Home Spy Apps The Top 8 Best Web Browsing Activity Trackers in 2024 Compared
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Have you ever been concerned about what your child is seeing on the wonderful World Wide Web? If so, consider a web browsing activity tracker.

Chances are your kid spends hours glued to their phone. The simple reality is that the online environment is filled with nasties, like inappropriate content, predators, and dangerous trends.

A browsing history tracker is also great for monitoring employees’ company devices or your partner if you’re struggling with insecurities or recovering from infidelity.

Regardless of the ‘why’, here are the market’s top internet activity tracker apps — we explore each one’s key features, pros and cons, and who they’re best suited to.

In This Guide

The Best Browsing History Trackers at a Glance

Here are the market’s best tools for monitoring internet usage and for getting detailed insights and real-time alerts  into what your loved ones are up to online:

  1. mSpy — The best browsing history tracker for undetectable, remote monitoring.
  2. Spynger — A powerful app designed to secretly monitor what your partner is up to.
  3. uMobix — Top choice for Android internet monitoring and seeing deleted content.
  4. SpyBubble Pro — Ideal for seeing hidden/deleted/altered content.
  5. Phonsee — Best budget hidden cell phone history tracker app.
  6. Eyezy — A popular parental control app with helpful keyword alerts.
  7. Hoverwatch — Best for employee and computer monitoring tools.
  8. Spyic — Best no jailbreak/root remote monitoring solution.

What is a Web Browser Tracker, and How Do They Work?

An internet history tracker shows you the URLs visited, bookmarked sites, and the time the target user has spent on these sites without the end user knowing.

Once installed on the target device, the app tracks internet history searches and sends the data collected to your device (on the app’s dashboard).

Here, you’ll be able to see all the activity taking place, not just on browsers but also in texts, social media activity, and loads more.

Network monitoring tools and spy apps, however, have legal and ethical implications, which are important to keep in mind.

Being able to see what someone is up to online is handy, particularly for concerned parents. Company trackers have also gained traction since lockdown and the increase in remote work.

In fact, according to a report, 78% of employers use surveillance software to monitor their remote or hybrid staff, and 66% of those employers check website usage and online activity.

66% of employers who use surveillance software pay the most attention to what employees are doing online
Source: ExpressVPN

Some web history tracking tools are also geared towards exposing cheating partners. Regardless of your motivation, we do advise considering the legal implications.

It is a form of spying, after all, and in most instances, knowledge or consent is required unless you’re tracking a minor under your guardianship.

The Best Internet Monitoring Spy Apps Reviewed

To help you decide on the best spy app to monitor your loved one’s internet activities, we’ve reviewed each one in more detail below—exploring their key USPs, pricing, and pros and cons.

1. mSpy — The Best for Undetectable, Remote Monitoring

mSpy covers all the bases. It has all the functions a parent would need to keep a very close eye on their little darling.

From keylogging to screen recording and full access to their social media accounts, you’ll see it all — and without them knowing. Of course, this includes their browsing habits.

The mSpy dashboard, with browser activity options

Best For Starting Price (/Month) Standout Features
Undetectable mobile monitoring $11.67 (annual subscription) – Hidden screen recorder
– Web and app filtering
– Keylogger

The mSpy dashboard lists the most visited websites, with an option to view all web activity. You also have insight into each site they’ve bookmarked.

Access to specific websites can also be blocked. However, you’ll need to add those URLs manually, as mSpy doesn’t offer or suggest categories.

The screen recorder also means that beyond search history monitoring, you’ll get detailed insights into what they’re searching for across apps, including on social media websites like Facebook.

mSpy is also very competitively priced. An annual subscription costs just $11.67 a month, while a one-month subscription is quite steep.

But considering all the features mSpy offers beyond being able to track internet history data, you get a decent bang for your buck. If you need more information, check out our detailed mSpy review.

Pros

  • Can be installed remotely with iCloud
  • Impressive keylogger
  • See all multimedia files
  • Good customer support

Cons

  • Doesn’t filter URLs automatically
  • You can’t set usage limits

2. Spynger — The Best App for Catching a Cheating Partner

Spynger is designed to monitor a partner’s online behavior and activity to find out if there’s infidelity involved or to simply offer peace of mind.

Like other phone spy apps, Spynger lets you track the target’s browsing history and chats—texts, WhatsApp, Instagram, or Tinder DMs—as well as multimedia files like images and voice notes.

The Spynger dashboard displays the websites that have been visited

Best For Starting Price (/Month) Standout Features
Finding proof of infidelity $9.28 (annual) – Remote screenshot functionality
– See deleted files
– Real-time monitoring via the screen recorder

Notably, Spynger also lets you view deleted files. Beyond all this, it offers GPS and geofencing capabilities, so you’ll know if your loved one is really where they say they are.

