The children of today have never known a time without the internet. Although this revolutionary technology has many wonderful uses and benefits, it also poses great dangers that can be harmful to children.
At DataProt, we are huge advocates for online privacy, so technology designed to snoop on people raises our eyebrows. However, we understand the concerns parents have for their children’s wellbeing given that the internet is awash with harmful content. This is why we’re happy to advocate some of the best parental control software, as children are more susceptible to the internet’s dark side.
We checked every parental control software solution we reviewed to make sure that it doesn’t stealthily snoop on your children. We also recommend that you clearly explain to your kids why parental controls on the internet are necessary.
Parental control features are common aspects of every good anti-malware software, so it is no wonder that Intego, a renowned Mac antivirus company, offers its own version of parental control software. Its Content Barrier X9 is probably the most comprehensive solution on this list. It will shield your kids from inappropriate content, monitor their online activity at all times, and block chats, apps, and troublesome emails. Unfortunately, this tool is only available for Mac.
$19.99/year
Bark is a tool with excellent social media app coverage created to help you ensure your child stays safe from cyberbullying, which is a growing concern among parents. This parental control app is designed to work seamlessly with iOS and Android, and will effortlessly go through your kids’ messages and notify you of any content that shouldn’t be there. You can also use it to manage screen time, keep track of your kids’ locations, and block any unwanted websites.
$49/year
Parents looking to censor the content available to their kids online should most certainly give Net Nanny a try. This parental control software package helps them monitor their children’s online activity, from social media to various apps. Parents can also manage their kids’ screen time, block unwanted apps and websites, and see their location at all times. Net Nanny can be installed on Android, Windows, Mac, and Kindle Fire devices for complete protection.
$39.99/year
Qustodio is one of the best parental control apps that can track calls and SMS, allowing you to read suspicious messages and to block certain numbers. Through Qustodio, you can also monitor your kid’s online activity, block apps, and set time limits. Qustodio also offers the Priority Support service, which will assist you with customizing the app for each child individually.
$54.95/year
Online schooling has brought on a new challenge for parents - how do you prevent kids from spending their time on social media when they are supposed to be studying? Norton, a renowned anti-malware software provider, has an ideal parental internet control solution for this situation, called Norton Family. This tool allows you to monitor your child’s online activity and block websites and apps to create a distraction-free learning environment for your kids with just a couple of clicks.
$49.99/year
Kaspersky Safe Kids is another reliable solution coming from a well-known antivirus software provider. This internet protection tool has a set of features similar to other software on this list - it allows you to monitor your children’s online activity and screen time, enables GPS tracking, and can block certain website and app categories. Since Kaspersky is a big name in the industry, we were slightly underwhelmed by the basic features on offer. However, it is undoubtedly one of the most affordable options on this list.
$14.99/year
Mobicip is another excellent internet filtering software solution for parents navigating the internet era with their kids. It comes with all the standard options, from screen time monitoring and location tracking to extensive filtering. Parents with kids of all ages will probably benefit the most from the opportunity to restrict access to social media and video streaming services. You can also use it to review up to four weeks of your kid’s browsing history.
$47.88/year
This parental controls router solution can help parents filter apps, websites, games, even devices for their kids in just a couple of clicks and for just $10 a month. The Circle app can manage these tasks for iOS and Android devices by itself, but if you’d like to control devices in your home network, such as a smart TV, you’ll have to purchase a dedicated Circle device, which costs $129.
$10/month
Parental control software monitors and restricts activity on devices your children have access to. Computers and web browsers sometimes offer some limited safe browsing options, but these can normally be bypassed by crafty children who can acquire tech skills quickly. They also don’t include monitoring or alerts.
Realistically, you need to look at some of the best parental control software of 2021 to see how extra measures can be taken to help keep your child safe. These programs use advanced techniques to keep on top of your child’s internet use.
