Top 5 Computer Monitoring Apps for Parents in 2025: Stay in the Know

Over the past few years, the amount of screen time children are exposed to has steadily increased as the world becomes more digitally connected. If you are a parent reading this, you know it means more vigilance on your part to protect your kids and foster healthy digital habits.

This article covers the top five computer monitoring apps you must know as a parent in 2025 for protecting your kids. In it, we’ll look at various tools by different companies, including ClevGuard, a renowned parental control solutions provider. We’ll highlight the key features of each tool, including its pros and cons, as well as who it is designed for.

Why Do Parents Need Computer Monitoring Tools in 2025?

With no other generation being digitally connected as the current one, modern parents need computer monitoring tools to aid in their parenting efforts. If you are such a parent, here are some compelling reasons to help you understand why such a solution is necessary.

1. a) Increased Screen Time: The amount of screen time kids have today has risen gradually in recent years. Gaming, bingeing, social media, and remote learning are the primary reasons behind this increase. To monitor and regulate your teen’s screentime, you need a reliable computer monitoring solution.
2. b) Existence of New Types of Risks: Computer monitoring tools are also essential in 2025 to help combat new types of risks that parents from previous generations did not have to deal with. Issues like cyberbullying, online predators, exposure to harmful or inappropriate content, misleading AI information, and deep fakes are risks best dealt with using a parental control solution.
3. c) Mental Health Concerns: Instances of depression, suicidal thoughts, and low self-esteem arising from engaging with online content are also common among today’s teenagers, necessitating parents to find reliable computer monitoring tools that can alert them to take swift action when the need arises.
4. d) Complex App Ecosystems: With privacy becoming a thorny issue concerning computer and mobile software, more developers are adding features like disappearing messages, which make it difficult for parents to know who their kids are contacting. Advanced computer monitoring tools can help overcome this restriction to safeguard children.

Top 5 Computer Monitoring Apps in 2025

One of the benefits of technological advancements in 2025 is the availability of sophisticated tools to help address the challenges parents face when raising children in a digital-first world. Below are the best five solutions worth a try.

1. MoniVisor

MoniVisor is ClevGuard’s premier computing monitoring solution, renowned for its real-time monitoring capabilities across Windows and macOS computers.

The software operates in the background of the target computer (with the user’s consent) without interfering with any regular functioning. As such, it is ideal for parents who want to monitor their children’s computers, individuals who wish to enhance the vigilance of their devices, and businesses with teams of remote employees.

As the brainchild of a company comprised of digital security experts, MoniVisor places a strong emphasis on data security and privacy.

Key Features

MoniVisor packs several impressive features that make it a reliable computer monitoring tool for parents in 2025. They are categorized into four as follows.

a) Live Screen and Activity Monitoring

MoniVisor is ranked as the best screen monitoring software because of its live screen and monitoring capabilities that let you know what your child is up to. Monivisor’s keystroke logging also tracks all input into the computer, while software usage monitoring enables you to know which programs are used most frequently. For parents who have to work and simultaneously monitor their children, this parental control solution also tracks the device’s live location, complete location history, and lets you access the microphone to record ambient sound.

b) Online Communications Monitoring

With predators making the internet their go-to location, it is important as a parent to monitor your child’s communication on their computer to keep them safe and protect against other risks. MoniVisor tracks all emails on the target device across all major service providers like Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook. You can also retrieve your child’s internet browsing history, including the downloads they made, to ensure they are not visiting forbidden websites. MoniVisor also monitors instant messaging software on the computer with AI-aided functionality to track keywords that may point to potential risks such as sexting, coercion, cyberbullying, or depression.

c) File and Device Monitoring

MoniVisor doubles up as an excellent solution for keeping files and your child’s computer through file and device monitoring. You can guard against unauthorized changes and data loss by tracking file activity such as copying, creation, modifications, and deletions. USB monitoring logs all connections to flag any data transfers before they happen. MoniVisor also gives you a detailed account of all printing activity, clipboard history, and login instances to help you know who accessed the target device and what they did.

d) Team Management

More than just a computer monitoring tool for parents, MoniVisor is a professional solution worth adding to any organization’s tech stack for team oversight purposes. The management features available in this suite include a team dashboard that enables employers to track employee activity and workflows comprehensively. Desktop time-tracking helps monitor the time remote employees spend at their desks to maximize their productivity. MoniVisor also provides managers with data export tools to assist in record-keeping.

Pros

• Comprehensive monitoring capabilities for home and business.
• Intuitive user interface.
• Stealth mode operation.
• Remote control capabilities.
• Military-grade data protection and privacy.
• Free updates.

