Qustodio proved without a doubt that it was the winner. In addition to a fully customizable web filter, comprehensive screen time tool, and geofence, it has excellent customer support that can help with any technical issues. You can try Qustodio for free for 30 days without having to enter your credit card or other payment information. Net Nanny has a good list of features as well, but it is not as powerful as Qustodio. However, it did score higher in two major categories; monitoring social media and app usage. Net Nanny has a no-questions-asked 14-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it out risk-free. Try Qustodio Free for 30 Days!
No Time? Here’s a 1 Minute Summary of Each Category Winner
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How I Tested and Compared Qustodio vs. Net Nanny
I compared Qustodio and Net Nanny in the following 13 categories: Try Qustodio Free for 30 Days!
1. Web Filter – Qustodio Detects and Blocks More Types of Dangerous Content
Qustodio’s web filter has nearly twice as many filter categories as Net Nanny. It’s a comprehensive filter with over 40 categories that include topics such as sex, drugs, alcohol, self-harm, politics, gambling, health, and more. I was happy that I could customize the filter for each child and device, so that I could set strong restrictions for my younger son and give my older son more freedom. I set rules for each category to either block a site or send me an alert when my child tried to access a restricted category. There’s also the option to block or allow specific websites, regardless of their category. The Net Nanny web filter has 14 categories that strongly focus on blocking porn. The categories include nudity, strip clubs, adult novelty, mature, provocative, and even Anime. It also has some non-sexual categories, such as violence, weapons, and tobacco. However, I saw that it didn’t do as good a job as Qustodio when it came to blocking these types of websites.
I challenged my oldest child to find a way to bypass the filters for both of the apps. He used a VPN, incognito mode, and different browsers but was unable to view the restricted websites and cancel the web filters that I set. Both parental control apps have good web filters that can block porn and adult-themed content. However, the Qustodio web filter is more comprehensive and blocks a wider range of dangerous content. While Net Nanny got a good score, Qustodio proved that it has the better web filter. Set Powerful Web Filters with Qustodio!
2. Screen Time Management: Qustodio Gives You Slightly More Control
Both Qustodio and Net Nanny have multiple screen time features, but only Qustodio lets you set screen time limits for specific apps. I found this very helpful when I realized my kids would lose track of time when using specific apps. Now, I can give them a total of three hours of screen time a day, and during those three hours, set specific limits for each of those apps. Net Nanny gives you the tools to combine a daily or weekly schedule with an overall daily screen time limit. When creating the schedule, you can either pause the internet connection or block the device completely. Both apps made it easy to create the screen time schedules and were very good at blocking the device when my kids exceeded the screen time limits. However, Qustodio is the winner here because of the extra control I get over the apps. You can try Qustodio free for 30 days – no credit card required – and see how the screen time features work for your family. Manage Screen Time with Qustodio!
3. Social Media: Net Nanny’s Social Media Monitoring Outperformed Qustodio
With a recent feature update, Net Nanny’s social media monitoring has passed Qustodio. Its social media protection tool is divided into two parts. The first thing I can do is block social media apps and websites. Then, if I allow some or all apps, Net Nanny can extend the content filter rules to apply to supported networks. The Net Nanny AI will recognize the inappropriate content and shut down the app before the child can see it. It also has YouTube monitoring that generates reports, including the names of the videos your children watch, search history, and a link to the video so you can see it yourself. Qustodio doesn’t have an impressive social media feature. Unlike Net Nanny, I couldn’t include social media apps in the web filter. While it does have a YouTube Monitoring feature, it only lists the five most recent videos that were watched and search history from the mobile app. if social media monitoring is a must for you – you should check out Bark; it’s the best social media monitoring parental control I’ve tested. You can try Bark free for 7 days and see how well it compares to any other app – in this category. Monitor Social Media with Net Nanny!
4. Location Tracking: Both Apps Have 24/7 Live Location Tracking
Both Qustodio and Net Nanny have 24/7 real-time tracking. With each app, you can open the location tracking feature to view a map with avatars for your entire family. It makes it easy to see exactly where they are, which is helpful if you’re meeting up with them or checking to see that they aren’t going to restricted areas. Since this category is a tie, if you’re deciding which app to get, I recommend Qustodio since it has a 30-day free trial – no credit card required.
