With parental control software, all these problems can be controlled and minimized. 10 Best Free Parental Control Software for Computer To help you with this ongoing battle with trying to manage and control your child's use of technology when using a computer, here are the ten best monitoring software for parents. Mobicip is a pioneer in the parental control software space, having put in more than a decade of work in making the internet safe for our children. Supporting platforms – Windows, iOS, Android, Mac OS X, Kindle, and Chromebook. Blocking and Filtering – Allows to filter and block search phrases, apps and websites.
02 August 2021
A Mac can be a great educational tool for children. They can learn to type, create artwork, and more. Plus it’ll give them access to a practically unlimited source of knowledge: the internet.
But kids need to be monitored when using technology. For a start, too much screen time can be harmful to children, so it’s important to limit how much they sit in front of their computer, no matter what they’re doing on it.
You also need to make sure they can’t access any material that’s inappropriate for them. That could mean setting up child profiles for them in services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
But it’s the wider internet that’s an even bigger problem. It’s far too easy for kids to stumble on an adult or harmful content, or to pick up malware if allowed to surf the web freely. And that’s where parental control software comes in. Although macOS has some built-in protections, dedicated parental control apps give parents more features and abilities to protect their kids online.
Five of the Best Parental Control Software for Mac
If you want to further customize your child’s online experience, or if you’d just prefer an additional layer of security above-and-beyond the built-in Mac controls, you can always choose a third-party option. In no particular order here we are five of the best 3rd party options to keep your family safe online:
Here’s the list of the best parental control apps:
- Qustodiofor all-round control
- KasperskySafe Kids for well-priced protection
- Spyrix Activity Monitoringfor real-time monitoring
- Kidlogger for free screen grabbing
- FamiSafefor no-nonsense controls
Qustodio is a multi-platform parental control app not just for macOS but also Windows and mobile devices. Once installed, it runs in the background, putting an icon in the menu bar (although this can be hidden), but it’s configured entirely through the online Qustodio Family Portal. Conveniently, it will immediately apply some fundamental filters and controls.
The free version enables you to set time limits and restricted times for device use. And you also get the standard web filtering feature, which enables you to block certain website categories, while also being able to add exceptions.
In the Family Portal, you can see your child’s activity for the day, the week, the last 15 days or the last 30 days. This includes apps they’ve used and the websites they’ve visited. It’s all clearly laid out, so it’s easy to get a good picture of what your child has been doing with their devices.
To get the most from Qustodio, though, you need to sign up for a paid subscription. That gives you access to features like individual app blocking and limiting, calling and SMS control, location tracking and Panic Button, which lets your kids quickly send alerts to trusted contacts.
Pros: Covers multiple devices, clear user interface in portal, daily email reports
Cons: Free version is very limited
Number of devices: Five, 10 or 15, depending on plan
Platforms: macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Kindle, Chromebook
Price: Free, or from $53.95 per year for family plans
Download: Available here
Kaspersky is, of course, well known for its range of antivirus apps. But it almost makes this capable parental control app as well.
Installing Kaspersky Safe Kids is easy, and during the setup process, you’ll be able to add kids and create macOS accounts for them at the same time. Linking their Mac account with the Safe Kids profile is simple, so there’s no confusion about which goes with which.
Similar to other parental control apps, Kaspersky Safe Kids is managed via an online portal. There, you can manage your kids’ screen time, view their location and see what they’ve been doing on their Mac — including apps opened and websites visited.
From the portal, it’s straightforward to limit website categories. You can also opt to get notifications if your child searches for anything that’s covered by one of the restricted themes.
The summary screen offers a digest of all your child’s activity for today, the past seven days or the last 30 days. It’s not as visual as something like Qustodia, but it’s a reasonably clear way to access your child’s Mac usage data anyway.
If you’re using the free version, you’ll miss out on some important features, like limiting computer and application time, as well as GPS tracking. But you can trial the premium version anyway, to see if it’s worth it for you.
Pros: Easy to set up users and accounts, intuitive user portal, week-long free trial
Cons: Lack of visual reports, no time limiting in free version
Number of devices: Unlimited
Platforms: macOS, Windows, iOS, Android
Price: Free, or from $14.99 per year for family plans
Download: available here
With a name like Spyrix, it should come as no surprise that this app focuses mainly on surveillance. Not only can it record your children’s app use and internet activity, it also has a built-in keylogger, so you can record everything your kids type.
On top of that, it captures screenshots, and you can even watch your kids’ on-screen and webcam activity via the web portal. It can record audio from microphones, and it can also be used to take control of the computer.
But despite being a spying app, Spyrix also offers website blocking. You can block by category, URL or based on keywords. This side of the app doesn’t match up to other, more straightforward parental control apps, but it’s good to have it there.
If you want to watch what your kids are up to, and you’re okay with the potentially shady ethics of spying on them, Spyrix will do the trick. Interestingly, as well as three-month and annual subscriptions, you can buy a one-week subscription as well. It’s not cheap, but it’s great if you want to use the app short term.
