Qustodio Screen Time Limits: Free Plan, Pricing & Common Fixes (2026)

Short answer:

• Limits not working? It's almost always battery optimisation killing the app — especially on Xiaomi, Realme, Oppo and Vivo. Fixes below.
• Free plan (2026): one device, one child, basic web filtering, 7-day history. App blocking and full time limits are paid.
• Paid: Basic US$54.95/year (5 devices), Complete US$99.95/year — roughly ₹4,600–8,400 for Indian families.

Paying that much? ParentalEdge does the same job for ₹999/year.

Compare it risk-free for 7 days →

Qustodio time limits not working? Check these four

This is the most common complaint, and it's nearly always one of these:

1. Battery optimisation killed the app. Xiaomi (MIUI), Realme, Oppo and Vivo aggressively stop background services. Exempt Qustodio from battery optimisation and enable autostart — otherwise enforcement dies silently and the dashboard keeps looking fine.
2. A permission was revoked by an update. Android updates can reset accessibility or device-admin permissions. Re-check both on the child's device.
3. Wrong timezone. Restricted hours follow the device clock. If the timezone is off, limits fire at the wrong times.
4. A second device or browser you forgot about. Limits only apply where the child app is installed and healthy.

Worth saying: this is not really a Qustodio bug. Every parental control app on Indian OEM phones hits the same wall — the OS kills background services and nothing tells you. The question is whether your app admits it. ParentalEdge shows each device's protection status on the dashboard, so a dead service surfaces as a warning instead of silence.

See your device's real status →

What Qustodio's free plan includes in 2026

Treat it as an extended trial rather than a setup you can live on:

• One device, one child profile
• Basic web filtering
• Activity reports with 7-day history only
• App blocking, the full time-limit controls and priority support are all Premium

What Qustodio costs in 2026

For Indian families that's roughly ₹4,600–8,400/year. The features most parents actually want — YouTube monitoring, location — sit on Complete, the dearer tier.

For comparison, ParentalEdge is ₹999/year with everything included: web filtering across 31 categories (14 blocked by default), per-app routines, daily limits, location and YouTube video titles.

Why daily limits cause daily arguments

If your limits are working and the fights continue, the problem is the model rather than the app.

You set two hours. Your child spends it on YouTube by noon, then negotiates all afternoon. Or the screen dies halfway through a Khan Academy lesson. Or Saturday's family film gets cut off. A daily budget makes you a screen-time banker, fielding extension requests every single day, and it teaches your child to count down their remaining minutes.

The alternative is routines instead of budgets — deciding when rather than how much:

• Homework time — educational apps only
• Free time — everything available
• Bedtime — device locked, but Phone and Messages still work

Total screen time usually lands in the same place. What changes is the question your child asks: not "how much time do I have left?" but "is it free time yet?" In India, where tuition and homework hours are predictable, routines map cleanly onto the day.

Try it for one week without tracking total hours and see whether the arguing drops.

Qustodio vs ParentalEdge on time controls

Bark takes a third approach — scheduled on/off windows with no countdown. Simpler, but YouTube and Khan Academy get treated identically. Bark's real strength is watching texts and social media for concerning content, which is a different job. Family Link is free and now does per-app limits and School Time, but its reporting shows app usage time only — no browsing history, searches or YouTube detail. Our Family Link comparison covers that in full.

Already paying for Qustodio and weighing a switch? Our Qustodio alternative guide is written by a parent who used it for five years — including the cases where staying put is the right call.

Frequently asked questions

Does ParentalEdge work alongside Family Link or Screen Time?
Yes. Many families keep Family Link or Screen Time for basic OS-level controls and add ParentalEdge for per-app routines, web filtering across 31 categories (14 blocked by default) and Safe Search on five search engines.

Can I set different routines for weekdays and weekends?
Yes, fully independent. Entertainment apps on Saturday morning, educational-only on weekday mornings.

Is ParentalEdge available in India?
Yes — ₹999/year with UPI, and optimised for Xiaomi, Realme, Oppo and Vivo, which is where most enforcement problems start.

What happens when the daily limit runs out mid-activity?
With routines alongside the limit it happens less, because usage spreads across the day. If the limit is hit, the device locks but essential apps like Phone and Messages stay available.

Bottom line

If your Qustodio limits aren't firing, start with battery optimisation and autostart — that's the cause four times out of five, on any app. If they are firing and you're still arguing every day, swap the daily budget for routines.

And if you're paying ₹4,600–8,400 a year for it, ParentalEdge does the same job with per-app routines and honest device status for ₹999.

Try it risk-free for 7 days →