Net Nanny bills itself as a tool for parents to filter objectionable content from the Internet. That is a fairly accurate assessment of what this product does. Because of this, it really should only be considered by people with very young children (sub 10 years old) whose only interest is in trying to block the “bad stuff” on the Internet. It is very limited in its ability to monitor.

Be sure to read The Truth About Internet Blocking and Filtering

Net Nanny 5.1 includes the following features:

• Restricting Access to undesirable websites
• Monitoring and limiting the time spent online
• Popup and Cookie blocking

Net Nanny’s real strength is the fact that it is one of the few parental control software programs that allows you to view the list of websites that are being blocked. This is important as anytime you run filtering software of any kind, and regardless of the manufacturer, you will create some trouble in accessing sites you should be able to. By being able to see what sites are blocked, you can unblock those that you wish to be accessible.

They also offer a “white list” which is a great way for parents to always allow access to certain websites that they approve, ensuring that those sites never get blocked inadvertently, something all too common when running filtering software.

Please be aware that NetNanny IS NOT INVISIBLE - It shows messages to the user that they are making a violation so it should not be used if invisible monitoring and blocking is your intention.

Regardless of its limitations, NetNanny is a solid offering if you are looking to do little more than filter the Internet. One thing to note, however, is that unlike most of the applications that we review, NetNanny bills on a yearly subscription rather than a one-time fee. So keep in mind that you will be paying every year for the life of the program, which potentially makes NetNanny the most expensive of the products that we reviewed.