Pros: Multiple ways to monitor kids, short-term license available, live monitoring
Cons: Mac only
Number of devices: Up to 500
Platforms: macOS
Price: From $9.99 to $29.99
Download: available here
As its name suggests, Kidlogger doesn’t so much control what kids do on their Mac as track it and report back to you. It records all their activity on macOS, Windows and Android devices, which you can then view on Kidlogger’s online portal.
Kidlogger tracks a wide range of activities, including what apps your kids used, what website they visited, and who they communicated with. Kidlogger will also take photos from their device camera and screenshots, at intervals you set. Plus you can record keystrokes, so you can read everything they’ve typed too.
The majority of these features require a paid subscription, though: either Standard or Premium. The free version gives you the screenshot and photo features. And can track websites visited.
Kidlogger isn’t as easy to use or set up as apps like Kaspersky Safe Kids and Qustodio. But it does focus on one thing in particular, and if you have the need for it, then it’s worth considering.
But you might also want to think carefully before spying on your kids too much, especially teenagers. If you invade their privacy, it could backfire, so we’d say use Kidlogger with care, if you’re going to use it at all.
Pros: A wide range of tracking features, free version takes screenshots, password protection on app
Cons: Invasive of child privacy, difficult to set up and use
Number of devices: Five or 10, depending on plan
Platforms: macOS, Windows, Android
Price: Free, or from $9 every three months
Download:available here
Wondershare FamiSafe has all the key features you might want from a parental control app. That includes web filtering, app blocking, screen and app time management, and GPS location. And it offers activity reporting and parental alerts.
It’s all managed through a clear, well-laid-out web interface, which makes it easy to check what your kids are doing and to prevent them from accessing inappropriate content. As with other parental control apps, you can block online content based on themes, like ‘Weapons’ and ‘Violence’, simply with a toggle in the portal.
There isn’t a free version, but you can try out FamiSafe for free. This is just about good enough to see what it’s capable of, but it’s marred by constant, bugging pop-ups suggesting you upgrade. Aside from that, it’s clear FamiSafe is a decent parental control app.
Pros: Multi-platform
Cons: Monthly plan is expensive
Platforms: available for macOS, Windows, Android, iOS and Kindle Fire
Number of devices: from 5 to 10
Price: $59.99 for an annual subscription, $9.99 for a monthly one
Download:available here
What to Look For in Parental Control Apps
When you’re looking for a parental control app for your Mac, here are the main things to consider:
- Blocking or monitoring features. Many apps have both, but others, like Kidlogger and Spyrix focus mainly on monitoring and spying. If you don’t just want to monitor your kids, something like Qustodio or FamiSafe will enable you to prevent your kids from accessing inappropriate content.
- Time management. If you’re concerned about your kids spending too much time on their computer or with certain apps, look for a parental control solution that enables you to manage that.
- Multi-platform support. There’s no point controlling what your kids do with one device if they can just get around it on a different device. Consider which devices you need to control before buying a subscription to an app.
- Analytics and visualizations. Some parental control apps enable you to see graphs representing your children’s app and internet use. These can help you to quickly get a picture of how they’re using their Mac and other devices.
Free Parental Control Software For Mac Computers
The Bottom Line
Parental control apps can be fantastic in many ways, but it’s important to remember that they aren’t a direct replacement for actively monitoring children’s time online.
It’s also important that you educate your kids. Discuss what’s a healthy amount of screen time, and why they need to be careful when online. In combination with these apps, you can make sure your children are able to get the most from their Mac without putting themselves in harm’s way.
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FAQ
Can kids avoid parental controls?
No system is perfect, so it’s always possible your children might find a way to turn off or get around parental control software. But most apps have password protections to stop that from happening. In most cases, your parental control solution will work exactly as expected.
Do parental control apps stop all inappropriate content?
Unfortunately, there’s always a chance that something might slip through the filters. Parental control apps will catch the vast majority of inappropriate content, but you should always be mindful of what they’re viewing. And you should make sure to look at any reports or alerts your parental control app sends you.
Can you just rely on the built-in macOS controls?
Possibly. It really depends on which features you need, and that depends on the age of your children and how responsible they are. But dedicated third-party apps offer more powerful features and more control.
Everything in this world has gone digital, and that includes homework (if you have kids). If your kids are young, you probably aren't giving them laptops or the free family computer reign. You probably aren't always able to monitor their screen activity.
This is where parental control software comes in handy. Parental controls keep your kids safe from the dark web, and there's an untethered version available for all operating systems. Read on to find out more.
Integrated operating system features
Providing your kids with technology designed for their age group is a great first step towards being safe online. When they have access to more general computing devices, you can take advantage of the parental control features built right into the operating system. Parental Controls for Windows and MacOS provide a convenient and acceptable way to restrictg web access and chat functionality, as well as viewing detailed logs and monitoring e-mail exchanges.