The annual subscription ($9.28/m) is the most affordable option, but unless you plan to spy on your partner for the next year, the three-month subscription ($25.99/m) makes more sense.

Again, the legal and ethical implications of using Spynger or any other cheating apps must be considered.

Overall, Spynger is an excellent choice if you need peace of mind about your partner’s activities, but for more general uses—say, parental control—read on for better options. Need more? Read our full Spynger review.

Pros

  • Stealth mode makes it undetectable
  • The hidden screen recorder provides live insights
  • View deleted files
  • No jailbreaking required

Cons

  • Legal and ethical implications
  • No free trial or demo

3. uMobix — The Best Android Spy App

uMobix is designed to monitor iOS and Android phones and tablets, and it’s not limited to a specific audience. It’s excellent for parental control, employee monitoring, or tracking your partner.

You’ll be able to see a full record of browser usage, history, and bookmarks. That said, what we found most impressive is its ability to see hidden and deleted messages, calls, and apps.

uMobix dashboard, with browser history and bookmarks

Best For Starting Price (/Month) Standout Features
Advanced remote Android spying $12.49 – No jailbreaking required
– Block apps and websites
– View deleted data and renamed contacts

In fact, with uMobix, you’ll even be able to see if a contact has been renamed—absolutely nothing can be hidden from you with this spy app.

Its remote controls are also noteworthy. For instance, in addition to blocking certain websites you find inappropriate or harmful, you can block apps and even restrict WiFi, calls, and messages.

It even lets you remotely activate the target device’s camera and microphone to get live insight into what they’re up to, where they are, and who they’re with.

Of course, all discreetly. So, while it is a bit pricier than options like mSpy for mobile monitoring, it’s excellent for peace of mind. Read our comprehensive uMobix review to find out more.

Pros

  • Monitors a wide range of apps
  • User-friendly dashboard
  • Screen and video recording options
  • Comparative affordability

Cons

  • Requires jailbreak for remote functions
  • You can’t set parental control time limits

Spybubble Pro is another top mobile cheater app. With it, you’ll be able to see what they’re searching for (across browsers and apps), what apps they’re using, and what they’re saying.

That, of course, includes access to email, location, SMS, and WhatsApp monitoring. We found its Android keylogger particularly impressive.

The user interface of SpyBubble Pro

Best For Starting Price (/Month) Standout Features
Monitoring your partner’s social media activity $12.49 (annual) – Remote access to camera and microphone
– See deleted files
– iOS and Android compatible

It lets you see deleted content and even text they typed but never sent. The best part is that the app and its features work without rooting or jailbreaking.

We also found it surprisingly easy to install and use, particularly on Android operating systems. With it, you can easily monitor all user activity remotely on apps like Tinder, Facebook, and Instagram.

In fact, it even supports YouTube and Reddit spying. As you’d expect from one of the best browser spy apps, it also lets you discreetly block certain apps and websites.

So, while it’s not the cheapest, the annual plan offers excellent value for money. Need more? Here’s our full SpyBubble Pro review.

Pros

  • Strong web browser tracking functionality
  • Real-time internet monitoring
  • Covers a wide range of apps
  • Access to the phone’s microphone

Cons

  • The iOS version lacks functionality
  • Tricky iOS installation

5. Phonsee — Best Budget Hidden Browsing History Tracker

If you’re looking for a great phone or tablet tracking app with complete end-to-end visibility, you’ll want to consider Phonsee.

While it’s designed for parental control, this powerful app can be used for various mobile monitoring needs.

The Phonsee dashboard, Browser History tab

Best For Starting Price (/Month) Standout Features
Complete end-to-end visibility $8.85 per month (annual subscription) – Advanced features come standard
– Wi-Fi blocking
– Full access to the target device

As with all the best web browsing activity tracking apps, Phonsee lets you see what your loved ones are searching for and what they bookmark, and you can block access to certain websites.

Its price point is particularly noteworthy, considering that beyond this, you can track their social media activity, real-time location data, and everything in between.

This is because, despite being cheap, Phonsee offers hidden screen recording and a keylogger, so you can see what they search, their DMs, where they’re off to, and more from the dashboard.

So, while the monthly plan is more expensive than many, the annual subscription is an absolute steal. During our review, though, we did find that it lacks certain features.

This includes real-time alerts when specific (custom) keywords like “porn” are typed on any search bar or app and call recording, but given the price point, it’s hard to complain.

Need more? Read our full Phonsee review.

