Best Keylogger Software For Windows PC — Top 7 Compared In 2024

Based on factors like features, price, and ease of use and installation, we’ve reviewed, ranked, and compared the best keylogger software for Windows in 2024.

A keylogger records everything you type on a computer keyboard. They can be used legitimately to monitor loved ones, check employee productivity, or get feedback for software development. But what if you want a solution that does more than log keys on a computer? What is the best keylogger solution for more advanced needs?

From Hoverwatch to Spyera, we give you the run-down on the top options available, so you can check browsing history, track computer activity, and more. Even better, they’re compatible with Windows 8, 10, and 11 devices.

Note that spyware tools can impact people’s privacy and should not be used to cross ethical or legal boundaries.

What to Look for in a Windows Keylogger?

Recording and storing keystroke activity are the basic features of any Windows keylogger. If you want a quality keystroke logger, here are some other features you should look for:

Such features are particularly useful for businesses where time management is an issue. Employees can spend up to 52 minutes of their workday on social media, according to a study from the National Library of Medicine – and this doesn’t account for other non-work-related websites they may waste time on.

These tools also come in handy for parents who want to keep their children safe from malicious people online. All they need to have is one master device – the one they use to view activity on target devices.

This type of software also has a long history. A Texas State University study says the first use of a keylogger was with a typewriter in the 1970s. Years later, it was used as malware to steal information from others.

Shortlist: The Best Keylogging Software for Windows in 2024

Whether you want to protect your family or check in on your employees and boost productivity, there are plenty of keylogging options to choose from. Before we dive into the details of our test results, here’s a shortlist of the best keylogger tools:

1. Hoverwatch: Overall, the best keylogger for Windows in 2024 due to its free keylogger tool. Plus, you get all the extra features like screenshots, app invisibility, webcam shots, browsing history, and location – all for $8.33.
2. Spyera: A premium keylogger on this list with remote software control capabilities for uninstalling, deactivation, and sending updates, which can be done via the app or SMS commands.
3. TheOneSpy: Track mouse clicks and productivity, even when offline.
4. ClevGuard: The best keylogger for offices, as it tracks all computer file activity, records all printed documents, and lists all USB devices previously connected.
5. Qustodio: The best game blocker for kids. Its extended reporting capabilities lets you track texts and calls on your children’s phones.
6. FamiSafe: Perfect for parents who want to monitor their children’s online activities. It includes sexual content blockers.
7. FlexiSPY: A keylogger with a device control function; also built particularly for reading Microsoft Outlook and Outlook365 emails.

Top 7 Best Keylogging Software for Windows PCs Reviewed

To help you find the best keylogger for you, we tested the best keylogger solutions out there. Here is an in-depth review of each one, including their pros, cons, and pricing:

1. Hoverwatch – Overall, the Best Keylogger for Windows in 2024

Hoverwatch easily made it to the top spot because its Windows keylogger is a free feature and works seamlessly.

Setting up this freemium feature was relatively easy, too. All it took was a sign-up and installation. We didn’t need to click on any button to activate the keylogger.

Better yet, the user panel showed us screenshots of what was typed and on which app the event occurred.

Before we talk about any of the other perks, it’s worth noting that you get all these features for only $99.95 for an entire year ($8.33 monthly), making Hoverwatch an affordable app jampacked with all the essential tracking features you need.

Hoverwatch also specializes as a Facebook parental control tool, recording activity and messages on the platform.

This can be a powerful way for parents to know who their children are talking to. You can also see screenshots of Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram activity. Just note that it has a dedicated album for Messenger screenshots only.

Pricing

The only differences between Hoverwatch’s paid plans are the number of devices you get to track and the availability of the Mobile Viewer, which lets you store all tracked data on your mobile phone.

Note also that the price increases as you shorten your subscription period. For example, the Personal plan is $29.95 if paid every month, compared to $99.95/month if you pay annually.

