage them.
- You need app limits, device screen time or location features, which Kidsplorer does not offer.
- Your child already signs in to Windows with a Microsoft account or to Chromebooks with a Google account.
- You want a free solution and the account requirements are acceptable.
Using them together
Kidsplorer does not stop a child opening another browser or app. If that matters, give the child a standard Windows account and use Windows or Family Safety controls to limit other applications. Kidsplorer then provides the approved-site browser inside that setup. Our guide to restricting internet access on Windows walks through the layers, and the allow-list and content-filter comparison covers the underlying choice.
Kidsplorer is designed for children ages 6–12 and is not meant to stop a determined teenager who has administrator rights.
Try it before you decide
Kidsplorer Free works on one Windows computer with no credit card, so you can test the approved-site workflow beside whatever you already use. See the pricing page for plan limits.
Free stays free
Test Kidsplorer on one Windows computer
Choose approved websites for one child and see how it fits alongside your existing controls. Kidsplorer controls browsing inside Kidsplorer; other browsers and apps need separate controls.