SkieSkie vs Net Nanny
A web-filtering-focused family pass against device-owner control on Android
Net Nanny is a US parental control product known for web filtering. Its pricing page lists a one-desktop plan and Family Protection Passes for 5 or 20 devices covering PC, Mac and iOS, with real-time page scanning, porn blocking, screen time limits and location. Android is not mentioned on that page. Skie covers Android phones and tablets as device owner, forces SafeSearch, and has schedules but not time limits yet.
Skie brings device-level web filtering to Android phones and tablets, while Net Nanny's pricing page centres on PC, Mac and iOS.
Side by side
| What you are comparing | Net Nanny | Skie |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A parental control and web filtering product with real-time page scanning. | Android device management software for parents, schools, hostels and organisations. For families it runs as the Android device owner on the child's phone or tablet. |
| Main audience | Families who mainly want filtering of web content. | Parents with a child on an Android 12 or newer phone or tablet; Skie for Enterprise covers schools, hostels and companies. |
| Platforms | Windows and macOS on all plans; iOS on the Family Protection Passes. Android is not mentioned on the pricing page reviewed. | Any Android 12 or newer phone or tablet where Google Play services are present. Parents use a browser dashboard. No iPhone or iPad support yet. |
| Do you have to buy hardware from them | No. It is software for devices you already own. | No. Skie is software. You use a device you already own or buy your own. |
| Works on devices you already own | Yes, install the app on the child's existing device. | Yes, after the device is freshly set up or reset once and any Google account is removed. |
| Mobile plan or carrier included | No. The family keeps its own carrier. | No. Skie has no SIM or mobile plan, so the family keeps its own carrier. Wi-Fi-only tablets work for most features. |
| Level of control on Android | App level on the child's device. Not publicly documented as device owner mode on the pages we reviewed. | Device owner. Android itself enforces the rules, with each protection a separate policy switch. |
| Can the child remove it or reset around it | Not publicly documented on the pages reviewed. | Built to be tamper-proof. Factory reset from Settings, safe mode, developer options, adding users and uninstalling Skie are blocked by default, and Factory Reset Protection ties a wiped device to the Skie organisation's Google sign-in. If anything did get through, the parent is alerted immediately, down to the exact device. |
| App control | App blocking on iOS devices per the maker's page. | Parent chooses which apps work. An app installed later that is not allowed is removed silently. The Play Store can be hidden. Blocking beats allowing. Apps are hidden or suspended, not deleted. |
| Web filtering and safe search | Real-time on-device scanning of web pages, content filter, porn blocking and website blocking. | Adult-site blocking with a filter locked on the device, so it works on any Wi-Fi or mobile data. SafeSearch and YouTube restricted mode are forced in Chrome, and more than 50 other browsers, VPN apps and proxy apps are always blocked. No per-website allow or block lists yet. |
| Schedules, bedtime or school-hour modes | Screen time limits and set online hours. | Yes. Study and bedtime windows with days, start, end and allowed apps; windows can run overnight and the device switches app sets on its own. |
| Location, geofences and SOS | Location tracking is listed. | Live location and trail, geofences with alerts, a go-to directions button, and an SOS button that calls the emergency number. |
| Lost or stolen device handling | Not publicly documented beyond location lookup. | Lost mode locks the device, shows a contact message, tracks it, and builds evidence for a police report (IMEI, serial, SIM details, location trail). Mark found to return to normal. Remote erase is not available yet. |
| Replace or reassign a device | Not publicly documented | Yes. Replace a device and keep the child, group and history; the old seat is freed. A reset device is recognised by IMEI or serial and does not take a second seat. |
| Alerts and who gets them | Alerts and reporting, a parent dashboard and a Family Feed of searches. | A breach centre shows tamper and compliance events, and a missing check-in counts as a breach. Email alerts and push notification of alerts to parents are not available yet. |
| Screen time reports and per-app limits | Yes. Screen time limits and hours; per-app detail Not publicly documented. | Not yet. Skie has no daily screen time limits, per-app time limits or usage reports. Schedules with allowed apps cover study and bedtime. The team is working on it, with no dates. |
| Message or social media monitoring | Social media protection is listed; detail Not publicly documented. | None, by design. Skie never reads messages, call logs, or records audio or video, and has no hidden mode. |
| Kiosk or single-app lock | Not publicly documented | Yes. Full-screen kiosk mode, and a one-app allow list locks a device to one app. |
| Tablet support | Not publicly documented | Yes. Phones and tablets get the same controls. |
| Pricing model | Annual. 1 desktop $39.99 (list $49.99); 5 devices $54.99 (list $79.99); 20 devices $89.99 (list $129.99). USD. | Pricing is on request. One device per child. |
| Countries available | Not publicly documented on the pages we reviewed. | Worldwide, subject to local law, wherever the device has Google Play services. |
| Setup effort | Install the app on the child's device and sign in. Not publicly documented for time taken. | A parent dashboard plus the Skie Provision app or a computer and cable. The device must be new or reset once. Guided steps with live progress. |
| Data and privacy approach | Scans web content on the device. See Net Nanny's privacy policy; Not publicly documented here. | Data is stored in an India region (Mumbai). No message reading, no audio or video, and the phone visibly shows it is managed. Location needs the family's clear consent. |
| Best suited for | Families who want strong web filtering on PC, Mac and iPhone. | Families who want device-owner-level control on an Android phone or tablet they already own, with no message reading. |
As of November 2026, Net Nanny's page lists 1 desktop at $39.99, a 5-device pass at $54.99 and a 20-device pass at $89.99 a year in USD, on sale from higher list prices. Skie pricing is on request (contact us).