2. Spyera – A Premium Keylogger with Remote Software Control

Spyera is the best keylogger for you if you’re after a more feature-rich tool that you can access remotely.

With its remote capabilities, you can adjust the settings and deactivate, uninstall, update, take photos and videos, and restart the software. You can do all of this discreetly. Even better, you can control all the software’s settings via SMS commands, enhancing remote access.

Just take note that you’ll only get to remotely access the Spyera software; not the device.

We really liked that our dashboard showed a comprehensive view of all the devices tracked – even the non-Windows ones. These include the following:

These will come in handy for surveillance; however, the software still has designated pages for these tracked events, and you can view them for a more detailed look.

Another of Spyera’s benefits is its ability to take app screenshots without the target user typing anything. The software does the same thing for the device without any app running.

Meanwhile, you can see the names of cellular and Wi-Fi networks your target device has connected to. This is useful for parents who want to know which devices are connected to public networks, as this can compromise the privacy of their children’s devices.

Pricing

It’s common for keylogger software solutions to have only one general plan for each device. This is the same for Spyera, which only offers a monthly ($49/month) or yearly plan with its Windows version.

However, Spyera offers a bundled version that lets you track mobiles, tablets, and PCs. This bundle is priced at $39.99/month, paid annually. Aside from credit card and direct debit payments, paying by Bitcoin is also an option.

3. TheOneSpy – A Keylogger That Tracks Mouse Clicks and Productivity

TheOneSpy believes keyloggers benefit from logging mouse clicks. While it’s useful to know what someone is typing on their device, it’s a bonus to also see what they click on. This feature stands out as one of the highlights of this software.

TheOneSpy’s Spy360 feature lets you track productivity in real time. In our tests, it displayed the entire screen of the monitored computer, capturing even the surrounding sounds through the microphone and what’s in front of its webcam. Spy360 shows everything simultaneously.

We were glad to see that most devices on this list have location-tracking capabilities. However, most providers can only provide this service if the monitored and master devices are online. With TheOneSpy, parents and businesses can still see where the device was, even when offline.

All the monitored user needs to do is connect to the internet, and the master device will receive information on where the target device was while offline.

TheOneSpy’s feature for blocking apps and websites makes it useful for businesses. Combine it with Spy360, and you can make sure you can monitor your team’s productivity. This also serves as a powerful tool for parents monitoring their children.

You can use all these features with its app usage tracker, email access, customized criteria for alerts, and stealth mode. It also serves as a screen recorder app, specially designed for Google Chrome activity.

Pricing

There’s only one plan for TheOneSpy: Premium. It can go as high as $40 when billed monthly, $20 for quarterly payments, and $9.20 when billed annually. A benefit to having no other tiers is that you get access to all the software’s features.

The only downside we see is that the mobile plans are more expensive than those for Windows. This is the same with Spyera, but it’s most likely due to the commonly higher dev costs for smartphone apps.

4. ClevGuard – The Most Excellent Keylogger for Offices

ClevGuard offers its keylogging feature with other perks via Monivisor, a computer monitoring software for Windows. While the other tools on this list have a few features useful for businesses, Monivisor changes the game by offering more.

The first things we noticed are the print, file, and USB trackers from the software. These are unique for a solution almost $7 cheaper than Spyera. So, we put it to the test.

We put a .DOCX file on an external hard drive and plugged it into the computer. We did this to see if the print tracker worked when using a file stored on a USB device. It did indeed track the external device and the print. The software even recorded the file transfer.

As we deleted the file we printed, a dashboard notification lit up, showing that the file had been deleted. It displayed the source of the file, its name, and its contents, proving how much information Monivisor can obtain.

Aside from its keylogger feature, the tool also has the following functions that you can combine for a safer and more productive work environment:

Our testing also showed messages obtained via major social networking sites, such as Messenger, Twitter, Skype, and Instagram. Upon checking its contents, we saw profile pictures, chat media files exchanged, and even shared contacts.