Some would argue that this is a form of helicopter parenting, but the internet is full of dangerous and explicit content that can be damaging for children. It’s completely reasonable that you would want to protect your child from being exposed to these materials, and even if they’re upset with you now, they’ll surely thank you when they’re older.
Some of the best parental control software works at router level, but this targets the whole house’s WiFi. This means that you could also be blocked from viewing some content, and it also doesn’t prevent children from accessing forbidden content using their mobile data. The best coverage instead comes from parental control software that is installed directly onto the devices themselves and allows you to control the settings remotely. Let’s look at these apps in more detail.
Navigating the dark and murky waters of the Internet is safer with Intego ContentBarrier X9 and its advanced features. In this digital age, a common question among parents is, what is the best parental control software for Mac? Their search often leads them to Intego, a company that prides itself on providing a set of tools to keep your children safe online. Safety Detectives awarded it for being the Best overall macOS antivirus and anti-malware protection in 2021.
Reducing your child’s screen time is made possible with the Intego time limit feature, which prevents your children from sneaking onto their devices late at night to browse the internet. Also, the Integro ContentBarrier tailors to your individual needs by offering customizable parental control settings for young toddlers, teenagers, and all those in between.
Having the best Mac parental control software also translates to having access to advanced security features. One of these features is ContentBarrier’s Anti-Predator chat monitoring function. This technology monitors all standard chat protocols in search of inappropriate and suspicious content and blocks it. It will also send email alerts on incidents, with screenshots and keystrokes records, so that parents can keep track of their child’s online behavior.
Most parents and caregivers are looking for software that restricts web content, and Intego ContentBarrier does exactly that. Aside from blocking whole categories of unsuitable websites for children, which you’ll find with all the best computer protection software with parental control functions, Intego lets you block game servers, online streaming, or P2P sharing. There’s also an option for children to ask their parents for permission to access blocked websites if needed.
Unlike some of its competitors, Intego ContentBarrier X9 doesn’t feature social media monitoring, even though its AntiPredator function covers standard chat protocols. We believe that at a time when the social networking landscape is expanding, Intego should dedicate a separate feature to it. The software is compatible with Mac OS X 10.9 up to 11.0 but doesn’t support Android, iOS, or Windows, which is a notable downside. On the other hand, there is an option for dual protection for both Mac and Windows if you combine parental control software with an antivirus.
Although you can’t expect to get the best internet parental control software for free, Intego ContentBarrier X9 is highly affordable. Protection for a single Mac for one year currently costs $43.79. If you’d like to protect three computers, it’ll cost you just over $87 or $166.43 for two years of protection. The two-year package for only one computer is considerably less and costs only $74.5.
Bark is another one of our top picks on this list of the best parental control software. Just like a guard dog barks when danger or suspicion approaches, Bark gives off a warning when your child is at risk online. If you have no interest in being a helicopter parent but still want to keep your child safe online, Bark is a great option. It’s not overly intrusive; it simply gives you a warning when something’s not right, which could prompt you to talk to your child or perhaps take more serious action, depending on the situation. It’s this subtlety that makes Bark arguably the best parental control software for alerts.
It’s relatively simple to get started with Bark. The installation phase may be slightly tricky, but the site’s step-by-step guidance will help you get it up and running. Once you do, you’ll find that Bark puts a stronger emphasis on sending you alerts based on your child’s usage and perceived threats. The team at Bark stresses that parental control software should be transparent, so the website gives you an abundance of information on how to discuss this with your child. You can really tell that this app was designed with the help of psychologists.
Bark is our pick as the best parental control software for social media. It covers 24 social media platforms and its algorithm scans messages, only alerting you when there’s an issue at hand.
There are three tiers of alerts for you to choose from: relaxed, moderate, and strict. The strict alert settings may become tiresome quickly, with the algorithm warning you of things that aren’t really issues at all. If you don’t want to be too intrusive on your child’s activities but are still concerned for their welfare, then Bark’s relaxed alert settings only warn you of serious issues.
