The internet can be considered as one of the greatest boons and also a curse for humankind. On the one hand, it has made our fast-paced life so much easier and better, and on the other, it has also spoiled many lives.
So, it is very important to strike a balance and not be addicted to the internet world. But often, kids cannot understand this, and they tend to overuse it.
It is very important to make them understand that the internet is not completely secure and reliable. And the people they meet on the web are not trustworthy. Well, some maybe, but most of them are not.
In this modern time, where half of the world is obsessed with the internet, you surely cannot stop your kids from using it. But we can create a bit safer virtual world for them by using a good parental control app.
There are tons of different parental control apps available nowadays. But it is very important to choose the best one of all and spend your money wisely.
Here in this article, I’ve presented comparisons between two of the best parental control apps: Bark and NetNanny.
I hope this article helps you understand what parental control apps are and which app to choose from, considering all the requirements. But first, let’s start with why the parental control app is important for all the kids and parents.
Importance Of Parental Control App:
With each passing generation, kids are becoming more tech-savvy than ever. Even the smallest of kids can easily outpass their parents when it comes to the web. Therefore, parental control apps are becoming a necessity day by day.
Here, I’ve presented some of the reasons why every parent must use parental control apps to keep their kids safe, secure, and on track.
- It helps you to know with whom your kids are talking and whether they’re in a bad friend circle or not. You can also block them if you feel they’re inappropriate for your kids.
- Check if your kids are watching inappropriate content on any platform and even block those sites from their devices.
- It allows you to add a certain screen time in a day that lessens screen addiction risk.
- Helps you to know if your kids’ being bullied, harassed, blackmailed, or any mental torture.
- Know their exact location, which can be quite a stress buster for any parent.
Features Comparison:
Let’s start the comparison between Bark and NetNanny with some of their top features. Here they are:
Social Media Monitoring:
We all know that kids spend most of their time online chatting with their friends on different social media platforms. So, one of the most important features of any parental control app is social media monitoring.
The bark is a powerful app for monitoring social media like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, etc. It covers 30 social networking sites, including chat details, shared pictures, and videos altogether.
But unfortunately, NetNanny doesn’t provide social media monitoring which is a great drawback for the app.
Location Tracking:
Nowadays, parents are mostly concerned about where their kids are all the time. But not to worry anymore because both the apps, Bark and NetNanny, are good for location tracking.
Once you’re connected to bark, you’ll get notifications about places your kids are going to or are exiting from. Bark does a decent job when it comes to location tracking.
But on the other hand, NetNanny is the best in terms of location tracking. This app has geofencing inbuilt, which helps parents know when their kids are entering and exiting from a specific geographic area.
Web Filtering:
The internet is a huge portal with all sorts of content. There are so many contents or sites that can be disturbing for the kids. They may accidentally land on those sites and may use them out of curiosity. That’s why it is very important to scan all those sites and block them from the kid’s device if necessary.
Both Bark and NetNanny use smart web filtering tools. These apps scan all the sites and give a detailed report about whether the sites are safe or not. It also blocks sites; that is not safe for the kids or can do it manually.
Screen Time Management:
Another common feature between the two apps is screen time management. The internet can be a very overwhelming place because of the variety of content on different platforms. Hence, there is a high chance that the kids may get addicted to it.
Not only online addiction, because of excessive use of the internet, but the kids may also suffer from a lifelong illness like short-sightedness, migraines, etc.
Hence, this feature is of great use for all the parents. This feature helps you set a certain time for the kids to use the internet. If they try to use it for more than the allotted time, then you are automatically notified.
Notification Alert:
Again another similarity between both the apps is its notification alert system. Whenever the kids try to access anything without your concern, you’ll automatically be notified.
For example, if they try to access the forbidden sites, install any apps on the device, their location details, or even if they try to uninstall the apps.
Pricing Comparison:
Bark has two variations: Bark Premium and Bark Jr. Bark Premium costs $14 per month and $99 per annum. Bark Jr costs $5 per month and $49 per annum. Bark Premium comes with a 7 days free trial period. Compared to Bark Jr, Bark Premium has relatively more features.
The price of NetNanny starts at $39.99 per year for a single device. For 11 devices, you’ll have to pay $54.99 per year. And to use the app on 20 devices, you’ll have to pay $89.99 per year.
Pros And Cons:
To make this article even more informative, I’ve listed some of the advantages and disadvantages of both Bark and NetNanny.
Pros Of Bark:
- This app is extremely easy to use.
- It provides a free trial period of 7 days.
- Provides lots of advice and helps both parents and the kids.
- Has an instant alert system.
Cons Of Bark:
- Has a poor geofencing feature.
- A bit expensive.
Pros Of NetNanny:
- It also has an instant alert system.
- Provides a great location tracker.
- Shows a record of kid’s monthly or weekly online activities.
- Uses great web filtering tools.
Cons Of NetNanny:
- It doesn’t provide social media monitoring.
- One of the most expensive parental control app
Installation:
The installation process in Bark And NetNanny is very easy and more or less similar. Here, I’m going to list all the installation processes for both apps.
Installation For Bark:
- First, you have to visit the official site of Bark. Register your account, and then you can download the app after the payment or use a free 7 days trial.
- Go to the installation file, agree on the license term and then click on install.
- To complete the installation, restart the device.
- Opp the app and sign in to the app using your username and password.
- Then on your kid’s device, open the app, login, and connect to your account on the bark’s interface.
- Select all the necessary services, and the app is ready to be used.
Installation For NetNanny:
- Register your credentials on the official site of NetNanny.
- Choose any subscription as per your requirement and download the app.
- Accept all the terms and conditions and click on install.
- Restart the device to complete the installation process.
- On your kid’s device, log in to your account and link both the accounts.
- And the app is ready to be used.
Final Word:
After reading this article, I hope you have gained most of the information about parental controls and why they should be used. And I hope it makes it easier for you to decide which parental control to choose.
Both the apps are some of the best parental control apps with lots of features in them. They are almost the same in terms of their functions but I’d choose Bark.
Only because of two main reasons – Pricing and Social media monitoring. As compared to NetNanny, Bark is a lot cheaper and also comes in two different options. If you want a complete review on Bark and NetNanny do check our review on both apps.
Kids spend most of their time on social media, so parents need to keep track of their social media activities. And also, it supports more than 30 different social media networks.
At last, to summarize all the above-mentioned points I’ve added a comparison table between both the apps so that you can clearly choose which app is more compatible for you.
| Features | Bark | NetNanny |
| Pricing | Bark Premium costs $14 per month and $99 per annum. Bark Jr costs
$5 per month and $49 per annum. |
The price of NetNanny has three different variations that are $39.99/Y, $54.99/Y, and $89.99? |
| Ratings | 4.5/5 | 4.8/5 |
| Free Trial Period | Yes | No |
| Device Limit | Unlimited | Up to 20 devices |
| Social Media Monitoring | 30 platforms | None |
| Content Filtering | Yes | Yes |
| Text Monitoring | Yes | No |