Add the incoming and outgoing call history to the table, and you can better surveil and take care of business.

As for the emails, we found that the software even records and shows you what’s in the attachments.

Pricing

You get three options for the Windows-compatible plans from Monivisor. The parental control and phone monitoring features come as standalone services. The phone tracking software comes at a lower price.

However, the number of features you get to use is huge, and they’re available with all three payment plans: monthly, every three months, and annual.

5. Qustodio – Best App and Game Blocker for Kids

Qustodio is your best bet for preventing selected apps and games from being installed on your children’s devices – you can do this by selecting which ones to block. Pair that with full visibility of every content, message, and activity that goes through their PCs, and you have a great parental control app.

As you track activity and block apps manually, Qustodio does some monitoring on its own as well. You receive reports and alerts whenever potential problems arise – these include violations of your pre-set criteria.

During our testing, even searching for terms like ‘hardcore streetfight’ or ‘war action scenes’ was enough to alert the master device. Here, we put ourselves in the shoes of a user with a monitored device.

While that notification came straightaway, we still had to click the video on the tracked device. Doing so enabled the Smart Web filter, which prevented us from viewing the videos.

Browsing history transparency is helpful for a parent to see what types of content their children looking at. As we tried chatting, commenting, and liking posts on social media, Qustodio had screenshots of such activities within a few seconds.

Some other powerful functions include setting time limits on the amount of time they spend online, which you can adjust according to your preferences. You can even pause your children’s internet connection with one simple tap.

One downside we noticed, however, is that it didn’t work on the first device we used, which had Windows 9.

Pricing

Qustodio is the only platform on this list to offer a free version. This is in comparison Hoverwatch, which offers only a keylogger at no cost. that has more than a keylogger. You won’t have to pay upon signing up and still get access to a few features, including the keylogger software and web filtering for a single device.

With the basic plan, you can block apps and games, monitor locations, and set daily time limits on up to five devices. Meanwhile, the Complete plan offers app and gaming limitations and custom alerts. Do note that while Complete lets you add an unlimited number of devices, it’s not applicable for school or business use, as per Qustodio’s guidelines.

What sets this platform apart from other providers is the phone support, which comes as an add-on for the Basic plan at $12.99/year. This is included with Complete.

6. FamiSafe – The Perfect Keylogger for Monitoring Children

FamiSafe is packed with features that combat phone addiction, making it an optimal tool for parents concerned about how much time their children are spending online.

Aside from letting you see what your kids say and see on their Windows devices, FamiSafe sends you immediate alerts about suspicious images like sexual content.

Meanwhile, its keylogger feature is pretty straightforward to use and sends screenshots of messages, search queries, and all forms of social media activity.

What differentiates this app is its ability to block potentially inappropriate content automatically. Wondershare, the company that runs FamiSafe, uses its AI to power the content safety features of the software to prevent children from seeing content they shouldn’t.

It has additional features that complement a keylogger, including web filters, browser history, live location tracking, and activity reports.

We can also tell it’s a media-focused keylogger software because of the features designed to filter and record content viewed on TikTok and YouTube.

However, the installation can be a little bit confusing. After installing the Windows app, we only saw a page that prompted us to enter a code and pair the app with the master device. Instead, we had to access the management interface via a web app, which we gained access to upon signing up.

Pricing

The Free plan lets you track only one device and gives you the basic reporting capabilities of the software. You can have all the features by subscribing to any of the paid plans.

Meanwhile, FamiSafe is also available for schools, for which they offer monthly, quarterly, and annual plans for up to 200 students. These plans start at $19.99/month, billed yearly for 11–20 users.

7. FlexiSPY – A Keylogger with Remote Device Control

FlexiSPY is more expensive than the other tools on the shortlist, but it still made it on our list. Why? While Spyera lets you deactivate, uninstall, and adjust its keylogger software on a target device, FlexiSPY’s web app allows you to do the same and gain full access to another Windows PC.