Pros

  • Extensive list of features
  • Full visibility
  • Good customer support
  • Remote installation via iCloud

Cons

  • May require jailbreaking
  • No free trial

6. Eyezy — The Best Cheap Spy App for Keyword Alerts

Like the other parental control apps in our list, Eyezy has powerful features that monitor exactly what’s happening on your child’s phone.

With a keylogger, screen recorder, social media monitoring, geolocation alerts, and access to all multimedia files, Eyezy offers the whole shebang at an incredible price point.

Eyezy dashboard

Best For Starting Price (/Month) Standout Features
Keyword alerts $7.99 (annual subscription) – Keyword tracking
– Wi-Fi and website blocking
– Screen recorder

And like its counterparts, there’s nothing your kid can do online that you won’t be able to see. Besides internet monitoring, Eyezy also has WiFi network blocking options.

There’s also keyword tracking, which will send you an alert if your loved one searches, types, or receives a message containing a word or term you’ve added to the keyword list.

As with geofencing, this is a great way to give you peace of mind. It ensures that you’ll be notified if your child or spouse is up to no good without needing to monitor them 24/7.

It’s no surprise that the three-month subscription is the most popular. But at $7.99 per month, the annual option is among the cheapest of all the contenders on this list.

Eyezy also offers a demo, and although it lacks a trial, it does offer a 14-day refund policy. If you need more information, we recommend reading our full Eyezy review.

Pros

  • Includes keystroke capture
  • Monitors a wide range of social media apps
  • Advanced keylogging and screen recording functionality
  • Easy overview of websites visited

Cons

  • Jailbreaking is needed
  • No remote camera or microphone access

7. Hoverwatch — The Best for Monitoring PCs and Employees

Hoverwatch stands out for numerous reasons. For starters, unlike most web activity trackers, it lets you track Android and PC devices, including Mac.

It’s particularly popular among families and businesses, as it allows you to track up to 25 devices on one subscription.

Hoverwatch dashboard

Best For Starting Price (/Month) Standout Features
PC and employee monitoring Starting Price (/Month) – Supports PC and Android spying
– Monitor up to 25 devices
– Free trial

The only drawback is that it cannot be installed remotely. So, if you want to install it on an employee’s work computer, you’d need to do it directly on their machine.

Once installed, you’ll be able to track browsing history secretly, as well as every call they make, messages they send or receive, their location, and more.

Unlike most, Hoverwatch offers numerous pricing plans catering to individuals, families, and businesses, plus you have the option of monthly, quarterly, and annual plans for each of them.

The pricing itself is reasonable, too, especially since you can monitor 1-25 devices on one subscription. For example, the business plan costs just $1.67/device/month.

Need more? Read our comprehensive Hoverwatch review or try the free trial before deciding.

Pros

  • Available for Mac, PC and Android
  • Choice of subscription packages
  • Monitor up to 25 devices
  • Free trial

Cons

  • No remote installation
  • No iOS version

8. Spyic — The Best No-Jailbreak/Rooting Monitoring App

Whether you want to keep an eye on your offspring or employees, Spyic has an extensive range of features to do just that.

Spyic shows users detailed information about their loved one’s online activities. This includes web page URLs, a brief description, timestamps, and frequency.

Browser history view on the Spyic dashboard

Best For Starting Price (/Month) Standout Features
No jailbreak/rooting $8.33 (on an annual subscription of the Basic plan) — Good dashboard and user interface
— See incognito browser searches
— Monitor up to 25 devices on one subscription

In fact, it even lets you see what the target user is doing in incognito.

That said, while our testing showed it lacked features when compared to rivals (like remote camera access), it has two very strong USPs.

For starters, you don’t need to root or jailbreak the target device. Plus, if you know the user’s iCloud credentials, you can monitor them without needing physical access to the device.

Besides this, unlike most, Spyic offers transparent pricing and numerous plans for varying needs and budgets—including an Android family plan and an iOS business plan.

That said, while there are ample plans on offer, unlike the other internet activity trackers, the Basic plan (and the iOS plans) include fewer features.

What’s nice, however, is that you can choose between one-, three-, and twelve-month subscriptions and track up to 25 devices on one subscription. Learn more with our full Spyic review.