Where Net Nanny is strong
- Real-time page scanning and porn blocking.
- Family passes for 5 or 20 devices.
- Screen time limits and hours.
- Family Feed of searches.
Where Skie stands out
- Runs as the Android device owner, so Android enforces the rules instead of an app asking for permissions.
- Works on any Android 12 or newer phone or tablet the family already owns, with no hardware to buy.
- Always-blocked list of more than 50 alternative browsers plus VPN, proxy and DNS changer apps, and a web filter locked on the device that works on mobile data.
- Lost mode with a contact message, tracking and police-report evidence, plus replace a device without losing history.
- Skie never reads messages, call logs or records audio or video, and the phone shows it is managed.
- Available worldwide, subject to local law, and also used by schools and hostels through Skie for Enterprise.
What Net Nanny is and how it works
Net Nanny is built around web filtering. Its page describes real-time on-device scanning of pages as they load, porn blocking, website blocking, screen time limits and set online hours, location tracking and a Family Feed that reports searches and flags certain topics. Android is not mentioned on the pricing page we read, so check platform support before buying.
What it costs
Net Nanny sells annual plans: one desktop, or a 5-device or 20-device Family Protection Pass that includes iOS. The prices on its page are sale prices against higher list prices. Skie has no hardware cost, and pricing is on request.
Controls compared
Net Nanny's strength is web content. Skie also filters the web, with a filter locked on the device that follows it onto mobile data, SafeSearch forced in Chrome, and more than 50 other browsers and VPN apps always blocked.
Where Net Nanny shows iOS and desktop coverage, Skie covers Android phones and tablets only. Skie does not offer daily screen time limits, per-app time limits or usage reports yet. What it does today is schedules: study and bedtime windows that switch the allowed apps on their own, plus remote lock. The team is working on usage limits, with no dates. If minute-by-minute limits and reports are the main thing you want, that is a real reason to choose a tool that has them.
Removal and bypass: app level versus device owner
Parental control tools work at two different levels, and the difference matters when a child is determined. An app on the child's profile relies on permissions the device grants it, such as device administrator, accessibility or usage access, and Android lets the person holding the device review or change some of those. A device owner is set when the phone is first configured, so Android itself treats it as the authority and Settings gives the user no way to remove it. That is a general difference between the two models, not a verdict on any one product, and each maker documents its own protections. Skie runs as the device owner and is built to be tamper-proof. Factory reset from Settings, safe mode, developer options, adding users and uninstalling Skie are blocked by default, and with Factory Reset Protection a wiped device asks for the Skie organisation's Google sign-in, which only Skie holds, so a reset device is of no use to whoever took it. If anything ever did get through, the admin or parent is alerted immediately, down to the exact device. The trade-off is setup: the phone or tablet must be freshly set up or reset once, with any Google account removed first.
Who should pick Net Nanny and who should pick Skie
Choose Net Nanny for PC, Mac or iPhone coverage and time limits. Choose Skie for an Android phone or tablet where the parent wants device-owner enforcement.
How setup with Skie works
Setting up Skie for a family uses the parent dashboard in a browser and the Skie Provision app from Google Play, or a computer and a cable. Because Android only allows device owner management on a device that has not been set up, the phone or tablet must be new or reset once, and any Google account removed first. You pair over Wi-Fi, follow the guided steps, and watch live progress with a clear reason if something fails. A new device model goes through a one-time model review during setup. After that you pick the apps that work, hide the Play Store if you want, turn on adult-site blocking, add study and bedtime windows and set geofences. The phone shows that it is managed, with no hidden mode. Skie does not include a mobile plan, so the family keeps its own carrier. Pricing is on request, and it is one device per child.
Choose Net Nanny if
- You mostly use PC, Mac and iPhone.
- You want real-time page scanning.
- You want time limits.
- You want a per-device-count price.
Choose Skie if
- You have an Android phone or tablet and want device-owner control.
- You want a locked filter on mobile data.
- You want SOS, geofences and lost mode.
- You do not want message-style monitoring.
- You want worldwide availability.
Net Nanny is a focused web-filtering product with time limits and family passes that suit PC, Mac and iPhone households. Skie is the better fit for Android phones and tablets where the parent wants Android-level enforcement, a locked filter, geofences, SOS and lost mode. Check Net Nanny's Android support on its own site before you compare further.
Questions people ask
Skie vs Net Nanny: which is better for a 10 year old?
Net Nanny has web filtering and time limits across PC, Mac and iOS. Skie has device-owner enforcement on Android with SOS, but no time limits yet.
Does Net Nanny work on Android?
The pricing page we read lists Windows, macOS and iOS and does not mention Android, so check the maker. Skie is Android 12 or newer only.
Is Net Nanny free?
No. Its page lists paid annual plans. Skie pricing is on request.
Can a child remove Net Nanny?
Not publicly documented on the pages reviewed. Skie runs as device owner and blocks uninstalling it.
Does Skie have screen time limits like Net Nanny?
Not yet. Skie has no daily screen time limits, per-app time limits or usage reports today. It has study and bedtime schedules with allowed apps, remote lock and kiosk mode. The team is working on usage limits, with no dates.
Sources
Not publicly documented when we checked: Android feature list; Uninstall resistance; Device-owner support; SOS; Countries of availability.
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. Net Nanny 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 Content Watch (Zift). If something here is out of date or wrong, email contact@knowphone.in and we will check and correct it promptly.