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Qustodio Review

Sunday, February 9th

2025 Internet Filter Reviews

Qustodio Review 4.5 Star Rating

Qustodio

4.5 Star Rating
  • Prices from $54.95 to $99.95 per year
  • Annual payments optional
  • Free trial
  • YouTube and app monitoring included
  • Includes phone and desktop monitoring
  • Block specific sites and filter online searches
  • Data reports on device usage
  • Demo available on request

Qustodio is an internet filter and parental control app that offers all-in-one security and digital well-being. With over 6 million customers already on board Qustodio's platform, you can join other happy parents using it - to keep your child safe with secure and balanced screen time on every device. Qustodio is available on Windows, Mac, Chromebook, Android, iOS, and Kindle platforms, and with top ratings from third-party review sites, this app allows complete flexibility and monitoring across your child's entire device usage.

Impressively flexible protection

Whether you want to filter content, monitor activity, set screen time limits for devices or specific apps, locate your family, or track calls and texts, Qustodio is the place to look. The filters block everything from games to apps to entire websites, and with auto-block enabled, Qustodio will keep your child's device from accessing potentially harmful sites too. You can log in and see real-time activity including how much time your child has spent on individual apps, their browsing history, and screen time across all usage. With time limits and routines, Qustodio helps prevent screen addiction, encourage healthy sleep schedules, and put time limits on some apps (like social media) but not others (like learning or school apps). Some levels of Qustodio and add-ons include personalized assistance and phone support to advise you on the best steps for caring for your children's online well-being.

Blocks sites you didn't even know were bad

To get started on Qustodio, you just need to sign up for a free account. You can decide what level of paid coverage you want later. Then, you'll want to install Qustodio on your child's devices and the parent app onto your device to begin monitoring your child's internet usage in real-time. You won't be able to use the features until you have your subscription, but you can download the app to see how the program works for free. The Qustodio software works by blocking both websites and apps you select outright, alongside blocking potentially harmful apps and websites as they pop up, so you get a mix of proactive and pre-selected protection.

Best Internet Filters

Prices from $54.95 to $99.95 per year

There are two subscriptions available at Qustodio: Basic and Complete. Here's what you can expect:

  • Basic
    • Blocking games and apps
    • Daily time limits
    • Web filtering
    • Location monitoring
    • Pause internet access
    • Up to 5 devices
    • Cost: $54.95/year
  • Complete
    • All of the features of Basic
    • Custom routines
    • AI-powered search alerts
    • Custom alerts
    • Game and app time limits
    • Calls and message monitoring
    • Unlimited devices
    • Phone support included
    • Cost: $99.95/year

Free trial, but we're not sure how long

When you sign up for Qustodio the first time, you'll be notified that you're going to get a free trial. The website doesn't say how long the trial is before you sign up. We completed the signup process and were unable to see any specific timelines for the free trial, but the site did not ask us to pay up front before downloading the apps.

30-day refund policy

Qustodio offers a 30-day refund policy for its app and software. If you buy your subscription directly from the Qustodio website, you can contact the customer service team within 30 days and get a full refund. However, if you pay via an in-app purchase after downloading the app from Apple or Google, you will be under the app store's policies rather than Qustodio directly.

Best Internet Filters

Best for families who are looking for all-in-one security

This app is an all-around great choice for families of any size or age. Designed to keep kids safe online, Qustodio hits all the key points, with help that includes even modern apps (like Snapchat and TikTok) and AI technology to proactively block concerning websites without you adding them to the list (on the higher-paid subscription). If you're looking for an easy way to connect your family's security, this app is designed to be an all-in-one approach to internet filtering.

Qustodio has long-term fans

Qustodio is missing a rating on the Better Business Bureau at this time, but it has impressive reviews from parents on app stores. Currently, Qustodio has a solid 4.2-star average rating on the Apple Store. Most customers who have downloaded Qustodio have been using the software for multiple years, preferring the simplicity and all-in-one approach over apps by competitors. Reviews are a little more mid-tier on third-party review sites like Trustpilot where Qustodio only has 3.1 stars out of 5. Many customers say that the Complete Package isn't worth the money and it has more issues than the Basic in terms of usability. However, customers do agree that Qustodio is easy to set up across all review sites.

A solid choice for all-in-one filtering

There are some great features at Qustodio, and its all-in-one approach and standout reviews on app sites make it a solid contender for internet filtering. With a lack of transparency on the length of the free trial and some issues with the tech in the highest-tier subscription, Qustodio isn't quite our top pick. However, it's still a top contender overall for its impressive app security and features as well as its 30-day refund policy. For this reason, Qustodio earns a solid rating in our review.

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.

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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.
Compare the Best Reviews

Continued from above...

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.

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