This is not a free software Some extended features available as a bonus So, these are 10 best parental control software for Windows and Mac that can be used depending on the different type. Although some of them help to monitor, some can be used to control the child's computer. KidLogger – is a parental control software compatible with the most used OS in the world. Install the app “Parental Time Control” for Android, Windows, or Mac and get all information about the activity of PC, mobile, or tablet of your kids. KidLogger lets you know: how long your Kid is working on the PC. Aug 02, 2021 Most parental control software operates as a subscription service, so pricing tiers tend to align with device limits, though some offer free versions for basic protection on a limited number of. Free Parental Control Software Mac Os X Lion 10 7 5 11g63 11g63 Upgrade To 10 8 Parental Controls Mac Os Catalina Parental controls are a great way to limit what your child do on your Mac by restricting certain features and adding time limits to their computer usage.
Best 10 Parental Control Software for Mac
1. FamiSafe - the most reliable parental control software for Mac
FamiSafe is one of the best parental control software on the market. It is known for its compatibility with different operating systems and flexible subscription types. When it comes to applying parental control on Mac, FamiSafe has topped this list for its comprehensive features.
- Location Tracking & Geo-fencing
- App Blocker
- Web Filtering
- Screen Time Control
- Smart Parental Control Setting
Features:
- Web content filtering: Filtering websites content on a mac is never easier with FamiSafe. Parents can enable different websites categories to be blocked or add specific websites.
- Screen time Monitoring and Control: The parents can control the time period up to which the kids are allowed to use their Macs.
- App blocking: Parents can block apps that kids used most to help kids focus on their tasks.
- Activity Monitor: This feature completely monitors all the activities of the Mac from web browsing to social media apps.
- Smart Schedules: Smart Schedule allows parents to set up different plans to block different apps at different times or occasions. If you would like your kids to focus on their study tasks when using the Mac, you can set a smart schedule to block games and social media apps.
2. K9 Web Protection for Mac
The K9 Web Protection is an easy-to-use Mac parental control software that offers effective web filtering to protect the kids from harmful content. It is a charge-free software and can be configured as a porn blocker, spyware stopper, etc.
Features:
- It has an amazing app filtering support.
- Users can add additional configuration options.
- It can disable HTTPS block notifications and Google SSL redirection.
- It has compatibility with other Antivirus and Firewall Vendors.
Pros:
- It has effective and customizable filters.
- Apply limits to many sites simultaneously.
- Set notification for unauthorized website access.
Cons:
- The notification panel sometimes causes issues.
- Don't work with the AOL browser.
- No reports or keyboard logging features.
Supported OS: It supports Mac OS X 10.4, 10.5, 10.6, 10.7, and 10.8.
Cost: It is free of cost.
3. Free Website Blocker for Mac
This parental control software for Mac is primarily designed to block access to specific websites. For the users who only need to block specific content can use this software adequately.
Features:
- It has a simple and easy user interface.
- It can block the complete website or you can choose specific content according to your requirements by defining words or phrases which block.
Pros:
- Works well for blocking websites.
- It is easy to operate, all you need to do is type in the URL or word you would like to block.
Cons:
- It lacks a password protection feature.
- Does not cover the other aspects of parental control.
Supported OS: It supports Mac OS X 10.5, 10.10, and 10.11.
Cost: Free.
4. Qustodio Parental Control for Mac
Qustodio parental control software for Mac will ensure that your kid is safe online. The parents can easily restrict the time and data usage of their kids on the target Mac or block apps or games and keep track of their kid's online activity.
Features:
- Added compatibility with OS X EI Capitan.
- It can set healthy access limits to content.
- All the content which is accessed is supervised accurately.
Pros:
- Improved website filtering and classifications.
- It is tamper-proof.
- It will protect your kids from dangerous websites, id theft, bullying, and other risks.
- It runs in the background without having a negative impact on mac's performance.
Cons:
- Some features are only accessible in the premium version.
Supported OS: It is compatible with Mac OS X 10.6, 10.7, 10.8, 10.9, and 10.10.
Cost: This software is free but the premium version costs $49.95.
5. Safe Eyes for Mac
The Safe Eyes is a fast, effective, and reliable parental control software for Mac. It is an ideal solution for the online protection of the whole family. It will block all the objected content and will put a limit on the time kids spend online.
