The Best Free Spy Apps in 2024 Tested

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Are you a parent looking to regulate your children’s mobile phone use and encourage healthy digital habits? Do you suspect your partner of hiding something, but don’t want to make baseless assumptions?

Or are you simply worried about a friend’s online safety and want to monitor them? Whatever the scenario, several free spy apps can help.

The best free spy apps allow you to remotely monitor—and even control or regulate—a target’s device, be it an Android or iPhone, at little to no cost. In this article, we take a deep dive into the world of spy apps, sharing the best free and paid options based on our hands-on experience.

Best Free Spy Apps – The Shortlist

There are a myriad of reasons why you might be looking for the best free spy app in 2024. For example, 57% of marriages ended in divorce due to infidelity, a cause for worry for those of us who suspect our spouses of keeping secrets.

Meanwhile, 46% of internet users under the ages of 13 to 17 years old have faced online harassment – which is why parental control of mobile use is so important.

That is why choosing a good spy app can play an important role in our digital lives. These software applications sit quietly on a target’s device and relay monitoring data to your dashboard. You can use this dashboard to view conversations, social media activity, browsing history, gallery, call records, and much more.

However, the challenge with spy apps is that they are a multi-million dollar market, and not all companies are legit.

Some will promise you 100% free apps but actually install malware on your computer. Or, they might install ransomware that collects and holds your data ransom in the guise of monitoring the device.

To help you navigate these risks and select the best free spy app for your needs, we’ve tested the top solutions in this segment. Here are our picks for 2024:

1. Qustodio – Best free spy app for large families with multiple devices (free forever plan or Premium trial for 3 days).
2. FamiSafe – Best monitoring solution for schools and large teams (free version available)
3. Mobicip – Best spy app for co-parenting and collaboration (7-day free trial)

Free spy phone apps come with a 100% free trial and affordable upgrades between $2.99 and $10/month. The best spy apps cost between $11 and $50/month and let you remotely spy on whatever the person does online—even using the camera to take pictures remotely and viewing deleted information.

In this category, our top picks are:

1. mSpy – Best spy app overall, especially for monitoring physical surroundings
2. Spynger – Best affordable spy app to catch a cheating partner through deleted info
3. uMobix – Best spy app for parents and others needing to remotely control devices
4. Spybubble Pro – Best for monitoring partners and teenagers on social media
5. Scannero – Best for locating any device in the world instantaneously

Unlike, say, password managers, which often provide feature-rich free versions as an industry practice, spy apps are almost always paid software. That’s why, if you’re looking to use one for free, it’s best to opt for a free trial of trustworthy apps like the ones we’ve reviewed.

The Top 3 Free Spy Apps Reviewed

Here’s our review of the top spy apps that you can start using for free right away. Read on to learn about their pros and cons, key features, and starting price if you choose to upgrade to a paid plan.

1. Qustodio – Best Free Spy App for Large Families

Qustodio is a powerful spy app for parental control and the digital well-being of your family. Based in Barcelona, the company was founded in 2012 and has raised seed capital of $1.5 million to further develop its technology.

Since you can monitor 10 devices at once, you can use Qustodio for a number of use cases, including parental control, monitoring your spouse, or keeping tabs on your close friends for safety.

Its content filtering features let you block inappropriate websites containing mature content, gambling, violence, and other threats. We found that the Qustodio app even sends you alerts when they try to access blocked content.

Another impressive aspect of the software is its compatibility. Not only does it offer one of the best free spy apps for Android and iPhone, but you can also download it on your child’s Chromebook, Mac, Windows PC, or iPad.

We were pleasantly surprised to find that this spy app even supports Kindle eBook readers, so you’re covered no matter what device your target is using.

Furthermore, the Qustodio spy app lets you set daily time limits. It lets you modify precisely how much screen time is allowed per day—let’s say, a little more on the weekends or a little less on school days. This gives you an unprecedented degree of control over your target’s phone activities.

Of course, core features like location tracking, geofencing alerts, call monitoring, and regular reports are included. And, if you need additional support, Qustodio has a Care Plus package that gives you human assistance in English or Spanish

Pricing

Pricing is one of the main reasons why Qustodio wins a spot on our list of best free spy apps in 2024. It’s one of the few spy apps to offer a 3-day free trial of its entire suite of premium suite of features. You can simply visit the website and download Qustodio for your preferred device to get started.

