Blocksi vs GoGuardian vs Securly: Best School Filter

If your school runs on Google Workspace for Education and deploys Chromebooks in classrooms, content filtering is not optional -- it is a legal and duty-of-care requirement. Every Australian state and territory education department mandates that schools maintain internet filtering to protect students from harmful online content. The eSafety Commissioner provides national guidance under the Online Safety Act 2021, and failure to implement adequate filtering exposes schools to regulatory scrutiny, parental complaints, and genuine safeguarding risk.

Google Workspace for Education includes basic SafeSearch enforcement and some content controls through the Admin console, but these are insufficient for the level of filtering Australian schools need. SafeSearch blocks explicit search results, but it does not filter web content broadly, it does not provide classroom visibility, and it does not generate the compliance reports that education departments require. Schools need a dedicated content filtering solution that integrates with Google Workspace and Chromebooks.

Three platforms dominate this space: Blocksi, GoGuardian, and Securly. Each is a Google Workspace Marketplace app designed specifically for education, but they take notably different approaches to filtering, classroom management, and student safety. Here is what matters:

• Blocksi is the cost leader with competitive per-device pricing and a combined filtering and classroom management platform
• GoGuardian is the most widely adopted in US and Australian schools with strong classroom visibility and teacher tools
• Securly focuses on student wellness and AI-driven threat detection, extending beyond filtering into mental health monitoring
• All three integrate natively with Google Workspace for Education and Chrome OS
• Pricing ranges from approximately AUD $4 to $12+ per device per year, depending on the tool and feature tier

Blocksi: The Budget-Friendly All-in-One

Blocksi positions itself as a comprehensive web filtering and classroom management platform at a price point that undercuts its competitors. It is a Google Workspace Marketplace app with a Chrome extension deployment model, which means it works natively on Chromebooks and Chrome browsers. With a growing installed base across Australian and international schools, Blocksi has earned attention for delivering solid core features without the premium price tag.

Features and Strengths

Blocksi bundles web filtering and classroom management into a single platform, which is its primary differentiator. Schools that choose GoGuardian or Securly often need to purchase separate modules for filtering and classroom tools, whereas Blocksi includes both.

Key capabilities include:

• Web content filtering: Category-based filtering with over 100 content categories. Administrators can set filtering policies by organisational unit (OU), age group, or individual student. Policies can differ between school hours and after hours if devices go home with students.
• YouTube filtering: Granular YouTube controls that go beyond simple block-or-allow. Blocksi can restrict YouTube to specific channels or videos approved by teachers, filter by category, and block comments. This is critical for Australian schools where YouTube is both an educational tool and a distraction risk.
• Classroom management (Blocksi Teacher): Teachers can view student screens in real-time, push URLs to student browsers, lock screens, close tabs, and send messages. This classroom visibility tool is included in the base licence rather than sold as a separate product.
• Screen recording and capture: Administrators can record student browsing sessions for investigation purposes. This capability must be used within your school's privacy policies but is valuable for incident response.
• Reporting and analytics: Usage reports by student, class, or school level. Reports show top visited sites, blocked attempts, and time spent on educational versus non-educational content. These reports support compliance requirements for state education departments.
• Google Classroom integration: Syncs with Google Classroom rosters for automatic policy application by class.

Pricing

Blocksi's pricing is its strongest competitive advantage:

• Blocksi Manager (filtering only): ~USD $2.00/device/year (~AUD $3.20/device/year)
• Blocksi Manager + Teacher: ~USD $4.00/device/year (~AUD $6.30/device/year) -- includes classroom management
• Blocksi Manager + Teacher + AI Safety: ~USD $5.50/device/year (~AUD $8.70/device/year) -- adds AI-based threat and self-harm detection

For a 500-device Australian school on the full bundle, expect roughly AUD $4,350 per year. Compare this to GoGuardian and Securly at roughly double that cost. For multi-campus deployments or budget-constrained government schools, this pricing difference is significant.

Limitations

• Smaller support team than GoGuardian or Securly -- response times can be slower during peak periods
• Brand recognition in Australia is lower than the two larger competitors, which can make it harder to get approval through school procurement processes
• The teacher interface, while functional, is less polished than GoGuardian Teacher
• AI safety features are newer and less proven than Securly's established wellness monitoring
• Documentation and onboarding resources are less comprehensive than competitors

Best Use Cases

Blocksi is ideal for budget-conscious schools and school districts (200-2,000+ devices) that want filtering and classroom management in a single, affordable package. It is particularly strong for Australian government schools operating under tight per-student ICT budgets where the combined filtering-plus-classroom-management licence eliminates the need to purchase two separate products.

