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The Best Internet Filters

What is the Best Internet Filter?

Ever worried about all the crazy stuff online and wish there was a safer way to browse without running into unwanted content? If you're on the internet today, you know there's plenty to avoid. Whether you're dodging explicit content floating around on "X” or just trying to keep your socials from overwhelming your busy life, filtering out sites and tags that you (and your family) want to avoid can be a weight off your shoulders.

The primary purpose of internet filters is to help users avoid and prohibit access to NSFW content. However, schools often use internet filters to promote focus and help students avoid unnecessary time on social media sites. You can use them however you want, but the main goal is limiting the world wide web for safer and happier browsing.

Monday, November 4th

2024 Internet Filter Reviews

Aura Review Top Consumer Reviews Best-In-Class Blue Ribbon Award 5 Star Rating

Aura

5 Star Rating Top Consumer Reviews Best-In-Class Blue Ribbon Award

Aura, formerly known as Circle, is a highly-rated parental control app that helps parents manage internet filtering. Focusing on limiting overall access to the internet, Aura offers features like site blocking, internet time limits, and monitoring online history. With a single all-inclusive price, Aura stands out by providing everything you need as a one-stop shop. With impressive feedback on Trustpilot and mobile app stores, along with a top-notch rating from the BBB, Aura earns a full 5 stars in our review.

Qustodio Review 4.5 Star Rating

Qustodio

4.5 Star Rating

Qustodio is a popular parent control app that offers internet filtering and digital well-being tools. The app includes advanced options like AI-powered alerts and call/message tracking and solid scores from reviewers overall. With its impressive all-in-one approach to internet filters, it earns an impressive rating in our review.

Norton Family Review 4 Star Rating

Norton Family

4 Star Rating

Norton Family is a parental control app designed to protect children online through internet filtering. Primarily designed to completely block websites, Norton Family is a simple but effective choice. With a single annual fee for all features and a 60-day refund policy, Norton Family is a solid internet filter if you're looking to customize what sites your child can and can't view on their devices.

Mobicip Review 3.5 Star Rating

Mobicip

3.5 Star Rating

Mobicip is an internet filtering app that offers a range of other security features. The app is best for parents looking to protect children from cyberbullying, overuse of their devices, and sexting. It's an affordable option with a helpful free trial and refund policy. However, with some concerns from reviewers regarding app updates and difficulties during use, Mobicip doesn't quite make our top options. Still, we suggest you check it out if you see features you like, since there's no risk in using the 7-day free trial for this internet filter.

Canopy Review 3 Star Rating

Canopy

3 Star Rating

Canopy is a parent-controlled internet filter app that helps families and individuals change how they interact with online sources. Used mostly for managing screen time and blocking unwanted content, this platform lets you protect up to 10 devices on one plan. While the app has some solid feedback on the Google Play store, reviews are mixed overall. Some users find the content filters lacking, and there aren't extra features like game console monitoring. So, despite a solid policy for a free trial and money-back guarantee, Canopy comes in as a middle-of-the-road service in our review.

PureSight Review 3 Star Rating

PureSight

3 Star Rating

Puresight is an internet filter app that helps parents protect their children online by blocking inappropriate content and monitoring social media. Including popular apps, tons of features right on the dashboard, and competitive pricing, Puresight has the potential to be great. However, right now, the app has some room to grow. With reported glitches and minimal reviews, Puresight needs a little more updating before it can be a top contender.

ClevGuard Review 2.5 Star Rating

ClevGuard

2.5 Star Rating

ClevGuard is a monitoring app and internet filter designed for parents and employers. You can find features for call and text tracking as well as help with location monitoring and filtering explicit materials with tags. Despite solid tools for tracking device data, ClevGuard lacks supportive policies for customers and protection for modern apps like TikTok. Despite its potential, the poor reviews and BBB score leave ClevGuard with a below average rating in our review.

SentryPC Review 2.5 Star Rating

SentryPC

2.5 Star Rating

SentryPC is a cloud-based monitoring and filtering software designed primarily for businesses. While it can also be used by families, it offers features focused on monitoring most. You can find content filters and activity alerts, but it is priced for businesses with more than 1,000 devices to monitor, and its single-device pricing is high compared to other internet filters available. Without a free trial or refund policy, SentryPC doesn't stand out from the pack.

Net Nanny Review 1.5 Star Rating

Net Nanny

1.5 Star Rating

Net Nanny, owned by SafeToNet, is an internet filter designed for parents looking to block access to NSFW content online. The program supports Windows and Apple devices, but the mobile app is only available on iOS. Regrettably, Net Nanny users have reported technical issues across the app, particularly with alerts. With poor reviews and no free trial, this internet filter falls near the bottom of the pack.

Bark Review 1 Star Rating

Bark

1 Star Rating

Bark is a parental control internet filter that monitors texts, social media, and web activity with an AI-based software. While flexible plans seem to be a bonus, Bark has a poor reputation with users and is claimed to be spyware by many recent reviews. With concerns about privacy and issues with reaching a human support team, Bark comes in as our least favorite company among internet filters.

