SkieSkie vs Senso
Safeguarding, filtering and classroom tools, compared with Android device-owner control
Senso is a UK school software company offering safeguarding monitoring, web content filtering, classroom management and IT operations tools. As of November 2026 its site says Classroom Management supports Windows, Chromebook, macOS and iOS and does not mention Android. It reports more than 12,000 schools in 30 countries and data hosting in the UK, US and Australia. Skie manages Android 12 or newer phones and tablets as the device owner.
Senso watches and filters; Skie owns the Android device and adds schedules, location and lost mode.
Side by side
| What you are comparing | Senso | Skie |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Safeguarding monitoring, filtering, classroom management and IT operations tools for schools. | Android device management software for schools, hostels, parents and organisations. It runs as the Android device owner. |
| Main audience | Schools and trusts, mainly in the UK, US and Australia. | Schools, institutes, hostels and companies (Skie for Enterprise) and families (Skie for Parents). |
| Platforms | Windows, Chromebook, macOS and iOS for Classroom Management. Android is not mentioned. | Any Android 12 or newer phone or tablet. No iOS, Windows or Chromebook. |
| Hardware or mobile plan from the maker | Software only. No hardware or mobile plan documented. | None. Skie is software, so customers use devices they already own or buy their own, and keep their own carrier. No SIM or plan is included. |
| Works on devices you already own | Yes, on supported platforms. | Yes. The device needs one fresh setup or reset to become managed, and any Google account must be removed first. |
| Level of control on Android | Not applicable as an Android device manager. | Device owner, so the rules are enforced by Android itself. |
| Can the student remove it or reset around it | Not publicly documented for Android. | Built to be tamper-proof. Factory reset from Settings, safe mode, developer options, adb, uninstalling Skie and force stop are blocked by default, and Factory Reset Protection ties a wiped device to the Skie admin account. If anything ever got through, the admin is alerted down to the exact device. |
| App control | Teachers restrict websites and lock screens. App install control is not on the page read. | Allow lists per group, with blocked apps hidden or suspended rather than deleted. An install guard silently removes apps that were not allowed. Apps come from Google Play only. |
| Web filtering and safe search | Category-based filtering, DNS protection, VPN and proxy controls and off-network coverage. | Filtering DNS locked on the device so it works on any Wi-Fi or mobile data, SafeSearch and YouTube restricted mode forced in Chrome, and more than 50 other browsers, VPN and proxy apps always blocked. Per-website allow and block lists are not available yet. |
| Schedules and school-hour modes | Not described on the page read. | Yes. Windows with days, start, end and allowed apps, including overnight, switch app sets on their own for school hours, study blocks, breaks and night mode. Hostel night mode keeps calls allowed. |
| Location and geofences | Not described. | Live location, fresh location requests, geofences and a go-to directions button, set per group. |
| Lost or stolen device handling | Not publicly documented. | Lost mode locks the device, shows a contact message, tracks it and builds evidence for a police report (IMEI, serial, SIM details, location trail). Remote erase is not available yet. |
| Replace or reassign a device | Asset tracking and remote support exist in IT Operations. | Replace a device keeps the student, group and history and frees the old seat. Reassign and force remove are also available. |
| Alerts and who gets them | Safeguarding alerts with triage and escalation. | A breach centre covers organisation, school, branch, group and device. A missing check-in counts as a breach, and a bypass of the web filter is reported. Email alerts to parents are not available yet. |
| Roles and organisation structure | Multi-school administration in IT Operations. | Organisation, school, branch, group, student and device, with roles from organisation admin to class teacher and a read-only parent. Rules flow down and the most specific level applies last. |
| Reports and per-app limits | Safeguarding and usage reports. Per-app limits are not documented. | A compliance score after every apply, daily group snapshots and pattern detection. Screen time reports and per-app time limits are not available yet, and the team is working on them. |
| Message or social media monitoring | Detects written and typed activity and captures visual evidence for safeguarding. | None. Skie does not read private messages or call logs, does not record audio or video, and has no hidden mode. |
| Kiosk or single-app lock | Not a kiosk product. | Yes. Full-screen kiosk mode, and a one-app allow list also locks a device to one app. |
| Tablet support | iOS is listed. Android tablets are not. | Yes. Phones and tablets get equal weight, including Wi-Fi-only tablets for most features. |
| Pricing model | Quote-based. A pricing section exists but lists no prices. | Seat-based licence, one device per seat. Pricing is on request. |
| Countries available | Over 12,000 schools in 30 countries, per the maker. Hosting in the UK, US and Australia. | Worldwide, subject to local law, wherever the device has Google Play services. |
| Setup effort | Agents deployed by the school's IT team. | Provision with the Skie Provision app from Google Play or a laptop with adb. Devices are set up per group with a one-time enrolment token. |
| Data and privacy approach | Regional hosting is offered. Other terms are in the maker's privacy pages. | Data is stored in an India region (Mumbai). Skie provides location controls; the organisation provides the notices and written policy. |
| Best suited for | Schools that want safeguarding monitoring and filtering with UK-style duties. | Android phones and tablets that an institution or family already owns, in any country. |
As of November 2026 Senso lists no prices on the page we read. Skie is a seat licence, one device per seat, and pricing is on request.