GoGuardian: The Market Leader with Teacher-First Design

GoGuardian is the most widely deployed content filtering and classroom management platform for Chromebook-based schools. Originally built for the US K-12 market, it has gained substantial adoption in Australian schools, particularly those that standardised on Chromebooks during and after the COVID-driven device rollouts of 2020-2021. With a G2 rating of 4.4 out of 5, it is well regarded for its teacher tools and filtering reliability.

Features and Strengths

GoGuardian operates as a modular platform where schools purchase the specific products they need. The core products relevant to Australian schools are:

• GoGuardian Admin (web filtering): Cloud-based content filtering with policy management by OU, user group, or individual. Smart policies adapt filtering based on time of day, location (on-campus versus off-campus), and device type. The filtering engine uses a combination of URL categorisation, keyword analysis, and AI-based content classification. SSL inspection is handled through a Chrome extension, which means encrypted HTTPS sites are filtered without the need for a separate proxy appliance.
• GoGuardian Teacher (classroom management): The standout product. Teachers get a real-time dashboard showing every student's screen, open tabs, and active browsing. Teachers can open and close tabs on student devices, push URLs, lock screens, set allowed-site-only modes for specific lessons, and chat with students. The interface is designed for teachers who are not technically minded -- it works reliably and requires minimal training.
• GoGuardian Beacon (student safety): An AI-powered alert system that monitors student browsing activity and typed content for indicators of self-harm, suicide, violence, and bullying. When Beacon detects concerning activity, it sends real-time alerts to designated school wellbeing staff. This capability directly supports Australian schools' duty-of-care obligations and aligns with the eSafety Commissioner's guidance on student online safety.
• GoGuardian DNS (network-level filtering): Optional network-level filtering that extends protection to non-Chrome devices on the school network. Useful for schools with BYOD policies or mixed device environments.

Pricing

GoGuardian uses a modular pricing structure. Published pricing varies by region and volume, but typical rates for Australian schools are:

• GoGuardian Admin (filtering): ~USD $5.00-$6.00/device/year (~AUD $7.90-$9.50/device/year)
• GoGuardian Teacher: ~USD $2.00-$3.00/device/year (~AUD $3.20-$4.70/device/year) -- often bundled with Admin
• GoGuardian Beacon: ~USD $2.00-$3.00/device/year (~AUD $3.20-$4.70/device/year) -- add-on
• GoGuardian Suite (Admin + Teacher + Beacon): ~USD $8.00-$10.00/device/year (~AUD $12.60-$15.80/device/year)

For a 500-device Australian school on the full Suite, expect roughly AUD $6,300-$7,900 per year. Volume discounts are available for larger deployments, and multi-year agreements can reduce per-device costs.

Limitations

• Modular pricing means the full feature set is expensive -- schools often start with Admin only and add modules as budget allows
• Primarily designed for Chromebooks and Chrome browsers. Windows and Mac support exists but is less mature
• US-centric support structure. While GoGuardian has improved its international support, Australian schools may experience timezone-related delays for non-critical issues
• Beacon's AI safety alerts require a trained wellbeing team to manage. Schools without dedicated wellbeing staff may find the alert volume overwhelming
• No Australian data centre option -- data is processed in US-based infrastructure

Best Use Cases

GoGuardian is ideal for mid-to-large schools (300-3,000+ devices) that prioritise classroom management and teacher empowerment. If your teachers are the primary drivers of the technology decision and they want reliable, easy-to-use tools for managing student devices during lessons, GoGuardian Teacher is the best product in this comparison. It is also the strongest choice for schools that want a proven, widely-adopted platform with a large user community and extensive documentation.

Securly: The Student Wellness Pioneer

Securly differentiates itself by extending beyond traditional content filtering into student wellness monitoring and AI-powered threat detection. While it is a capable web filter, Securly's strategic direction is focused on being a comprehensive student safety platform. With a G2 rating of 4.5 out of 5, it is highly rated for its wellness features and filtering effectiveness.