Qustodio’s free plan will be useful for beginners. You can filter websites, set daily time limits, and pause internet activity. However, you can’t block apps or track the target’s location. Activity reports, too, are limited to seven days instead of 30 days in the paid plan. 

To remove these restrictions, you can sign up for a trial of one of Qustodio’s paid plans. Once you’ve completed your free spy app trial, you can upgrade either to a Basic plan for $54.95/year or the Premium plan for $99.95/year.

2. FamiSafe – Best Monitoring Solution for Schools and Team Members

FamiSafe, from the Chinese company Wondershare, offers a host of useful features for monitoring your family members, employees, or students in a school. Its biggest selling point is scalability as it can accommodate hundreds of devices in one plan.

Like Qustodio, FamiSafe supports a wide range of devices. Its monitoring capabilities comprise four things: device activity, media consumption safety, web safety, and location services. It uses artificial intelligence (AI) to detect and block inappropriate content, making the feature extremely accurate.

This spy app offers granular YouTube protection capabilities. Not only can you monitor what your child is watching, but you can also remotely block specific videos or even entire channels. This gives you sustainable control over their viewing habits. We found that you can monitor for explicit content containing certain keywords or topics like bullying, drugs, or violence.

FamiSafe’s activity reports are also incredibly detailed. It’ll tell you how much time the target is spending on each app and on which days. It’ll also show timelines of web activity. You can use the spy app to view if your child has installed/uninstalled specific apps or even block apps remotely.

A unique feature we found in our tests is driving safety controls. While most spy apps will give you live location and route mapping, FamiSafe goes a step further. You can see the average speed of driving, time spent driving at high speeds, and if they have been overspeeding or hard braking.

That’s why FamiSafe is highly recommended for parents with teenagers or kids who’ve recently got their learner’s permit or driving license.

We were impressed by the app’s artificial intelligence, which scores the media stored on your kid’s phone based on how inappropriate or dangerous it is. Bear in mind that this feature works only on Android and not on iPhones.

Pricing

FamiSafe earns a firm position on our list of best free spy apps because of its free plan. The company lets you download and use its app for free – albeit with some limitations. You can only monitor one device and view activity data for the current day. Upgrade to the premium version for $9.99/month to unlock its full potential.

FamiSafe’s annual plan for $59.99 offers the most value since you can track unlimited devices. It also offers a bulk monitoring plan for schools and small businesses, which costs $2,399.80/year for 151-200 devices—again, great value for a spy app of this caliber.

3. Mobicip – Best Spy App for Co-Parenting

Mobicip is a 2008 parental control software and spy app company based in the US. Its solutions are used to monitor children and family members and students up to K-12. Mobicip also works as a collaborative spy app—you can collaborate with a co-parent on the same plan.

Using Mobicip, you can set daily or weekly limits on your target’s mobile use.

We liked that the spy app lets you define precise limits for different categories, such as social media, games, and watching videos. You can even create custom, reusable schedules and give them names—e.g., ‘homework’ and ‘sleep’—so you can apply them later.

Mobicip’s AI-powered content filter is compatible with most platforms your target is likely to use.

You can use it to block inappropriate content on YouTube, any social media channel, or your kid’s favorite browser. You can also turn access to specific categories ‘on’ or ‘off ‘—this lets you safeguard nearly every aspect of your child’s web experience.

We found Mobicip’s ‘family locator’ feature to be particularly beneficial. You can create geofences around specific locations such as a school, library, or movie theater. The spy app will remind you as soon as the target has reached the spot.

One of the common challenges with spy apps is that the target – your child or family member – may feel intruded upon.

Mobicip addresses this using its collaboration options. There is a ‘child dashboard’ where your kids can see and set their own app restrictions, essentially self-regulating their screen time and developing healthier digital habits.

Pricing

If you’re using Mobicip as a free spy app for iPhone, Android, or any other platform, you’ll be happy to learn that it offers a 7-day free trial. That means you have a week to try out all its features and gather preliminary data from your target’s phone.

For those who decide to upgrade to a paid plan, Mobicip is very affordable. The starting price is $2.99/month to monitor five devices. For $4.99 /month, you can extend this coverage to 10 devices, and for $7.99/month, 20.