Compare the Best Reviews

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Internet filters are a great way to create a more secure browsing experience for you and your family. Internet filters are most popular with parents who have little ones. Whether you're trying to ensure your child's favorite Roblox YouTuber is safe or keep your kids using only age-appropriate online games, there are tons of ways to protect your family. Plus, many companies and businesses use internet filters too. Whether your desire is religious, based on productivity, or just keeping inappropriate content out of your home, there's an internet filter out there for you.

There are two kinds of web filtering that are most popular. The first type is a block list. This allows you (or the administrator) to manually enter websites that should be blocked by the filter program. All sites are immediately blocked on the web browser connected to the filter. You can also do this in reverse and create a master block with certain "allowed” lists for sites that are available on your browser.

The second type is based on keywords. For this method, the software allows you to input select filters or keywords to the software and it will prevent access to sites or content that contains those keywords. You'll have to be specific for this broader approach to work. For example, entering "NSFW” as a keyword means the software will only block things tagged or directly mentioning the exact word "NSFW”. If you want to avoid any contact with adult content, you may find a range of tags related to specific areas are more effective. Some newer apps also use AI technology to do regular sweeps of online sources to keep your little ones safe if they stumble onto a questionable site by accident.

The best part? You don't need to be a tech whiz to get proper web filtering on your personal or home PCs. Some go through software on your specific device (with apps or cloud-based downloads) while others work on your entire internet router. There are plenty of options and different levels to choose from. Plus, the best modern services will help you every step of the way with solid tech support and download tutorials.

If you're ready to add that extra sense of security to your browsing experience, but aren't sure where to start, check out the factors below. These should help you narrow down your options. There are plenty of internet filters out there, and we want you and your family (or your business) to have the best. Here are some helpful criteria we found:

  • Cost. Helpful filters are definitely available through a paid service, but you don't want to break the bank either. Keep an eye out for package deals or monthly payments that only cover what you need. Keep a balance between features and cost, and see if you can find all-inclusive packages to save a little extra but get all the protection you want.
  • Features. What are the features you're looking for? Does your chosen software or app have them? Keep an eye out for all-inclusive apps that don't charge you extra for all the features you need, like app blocking or website filtering.
  • Reputation. With tech companies popping up everywhere, you may want to take a little extra time to check out customer reviews for internet filters. Make sure the filter apps cover the areas you're worried about most. Third-party review sites like Trustpilot or the Better Business Bureau can give you the customers' perspective on whether you should entrust your family or business to a particular internet filter.

Top Consumer Reviews has reviewed and ranked the top internet filters online today. No matter what you're filtering for, there's definitely a solution for your systems, whether you need a home PC protected, your entire internet connection filtered, or just want to check in on your kids' social media usage. Now, you can browse safely and enjoy a more curated online environment designed just for you.

The Best Internet Filters Compare Internet Filters Compare Internet Filter Reviews What are the best Internet Filters Best Internet Filter Reviews

Internet Filter FAQ

Internet filters are useful for anyone who wants to ensure that illicit content is not available to users of their Internet connections and services. Customers of Internet filtering solutions tend to be parents, with the remainder being libraries, religious and community organizations, and businesses.
Internet filtering solutions are more commonly designed and implemented on an individual basis, particularly for parents who are concerned about their children accessing problematic content online. However, businesses are also customers of Internet filtering software companies because they have specific liabilities they want to avoid when it comes to employees accessing pornography, gambling, or engaging in other online activities that are not part of their job descriptions.
Internet filtering software costs differ depending on the pricing and subscription models each vendor follows. They can range from under $10/month per device to $70-$150 for multiple computers. Cost will also vary depending on the number and complexity of the features involved in the software.
There are many different kinds of filters: software, hardware, DNS, proxy, and Virtual Private Network (VPN). Each of these has a different way of detecting and blocking access to sites known to contain or link to undesirable content. Some rely on "allow lists” of good online resources and block lists of bad online resources. Others have sophisticated programming that scans and analyzes a site prior to allowing or blocking access to it on screen.
Setting up an Internet filter should only take a few minutes if the software is designed well. The best Internet filtering software typically has a configuration "wizard” routine that will walk you through all the default and recommended settings to get you started right away. Once the software is set up, it shouldn't take any further configuration or intervention beyond the occasional adjustment for newly problematic websites.
No internet filtering solution is perfect. Users have been able to successfully interfere with almost every internet filtering software solution in existence. They often get "cheats” and special code or passwords from friends or online resources where such things are published. It is important for the administrator of the software to regularly review access logs and determine whether a particular user is abiding by the rules and agreements around the devices and use of the internet connection they have access to.
Internet filtering software should include such features as remote and local administrator controls, time management, profanity masking, alerts and notifications, reports about a user's online activity, individual user profiles, and controls to fine tune the specific websites that might have been blocked but that the user should still have access to. It should also have good support from the software vendor, the very least of which should be email and chat with a customer service representative at extended hours.
At times, internet filtering software can be either over or under aggressive in blocking specific types of content. For example, information about the human body, which may include reproductive organ descriptions, could be blocked when a student is doing a science report for an anatomy class. That would be an example of overblocking. An example of underblocking is when a website for a video game is mainly graphical and changes often, thus not providing enough current information in a textual format that is easy for the software to interpret and execute a blocking routine on.
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