Overview
Cybersitter is an internet filtering and accountability software product targeted at kids and families. It comes with all of the features that you expect from internet accountability and filtering applications, while preserving the flexibility that grown adults with children demand.
Pros
One of the best features of Cybersitter is the scheduling function. You can restrict access to certain sites at specific times. That means you won’t have to constantly reconfigure what sites are and aren’t allowed when your children are done with their homework. Moreover, Cybersitter works to keep your data and information safe by blocking phishing attacks and preventing harmful and malicious sites from loading.
Cybersitter lets you customize settings for different users, which means that you can make sure that your whole family doesn’t have the same type of restrictions. Moreover, it records emails and chats, so you can tell who your children have been talking to and what’s been going on in their lives. This helps you protect them from dangerous internet predators while ensuring that they aren’t engaging in harmful behavior or content. The product is fully self-contained and doesn’t require an online account or setup. It’s also one of the easiest to install internet monitoring and filtering applications we’ve looked at.
Cons
There are some issues with Cybersitter. We aren’t confident in how up-to-date the software and list of sites it monitors is. The website still advertises that it is compatible with Windows XP, which is three generations of operating systems old. Moreover, Cybersitter uses a yearly subscription fee payment-model. As a result, you’ll be paying every year for continued internet monitoring and filtering. While this is common for internet accountability applications, we prefer services that only charge a one time fee, or they have a price point lower than Cybersitter’s $39.99/year cost. Finally, Cybersitter doesn’t list any kind of remote access features, which can be a hassle if you need to change settings for someone but you’re not at home. After all, teachers increasingly use YouTube and Facebook more and more these days, and you don’t want your child to run behind on their homework because you weren’t around to change the settings on your monitoring software.
Verdict
Cybersitter is a bit of a mixed bag in terms of internet monitoring, filtering, and accountability software. On one hand it’s easy to use and offers the services that are most important for these types of programs. However, it doesn’t strike us as the most professional or well-maintained program on offer. Moreover, there’s no mention or remote access to settings or some of the other services that their competitors provide. Cybersitter does have some great reviews online, so plenty of people like the product, but we think you should proceed with caution here.