Our Top 5 Spy Apps For 2024

As you can see, the best free spy apps are mainly intended for parental control and allow you to track and regulate mobile use. Now if you want to extend your ambit a little further, there are plenty of options that offer more powerful spying features at a slightly higher cost.

The Best 5 Spy Apps to Install in 2024

We tested the best spy apps hands-on to understand how they compare and their suitable use cases. Here are our findings:

1.mSpy – Best Spy App Overall in 2024

Founded in 2003, mSpy has specialized in spy app technology for many years now. While you can’t call it a free remote monitoring app for Android or iPhone, it costs less than $20 a month, making it one of the best apps in terms of value for money.

One of the unique features we found in our mSpy tests is ambient recording.

It lets you turn on the target’s phone’s microphone and record whatever is happening around them. Is someone bullying your child? Is your spouse engaging in illicit conversations? mSpy can get you concrete proof.

Similarly, you can remotely activate the target’s phone’s camera.

This will take snapshots of their surroundings so you can ensure their safety. Powerful features like these are hard to come by in free spy phone apps, which is why it might make sense to invest in a paid option.

We were also impressed by mSpy’s built-in screen recorder. If you only want to record your target’s digital activities, it’ll capture anything that’s happening on their screen – whether they’re watching videos, talking to someone, taking pictures, or looking up a new location on the map.

Of course, you can enjoy all the core features you’d expect from a top spy app, like social media monitoring, call lists, browser history, app activity, and more.

Pricing

While mSpy may not count as one of the best free spy apps, it is very affordable, especially if you subscribe to an annual plan. Typically priced at about $16/month, the company is running promos in 2024, which effectively brings the price down to just $11.66/month.

Unfortunately, there’s no free trial option, but you can access a free demo to check out mSpy in action. You could also sign up for one month ($69.99 without discount) to use the app for one month, with no commitment.

2. Spynger – Best Affordable Spy App to Catch a Cheating Partner

Spynger is a security technology company based out of California, USA. It can help monitor both iPhones and Android devices and offers a number of remote control features. While it’s not free, Spynger is competitively priced and its ongoing discounts make it a compelling value proposition.

While most spy apps let you monitor calls, social media, gallery, and location, Spynger goes a step further. It allows you to read deleted text messages, which can be incredibly helpful if you’re trying to catch a cheating husband or wife.

It’s also one of the best spy apps for email tracking in 2024. You can check if your child or partner is using emails to engage in inappropriate conversations. Spynger doesn’t just show you the contents of email chats—you’ll also learn the time and date sent, the subject line, attachments, and more.

That way, you’ll know if the target is sending emails outside of business hours, a common sign of emotional cheating.

We were impressed by Spynger’s WiFi tracking features. Usually, a good spy app detects which network your target has connected to, which is a telltale sign of the public places they frequent. With Spynger, you can not only see the name of the WiFi connection but also block the target’s access.

You can also trust Spynger for its keylogging capabilities. The spy app monitors everything, the target types, and lets you blacklist certain keywords. If the user types in these words, then you’ll immediately receive a real-time alert.

The keylogger can also help you find out the usernames and passwords of the target’s accounts.

Pricing

Spynger is priced ever so slightly lower than mSpy, making it one of the most affordable spy apps available today.

If you sign up for the annual plan and use one of the company’s ongoing promos, the cost is less than a third of a dollar a day. That’s as good as a free spy phone app—but with far more legitimate features.

3. uMobix – Best Spy App for Parents and Others Needing to Remotely Control Devices

uMobix is a security technology company headquartered in London. It offers one of the best spy apps in 2024 for remote device control. It’s competitively priced according to industry standards and costs less than a dollar a day to use.

The highlight of our hands-on uMobix tests was the degree of control we were able to exert over the remote target device. Not only can you block certain apps and websites – a staple of top parental control apps – but you can also disable messages, restrict calls, regulate data storage, or block the device entirely.

You can also retrieve deleted information. Let’s say your child receives a text from a friend mentioning alcohol consumption. They’ll probably delete it immediately, but with uMobix, you can retrieve the text and learn the truth.

What’s more, the spy app even detects renamed contacts. This can be very helpful when you’re trying to catch a cheating partner who might try to disguise the name of their ex or someone else.

