Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

NxFilter VS FamilyShield

Compare NxFilter VS FamilyShield and see what are their differences

NxFilter logo NxFilter

Best performance. You don't want to slow down your network by installing a network security software. NxFilter is a light-weight DNS filter. It doesn't cause any latency issue in your network.

FamilyShield logo FamilyShield

OpenDNS is the easiest way to make your Internet safer, faster and more reliable. Protect your family across all devices on your home network.
  • NxFilter Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-09-21
  • FamilyShield Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-28

NxFilter features and specs

  • Web Filtering
    NxFilter provides robust web filtering capabilities, allowing organizations to block access to undesirable or harmful websites, enhancing network security and productivity.
  • User Activity Monitoring
    It offers detailed reporting and monitoring of user activities, enabling administrators to have insights into network usage and potential security threats.
  • Customizable Policies
    Admins can create and enforce custom filtering policies, tailoring the filtering rules to suit the specific needs of their organization.
  • Bandwidth Management
    NxFilter helps in managing and optimizing bandwidth usage by restricting heavy data-consuming sites or applications.
  • Integration Capabilities
    It supports integration with various directory services like Active Directory, which simplifies user management and policy application.

Possible disadvantages of NxFilter

  • Complex Setup
    Initial setup and configuration may be complex, especially for users with limited networking or technical experience.
  • Learning Curve
    Due to its extensive features, there might be a steep learning curve for administrators to fully utilize all its capabilities.
  • Hardware Requirements
    Depending on the size of the network, NxFilter might require dedicated hardware resources to operate efficiently, which could be a constraint for some organizations.
  • Support Limitations
    While community support is available, organizations might find official dedicated support lacking compared to some commercial solutions.
  • Limited Advanced Features
    For businesses needing advanced security features like SSL inspection or detailed application controls, NxFilter might seem limited compared to premium solutions.

FamilyShield features and specs

  • Parental Controls
    FamilyShield offers pre-configured parental controls that automatically block adult content, ensuring a safer browsing experience for children.
  • Easy Setup
    The service is easy to implement with clear instructions, allowing users to quickly enhance their internet security without needing advanced technical knowledge.
  • No Software Installation
    Because it operates at the DNS level, FamilyShield doesn't require the installation of any software on your devices, making it less intrusive and easier to manage.
  • Free Service
    FamilyShield is offered for free, providing an accessible solution for families looking to improve their internet security without additional costs.
  • Device Compatibility
    Works with a wide variety of devices, from computers to mobile devices and smart TVs, providing comprehensive coverage to all internet-connected devices in the home.

Possible disadvantages of FamilyShield

  • Limited Customization
    The pre-configured settings mean limited customization options for more specific content filtering needs that some families might require.
  • Dependence on DNS
    Since it operates purely as a DNS service, it does not provide protection against threats that don't rely on DNS, such as downloaded malware.
  • Possible Overblocking
    While it blocks adult content, there is a possibility of overblocking, where legitimate sites that should be accessible may be inadvertently blocked.
  • Lack of Advanced Features
    Missing advanced features like real-time reporting and detailed analytics, which can be available in more robust, paid internet security solutions.
  • Reliability Issues
    Although generally stable, DNS-based solutions can face occasional outages or slowdowns impacting internet speed or accessibility to websites.

NxFilter videos

Raspberry Pi Home Server - NxFilter Tutorial

More videos:

  • Review - Install NxFilter on Windows

FamilyShield videos

No FamilyShield videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to NxFilter and FamilyShield)
Time Tracking
57 57%
43% 43
Web Filtering Software
49 49%
51% 51
Security & Privacy
100 100%
0% 0
Website Blocking Software

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare NxFilter and FamilyShield

NxFilter Reviews

22 NextDNS Alternatives
NxFilter is an elegant free web filtering app that controls user activity and monitors online activities over the internet. Users can get stunning DNS filtering software that brings high performance and extreme efficiency. Whether you use it for commercial purposes, schools, business environment, family protection, hospitals, companies, family protection, and anything else,...

FamilyShield Reviews

We have no reviews of FamilyShield yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, NxFilter seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 5 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

NxFilter mentions (5)

  • A K12sysadmin’s Musings and Recap of the Past Few Years
    There are market disruptors in all aspects of our field. Gravwell can provide you will centralized logging at a fraction of the cost of Splunk. Ubiquiti makes highly competitive access points. NXFilter can provide high quality DNS filtering for substantially less than Umbrella. Lenovo is seriously undercutting NetApp on storage, and they are literally using the same OSes and Lenovo is even making the hardware for... Source: about 3 years ago
  • Can PowerDNS filter A records based on client subnet?
    Does it have to be PowerDNS? You can use NxFilter. It's also a DNS server with filtering. You can create users and associate them to IP or IP range and assign different filtering policies based on user and groups. https://nxfilter.org/p3/. Source: about 3 years ago
  • What a load of balls....
    A decent firewall or NXFilter or PiHole. Their new “business” is now selling your data apparently. Source: about 4 years ago
  • Forced Update April 12, 2021
    Good firewall or a dns resolver like pinhole or NxF. Source: about 4 years ago
  • Looking for solutions or software to lock down windows tablets to restrict web access to only specified sites.
    I've used NxFilter in a whitelist-only mode. Source: about 4 years ago

FamilyShield mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of FamilyShield yet. Tracking of FamilyShield recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing NxFilter and FamilyShield, you can also consider the following products

Qustodio - Free parental control software. Monitor and track your child's online activity. Block dangerous sites and protect kids from online bullying.

Norton Family - Symantec provides security products and solutions to protect small, medium, and enterprise businesses from advanced threats, malware, and other cyber attacks.

K9 Web Protection - This also contains the feature “Blacklist Without Password” which allows non-admin users to add sites to the “Always Block” list without requiring the K9 admin password.

CurrentWare BrowseControl - BrowseControl web filtering software blocks websites based on URLs and categories. Policies can be customized for each user, department, or OU. Includes other features such as an app blocker, port filter, and download/upload blocker.

Pluckeye - Pluckeye is a filter that bolsters self-control on the Internet.

HomeGuard Activity Monitor - Monitor and block Web activity, keystrokes, limit gaming time and record screenshots.