Our reviewers evaluate products and services based on unbiased research. Top Consumer Reviews may earn money when you click on a link. Learn more about our process.
Monday, June 5th
Qustodio (named in reference to the Latin term for guardian, "custodia') supports over 4 million users across 8 languages and 180 countries who are seeking a safe internet solution for their families. The company was developed in 2010 by two friends working together in the cyber security industry. When the iPhone 4 was released, they realized that digital devices would become an integral part of family homes and they wanted to help parents find a way to visually capture data to know how devices were being used. Qustodio helps to protect children from online predators, inappropriate content, and cyberbullies while supporting them in learning good internet habits.
More online exposure means increased risks
Qustodio acknowledges that the percentage of kids who own smartphones is on the rise. Online exposure also increases the risks of online predators, sleep problems, addictions, mental health issues, inappropriate content, cyberbullying, education issues, and online security breaches. Qustodio takes all of these concerns and incorporates them into their platform by providing features to combat them.
Includes key features
You can easily view a detailed description of all the features you'll get with Qustodio straight on their website. They include filtering websites and apps, receiving alerts if a child attempts to access blocked content, real-time monitoring of browsing history, YouTube views, screen time, setting device time limits, locate your family members and get alerts of when they leave or arrive in set locations, track calls and text messages (only on Androids), and receive detailed reports about your child's online activity. All the features except for call tracking and text message reading are available for Windows, Mac, Chromebook, Android, iPhone, iPad, and Kindle.
Try it free first
You can read step-by-step instructions about how easy it is to download Qustodio and have it start working right away. Parents can download the system for free and get an overview of the features before committing to a plan. You could keep the free system, but it's only for one device and only keeps 7 days of activity history. A free trial of the premium version is also available for 3 days.
Pricing plans
If you decide to continue with the company, the pricing options include:
Care Plus is a guarantee for customers to get priority phone support, ongoing check-ins, personalized help, and the availability to speak to representatives in English and in Spanish.
Money back guarantee
If you're unsatisfied with Qustodio after signing up for one of the three plans, the company offers a 30-day money back guarantee. You can contact their support team to get a full refund on your purchase.
Helpful information for parents
Well-known media outlets like Chicago Tribune, CBS, The Washington Post, Good Morning America, Wired, Fox News, Mashable, Business Insider, and Parents have featured Qustodio for its sleek online dashboard, all-inclusive parental control options, and easy device monitoring. From everything we've seen, this seems like a fantastic company with a lot of help for parents who are concerned about managing internet use. They have a good help center as well as product tips, parenting tips, and safety guides for navigating the online world.
Questions about customer support
We were surprised to find that Qustodio has a "D-" rating from the Better Business Bureau. The reason for this is their failure to respond to 3 customer complaints, most of which revolved around lack of customer support and credit card charging issues. All of these problems are serious, but they didn't seem to worry us as much when we saw that hundreds of customers are really happy with Qustodio.
Great tool for families
Feedback about its effectiveness after years of use, handy platform, and reliable GPS information are some of the reasons that we've given Qustodio such a high rating. If you have open dialogue with your child and work together to set healthy limits, this is a great tool to help.
More than ever, parents are looking for a reliable internet filter to protect their children from pornography and other explicit content that is readily available online. Harmful content can be found through nearly any platform or gaming site and whether an internet user is looking for it or not, offensive images and information are constantly being programmed to make their way into the safety of your home.
Understanding some statistics about the pornography industry will send nearly any sane person into shock. The industry is grossly manipulative and exists to harm individuals at every age and stage of life through their physical and verbal portrayals of relationships. They often show drug use and illegal activity related to minors.
Over $3,075 is spent on porn every second on the internet - and nearly 35% of all downloads are related to pornography. 34% or more (we would gamble that this statistic is much lower than reality) of people say they have been exposed to unwanted content through ads, misdirected links, popups, and emails. It is especially dangerous for children who are learning to use the internet, as they trust innocent-looking games and chat rooms online, then quickly become addicted to explicit content.
Thousands of new porn sites are created every week and the amount of easily-accessible, inappropriate content is staggering. To protect families, it requires a combination of strict rules and expectations for internet use as well as top-rated internet blockers to filter out content. Thankfully, there are quite a few companies working hard to develop systems to combat the harmful effects of the pornography industry and other individuals who seek to hurt members of your family.
Since there are many companies that offer internet filtering services, we have provided important information for you to consider when shopping around:
TopConsumerReviews.com has reviewed and ranked the best internet filter services today. We hope this information helps you find a solution you're confident with to protect you and your family.
Select any 2 Internet Filters to compare them head to head