Parental Control Software Reviews

Parental control software protects children from the dangers of the Web

If you want to protect your kids from the darker corners of the Internet, parental control software -- also known as Internet-monitoring or -filtering software -- helps keep children safe even when you're not around. Parental control software lets parents limit what their children see and read online. It also lets parents manage time spent on the Internet or computer, select which programs children can use, and monitor and log all Internet activity. Parental control programs sometimes over-block or under-block, but performance has improved significantly over the years and is good enough to give reviewers confidence in recommending programs. Reviews also say the top filtering programs are nearly impossible for children to circumvent.

The best parental control software

Net Nanny (*Est. $40) has long been a darling of critics, but it hasn't seen a major update since 2010. Despite that, experts say the program holds up well, offering remote administration and the ability to block a wide variety of applications including chat, newsgroups, instant messaging, peer-to-peer file sharing and email. Video games can also be white- or blacklisted based on their ratings by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). While that's a well-rounded list of qualities, critics say the program's particular strength is its intuitive interface, which is designed with non-tech-savvy parents in mind.

Net Nanny uses dynamic content analysis to scrutinize every page, so if a site is brand-new or has changed, it will be blocked if it's inappropriate -- or have profanity masked if the page is child-friendly other than a few choice words. Unlike some parental control software, Net Nanny also blocks content accessed via Web proxies or secure HTTPS connections, making it very difficult for enterprising teens to bypass the filter. Over- and under-blocking is rare, although NextAdvisor.com says Net Nanny is a bit overzealous at blocking hate-based content. A Net Nanny app (*Est. $20) blocks questionable Web browsing content on Android-based mobile devices. Additional licenses are needed to install Net Nanny on more than one PC or Android phone, however.

PCMag.com gave Net Nanny an Editors' Choice award when version 6.5 launched in 2010, but it has since transferred the crown to Bsecure Online (*Est. $50). Bsecure offers the same well-rounded protection as Net Nanny, only with more bells and whistles. For example, Bsecure blocks video games based on their ratings, but you can block online TV and video content based on its ratings, too. Bsecure also supports blocking individual programs. While both Net Nanny and Bsecure scan children's social media accounts for worrisome posts and supply parents with their kids' login information, Bsecure monitors many more social networks overall -- more than 70 in total, which dwarfs Net Nanny's protection. Net Nanny offers instant email notifications when users try to access blocked content, but Bsecure also can send text messages to parents.

A free Bsecure Online app for iPhone, iPad and the iPod touch blocks questionable Web content, but PCMag.com's Neil Rubenking warns you'll need to disable the App Store and Safari browser to take advantage of the feature. An Android app is also available. However, if you've purchased a standard Bsecure Online license, which covers three devices, the iOS app offers more advanced features, such as time limits, customizable filtering options, and the ability to receive alerts when questionable content is accessed. One of Bsecure's biggest advantages is its Whole Home Filtering option, which works with your home's router to apply the filter settings to every device in the house. That way, kids can't bypass parental controls by bringing an unrecognized game console, mobile device or PC into the home. Rubenking says the setup is simple and Bsecure's technical support can remotely configure Whole Home Filtering for you.

AVG Family Safety (*Est. $20) is a rebranded version of Bsecure Online, with the exact same feature set, abilities and licenses, but at a temporarily lower price. As such, the software shares a slice of the Editors' Choice award with Bsecure at PCMag.com, although Rubenking says the price of the software should rise before long.

Apple users looking for solid parental control software should consider Safe Eyes (*Est. $50), which works on both PCs and Macintosh computers. While the program, now owned by McAfee, has many strong points -- such as HTTPS filtering, reports on social media activity, remote administration that instantly enables filtering changes, and optional email, phone or text notifications when content is blocked -- it has a few drawbacks when compared with the other programs mentioned above. Dynamic real-time detection isn't supported, users can access blocked programs simply by renaming them, and the overall feature set is less robust. Additionally, the Mac version lacks some of the abilities of the Windows version; for example, it can't block online videos based on TV ratings or stop explicit iTunes content from being downloaded. Even so, experts say it's the premium parental control program of choice for Mac users.

For those who would like to try a free parental control solution, Mac and Windows users alike should consider the free edition of Norton Online Family, experts say. Because the program is Web-based, it runs on either operating system, and it offers much of the basic functionality found in premium programs. Features of the free version include Web-browser filtering and monitoring for Android smartphones, along with monitoring of Web surfing, chat programs and social networks on PCs. You also can set time limits and Web content filters for computer use. However, Norton Online Family Free only keeps an activity log for the past seven days. Stepping up to Norton Online Family Premier (*Est. $50) increases that to 90 days and unlocks a host of additional features, including video monitoring, time summaries, periodical activity reports sent via email, and controls over texts and apps on Android phones. PCMag.com's Rubenking reports that neither version blocks HTTPS encrypted traffic, however.

Parental controls built into the operating system

Users who don't want to pay for Internet-filtering software have another no-cost option: the parental controls built into Windows 7 and Mac OS X Lion. Laptop Magazine compares the two and finds Apple's filtering software to be vastly superior, allowing parents to set time constraints, limit iChat and email capabilities, and pick and choose which applications and websites children can use. It doesn't block HTTPS encrypted content, however. In comparison, Microsoft's parental controls only let you set time limits, block specific programs from launching and deny access to games based on their ESRB ratings.

However, Microsoft offers more robust parental control software in the form of Windows Live Family Safety, a program included in the free Windows Live Essentials software suite. Using administrative accounts, parents running Family Safety can monitor and set filtering controls for other Windows accounts on the machines, as well as manage their children's Windows Live contacts. Download.com's editors appreciate that each protected account has its own distinct filter settings. Additionally, the software produces comprehensive activity reports detailing virtually all of the actions -- both online and offline -- for each Windows account being tracked. Family Safety and the default Windows 7 parental controls are compatible, so you're able to run both at the same time for more comprehensive protection.

Social safeguard software

For some parents, it's more important to protect their children from dangerous people on social networks than from offensive content. Parental control software dedicated solely to monitoring activity on social media sites has arisen to meet that need. These products tend to be more expensive than traditional parental control software, however, and only PCMag.com covers "social safeguards" with any regularity.

Of all the social protection software the publication covers, only SocialShield (*Est. $10/month or $96/year) earns an Editors' Choice award. The program's versatility is its major draw; many social safeguards only monitor Facebook or public information, but SocialShield watches all of your child's activity -- even private posts -- on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Google+ and FormSpring, with more networks coming in the future. Doing so requires your child's cooperation, however, as SocialShield install apps on your child's social media profiles in order to work.

The wholly Web-based service uses proprietary detection and analysis engines to flag posts, pictures and "friends" who might spell trouble. Noncritical issues get logged and sent to parents in a weekly email, while suspect activity prompts the software to send instant notification to the parent. An online dashboard with up-to-date alert information can be accessed from anywhere at any time, and it includes an overall "reputation score" that gives you a general feel for your child's online behavior. SocialShield also lets you browse alerts by type, so if you just want to see a list of questionable people your kid befriended and not every questionable post your child made over the past week, you can.