Another uMobix feature we really liked is the ability to stream audio and video. You can remotely turn on the target device’s camera or mic, and it’ll live stream the audio or video feeds to your dashboard. This gives you a live, real-time understanding of what’s happening around your loved one.

uMobix has all the core features you’d expect and then some. For instance, it’ll tell you if the target has swapped their SIM card for a secret SIM. You can find out their real-time social media online status. The list goes on.

Pricing

uMobix is priced similarly to mSpy and Spynger, so your decision will depend on your use cases and the features you’re looking for.

You can save significantly by signing up for an annual plan. We were happy to see that uMobix offers a 1-day free trial. While this doesn’t make it a free spy app, it’s just enough to get you an accurate understanding of the features before you buy.

4. SpyBubble Pro – Best for Monitoring Partners and Teenagers on Social Media

SpyBubble is a 2010-founded parental control software company based in the USA. It’s well-reviewed and has a presence in America and Europe. The company builds software for couples, parents, and those requiring digital investigation tools for work, making it a highly versatile product.

We were happy to see that SpyBubble Pro is compatible with nearly every phone model out there, old or new. From popular brands like Samsung and Apple to Mi, Meizu, and others, you can track your kids or your partner no matter what device they’re using.

Before purchasing the platform, you can check for compatibility using SpyBubble’s interactive online compatibility checker tool.

One area where the app really shines is social media tracking. As always, you can monitor your target’s social chats and file exchanges. Moreover, you get an in-depth view of their social profiles. The Facebook profile tracker, for instance, displays their likes, shares, posts, and friend list in real time.

Likewise, on Instagram, you enjoy an unprecedented level of control with SpyBubble Pro. Not only can you view and track what your target is doing, but you can actually take action.

For example, let’s say your child is following an Insta account that shares inappropriate content. You can unfollow or even block the account so that such content doesn’t show up on your kid’s feed. You can also control Instagram DMs and block messages from accounts you find objectionable.

Besides these, SpyBubble Pro offers all the core features you’d need, including social media tracking, geolocation, gallery views, and call tracking. Importantly, you’ll be able to see the target’s live call status—i.e., whether they’re speaking with someone in real time and who they’re talking to.

Pricing

Like most leading spy apps, SpyBubble Pro lets you choose from monthly, quarterly, and annual plans. An annual contract costs $10.62/month, which is quite affordable considering the app’s features.

The company offers a 14-day money-back guarantee as long as you follow its terms and conditions, like obtaining consent before installing the app.

5. Scannero – Best for Locating Any Device in the World Instantaneously

Scannero.io is one of the best spy apps to use if you’re interested in pure-play location tracking. It doesn’t require any physical access whatsoever. And you don’t even have to know your target’s Google or Apple ID. All you need is the person’s phone number to track them.

Scannero features on our list of best spy apps because of the simplicity of its premise. All you have to do is enter a person’s phone number into the Scannero app or website. It’ll then send a text message to the target phone that acts as a stealthy tracking link.

As soon as the target clicks on the link, they’ll (unknowingly or knowingly) give their consent. This works on any phone with a SIM card, regardless of the operating system or OS version.

If you’re looking for the best free spy app, Scannero can be a good choice. That’s because, while the app isn’t free to use, it costs only $0.89 for the first 24 hours. You can try the service out, find someone’s location virtually for free, and test the app’s other features without any contractual obligations.

Speaking of other features, Scannero isn’t just a basic location tracker. We were particularly impressed by the reverse phone lookup capability, which lets you identify the owner of any phone number. So, if your spouse is receiving calls from an unknown number, you can use Scannero to find out the truth.

Scannero also acts as a data breach scanner. It checks multiple online databases to see if your email and phone information has been leaked. And, if you need to send someone a secret message, the app can convert notes into an anonymous voice message.

We found Scannero to be a powerful location tracker that also doubles up as a security tool.

Pricing

Scannero has a straightforward pricing model that doesn’t leave much room for maneuvering. You can either opt for a 1-day trial for $0.89 or buy the monthly plan for $49.80/month.

This is both a bad thing and a good thing. You don’t get to enjoy any long-term discounts that you’d usually get from an annual contract. However, it also means there’s no chance of being locked into a plan.

Are Free Spy Apps Legit?

