About More Than a Filter

Why this site exists

When a parent discovers pornography in a child’s browser history, they usually search in a panic. What they find tends to be one of two things: a product page selling a filter, or a sermon-length essay that assumes they have hours to read. Neither meets a frightened parent at 11:30 at night.

More Than a Filter exists to be the resource we wish that parent could find: calm, biblical, practical, and honest about what technology can and cannot do.

Our central conviction is simple:

Parents need more than a filter. They need biblical wisdom to shepherd their child’s heart toward purity, repentance, wisdom, and ultimately the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We are not trying to produce children who merely avoid pornography. We want to help parents faithfully shepherd their children toward Christ.

Who runs this site

Stephen.

Stephen is a pastor at Grace Baptist Church in Amanzimtoti, South Africa, a dad of three, and an electrical engineer by training and career (BSc Electrical Engineering, University of the Witwatersrand). He also holds an MDiv in Theology from The Master’s Seminary. He’s a Linux enthusiast and a lifelong lover of technology — which is part of why he’s spent years hands-on testing the parental-control and accountability software this site writes about, and presenting on digital safety at churches and schools. Most importantly, he’s a worshipper of the Lord Jesus Christ: a sinner saved by grace, which is the conviction behind everything on this site.

This site grew directly out of that work: the articles here are the culmination of presentations and talks Stephen has given on this subject at multiple local schools and churches, gathered, expanded, and organized into a single resource. Below is one of those presentations in full, given at his own church.

Recorded at a church presentation. As Stephen says at the start of the talk, he is not a professional in this field, and some product details mentioned may be out of date — the articles on this site are the more current, continually corrected version of the same material. Watch on YouTube.

What we are not. Unless stated on the author’s profile, no one writing here is a licensed counselor, psychologist, physician, or attorney. This site offers pastoral and practical guidance. It is not clinical, medical, or legal advice, and it does not replace a qualified professional when one is needed. See about the author.

What we believe

• Scripture. The Bible is God’s word, and it is our final authority for faith and life. We quote the ESV unless we say otherwise.
• The gospel. We are sinners saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Sexual sin is real sin, and it is never beyond the reach of the cross.
• The Holy Spirit. Lasting change in the heart comes through the Spirit’s work, not through willpower or surveillance alone.
• Sexuality and marriage. We hold to the historic Christian teaching that sex is a good gift of God, designed for the covenant of marriage between one man and one woman, and that pornography distorts that gift.
• Children and parents. Parents are given the primary responsibility to teach and shepherd their children, in partnership with the local church.
• Grace before shame. We believe conviction leads to repentance, and shame leads to hiding. We will not shame children or parents.

How we research

We rank sources in this order and say which kind we are using at each point:

1. Scripture, read in context.
2. Primary sources, such as manufacturer documentation and original studies.
3. Peer-reviewed and academic research.
4. Government and public-health sources, where appropriate.
5. Established Christian theological resources.
6. Reputable child-safety organizations.

Throughout the site, you’ll see small labels that keep different kinds of claims distinct: Biblical teaching Research Expert opinion Pastoral wisdom Our recommendation. We try never to present opinion as established fact, and we do not publish statistics, quotations, or research findings we cannot cite. Where we don’t yet have a reliable source, we say so.

How we review software and books

Every software review follows the same template and is based on our own hands-on testing, documented with a test date. Every book review is based on reading the whole book. Read the full process in How we research and review.

How we make recommendations

A recommendation must be earned in testing, matched to a stated audience, and paired with its limitations. We never claim a filter is foolproof, and we say so in every review: no filter replaces parenting, discipleship, conversation, and wisdom.

Conflicts of interest

• We do not accept payment, free product in exchange for coverage, or sponsorship that influences ratings or rankings.
• If we use affiliate or referral links, they will be clearly marked on the page, and the relationship will be disclosed here. Affiliate income will not change what we recommend, and a product’s ranking or rating is never for sale.
• If the author has a personal or financial relationship with a product, publisher, or ministry we cover, it will be disclosed on that page.

Current disclosures: We have a referral relationship with Ever Accountable, a screenshot-accountability app. If you sign up through a link on this site, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Our founder recommended Ever Accountable based on his own family’s use of it before joining its referral program, and we will update or withdraw the recommendation if our assessment ever changes, regardless of that relationship. This is the software he has found to be the best, after personally testing many different accountability software products, including Bark, Qustodio, Covenant Eyes, and Truple. See the full review for the honest strengths and open questions we still owe you an answer on.

Corrections and updates

If you find an error, a broken link, an out-of-date setting, or a place where we have been unclear, unkind, or unbiblical, please contact us. We will investigate, correct the article, and note significant corrections at the bottom of the page.

Software changes quickly, so check current pricing and features with the vendor before you buy.

Get in touch

Questions, corrections, and stories of how the site has (or hasn’t) helped are welcome on the contact page. We cannot provide individual counseling by email. If you need personal pastoral care, please talk to your pastor or a qualified Christian counselor.