Best parental control software
Pros: excellent user interface, can set controls for multiple users, social networking and IM monitoring
Cons: time control easily bypassed in multicomputer households, no bundles for Macs/PCs or multiple devices
3285
804526032855
ContentWatch
1
Microsoft Windows XP/Vista/Windows 7 (Windows 8 expected); Mac OS X Leopard (10.5) or later; iOS 5.0 and later
Windows: 300 MHz or better; 80 MB hard disk space. Mac: Power PC or Intel processor; 20 MB of hard disk space
N/A
Remote management; web filtering; social media and instant message monitoring; cyber bully protection; video game controls; profanity masking; time controls; warnings or blocks for certain websites; parental notification; Android and iOS apps available
N/A
Parental control software for Macs
Pros: can be installed on up to three computers, monitors and blocks IM, social networking sites and websites, very good remote management, can be used on Macs as well as PCs
Cons: fewer options for Macs, weak iOS app
N/A
N/A
McAfee
3
Windows 7 (32bit, 64bit), Windows Vista (32bit, 64bit), Windows XP, Mac OS X Tiger (10.4) or higher
All: 10 MB storage space, 128 MB RAM, Internet connection Macintosh and Windows: 800-by-600-pixel screen resolution
Any
Program blocking; time management; multimedia rating protection on PCs; game blocking by ESRB rating; instant alerts via email, text or phone; web-based and weekly emailed activity reports; monitoring of instant messaging, chat rooms and social media; iOS
N/A
Best free parental control software
Pros: works on PCs, Macs, iOS and Android devices, web-based interface available from anywhere, monitors social networking, smartphone activity, searches
Cons: limited parental notifications, limitations for Apple users, especially on Safari
not avail.
N/A
N/A
Symantec
N/A
Windows 8 (32bit, 64bit), Windows 7 (32bit, 64bit), Windows Vista SP1+ (32bit, 64bit), Windows XP SP2+ (32bit), Mac OS X 10.7, 10.8
300 MHz or higher processor, 256 MB RAM (512 MB RAM preferred), 100 MB storage space; Internet connection; Adobe Flash Player 10.x or later (recommended); for Macs: IntelCore 2 Duo Processor, 2 GB of RAM, 200 MB of available hard disk space
Internet Explorer 7.0 or later (Windows), Google Chrome (Windows) Mozilla Firefox, 32bit, 64bit (Windows and Mac), Safari 5.1 or later (Mac)
Web monitoring and filtering on PCs, Macs and Android devices; monitoring of instant messaging software, email and social media applications; time management; basic email alerts
Norton