5. Geofence: Only Qustodio Has a Live Geofence
Qustodio is the easy winner in the Geofence category. You can set up multiple geofences with up to a 200-meter radius, and get alerts when the children enter or leave the zone. It is incredibly easy to set up. You can either enter an address or place a location pin on the map. I was surprised that Net Nanny doesn’t have a real geofence option, especially since it already has the live location tracking. Instead, it has a geofence based on location history. I can enter an address, and Net Nanny will show me when my child came and left that area. However, this only helps if I know where the kids are supposed to be, but it doesn’t help if I want an alert telling me where they are going. When you activate the Qustodio free 30-day trial, you get instant access to all the premium features, including unlimited geofences. Create Geofences with Qustodio!
6. Monitor App Usage – Net Nanny Gives Your More App Insights than Qustodio
While only Qustodio lets you set time limits for apps, Net Nanny does a better job overall monitoring app usage. They both display a complete list of the apps on the child’s phones in the dashboard, where you can block the app completely if you don’t want the kids using the app. You can also get a breakdown of how much time the kids spend using each app. However, Net Nanny takes app monitoring to the next level. In addition to showing the apps already on the device, Net Nanny has a list of over 100 popular apps for Android and iOS. It allows you to block the apps from being downloaded on the phone. Another nice Net Nanny feature is called the App Advisor. It gives me all the important details I need to know about the app, such as what it does, the parental guidance rating, and whether there are potential threats connected to the app. I found this very helpful since I had never heard of some of the apps he downloaded. Qustodio lets me add screen time limits for each app. I found this helpful in preventing my son from watching several hours of YouTube every day. Once he maximizes his screen time for that app, it’s blocked, and he couldn’t find a way to bypass the restriction. I also like that I can block any app that I don’t want him to use. While both apps have tools for monitoring app use, the Net Nanny App Advisor helped separate it from Qustodio. With so many apps, it’s nearly impossible to know what each one does, and App Advisor gives me all the important app details. Monitor App Usage with Net Nanny!
7. Remote Control Access: Only Qustodio Lets You Manage Your Child’s Phone from Anywhere
I was initially going to mark this as a tie until I realized that one of Net Nanny’s remote control features doesn’t actually work. On the dashboard, it gives me the option to “Pause Device” or “Disable Internet.” It was dinner time, so I selected the Pause Device option, and I saw my son was still on his phone. I took his phone and saw that not only was the device not paused, but I could still play games that don’t require internet access, could send messages, and make phone calls. I was pretty disappointed by this, especially since I rely on remote control access when I’m not with my child. On the other hand, Qustodio worked perfectly. It didn’t make any promises that it couldn’t keep. When I enabled the Lock Device option, it blocked all the apps, so my son put down the phone and came to the table. While both apps claim to give you remote access to the child’s device, Net Nanny had soem features that didn’t work. I didn’t have any issues with Qustodio, and the remote control features allowed me to enforce time limits, create web filters, view the daily activities, and view the live location remotely. Download Qustodio and use the 30-day free trial to ensure that the remote control features work on your family’s phones and tablets.
8. Dashboard: Qustodio has a More Organized Dashboard with Essential Data Available at a Glance
While both dashboards make it easy to adjust the parental control settings, Qustodio makes getting the information I need easier. When I open the Qustodio dashboard, the first thing I see is the screen time information, and right under I can see how my kids spend their screen time. I can take a look at the data for the previous month, which I found helpful in seeing if there were any trends, new apps that they started using, or if the kids have changed their usage habits. I can get more detailed information by clicking on any of the information boxes. The rules are located on the left-hand panel. There are no hidden sections or rules that are buried beneath complex menus. I found it to be very streamlined, and the changes I made were applied to the kid’s phones practically instantly. The Net Nanny dashboard may have all the same data as Qustodio, but it makes it a little more difficult to find. When you first open the dashboard, all you see is a huge map with pins showing the live locations of all the connected devices. I clicked on my son’s avatar to leave the location page and find the usage data and rules. Instead of having a homepage with a quick overview of all the important information, the first page that opened was a Search History, which was blank. I was trying to figure out why I was looking at a blank page until I realized I had to click on each category to see the relevant information. I found that it can take some time to find where the rules are, how to create a schedule, and get comfortable with the dashboard. Once I got comfortable with the Net Nanny dashboard, I was able to find the information I needed quickly, but I still prefer the no-effort, quick-access data that Qustodio offers. Try Qustodio Free for 30 Days!