Bark is one of the higher-priced options on the market, but you do get some of the best software for parental control in return. There are two packages available; Bark Jr – which usually costs $49 per year but at the time of writing this review was available free for a lifetime – and Bark Premium for $99 per year.
Unlike alternative software, Bark also offers monthly subscriptions, although this raises the price significantly. A seven-day free trial is also available for both packages so you can put them to the test.
Bark Jr is aimed at younger children and offers screen time management, web filtering, and location check-in. If you want a further overview of your child’s activities, then the Premium package offers you the best parental control computer software. It gives you advanced monitoring alerts for issues such as cyberbullying that could be a direct threat to your child, as well as an in-depth analysis of the websites and applications they’ve been using. A subscription to Bark allows you to implement its software across unlimited devices for an unlimited number of children, which is a green light for us.
Net Nanny was one of the early innovators of parental control technology, having been formed in 1995. It also has a reputation for being the best parental control software for iOS devices.
Installation is fairly straightforward. You’ll need to sign up and put in payment details before this, though. Once the app has been installed and you open it, you’ll have access to the control panels. The next step is to download it onto your child’s devices, after which you can adjust the protection settings and notifications. You can lock the app on your child’s device so that they can’t access it without the passcode. If they uninstall it, you’ll receive a notification.
Net Nanny isn’t the easiest parental control software to get to a grip on. The dashboard seems a bit overwhelming to begin with, and it may take you a little while to get to the hang of. Once you do, we’re sure that you’ll find it to be one of the best internet parental control software options out there.
You’ll be happy with the strong variety of parental controls available, including blocking adult content, pornography, and harmful videos. On top of this, you can also see which apps are downloaded on your child’s device and use Net Nanny’s App Advisor to receive brief descriptions of these apps, so you know whether they’re harmful and worth blocking.
Net Nanny pricing is on the higher side, but for your money you’ll get arguably the best parental control software for Android and iOS systems, the two of which have almost identical layouts. To get the program on one desktop device costs $39.99 for an annual subscription, which is a bit steep and neglects mobile phones. To get Net Nanny on up to five devices, including mobile phones and Kindle Fire, costs $54.99 per year, which represents much better value than the single desktop package.
If you have a big family or your kids are a little bit tech mad, then $89.99 will cover up to 20 devices. One thing we like about Net Nanny’s subscription plans is that you’ll receive access to all of its features, so despite the high price tag, you’ll get a wealth of features to keep your family safe. If you’re looking for comprehensive monitoring for your children, then Net Nanny is our pick for the overall best parental control software for the internet.
Qustodio is another excellent multi-platform parental control software. Installation is straightforward and the interface is clean. Qustodio has an exciting range of features that pretty much puts it at the top of the tree in this area.
The geofencing feature is useful if you have a child who is a bit too keen on adventure. This feature allows you to draw out a boundary on a map, and if your child leaves that boundary, then you’ll receive a notification. It’s the kind of above-and-beyond feature that makes Qustodio arguably the best parental control and monitoring software on the market.
Geofencing is particularly useful if you live near some sketchy areas or construction sites where your danger-prone child may like to explore. It’s not just a circular radius from your home but a customizable boundary, meaning that you can target particularly risky areas. Unfortunately, Qustodio’s geofencing doesn’t work on iOS devices, but it’s part of the app’s strong parental controls for Android.
Another unique feature of Qustodio is the panic button feature, which allows your child to send out a signal to selected adults if they find themselves in some form of danger. This bonus feature extends beyond internet monitoring; in fact, it’s more of a physical child protection feature than anything else. We love the fact that Qustodio is not only possibly the best free software for parental control for internet access, but also offers real-life protection in the physical world.
Qustodio comes with a free version, as well as a paid version. The free version is competent, but you’ll only get access to one device. Monitoring, time restrictions, social media checks, and safe web filtering are included in the free package, which is a truly generous offer, and much more than we’d expect for free.
