Comparison · verified on October 14, 2026
Mi Estela vs. Find My
If everyone at home has an iPhone and you just want to see where each person is, Find My is free and you already have it. Mi Estela picks up where Find My falls short: Android, arrival alerts, SOS, chat, video calls and worlds.
In two lines
Free and already on the iPhone. Ideal if everyone in the family has an iPhone; anyone with Android is left out. No history or chat.
What is Find My (Apple)
Find My is Apple's built-in feature for locating devices and sharing location with friends and with the Family Sharing group (up to six people). You can share for one hour, until the end of the day, or indefinitely, and get alerts when someone arrives at or leaves a place (for recurring alerts, the other person has to accept). It costs nothing.
What it doesn't do: it doesn't work with Android (Apple accounts only), it keeps no history (it shows only the current position; Apple keeps shared location for up to 24 hours and then deletes it), and it has no chat, calls or SOS of its own (the iPhone's emergency SOS is a separate feature that calls 112).
Face to face
| Criteria | Mi Estela | Find My (Apple) |
|---|---|---|
| Real-time map See where your people are right now | ✓ | ✓ |
| iPhone and Android together One family, mixing both | ✓ | ✕ Apple only |
| Arrival alerts When someone gets home, to school... | ✓ 3 free spots; more with Premium | ✓ with the other person's approval |
| SOS Alert your people with your location | ✓ free forever; 112 one tap away | ✕ the iPhone SOS is a separate feature |
| Chat and calls Inside the app | ✓ free | ✕ |
| Video calls Inside the app | ✓ free | ✕ FaceTime is separate |
| Route history Days we keep | ✓ 3 days free, 30 with Premium; each person turns it on | ✕ |
| Invisible mode or zone only Hide for a while or share only your area | ✓ Ghost (adults) or zone only | ~ stop sharing |
| Symmetrical Everyone sees the same about everyone; there's no "supervisor" | ✓ | ✓ |
| No ads On the free plan | ✓ never | ✓ |
| Never sells or licenses your location According to its privacy policy | ✓ no sale or licensing, ever | ✓ |
| Free plan What's included | ✓ map, alerts, SOS, chat, calls, video calls | ✓ everything free |
| Paid price In Spain, as of Oct 14, 2026 | ✓ €9.99/month or €99.99/year for the whole circle; 14-day free trial | ✓ free |
| Driving reports Speed, hard braking, phone use while driving | ✕ on purpose: no notes | ✕ |
| Parental controls Block apps, screen time, read messages | ✕ presence, not control | ~ Screen Time separate |
| Minimum age To have your own account | ✓ 14 years old in Spain (digital consent) | ✓ child accounts |
| Company and data Where it is and where it stores data | ✓ Madrid, Spain; data in the EU | ~ U.S. |
✓ yes · ✕ no · ~ partly. Mi Estela info comes from the app's code; Find My (Apple) info comes from the sources at the bottom, as of October 14, 2026.
What Find My (Apple) does better
- It's completely free and comes preinstalled: nothing to download and no new accounts.
- Also locates your devices (iPhone, iPad, Mac, Watch, AirTags).
- End-to-end encryption between devices on iOS 17 or later: Apple says it can't access your location.
- Child accounts for under-13s created by the Family Sharing organizer.
What Mi Estela does better
- iPhone and Android in the same circle. Find My leaves out anyone with Android.
- Arrival alerts for your usual spots without anyone having to accept each one, and with shared battery.
- SOS to your circle, chat, calls, video calls and voice notes inside the app.
- Ghost Mode, approximate or precise location, and the Pact.
- Route history that each person turns on (3 days free, 30 with Premium). Find My has no history.
- Worlds: Camino de Santiago, Interrail, Erasmus, driving, seniors.
Pricing
Find My: free. Mi Estela: essentials free; optional Premium €9.99/month or €99.99/year per circle (prices in Spain).
Privacy and data
Apple: shared location is kept for up to 24 hours and then deleted; with iOS 17 or later on both sides, Apple says your location is not accessible to Apple. Mi Estela: no ads, no data sales, servers in the EU, and each person turns on history.
Minimum age
Apple: child accounts for under-13s created by an adult in the Family Sharing group (age requirements vary by country). Mi Estela: from the digital consent age (14 in Spain).
How to sign up for Find My (Apple)
- Settings › your name › Family Sharing › set up Family Sharing and invite up to 6 people.
- Settings › Family Sharing › Share Location › choose who.
- With friends: Find My app › Me › Share My Location; People › + › choose duration.
- Alerts: People › name › Notifications › Add.
And in Mi Estela: how to get started, step by step.
We answer your questions
Frequently asked questions
Do I still need Mi Estela if I already have Find My?
If everyone in your family has an iPhone and you just want to see where each person is, probably not. If anyone has Android, or you want arrival alerts without accepting each one, SOS to your circle, chat, video calls or worlds, then yes.
Can I use both?
Yes, they don't get in each other's way.
Sources
- Apple: Share your location with friends and family
- Apple: How Family Sharing works
- Apple: Create an account for your child
- Apple: Find My privacy
Brands and names mentioned belong to their respective owners. This comparison is written by the Mi Estela team; if you spot anything outdated or incorrect, write to us at hola@miestela.app and we'll fix it.
Other comparisons
Comparison
Mi Estela vs. Life360
The world's largest: 102 million monthly users. Circles, places, driving reports, and Tile. Free plan has ads, and location data is licensed to partners.
See the comparison →Comparison
Mi Estela vs. Google Family Link and Google Maps
Family Link is free parental control for supervised accounts (under 14 in Spain). Google Maps shares location for free between Google accounts. Neither one is a family circle with SOS.
See the comparison →Comparison
Mi Estela vs. WhatsApp (live location)
Share your location in a chat for 15 minutes, 1 hour, or 8 hours. Free and encrypted. No saved places, no alerts, no history: it's for a little while, not for the family.
See the comparison →
Try it and compare for yourself.
Download it free, invite someone, and see if it clicks. No card, no ads.
Free to start · No ads · We never sell your data