9. Ease of Use: Qustodio is More Intuitive and Incredibly Easy to Set Up and Use
Qustodio and Net Nanny are both easy programs to use, but I’m giving a slight edge to Qustodio because of the dashboard layout. You don’t need any technical background to get started. Just follow the on-screen prompts to install the app on the child’s device. Then, both apps require a one-time setup where you set the screen time limits, filters, and block apps you don’t like, and then the apps run themselves. Qustodio has a more intuitive dashboard, which makes it easier to adjust the screen time rules and web filters, and view the crucial data. It also has push notifications for some alerts, so you don’t have to remember to check the dashboard every day. Try Qustodio Free for 30 Days!
10. Compatibility: Only Qustodio Works with All Major Platforms
While both Qustodio and Net Nanny are compatible with mobile devices, PC, Mac, and Chromebook, Qustodio has a significant advantage. In addition to the standard app that is available in the Play Store, they also have an unmodified Android app that you can download from the Qustodio website. This is because Android regulations prohibit apps from accessing certain data, such as call logs and SMS messages. If you download the app directly from Qustodio, which is 100% safe, you’ll have access to this crucial information. While Net Nanny is compatible with Android phones, it’s only available through the Play Store, and therefore you can’t access as much information with whom your children are talking to or messaging. Try Qustodio Risk Free for 30 Days!
11. Customer Support: Qustodio’s Care Plus Service is Top-Notch
Only Qustodio has the option for priority customer service. The Care Plus option, which includes scheduled phone calls, priority support, and regular check-ins, is included with two of the three subscription plans. If you go with the basic plan, you can add Care Plus for a minimal fee or ask the advanced AI chatbot if you have any questions. It also has an email ticket system, and I received a reply to my question within a few hours. That’s not to say that Net Nanny has poor customer service. There is a live chat feature that is available Monday through Friday from 10 am – 7 pm EST, or you can send an email and get a response within one business day.
12. Price: Similar Subscription Options and Prices
Both Qustodio and Net Nanny have three pricing tiers, giving you some flexibility based on the number of devices that you want to protect. Net Nanny has a computer-only option or two plans that you can pay for based on the number of devices you want to protect. With Qustodio, all three options work with all compatible devices. Both apps include all premium features at no extra cost, with the exception of Qustodio’s Care Plus if you subscribe to the most basic plan. The bottom line is that prices are very similar, which makes this category a tie. However, I don’t think the price should be a determining factor when it comes to protecting the health of children. Therefore, I’d say take advantage of Qustodio 100% free trial, since its features and monitoring tools are more powerful than Net Nanny. Try Qustodio Free for 30-Days!
13: Trial Version: Only Qustodio has a Free Trial
Qustodio just upgraded its free trial from 7 to 30 days. I was really happy to see that the free trial activated immediately after creating an account, and I didn’t need to enter my credit card number to get started. With unlimited access to all the premium features, I was able to see how my kids use their phones and determine whether Qustodio was the right app for us. I’m a little disappointed that Net Nanny doesn’t offer a free trial. Instead, I had to purchase one of the plans and rely on the 14-day money-back guarantee, which meant that I had to remember to cancel the account and make a refund request, or I had to pay for the full plan. To Net Nanny’s credit, they processed the refund right away, and the money was back in my account within three business days. Get Qustodio’s 30-Day Free Trial
And the Winner Is… Qustodio (In Most of the Major Categories)
I wasn’t sure who would win this head-to-head comparison when I began the testing process. However, it didn’t take long to see that Qustodio was the better option. It can do everything Net Nanny does and then some. The customizable web filter has 30 categories, it includes multiple screen time features, live location with a geofence, and it’s very easy to set up and use. Net Nanny has some features that I like, but it came up short too many times and had some features that didn’t work properly. You can get started with Qustodio at no risk with its 30-day free trial – no credit card required, or try Net Nanny with a 14-day money-back guarantee. Try Qustodio Free for 30 Days!
