Best Securly Alternatives for Parents (2025 Guide)

The Securly Problem Parents Face

Here's a frustrating scenario thousands of parents experience:

Your child's school uses Securly to filter YouTube. It works beautifully—your child can watch approved educational channels like Crash Course and Khan Academy, but everything else is blocked by default. No inappropriate content slips through. No algorithmic filtering failures. Just clean, controlled access.

You want the same protection at home. You download Securly Home, excited to replicate the school experience.

Then reality hits:

• Securly Home doesn't offer YouTube channel whitelisting
• The app has a 1.3-star rating (Google Play) and 2.1 stars (App Store)
• Many features only work on school-managed devices
• Parents report constant crashes, battery drain, and bypass vulnerabilities
• Securly won't sell their enterprise product to individual families

You're left with a critical question: How do I get Securly's school-level YouTube protection at home?

Why Securly Home Fails Parents

1. No YouTube Channel Whitelisting

This is the dealbreaker. Securly for schools offers granular YouTube channel control—administrators can create lists of approved channels and block everything else. It's the gold standard approach.

Securly Home doesn't have this feature. Instead, it relies on basic web category filtering that either blocks all of YouTube or allows all of YouTube with minimal filtering. There's no middle ground.

2. Abysmal User Reviews

Let's look at what actual parents say:

"Constant errors. Drains battery like crazy. Only works when it feels like it. Don't waste your money." - Google Play Review

"Features advertised don't work unless your child's device is school-managed. Essentially useless for home use." - App Store Review

"My kid bypassed it in 10 minutes using incognito mode. Support never responded." - Trustpilot Review

Rating comparison:

• Google Play Store: 1.3 stars (out of 5)
• Apple App Store: 2.1 stars (out of 5)
• Trustpilot: 2.8 stars (out of 5)

3. Only Works on School-Managed Devices

Many of Securly Home's advertised features—including its most effective filtering—require device management profiles that only work on school-issued devices. Personal devices at home get a watered-down experience with significantly fewer capabilities.

4. Easy to Bypass

Parents consistently report that children bypass Securly Home using:

• Incognito/private browsing mode
• Different browsers (if filter is browser-specific)
• VPN apps (which Securly Home often fails to detect)
• Cellular data instead of WiFi (on mobile devices)
• Factory reset on less restricted devices

5. Securly Won't Sell Enterprise to Families

You might think: "I'll just pay for the real Securly product." Unfortunately, Securly's enterprise solution is only sold to schools and organizations, not individual families. Their pricing is per-student for educational institutions—there's no consumer purchase option.

What Parents Actually Want (And Can't Get from Securly)

When parents search for "Securly for home," they're specifically looking for:

1. YouTube channel whitelisting: Approve specific channels, block everything else
2. Default-deny approach: Nothing allowed unless explicitly approved
3. Bypass-proof protection: Works regardless of browser, mode, or connection type
4. Reliable performance: Doesn't crash, drain battery, or require constant troubleshooting
5. Consumer-friendly: Designed for parents, not IT administrators

Securly Home delivers on exactly zero of these requirements.

Best Securly Alternatives for Parents (2025)

Option 1: WhitelistVideo (Best for YouTube Channel Control)

What it is: The only consumer product offering YouTube channel whitelisting—the same approach Securly uses in schools.

How it works:

• Block all of YouTube by default
• Parents approve specific channels (Khan Academy, Crash Course, etc.)
• Children can only watch whitelisted channels
• Works on all devices, browsers, and connection types
• Cannot be bypassed via incognito mode or VPN

Pricing: Free tier available, Premium starts at $4.99/month

Best for: Parents who specifically want the YouTube channel whitelisting feature they see at school

Limitations: Focused exclusively on YouTube (not a full internet filter)

Try WhitelistVideo Free →

Option 2: Circle (Best for Whole-Home Internet Filtering)

What it is: Hardware device that sits on your home network and filters all internet traffic.

Pros:

• Works on all devices connected to home WiFi
• Cannot be bypassed without physical access to the device
• Comprehensive internet filtering, not just YouTube
• Time limits and pause features

Cons:

• No YouTube channel whitelisting (uses category-based filtering)
• Doesn't work on cellular data
• Requires hardware purchase ($129) + subscription ($9.95/month)
• More complex setup than app-based solutions

Best for: Parents wanting whole-home protection with hardware-based reliability

Option 3: Qustodio (Best for Comprehensive Monitoring)

What it is: Cross-platform parental control app with monitoring and filtering.