Cons

• Primarily for Windows and macOS devices.
• No free version available.

Best For: Comprehensive computer activity monitoring for parental, personal, or professional needs.

How to Set Up MoniVisor to Monitor Your Child’s Computer

1. Visit the ClevGuard website and set up a free account.
2. Select your preferred subscription plan and pay.
3. Follow the prompts provided to download and configure the software on your child’s computer with their consent. For web tracking, please install the MoniVisor Chrome extension.
4. Start tracking the activity on your child’s computer.

2. Mobicip

Mobicip is a smart parental control app that started as a safe web browser before morphing into a full-scale parental control and monitoring solution. It is compatible with Windows, macOS, and Chromebook devices.

Key Features

1. a) Screen time management for setting daily limits and custom computer use schedules.
2. b) Location tracking and geofencing capabilities with arrival and departure alerts.
3. c) Generates daily and weekly usage summaries to track digital habits better.
4. d) Social media activity monitoring and content filtering to protect against online predators.

Pros

• Parent-friendly interface.
• Free trial period available.
• Cross-platform compatibility.

Cons

• Does not operate in stealth mode.
• Advanced features require a paid subscription.
• No SMS or call monitoring support.

Best For: Parents looking for a solution that allows for moderate supervision of children’s computer activities.

3. Norton Family

Norton Family is a parental control app that offers parents insight into their kids’ online activities. It is part of the larger Norton security suite.

Key Features

1. a) Content and web filtering that blocks harmful and inappropriate content.
2. b) Focused School Time mode to support learning without distractions.
3. c) Tracks your child’s device’s location and logs its location history.
4. d) Activity reports that show the most frequently used apps and usage times.

Pros

• Education-focused parental control app.
• Supports monitoring unlimited devices.
• Video supervision capabilities.

Cons

• No social media monitoring.
• Full functionality is unlocked when you have the entire Norton suite.
• Kids can easily tamper with the app to prevent devices from being monitored.

Best For: Families and parents looking for a parental control solution that helps enforce mandatory study times.

4. Qustodio

Qustodio is an innovative multi-platform parental control solution that helps parents ensure their children’s and family’s digital well-being.

Key Features

1. a) Qustodio helps you gauge usage and set app and screen time limits.
2. b) GPS location tracking accurately shows where your child’s device is.
3. c) Monitor computer activity, including browser history and downloads.
4. d) Automatic content filtering helps guard against harmful, prohibited, or inappropriate content on your child’s computer.

Pros

• User-friendly interface.
• AI-powered content filtering.
• Daily reports.

Cons

• Some users report false positives with the content filtering tool.
• Children can easily bypass it with VPNs.
• No stealth mode.

Best For: Users looking for a cross-device content filtering solution for younger children.

5. Net Nanny

Net Nanny is parental control software and website blocker with a longstanding reputation in the digital parent niche.

Key Features

1. a) An internet filter that prevents your child from engaging with specific content.
2. b) Dedicated pornography and website blocker for blacklisting adult content sites.
3. c) Screen time management tools for setting down times based on monitored usage.
4. d) Monitoring across popular social media platforms to measure usage and stay vigilant to any unbecoming behavior or patterns.

Pros

• Advanced porn blocker.
• Flexible screen time management tools.
• Easy-to-navigate layout.

Cons

• No location tracking on desktop.
• Does not support text or call logging.
• Paid subscription is mandatory.

Best For: Parents who want a solution that can block adult content and help monitor YouTube activity.

Choosing the Right Monitoring App for Your Family’s Needs

You can select the right computer monitoring solution for your family by considering the following key aspects.

1. Your Child’s Age: Stricter content filters are necessary for younger children, while more nuanced controls work better for teens.
2. System Compatibility: Some monitoring apps will work on one operating system and be incompatible with another. Ensure to choose one that matches your child’s computer.
3. Valued Features: Consider which features you need most in a monitoring app to find one that fits in with your parental control and digital monitoring objectives.
4. Privacy and Transparency: Ensure to respect your child’s privacy and involve them in the process, in addition to explaining why monitoring is necessary.
5. Budget: The best parental control app should fit your budget while offering access to the features you need for digital monitoring.

Conclusion

As the digital landscape increases in complexity, parents need trusted monitoring solutions to track their children’s online activities and ensure their safety. This article has highlighted the best computer monitoring apps worth trying out in 2025 if you are a tech-savvy parent.

From the list, we highly recommend using MoniVisor for its comprehensive monitoring capabilities. Whether you plan to use the app at home or in your business, it has advanced features that make the monitoring process effective and convenient. Visit the ClevGuard website to learn more about MoniVisor and how it can help you improve your vigilance in this age of digital parenting.