Conversation and transparency can help you stay on the right side of the divide. There's a fine line between spying and parenting. With Norton, a child can easily access the rules and restrictions regardless of their device.
We prefer Norton's approach, which doesn't have a silent install option at all. The child can still see the listing in the control panel or the process in Task Manager, but there's no icon in the notification tray.
There is an option to hide the Qustodio install on Windows, but this feels sneaky. Some advantages they all provide over the free version are 30 days of activity history, application-based time restrictions, and location tracking. Qustodio structures its paid subscription plans around family size, with Small (5 devices), Medium (10 devices), and Large (15 devices) options. You also get basic controls like web filtering and time quotas for certain activities. The free version limits monitoring to just a single device and keeps seven days of activity history. Qustodio for Families is an expensive parental control app, but it does have a permanently free option. Although it lacks robust social media tracking and has an outdated web portal, Qustodio's wide range of features and excellent customizability secure it an Editors' Choice award for parental control software. You handle all configuration and monitoring either through Qustodio's online dashboard or the parent app, which means you can set rules and view a child's activity from practically anywhere. This impressive parental control utility boasts just about every feature you might want, including web content filtering, robust app blocking, and a detailed activity log. In that light, Qustodio's support for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Nook, and Kindle devices is notable.
Best Hosted Endpoint Protection and Security SoftwareĪ parental control tool that only runs on your family PC is nearly useless in the modern, multidevice world.