Pros:

• Works on iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, Chromebook
• Screen time limits and app blocking
• Location tracking
• Detailed activity reports

Cons:

• No YouTube channel whitelisting (relies on YouTube Restricted Mode)
• YouTube Restricted Mode has 20-30% failure rate
• Can be bypassed via VPN or browser manipulation
• Premium features expensive ($137.95/year for 5 devices)

Best for: Parents wanting all-in-one monitoring with location tracking and comprehensive reporting

Option 4: Bark (Best for Social Media Monitoring)

What it is: AI-powered monitoring service that scans messages and social media for concerning content.

Pros:

• Monitors 30+ social media platforms and messaging apps
• AI alerts parents to cyberbullying, predators, mental health concerns
• Screen time management
• Website blocking

Cons:

• No YouTube channel whitelisting
• iOS monitoring only works on WiFi (not cellular data)
• Doesn't actively filter YouTube content
• $14/month for monitoring + filtering features

Best for: Parents primarily concerned about social media safety and cyberbullying

Feature Comparison Table

Why YouTube Channel Whitelisting Matters

The reason parents want Securly's school product at home is simple: channel whitelisting is the only approach that actually works.

The Problem with Filtering Approaches

Traditional parental controls (including Securly Home) use filtering:

• Allow everything, block the bad: Algorithmic filtering tries to detect inappropriate content
• 20-30% failure rate: Inappropriate content regularly slips through
• False positives: Educational content often gets blocked
• Cat-and-mouse game: New inappropriate content uploaded faster than algorithms can detect

The Whitelist Advantage

Whitelist approach (used by schools with Securly):

• Block everything, allow the good: Default-deny, explicit-allow
• 0% failure rate: Impossible for inappropriate content to slip through
• No false positives: Only approved channels are accessible
• Future-proof: New content automatically blocked unless you approve the channel

This is why schools choose Securly enterprise over Securly Home. The whitelist approach is simply more effective.

Making the Switch from Securly Home

If you're currently struggling with Securly Home, here's how to transition:

Step 1: Decide What You Need

• If YouTube control is your primary concern: WhitelistVideo is your answer
• If you want comprehensive internet filtering: Consider Circle or Qustodio
• If social media monitoring is critical: Bark might be better

Step 2: Try Before You Commit

WhitelistVideo offers a free tier with limited channels. Test whether your child responds well to the whitelist approach before paying.

Step 3: Have the Conversation

Before switching, talk to your child:

• Explain why Securly Home wasn't working
• Frame the new approach as similar to what they have at school
• Involve them in selecting approved channels
• Establish clear expectations

Step 4: Uninstall Securly Home Completely

Remove Securly Home from all devices to avoid conflicts and confusion. Many parents report running into technical issues when multiple parental control apps overlap.

Common Questions from Frustrated Securly Home Parents

"Can I just pay more to get the real Securly features?"

No. Securly's enterprise product is exclusively for schools and organizations. There is no individual/family purchase option at any price point.

"Will Securly Home get better?"

The 1.3-star rating has been consistent for years, suggesting Securly isn't prioritizing their consumer product. Their focus is clearly on the lucrative school market.

"Why doesn't Securly just add channel whitelisting to Securly Home?"

Likely business strategy. Securly Home is positioned as a basic consumer product at a low price point. Adding advanced features might cannibalize their enterprise sales or complicate their product architecture.

"Are there any other products with YouTube channel whitelisting?"

WhitelistVideo is currently the only consumer product offering true YouTube channel whitelisting. Other parental control services rely on YouTube Restricted Mode, category-based filtering, or complete YouTube blocking—none of which offer channel-level granularity.

The Bottom Line

If you're searching for "Securly alternative for parents," you're almost certainly looking for one specific feature: YouTube channel whitelisting. You saw it work at school and want it at home.

The truth is harsh: Securly Home doesn't offer this feature and likely never will. The product has fundamental technical and strategic limitations that make it unsuitable for parents seeking school-level YouTube control.

The good news: WhitelistVideo delivers exactly what you're looking for—the same whitelist approach schools use, packaged for families, at a fraction of the cost of enterprise solutions.

Stop fighting with Securly Home's 1.3-star experience. Get the YouTube protection you actually want.

Try WhitelistVideo Free – No Credit Card Required →