Defenras vs Net Nanny. Two different bargains.
Net Nanny is one of the older names in this category and does something genuinely different from us: real-time analysis of page content rather than domain-level blocking. That capability is real, and it comes with a cost worth understanding.
How each one filters
Net Nanny
Analyses page content as it loads and categorises it in real time, then allows or blocks. Because it reads the page rather than checking a list, it can block a page on a domain that isn't itself categorised as harmful.
Defenras
Filters at DNS resolution. A domain is on the blocklist or it isn't; if it is, it doesn't resolve. We never see page content.
What each approach is better at
Real-time analysis wins on
- Newly created sites not yet on any blocklist
- Mixed-content domains where some pages are fine and others aren't
- Granularity — a single harmful page on an otherwise acceptable site
These are genuine advantages. If your priority is the tightest possible content filtering and you're comfortable with the mechanism, Net Nanny's approach does something ours doesn't.
DNS filtering wins on
- Speed — a list check versus analysing every page
- Coverage — applies to every app, not only browsers with the extension installed
- Battery and performance — no continuous analysis running
- Encrypted traffic — DNS filtering works regardless; content analysis of HTTPS requires more invasive access
- Privacy — nothing to read, so nothing to log
Filtering without the reporting layer
Defenras blocks harmful content without recording what your child browsed — no activity log to hold or leak.
Get Defenras free →The trade-off, stated directly
Content analysis requires reading what your child reads. That's not a criticism of implementation — it's inherent to the approach. For it to work, the software must have visibility into page content, and that generally means it can also record it.
Net Nanny's reporting is built on this: which sites were visited, which searches were run, which categories were attempted. Parents who want that visibility find it genuinely useful.
Defenras made the opposite choice. We can't produce those reports because we don't hold the data. What we get in exchange:
- No browsing history stored on our servers
- Nothing to breach, subpoena, or sell
- Nothing that changes hands if the company is ever acquired
- A child who knows they're filtered but not read
That last point matters more than it sounds. Teenagers who believe they're being read either route around the tool or stop bringing problems to you — and the second is worse than anything a filter catches.
Side by side
| Net Nanny | Defenras | |
|---|---|---|
| Filtering method | Real-time content analysis | DNS blocklist |
| Blocks uncategorised new sites | Often | Only once listed |
| Page-level granularity | Yes | Domain level |
| Covers non-browser apps | Partially | Yes |
| Browsing history collected | Yes, that's the product | None |
| Activity reports | Detailed | None |
| Performance impact | Some | Negligible |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
Which to choose
Net Nanny suits you if
- You want detailed reporting on what your child does online
- Your child is young enough that oversight outweighs privacy
- You want the tightest possible content filtering and accept the mechanism
- There's a specific safeguarding concern that justifies close monitoring
Defenras suits you if
- You want harmful content blocked without a record of everything else
- Your child is a teenager and the relationship matters more than the logs
- You'd rather no company held your child's browsing history
- You want a free tier to start with
Neither of these is objectively better. They're two different bargains: more visibility for less privacy, or more privacy for less visibility.
Our view is that the second bargain suits most families with teenagers, because the thing that actually keeps a 15-year-old safe is their willingness to tell you when something goes wrong — and surveillance is expensive for exactly that. But if you have a specific concern that warrants monitoring, monitoring is a legitimate choice and we'd rather you made it deliberately.
Frequently asked questions
Is content analysis better than DNS filtering?
It's more granular and catches uncategorised new sites. It also requires reading page content and is heavier on the device. Better depends on which trade-off you want.
Can Defenras block a single page on an allowed site?
No. DNS filtering works at domain level. Page-level blocking requires content inspection, which we don't do by design.
Does Net Nanny read my child's messages?
It analyses web content. Specific messaging coverage depends on the plan and platform — check their current documentation, since these features change.
Why does Defenras not offer reports?
Producing them means collecting browsing activity. We chose not to hold that data, which means we can't report on it. That's a real limitation, not a feature we haven't built yet.
Defenras blocks all of this — without collecting your child's data.
One app, every device, every browser. Adult content, gambling, vaping, scams, malware, social media — all blocked. PIN-locked. Free version available, no credit card.