Microsoft Family Safety vs OwnTracks

Struggling to choose between Microsoft Family Safety and OwnTracks? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

Microsoft Family Safety is a Home & Family solution with tags like parental-control, monitoring, filtering, time-limits.

It boasts features such as Website filtering, App and game time limits, Activity reporting, Location sharing and pros including Comprehensive parental control features, Integrated with Microsoft account, Easy to set up and use, Free for Windows 10 users.

On the other hand, OwnTracks is a Travel & Location product tagged with location-tracking, gps, mobile.

Its standout features include Real-time location tracking, Customizable tracking intervals, Works across multiple platforms, Open source and self-hosted option available, Integration with other services via MQTT and HTTP APIs, Waypoint and region based notifications, Power saving modes, Encrypted communication, and it shines with pros like Free and open source, Highly customizable and extensible, Respects user privacy, Works offline and across different networks, Active development community.

Feature	Microsoft Family Safety	OwnTracks
Overall Score	N/A	N/A
Primary Category	Home & Family	Travel & Location

Product Overview

Microsoft Family Safety

Description: Microsoft Family Safety is a parental control software that allows parents to monitor and limit their children's activities on Windows devices. It can filter inappropriate websites, set time limits for app/game usage, view activity reports, and location share.

OwnTracks

Description: OwnTracks is an open source application that allows users to track the location of phones and other devices. It works by sending location data from GPS-enabled devices to a central server, which can be visualized on a map. It is useful for keeping tabs on family members or assets.

Key Features Comparison

Microsoft Family Safety Features

• Website filtering
• App and game time limits
• Activity reporting
• Location sharing

OwnTracks Features

• Real-time location tracking
• Customizable tracking intervals
• Works across multiple platforms
• Open source and self-hosted option available
• Integration with other services via MQTT and HTTP APIs
• Waypoint and region based notifications
• Power saving modes
• Encrypted communication

Pros & Cons Analysis

Microsoft Family Safety

Pros

• Comprehensive parental control features
• Integrated with Microsoft account
• Easy to set up and use
• Free for Windows 10 users

Cons

• Limited to Windows devices
• No mobile app support
• Lacks advanced features compared to some third-party parental control apps

OwnTracks

Pros

• Free and open source
• Highly customizable and extensible
• Respects user privacy
• Works offline and across different networks
• Active development community

Cons

• Setup can be complex for non-technical users
• Requires always-on GPS which can drain battery
• Limited analytics compared to commercial options
• No official mobile apps

Pricing Comparison

Microsoft Family Safety

• Free

OwnTracks

• Open Source
• Freemium