Honest answer: Family Link is free, works, and most parents start there. Here's exactly what it can and cannot do - and where SkiePhone does something fundamentally different.
What each actually does - no marketing language.
Google Family Link works at the app layer. It sits on top of Android. A child who knows what they're doing can go to Settings → Apps → Family Link → Uninstall. Or reset the phone. Or use the browser to access any site. Or create a second Google account. This is not a criticism of Google - it's a limitation of how app-level controls fundamentally work.
SkiePhone works at the OS level using Android's Device Policy Controller API - the same system enterprises use to manage corporate phones. The child cannot uninstall SkieOS. Cannot factory reset the device. Cannot install apps outside our system. Cannot disable location. The controls are not layered on top of Android - they are part of Android.
Family Link layer
App level - sits on top of Android. Removable by a determined child.
SkieOS layer
OS level - baked into Android via DPC. Not removable by anyone but us.
Both tools limit access. But only SkiePhone gives your child a reason to want to earn it back. Goals. Stars. Real rewards at their door. The phone that doesn't just say no - it says "complete this, and yes."
Skieeeasy.