Where Senso is strong
- Safeguarding monitoring with triage and escalation.
- Filtering with VPN and proxy controls and off-network cover.
- IT operations tools including asset tracking and service desk.
- Hosting choices in the UK, US and Australia.
Where Skie stands out
- Skie owns the Android device as the device owner.
- Hostel night mode and school-hour schedules.
- Live location, geofences and lost mode.
- Factory reset and safe mode blocked by default.
- Worldwide availability, with a provisioning app.
What Senso is
Senso's site groups its offer into four areas. Safeguarding Monitoring detects typed and written activity and captures visual evidence. Web Content Filtering uses categories, DNS protection and VPN and proxy controls. Classroom Management gives live screen views, locking and messaging. IT Operations covers remote support, asset tracking and service desk workflows. The company behind it, Renato Software Ltd, is registered in England and Wales.
Platforms
Classroom Management supports Windows, Chromebook, macOS and iOS, and Android is not mentioned. The company says more than 12,000 schools in 30 countries use it, a maker claim.
What Skie adds
Skie covers Android phones and tablets as the device owner. It blocks factory reset, safe mode, developer options, adb and uninstalling Skie, and allows only approved apps. A filtering DNS is locked on the device. Schedules switch app sets for school hours and night mode, and hostel night mode keeps calls allowed. Live location, geofences and lost mode complete the set.
Skie does not read messages and has no hidden mode, so it is not a safeguarding monitor.
Using them together
A trust can use Senso on Windows, Chromebook and iPad and Skie on Android tablets. They manage different devices.
Cost
Senso is by quote. Skie is seat-based and pricing is on request. Each Android device needs one fresh setup or reset.
A lesson, a night and a lost tablet
A safeguarding lead using Senso reviews flagged activity, captures visual evidence and escalates a concern. Skie gives no such review, because it does not read what a student types or sends. What it offers a head of boarding or an IT manager is different: a device that cannot be reset around the rules, a night mode that still lets a child call home, and a location trail if a tablet goes missing. For a school with duties around safeguarding monitoring, Senso covers that need on supported platforms, and Skie should not be described as a substitute for it.
When each one is the better fit
Senso is the better fit in these situations. You need safeguarding monitoring with evidence capture and escalation. Your devices are Windows, Chromebook, Mac or iPad. You want hosting in the UK, US or Australia.
Skie is the better fit in these situations. Your devices are Android phones or tablets. You need night mode, location and lost mode. You want protections a student cannot remove from Settings. You need rollout help for a batch of tablets.
How setup with Skie works
Skie is Android device management software for parents, schools, hostels and organisations. It runs as the Android device owner, so the rules are enforced by Android itself. It works on any Android 12 or newer phone or tablet, in any country where the device has Google Play services. Skie is software, so a school uses the devices it already owns or buys its own.
Android only allows device-owner management on a device that has not been set up, so each device needs one fresh setup or reset, and any Google account must be removed first. New device models go through a one-time model review. The school creates a group, opens a provisioning session for it, and uses the Skie Provision app from Google Play or a laptop with adb. Each device gets a one-time enrolment token, and Wi-Fi profiles are stored encrypted. Live progress and failure reasons show on screen.
After that the group's policy and app list apply, schedules run on their own, and the dashboard shows a compliance score for each device. Skie does not include a mobile plan, so Wi-Fi-only tablets work for most features and phones keep the carrier the school already uses.
What we could not verify
Some facts were not public when we checked in November 2026: Senso price list. Android support. Detailed privacy terms. Location features. Where a feature is marked as not documented, it may exist, so ask the maker directly before deciding.
Choose Senso if
- You need safeguarding monitoring with evidence capture and escalation.
- Your devices are Windows, Chromebook, Mac or iPad.
- You want hosting in the UK, US or Australia.
Choose Skie if
- Your devices are Android phones or tablets.
- You need night mode, location and lost mode.
- You want protections a student cannot remove from Settings.
- You need rollout help for a batch of tablets.
Senso is a good fit for schools that need safeguarding monitoring and filtering on Windows, Chromebook, Mac and iPad. Skie is the choice for Android phones and tablets that need device-owner enforcement, schedules, location and lost mode. They address different parts of school device work.
Questions people ask
Skie vs Senso: which is better?
Senso is safeguarding and classroom software; Skie is Android device management as the device owner.
Does Senso work on Android?
Its Classroom Management page lists Windows, Chromebook, macOS and iOS and does not mention Android.
Does Skie monitor messages for safeguarding?
No. Skie does not read messages.
Where does Senso host data?
The maker says the UK, US and Australia.
Can I use both?
Yes, on different device types.
Sources
Not publicly documented when we checked: Senso price list.; Android support.; Detailed privacy terms.; Location features..
This comparison was prepared from publicly available information and was last checked on 12 November 2026. Product features, prices and availability change, and anything we could not find is marked as not publicly documented. Senso and other product names belong to their owners and are used here only to identify their products. Skie is not affiliated with or endorsed by Renato Software Ltd (Senso). If something here is out of date or wrong, email contact@knowphone.in and we will check and correct it promptly.