We recommend that you try the free version. It’s a good way to decide whether this really is the best parental control software for kids. If you like it, you can subscribe to the paid plan so you can protect multiple children across many devices. Or, if you only have one child and are only interested in protecting their primary device, then you can save yourself some money by sticking to the free plan.
Of course, the most advanced features come with the paid versions of the software. You’ll get control over apps and games, location tracking, the panic button feature for Android, calls and SMS monitoring for Android, and advanced Facebook monitoring. It’s a wonderful package, and in our opinion it’s the best multi-platform parental control software out there, particularly if your child has an Android phone so you can make use of all the features.
Pricing is reasonably high, starting at $54.95 per year for five devices, $96.95 for 10 devices, and $137.95 for 15. If you don’t worry about the price and focus on what the subscription offers, you’ll see that Qustodio has the most varied set of features of any parental control software we’ve reviewed. On top of that, the whole range of features is included in all the paid packages.
The award for the best parental control software with antivirus protection can only go to Norton, one of the world’s premier antivirus companies. Those of you who have used Norton’s services will be familiar with the interface, which can feel a bit clunky but is manageable nevertheless.
We’re going to start this review by looking at a new and interesting feature that Norton Family has put in place to help combat some of the challenges of remote learning, which has changed the way children learn during the COVID-19 pandemic. This feature allows you to set school hours for your children and only allow them to visit websites that their teachers have prescribed for them. It’s smart innovations like this that make Norton Family perhaps the best software for parental control.
Norton Family’s web filtering tools are about as strong as you can get, which is to be expected from this famous cybersecurity maestro. There is a range of customizable features that go far deeper than the majority of other parental control softwares. Three levels of supervision can be altered at your discretion: Low, which simply monitors activity; Moderate, which warns your child but allows them to continue; and High, which blocks the website.
The main drawback of Norton Family is that it doesn’t work on Macs, making it useless for many potential customers. However, you could argue that it is the best parental control software for Windows.
The price is somewhat high if you don’t want to cover many devices, but the annual fee of $49.99 gives you the ability to protect an unlimited number of devices for all your children. There is no free version, but a 30-day free trial is available.
If you’re on the hunt for some great antivirus software, you can get a combined deal with Norton that includes Norton Family for $54.99 for the first year and $109.99 per year afterward. From our perspective, this is the best parental control antivirus software deal currently on the market.
If you want to keep your child protected without breaking your budget, then Kaspersky Safe Kids is a great choice as one of the best parental control software solutions.
Of course, you have to expect some downsides if you opt for software that is significantly cheaper than the competition. The first compromise you’ll be making is that the interface isn’t as fine-tuned as on some of the more expensive competitors’ products. It can be a bit confusing, and the load times aren’t as sharp. Some of you won’t mind this too much, but we understand that many people become quickly frustrated when there’s the slightest inconvenience with a technology they’ve paid for.
The Kaspersky Safe Kids app performs well on Android but is perhaps not the best iOS parental control software; we’d recommend Net Nanny for that. For instance, there is no app monitoring on iOS devices, nor can you block usage to apps once a time limit has been exceeded. This is par for the course with iOS devices and parental control software, with many all of them struggling to work properly with iOS.
If you’re concerned with your child’s usage of a mobile device, then control over Android devices is much easier. The other thing that is noticeably missing from Kaspersky Safe Kids is that there is no SOS option for your child. When it comes to overall monitoring, though, it ticks most of the boxes.
Kaspersky Safe Kids wins our award for being the best value for money by a country mile. It costs just $14.99 per year for a subscription, making it an easy choice for parents on a budget and looking for some of the best software for parental control. With the subscription, you’ll receive an unlimited number of accounts for an unlimited number of kids, which is truly excellent.
A free version of Kaspersky Safe Kids is also available. With it, however, you won’t receive some features such as location tracking, social media monitoring, YouTube history checks, or instant alerts for any misadventures on your child’s device. With the free version, you’ll also receive a week-long free trial of the full version to test whether its features are worth its humble price tag.
