Parental Control Software Review

Reviews and testing of parental control software

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 is good enough to give reviewers confidence in recommending programs. Reviews also say that any of the top six or so programs are now impossible for kids to circumvent.

PCMag.com has the best reviews of parental control software that we found. Testing is thorough, and all the most recent programs are compared with one another. Download.com also has some reviews of parental control software. But coverage is far more sporadic, and testing details aren't always provided; however, user reviews and ratings there are very helpful. Other sites and publications, such as ComputerShopper.com, provide information, but most have not been updated in some time.

While we typically don't rate marketing-driven websites very highly, we did find comparative reviews and some good information on sites such as TopTenReviews.com, TopSoftwareReviews.net and Child-Internet-Safety.com. Although these sites are not as credible or transparent as the sites named above (for example, they don't identify the authors of the reviews), they can be helpful supplementary resources.

The parental control tools in operating systems from Microsoft and Apple appear to have some advantages over third-party products, according to some critics. Many programs, including some of the best, require annual subscriptions. Such programs, including Safe Eyes (*Est. $50 per year) and Net Nanny (*Est. $40 per year), will stop working if you fail to renew your subscription. Vista and Windows 7 will automatically update and never require additional fees; the same goes for the current Mac systems, Leopard and Snow Leopard. If you are buying a new PC or Mac, or plan to upgrade soon, you might consider trying their parental controls before investing in supplemental software.

In addition, a parental control module is often included as part of an Internet security suite, such as Norton Internet Security 2010 (*Est. $45). If you already own one of these suites, you should try their included Internet filters before paying extra for standalone software. Reviews say the parental controls included with these suites lack the level of control of CyberPatrol or Safe Eyes, but they are a good start and might be adequate for younger children. For more information on Internet security suites, see the separate ConsumerSearch report on Internet security software.