This feature comes in handy for businesses. Imagine a scenario where your IT support has to check a device issue for one of your work-from-home team members. With FlexiSPY within their arsenal, they can remotely troubleshoot and solve problems – all while still using the same tool for monitoring. That’s one good example of how to manage a remote team.

This software’s keylogger boasts detection designed for messaging platforms like Skype, Messenger, Telegram, WhatsApp, Line, and Hangouts. If your teams use these, FlexiSPY can help you find out how much time people spend chatting about stuff that isn’t about work.

As for its additional monitoring features, it’s quite similar to Spyera’s offerings. These include USB detection, printer tracking, file activity, browser history, and hidden mode.

One factor that differentiates FlexiSPY is its ability to read messages and emails on Microsoft Outlook and Outlook365, giving you the edge of seeing emails as text instead of screenshots alone.

Pricing

Although similar to Spyera, FlexiSPY didn’t score as highly because it’s the most expensive tool on this list. Furthermore, it’s also the only tool to charge an installation fee.

The remote access feature and Outlook compatibility compensate for its starting price.

The pricing structure is also the same as most of the tools on this list, giving you only the option of paying monthly ($79), quarterly ($119), or annually ($179).

Best Keylogger Software for Windows Compared

Reading through all these features and in-depth reviews can be quite exhausting. To help you compare the tools, we’ve summarized the main features of each keylogger solution.

In essence, all these tools rank as great keyloggers for parents and businesses. Their basic monitoring capabilities are straightforward, giving you everything you expect from a keylogger, including the other tracking perks.

Want more in-depth reviews of other keylogger software tools? To learn more, visit our article about the best keylogger apps.

How We Ranked the Best Windows Keyloggers

Before selecting our top picks, we thoroughly evaluated all the tools. That’s because we understand how important reliable assessments are for parents and businesses, or anyone who needs a keylogger – looking for tools to help in their everyday lives.

This rings true, especially for sensitive software used for surveillance and monitoring. Here are the factors we considered during the selection process of the best Windows keylogger tools.

Monitoring Features

Testing the keylogger feature of each software was relatively easy since they all have the same basic function of logging keystrokes. The key here is to test all the additional features to see which one is the most effective for your particular needs.

For this reason, the first thing we checked for was how the tools support its users when it comes to surveillance and monitoring.

Compliance with Standards and Laws

To ensure safety, we only reviewed products that adhere to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which is also considered the toughest privacy and security law in the world.

This should be a priority for any software review, as non-compliance would only mean that you may have limited protection should you lose some data or experience problems with your software.

Ease of Use and Installation

User experience is always a factor when choobest keyloggersing between apps. We ran it by several team members, including ones with less experience with PCs, to gauge how easy they are to install and use.

In addition, we checked the app for how fast it can display recorded data, as well as whether the information it displays is hard to understand.

Evaluation of Third-Party Reviews

After checking the tools for performance and usability, we always check real user reviews online. We do so to see whether their views reflect our findings.

These reviews are a great source of information about the features and experiences of others who have used the apps.

Is Free Keylogging Software Safe?

The free keylogging software tools on our list, Hoverwatch and Qustodio, are safe. These solutions come with a few basic monitoring features.

But this may not apply to businesses that need more extensive functionality and reporting. This is why they should opt for paid keyloggers. A keylogger can be a vital part of an entire tracking system, making paid ones a better investment.

Best Windows Keyloggers – Takeaways

In this technologically advanced era, Windows keyloggers can be beneficial tools for parents, employers, or anyone seeking to track computer activities, offering peace of mind through secure monitoring. Our top pick, Hoverwatch, combines affordability with robust features to provide the best overall value.

Remember, each keylogger solution we highlighted has unique strengths, suitable to various needs. So, take those first steps today. Explore Hoverwatch or any of our other top selections to find the perfect fit for you.

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