Although Kaspersky is among the best free parental control software, going for the paid package is still a fairly safe investment. Even if you do end up regretting the purchase, $14.99 definitely isn’t a huge price to pay for taking care of your child’s welfare. That’s why we’d say Kaspersky is definitely worth a try.
Mobicip is another strong competitor on our list of the best parental control software providers. It comes with a solid range of advanced internet-filtering, location-tracking, and app management features.
Named after the CIPA (Children’s Internet Protection Act) – a US regulation that mandates offering secure internet access to minors in public schools and libraries – Mobicip has been on a decade-long mission to enhance the safe use of technology for learning.
Marketed as a parental control software solution for digitally conscious parents, Mobicip offers its product not just to families, but also schools and businesses. The provider has three fixed pricing plans, but users can request a custom service if none of the options fit their needs.
Customers can opt for the Small parental control software plan, which supports five devices and costs $3.99/month. There’s also the Medium, 10-device solution, currently reduced to $4.99/month from $7.50/month. Lastly, the X-Large plan supports up to 20 devices and is currently priced at $9.99 (reduced from $12.99/month.) Note that you’ll be billed on an annual basis no matter which plan you opt for. It’s also important to mention that all software packages come with a seven-day free trial.
Mobicip lets you schedule screen time limits, lock all family devices, manage and monitor all devices using a parent app or web dashboard, block all websites that belong to a certain category using the internet filtering feature, and decide which video streaming apps your child can access. As the best mobile parental control software, Mobicip also allows you to track your child’s location (as long as they use an iOS or Android device). Most parents value the feature that lets them review up to four weeks of their children’s browsing history and even give reporting and viewing access to another user.
As far as drawbacks go, Mobicip only comes with scheduling capabilities and not a true screen-time cap when it comes to device usage. Furthermore, it doesn’t offer geofencing features.
Circle’s parental control software provides a high level of control over device use and internet access, protecting kids from non-productive behavior and sensitive content.
Circle’s parental monitoring software comes in the form of a mobile app for easy oversight and control, while its pricier Home Plus edition includes a device that allows the management of all Wi-Fi-connected hardware in your home.
So, what can Circle do? First, it can help parents filter internet content on apps and devices. Circle employs several filtering levels, starting with one called Kid and ending with Adult/None, defining what kind of content can be accessed. You can also customize specific content categories such as Sports, Science, or Social Media and fine-tune levels of access.
As the best internet monitoring software for parents, Circle naturally allows you to set time limits on app/device use. This includes bedtime thresholds, which set a time for app use to be completely blocked off so the children can go to sleep. Additionally, you can set Focus Time hours when you want your children to study, during which internet use is restricted or prohibited.
You can also introduce rewards in the form of screen time and prolonged use in order to incentivize children to behave well or perform great at school. Like with any best parental control app, you can monitor the location of your children’s mobile devices to keep an eye on their movements.
All in all, Circle supports the control on the use of hundreds of different apps and dozens of categories, from social media and adult content to video games and gambling. There are two pricing plans available for Circle: the Parental Controls App and Circle Home Plus.
The app lets you manage the children’s mobile devices and will set you back $9.99/mo or $89.99/year.
The Circle Home Plus package includes both the app and an in-home device that allows the control of all Wi-Fi-connected devices in the household by connecting to the router directly. Its price is $69 for three months or $349 for lifetime usage.
Thanks to the inclusion of the in-home device, we believe that Circle is one of the best parental control software for home networks around. However, the device can also be a security risk as unruly children may damage or disable it.
Circle’s control features are comprehensive and customizable, but we have to note the lack of geofencing features. Despite the drawback mentioned above, Circle is a great option to consider.
When choosing any type of software, you should base your decisions on a set of guidelines describing what to look out for. You don’t want to sign up for subpar or overly intrusive providers; you only want the best-rated parental control software. Here’s our methodology for researching and reviewing parental control software.