While it’s tempting to install a free spy app instead of a paid one and potentially get all the information without spending anything, most free spy apps are not legit. This is because:

For these reasons, the spy app marketplace is riddled with malware and fake products. For example, take a look at prospybubble.com. It’s a dupe of SpyBubble Pro and actually installs another spy app called Hoverwatch on your device rather than the app you were looking for.

That’s why we recommend that you approach free spy apps with caution. While a few may be legit, it’s difficult to tell the wheat from the chaff.

Choose trusted software with reliable free-use options and upgrade to a paid plan when you’re comfortable.

How We Test Spy Apps For Our Reviews

For our reviews and roundups, we subscribed to the monthly plan for all eight applications discussed in this guide.

In addition, we referred to each software’s learning portal to review the documentation and support options. This allowed us to understand the value each spy app offers and whether it’s worth the investment.

The findings shared in this article are also bolstered by our experience of testing paid and free spy apps for in-depth reviews. The team at TechReport has been at the forefront of technology journalism since 1999 and has authored reviews on FamiSafe, mSpy, uMobix, SpyBubble Pro, and countless others.

In addition to our hands-on experience with these apps, we also referred to trust user opinion forums such as G2, Capterra, Trustpilot, Reddit, and TrustRadius to find out how the software fares in real-world conditions. This allows us to present our objective, unbiased analysis of the best free spy apps.

Step-By-Step Guide – How to Use a Spy App

While they utilize sophisticated internal technology, spy apps are easy to install and use.

You’ll need to complete four steps: sign up for the spy app, install the app on the target device by following the instructions in your email, delete any traces of the installation, and return to your dashboard to start monitoring.

Regardless of whether you’re using a paid or free spy app – or the brand you have selected – the process is largely the same. Today, we’ll explain how to use a spy app using mSpy as an example, but you could repeat these steps for any product in this roundup.

Step 1. Sign Up for the Spy App

Visit the company’s website to sign up for the plan of your choice. Make sure to open the right page – sometimes, fraudsters may run Google Ad campaigns posing as the real thing. Double-check the domain name before signing up.

Enter your email ID and click on ‘Try Now’ to proceed. mSpy will prompt you to choose your operating system and preferred subscription.

Once you complete the payment, you’ll receive an email containing your password, username, control panel link, and installation URL. Save the email or note the data in Notepad or a similar app. Make a note of this for the next step – installation.

Step 2: Install the App on the Target Device

Next, physically access the target’s phone – let’s assume it’s an Android device. First, shut down Play Protect so apps like mSpy can be downloaded. Go to Play Store settings and turn off the ‘Scan apps’ and ‘Improve harmful app detection’ toggles.

Now, you’re ready to install mSpy on the target’s phone. Open the browser and type in the installation URL you received previously via email. Follow the installation wizard and provide any permissions necessary. You’ll complete the process in no time, after which you’ll need to remove all traces of the process.

Step 3. Delete All Traces of the Installation

While this step isn’t mandatory, deleting traces of the installation ensures that the spy app doesn’t intrude upon the target’s regular user experience. For instance, if your teenage kid constantly sees the active spy app, they may be prompted to try and get a second phone.

So, open the browser history and clear it. Also, open the device’s file storage and delete anything you’ve downloaded. Visit the device’s home page and remove any new icon that may have appeared.

Step 4. Return to Your Dashboard

You’re now ready to use the spy app. mSpy (and most of its equivalents) can be used on desktop and mobile devices. We recommend starting with the desktop UI so you can familiarize yourself with the app’s many features.

The navigation pane will be on the left, and the dashboard, maps, text chains, and other information will appear in the center. Scroll down the left navigation pane to try out different tools, such as social media monitors, GPS trackers, and media viewers.

Verdict – Are Free Spy Apps Good?

As we wrap up our discussion of the best free spy apps, let’s answer the million-dollar question – are free spy apps any good?

Well, yes, and no. Yes, they give you an immediate glimpse into your target’s online life, and they cost nothing. No, because chances are that you’ll have to upgrade sooner or later – or worse, the free spy app might be fraudulent.

That’s not to say all free spy apps are bad. Products like Qustodio, FamiSafe, and Mobicip offer powerful remote monitoring capabilities at little to no cost. For a little extra fee, apps like mSpy can give you access to a wealth of information about your target – and their physical surroundings.

Our advice is to do your research, don’t believe marketing hype alone, and keep your eyes peeled for a spy app that meets your unique needs (and budget).

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