Comparison · verified on October 14, 2026
Mi Estela vs Google Family Link and Google Maps
Family Link is parental control: an adult supervises a minor's phone. Google Maps shares your location for free. Mi Estela is presence between equals: a circle where everyone sees the same things. They're different things, and sometimes they're used together.
In two lines
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.
What is Google Family Link and Google Maps
Google Family Link is Google's free parental control tool: approve or block apps and purchases, set daily screen-time limits and bedtime, apply content filters, see the location of a child's Android device, and get arrival and departure alerts for “family places.” The parent's phone can be an iPhone or an Android, but the supervised device has to be Android: Family Link doesn't supervise iPhones. In Spain, a child can have their own Google account from age 14; under that, only a supervised account through Family Link is possible.
Google Maps lets you share your live location with Google contacts (for one hour or until you turn it off), send a link to people without an account (for up to 24 hours), and receive alerts when someone arrives at or leaves a place (up to five per person; the other person gets a notice that you've created them). It works on Android and iPhone and is free.
Face to face
| Criteria | Mi Estela | Google Family Link and Google Maps |
|---|---|---|
| Real-time map See where your people are right now | ✓ | ✓ Maps: real time; Family Link: child's device |
| iPhone and Android together One family, mixing both | ✓ | ~ Maps yes; Family Link only supervises Android |
| Arrival alerts When someone gets home, to school... | ✓ 3 free spots; more with Premium | ✓ family places (Family Link) and up to 5 per person (Maps) |
| SOS Alert your people with your location | ✓ free forever; 112 one tap away | ✕ |
| Chat and calls Inside the app | ✓ free | ✕ |
| Video calls Inside the app | ✓ free | ✕ |
| Route history Days we keep | ✓ 3 days free, 30 with Premium; each person turns it on | ~ Maps Timeline, personal to each user |
| 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" | ✓ | ✕ Family Link is supervision |
| No ads On the free plan | ✓ never | ✓ no ads in these features |
| Never sells or licenses your location According to its privacy policy | ✓ no sale or licensing, ever | ~ Google policy |
| Free plan What's included | ✓ map, alerts, SOS, chat, calls, video calls | ✓ all 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 | ✓ Family Link |
| Minimum age To have your own account | ✓ 14 years old in Spain (digital consent) | ✓ Family Link: under 14 (Spain) |
| Company and data Where it is and where it stores data | ✓ Madrid, Spain; data in the EU | ~ USA |
✓ yes · ✕ no · ~ partly. Mi Estela info comes from the app's code; Google Family Link and Google Maps info comes from the sources at the bottom, as of October 14, 2026.
What Google Family Link and Google Maps does better
- Family Link is real parental control for under-14s: screen time, apps, purchases and filters. Mi Estela does none of that, on purpose.
- Both are free and built into the Google ecosystem.
- Google Maps lets you share with anyone, even without an app, through a link that lasts up to 24 hours.
What Mi Estela does better
- A circle with everyone's faces, their battery, and “home since 8:43,” on iPhone and Android.
- SOS to your circle, chat, calls, video calls and voice notes, all inside the app.
- Two-way: nobody supervises anybody. For a teen aged 14 or older, that changes the relationship.
- Ghost Mode, approximate or precise location, the Pact, Worlds and Senior Mode.
- No ads, and your data stays on servers in the EU.
Pricing
Family Link and Google Maps: free. Mi Estela: the essentials are free; Premium is optional at €9.99/month or €99.99/year per circle (prices in Spain).
Privacy and data
Google: data is governed by Google's privacy policy; the supervised person can see that they're supervised, and Maps notifications alert the person affected. Mi Estela: no ads, no data sales, servers in the EU.
Minimum age
Family Link: for children below the minimum Google account age (14 in Spain), created by a parent or guardian over 18 in the same country. Mi Estela: from age 14 in Spain.
How to sign up for Google Family Link and Google Maps
- Family Link: install the app and sign in with your account; create or select the child's account; Location › Set up; on the child's phone, turn on “See your child's location”; create family places and alerts.
- Google Maps: profile photo › Share location › Share with someone › duration › contact.
And in Mi Estela: how to get started, step by step.
We answer your questions
Frequently asked questions
Can I use Family Link and Mi Estela at the same time?
Yes. Use Family Link to supervise your child's phone while they're under 14, and Mi Estela as a family circle once they're old enough for their own account.
Does Google Maps alert me when someone gets home?
Yes: you can create up to five arrival or departure notifications per person, and the other person is notified that you've created them. They don't work with links or with people below the minimum account age.
Sources
- Google: minimum age for a Google account by country
- Google: Family Link, official help
- Google Maps: share location in real time
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. Find My (Apple)
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.
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