When it comes to your children’s safety, you don’t want to be messing around with unimportant stuff. You want to get straight to the point. That’s why you need to examine the functionality of the parental control software and question whether it is straightforward enough to use comfortably.
We understand that not all parents are tech-savvy; most just want something that will give results that are to the point. We took this into account in our reviews, examining the program’s ease of use and interface so you don’t end up with software that is too complicated for you. For it to be the best parental control software, you need to be able to use it.
Installing the software across various devices should also be a straightforward task. On top of that, you need to know whether the app’s central control dashboard is good enough to help you monitor each device your child or children might use. You should question how much it lets you view and whether it actually gives you the level of control you seek.
Web filtering is part of the bread and butter of parental control software. You should have access to controls that give you options as to which sort of content you don’t want your child to come across. There are many things online that can be harmful to children, such as pornography, violence, cyberbullying, and predators. The best parental control software can help to block these threats and alert you if your child is trying to access them or has been approached by them.
Many great parental control programs offer time management restrictions as part of their packages. Screen addiction has become prevalent in recent years, and we understand the angst that many parents have because of this. The long-term consequences, if any, are relatively unknown, so it’s understandable that parents want their children to spend a bit more time in the “real world” than on their devices. This is one of the great aspects of parental control software, as it can not only limit children’s time on devices, but it can teach them to create healthy and disciplined habits.
Of course, you’ll also need to evaluate parental control software pricing before making a decision. You need to consider what features you need and whether the package you’re looking at contains all of them.
Pricing also depends on how many devices the plan covers. Many kids these days have multiple devices, such as smartphones, laptops, games consoles, and tablets. Some offer a blanket that covers many appliances, while others charge per device. Take into consideration how many children you need to protect and how many devices they each have. From here, you can calculate what the most suitable type of coverage is for you and your children.
Many parental control softwares have issues with integrating well on Macs and other Apple products, which is why you have to be vigilant to make sure that you don’t subscribe to a software that is incompatible with your child’s devices. Intego, Bark, Net Nanny, and Qustodio are all compatible with Mac and iOS, so they’re worth testing.
The online world is filled with harmful content, and with children having the curious minds that they do, some form of restriction is sometimes necessary to keep them safe. The best parental internet control software gives parents the ability to put safeguards in place to block their children from accessing certain content. They can also limit screen time and give you notifications when your kids try to access blocked content.
This is dependent on the software that you subscribe to. Some offer you deep monitoring of most of what your children get up to, while others just show you when something is a threat. We recommend that you don’t try to be too eagle-eyed and make sure you’re transparent with your children about what you can see. Children are likely to be resistant to monitoring that’s overbearing, and it can build a relationship of mistrust, so make sure that they’re aware of why you’re monitoring them.
The differences between the best parental control softwares aren’t too vast. Every product we’ve reviewed has been tested to ensure that it does what you’d expect it to do. Beyond that, it’s up to you to decide whether the features match up to the price.
For instance, if you wish to have geofencing incorporated as part of the package, then we recommend Kaspersky Safe Kids or Qustodio. You need to check that the software works on your children’s devices, as some of these apps don’t perform strongly on Macs or iPhones, while Norton Family doesn’t work on Apple products at all. Thus, what you consider the best parental control software tends to vary depending on the devices your children use.
Advertiser Disclosure: DataProt is an independent review site dedicated to providing accurate information about various cybersecurity products.
DataProt remains financially sustainable by participating in a series of affiliate partnerships - it is visitors’ clicks on links that cover the expenses of running this site. Our website also includes reviews of products or services for which we do not receive monetary compensation.
DataProt's in-house writing team writes all the site’s content after in-depth research, and advertisers have no control over the personal opinions expressed by team members, whose job is to stay faithful to the truth and remain objective.
Some pages may include user-generated content in the comment section. The opinions expressed in the comment section do not reflect those of DataProt.
© 2022 COPYRIGHT DATAPROT ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