Pros

  • Able to monitor internet history even when incognito is on
  • No jailbreaking or rooting required
  • Easy-to-navigate dashboard
  • Unique SMS tracking features

Cons

  • Fewer features for iOS
  • Lacks functionality like keyword alerts

The Best Search History Trackers Compared

Sometimes, seeing a head-to-head comparison like the one below can help you decide on the one best suited to your particular needs and budget:

Web Browser Tracking Software Best For Starting Price (/Month) Standout Features
mSpy Undetectable mobile monitoring $11.67 (annual subscription) – Hidden screen recorder
– Web and app filtering
– Keylogger
Spynger Finding proof of infidelity $9.28 (annual) – Remote screenshot functionality
– Access to deleted files
– Real-time monitoring via the screen recorder
uMobix Advanced remote Android monitoring $12.49 – No jailbreaking required
– Block apps and websites
– View deleted data and renamed contacts
SpyBubble Pro Seeing deleted/hidden/altered content $12.49 (annual subscription) – Remote access to camera and microphone
– Access to deleted files
– iOS and Android compatible
Phonsee Those on a budget $8.85 (annual subscription) – Keyword alerts
– Wi-Fi blocking
– Full access to the target device
Eyezy Keyword alerts $7.99 (annual subscription) – Keyword tracking
– Wi-Fi and website blocking
– Screen Recorder
Hoverwatch PC and employee monitoring $8.33 (annual subscription) – Designed for Mac, PC and Android
– Monitor up to 25 devices
– Free trial
Spyic No jailbreak/rooting $8.33 (annual subscription of the Basic plan) — See incognito searches
— No root/jailbreak needed
— Monitor up to 25 devices on one subscription

Are Free Web Browsing Activity Tracker Apps Safe?

A completely free spy app is tempting, but we’d highly recommend avoiding these at all costs. Here’s why:

  • Most are scams and will steal and sell your personal information
  • Most infect the devices they’re installed on with malicious software
  • Those that do work are unreliable, and they lack features

At the end of the day, you get what you pay for, and free simply isn’t worth the risk. This is especially true when you factor in that the paid solutions are quite affordable.

They also offer live demos to demonstrate the product’s functionality and money-back guarantees for risk-free signups. What price would you put on peace of mind?

How to Use a Cell Phone History Tracker App — A Step-by-Step Guide

The software itself might be highly technical and advanced, but installing it isn’t. We installed mSpy on an Android, and here’s how we did it, step by step.

Step 1: Subscribe to mSpy

First, you’ll need to create an account. It’s simple: go to the mSpy homepage and click on the ‘Try Now’ button. Next, create an account by entering your email address. You’ll be asked whether you’ll be monitoring an Android or iOS device now, but you can also make your choice later.

Select a subscription option and enter your card details. Once you receive the confirmation message from mSpy, you’re good to go.

Step 2: Install the App on the Target Device

We’re using an Android device, which means that before the app can be installed on the target phone, both Play Protect and notifications must be disabled.

mSpy has easy-to-follow instructions on how to do this and download the installer via Google Chrome. When you sign up, you’ll automatically be guided through all of this.

Step 3: Log Into Your mSpy Account

Now that mSpy is on the target phone, you’ll want to access your mSpy account on your own computer, phone, or tablet. Link the target device to your dashboard, and within a few minutes, voila.

Access your account, link the target device, and start monitoring

You’ll be able to track all their internet use across apps and platforms.

Why You Can Trust Our Web Tracker Reviews

Being a trusted voice on all things technology-related for over two decades, we take our testing methodology and recommendations very seriously.

We run extensive tests on all products featured in our guides, ensuring we’re able to give our readers a clear overview of what they can expect from the tool: both the good and the bad.

We also supplement our own experience with these tools with third-party reviews, ensuring we haven’t missed anything noteworthy in our testing.

Having tested numerous products within the same category, we have a better understanding of who each one is best for, where it shines, and where it falls short compared to rivals.

All of this combined ensures we offer complete, unbiased insight into the market’s best tools, whether it’s the best parental control apps, browser trackers, or free VPNs.

Final Thoughts

Each of these apps stands out for different reasons, but they all share these things in common — great features and reliability.

Where they differ is in their intended use. Some are cheater apps, others are parental control apps, and some are great for employee monitoring. Some fit the bill for all three.

Above all else, we recommend mSpy. It offers excellent value for money and has a solid reputation. It tracks internet history logs and everything in between.

FAQs

Is it possible to track browsing history?

How do I monitor browsing history?

Can someone see my browsing history from another phone?

How can I see my entire browser history?

References

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Nicola-Jane Ford Tech Content Writer

Nicola-Jane Ford Tech Content Writer

Nicola-Jane is a self-confessed word nerd and writer based in Cape Town, South Africa, with an extensive background (spanning more years than she would like to admit) in writing and editing in the realm of technology, business and finance. Fueled by excessive amounts of coffee, she gets quite excited about all things Industry 4.0 and the incredible potential it holds – even if it means robots taking over the world one day. In her spare time, she tends to give in to her obsession with sudoku, while dreaming up travel plans to destinations near and far… Except for those that involve camping.