Features:
- It has a customizable program blocking.
- Enhanced security with HTTPS/SSL filtering.
- Provides robust usage reporting that can be limited to Admin access.
- It controls all the internet based programs also.
Pros:
- Amazing security features for advanced protection.
- All the data is saved on the Safe EyesTM server which is helpful if there are multiple devices in the home.
Cons:
- One license is limited to three devices only.
- Will provide false alerts.
Supported OS: Mac OS X 10.4 Intel/PPC, Mac OS X 10.5 Intel/PPC/.6 Intel, Mac OS X 10.6/Intel
Cost: The product cost is $49.95.
6. Familoop Safeguard for Mac
Familoop Safeguard is a Mac parental control software that provides an improved and enhanced background operation. This software will surely give a proper insight into the kid's online activities.
Features:
- It is a complete solution for kid's online protection.
- Secured, safe, and smart digital parenting.
- It offers safe search, web filtering, Geofencing, time limits, etc.
Pros:
- You will get a set of smart tools for parental control.
- It will also provide social networking protection.
Cons:
- Does not time schedule service for the devices and the manual block feature does not work correctly.
Supported OS: This software is compatible with Mac OS X 10.10/ 10.11.
Cost: The software only costs $4.99 after a 10-day trial.
7. KidsServer PE for Mac
It is termed as the most powerful Mac parental control software ever designed. It is a proxy type software that can filter even the most harmful websites. It also offers the time restriction feature to put a limit on computer usage of the kids.
Features:
- It supports compressed sites and forced safe search.
- It is made as Universal Binary software.
- It offers movies and word restriction.
Pros:
- Simple and unique interface for easy operation.
- It has advanced proxy throughput.
Cons:
- The software slows down the computer sometimes.
Supported OS: It supports the Mac OS X 10.3/10.3.9/10.4 Intel/10.4 PPC.
Cost: The price for this software is $40.
8. Intego ContentBarrier X9 for Mac
This software understands that the internet is a sword that is cutting the young mind gradually. The Intego ContentBarrier is a software for Mac that acts as a guardian on the online platforms.
Features:
- You can set up customized profiles.
- It monitors the internet habit of the user.
- It can effectively restrict adult content and provide the kids with the content which is appropriate for their age group.
Pros:
- No lurking of strangers through unfamiliar websites.
- Eliminate the risk of id theft to a great extent.
Cons:
- Sometimes the software shows performance issues.
Supported OS: This Software is compatible with Mac OS X 10.10/10.11/10.8/10.9, and macOS 10.12/Sierra.
Cost: You can try the software for free up to 30 days. After that, you have to pay $39.99 for the software.
9. Internet Safe for Kids Web Browser for Mac
The Internet Safe for Kids Web Browser has been effective parental control software. It is suitable for all the kids above age 3. The application already come with 12 parent-approved websites which are also fun and creative.
Features:
- Safe and secure browsing.
- It offers a password protection feature to deny access to unapproved websites.
Pros:
- It is completely free of cost.
- There is a help menu along with the browser.
- The password protection is good.
Cons:
- It requires more control over the time spent.
Supported OS: It supports Mac OS X 10.4 Intel/PPC, Mac OS X 10.5 Intel/PPC, and Mac OS X 10.6/10.7/10.8.
Free Mac Parental Control Software Download
Cost:
The software will run without any registration code for 30 days. After that, it will only require a registration code that the users can have for free.
10. KidsGoGoGo for Mac
This software helps the parents to keep the kids away from malicious content and external threats. There are several ways to customize the user experience to get the proper advantage of the software.
Features:
- It is an effective and convenient software.
- Prevents kids from accessing adult content like porn, gambling, etc
- Offers a set of network peripheral features.
Pros:
- The software has a clean and nice interface that will allow the user to navigate quickly through various sections.
- The best thing about the software is that it doesn't degrade the performance of the computer.
Cons:
- The interface is outdated and non-intuitive.
- Need to set up the proxy manually for Firefox.
Supported OS: It supports Mac/OS Classic.
Cost: The price of this software is $30.
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.
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.
.
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.
Free Pc Parental Control
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.