Windows Family Security
For Windows 10, you need to sign up for a Family Safety account. You can then add a specific child account (or more) to your family account for your children to use.
This approach can be a bit complicated, but it has many advantages. You get activity reports for all online activity for child accounts and block any apps, games, or sites you want.
To get an idea of what apps are truly beneficial for kids, please take a look at some of our favorite apps.
You can also limit the time they spend on the account and strictly monitor their purchasing activity. There are some real safety features too, including the ability to track your kids' location as long as you're using Windows mobile devices.
Parental control built into MacOS
MacOS offers more than a few parental control options, each accessible through the Parental control shutter housed in the main System Preferences sign. The software includes options to block specified apps and websites. You can also block messages from certain people you think are inappropriate. Users must individually set up accounts, but once done, users can also set time limits.
There are other options as well, such as the ability to hide profanity in most source content and the prohibition of the computer's built-in camera and disc burning utilities. If there is more than one Mac on the same network, users can even remotely manage said parental controls from a different computer entirely. It's a reasonably complete solution if you don't mind spending time in Mac settings to make sure everything is okay. The catch is, you can only manage parental controls on an individual user basis, so you'll need to set up separate accounts for each child.
Applications and extensions
Windows and MacOS offer a decent selection of parental controls, but they can't do everything by default. Likewise, parental controls can be a challenge to implement on mobile devices aimed at children. Here are downloadable programs that may be more suited to your particular goals.
Qustodio (Windows / MacOS / iOS / Android)
Qustodio has a very intuitive and easy to use interface that allows you to register for the free version of its software in a matter of moments. You manage everything from the dashboard, including social media monitoring, individual time limits for internet use, games, apps, and even tracking text messages and calls on the right devices. . Real-time internet filter can detect pornography and make sure everything is blocked, even in private browsing mode.
The compatibility options are impressive as the software supports Kindle, Nook, Windows, MacOS, Android, and iOS. However, Qustodio tries to make as much money as possible with this program, so many features (like game blocking, location tracking, etc.) are behind the paywalls. You can also only use the free version on one device, which limits its applicability. Qustodio has a great set of features; we want more to be available for free.
Kidlogger (multiple platforms)
Kidlogger is a great option if you prefer to be discreet rather than proactive. Instead of blocking sites, Kidlogger automatically tracks keystrokes, web history, and program usage (automatically recording all screenshots taken on the computer). When installed on a smartphone, the app automatically records all phone calls made by number and contact name. It's compatible with popular apps like Instagram and Discord, which parents may want to pay special attention to, and updates continue to add more compatibility for the service.
The free version of Kidlogger is fine, but the premium versions add oomph, although some features are downright intrusive. If you want to monitor your kid's phone conversations and record WhatsApp messages, Kidlogger can do it. Unfortunately, the app doesn't have native password protection, so if you have a smart kid, you might end up getting caught. The app is available for Windows, MacOS, Android, BlackBerry, and iOS. Like Qustodio, a free account limits you to one device, while the paid versions offer more protection.
Zoodles kid-friendly web browser (Windows, MacOS, Android)
Zoodles takes a dramatic step forward by replacing the typical web browser with a browser designed for kids. This software is particularly suitable for very young children who are just starting to access online content. Zoodles combines a filtered online experience with a walled garden of promoted and kid-friendly content.
Available on a variety of devices and operating systems, Zoodles offers games, books, videos, and access to other age-appropriate content, all customizable by parents. There are activity reports to see what your child is spending time doing and an adjustable recommendation engine, which helps parents promote specific learning tools to their children through the app.
The regular free version ends there, but the advanced premium edition - $ 60 per year or $ 8 per month - adds a lot of other features, including time management options, storybooks, blocking of individual site, multiple languages, etc. You can get a free trial of the premium mode if you want, but it will start loading your account automatically. Zoodles is great for young children, but remember older kids will quickly learn to get around it.
FoxFilter (Google Chrome / Firefox add-on)
FoxFilter provides users with a block filter score based only on individual keywords and sites. They also offer solutions for adding trusted sites to an organized list of banned content. In addition, the sensitivity settings of the add-on can be changed to analyze body content, title and URL. Users can set notification and alert preferences detailing the type of content underlying each blocked site.
A quick way to implement parental controls is to manage your preferences, which means you can easily block entire categories of websites. If you are new to using parental control software, we recommend that you rely on the software's default warning word list.
You can unintentionally block all websites by using too many keywords or using the wrong ones. Fortunately, FoxFilter users can access it using a simple email. If you have any issues, contact Inspired Effect for assistance.
And after?
Free Parental Control Software For Mac
Parental controls should go far beyond just your child's computer. Nowadays, you have to block some sites from their cell phones. To help you out, we have put together a comprehensive list of the best control apps for your kids. More than likely, you are also wondering about the safety of your child's game consoles.
Parents, it's your job to defend the online safety of your children as well as your own. It's wise to use reliable antivirus software and make sure your passwords are protected with one of the best password managers.
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https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/best-free-parental-control-software/