Features and Strengths

Securly's platform includes several integrated products:

• Securly Filter: Cloud-based web content filtering with category-based policies, SSL decryption, and granular controls by OU, user group, or individual. The filter works on Chromebooks, Windows, Mac, and iOS devices, making it the most cross-platform option in this comparison. Filtering policies can be applied on-campus and off-campus, with different rule sets for school hours and after hours.
• Securly Classroom (formerly Hapara): Teacher dashboard for viewing student screens, managing tabs, pushing URLs, and communicating with students. Securly acquired Hapara in 2022, which significantly strengthened its classroom management offering.
• Securly Aware: The platform's flagship differentiator. Aware uses AI and natural language processing to scan student activity across Google Workspace (Docs, Gmail, Drive, Chat) and web browsing for indicators of bullying, self-harm, violence, and substance abuse. When concerning content is detected, Aware generates alerts with context and severity ratings for school wellbeing teams. The AI analyses text in context rather than simply flagging keywords, which reduces false positives.
• Securly On-Call: An optional after-hours monitoring service where Securly's own team reviews critical alerts outside school hours and can escalate directly to emergency services if a student is at immediate risk. This is particularly valuable for Australian boarding schools or schools where devices go home with students.
• Securly Home (Flex): A parent-facing app that gives families visibility into their child's online activity and allows parents to set additional filtering rules outside school hours. This supports the home-school partnership that Australian schools are increasingly expected to facilitate.
• Reporting and compliance: Comprehensive reporting dashboards with audit trails suitable for state education department compliance reviews, eSafety Commissioner inquiries, and internal governance reporting.

Pricing

Securly's pricing is structured by product module:

• Securly Filter: ~USD $4.00-$6.00/device/year (~AUD $6.30-$9.50/device/year)
• Securly Classroom: ~USD $2.00-$3.00/device/year (~AUD $3.20-$4.70/device/year)
• Securly Aware: ~USD $2.00-$4.00/device/year (~AUD $3.20-$6.30/device/year)
• Securly Platform (Filter + Classroom + Aware): ~USD $8.00-$12.00/device/year (~AUD $12.60-$18.90/device/year)
• Securly On-Call: Custom pricing based on student population

For a 500-device Australian school on the full Platform (Filter + Classroom + Aware), expect roughly AUD $6,300-$9,450 per year. On-Call monitoring adds to this cost. Securly also offers bundle discounts for multi-year agreements.

Limitations

• The most expensive option when all modules are included
• The breadth of features can be overwhelming for smaller schools without dedicated IT staff
• Aware's AI scanning of student documents raises privacy questions that schools need to address in their policies and parent communications
• On-Call service is US-based, and response procedures may need adaptation for Australian emergency services and protocols
• Like GoGuardian, implementation benefits from a dedicated IT coordinator to manage policies and respond to alerts

Best Use Cases

Securly is ideal for schools with a strong focus on student wellbeing (300-5,000+ devices) that want content filtering integrated with AI-driven safety monitoring. It is the strongest choice for Australian schools that take a holistic approach to student online safety, aligning with the eSafety Commissioner's framework for online safety in schools. Boarding schools and schools where devices go home with students particularly benefit from Securly's off-campus monitoring and parent engagement tools.

Feature-by-Feature Comparison

Here is how the three content filtering platforms compare across the criteria that matter most for Australian schools using Google Workspace for Education:

Winner by Category

• Best Value for Money: Blocksi -- lowest per-device cost with classroom management included
• Best Classroom Management: GoGuardian -- Teacher product is the most polished and teacher-friendly
• Best Student Wellness Monitoring: Securly -- Aware and On-Call are unmatched for student safety
• Best for Chromebook-Only Schools: GoGuardian -- purpose-built for the Chrome ecosystem
• Best Cross-Platform Coverage: Securly -- strongest support for mixed device environments (Chrome, Windows, Mac, iOS)
• Best YouTube Controls: Blocksi -- most granular YouTube filtering at the channel and video level
• Best Parent Engagement: Securly -- Home/Flex app gives parents real visibility and control

Australian Compliance and Regulatory Context

For Australian schools, content filtering sits at the intersection of several regulatory and policy frameworks. Understanding these obligations helps determine which tool provides the best compliance fit.

eSafety Commissioner and the Online Safety Act 2021

The eSafety Commissioner expects schools to maintain "reasonable" content filtering and internet safety measures. The Online Safety Act 2021 includes provisions for a Basic Online Safety Expectations (BOSE) framework that applies to online service providers, and schools are expected to demonstrate alignment with these principles. All three tools in this comparison satisfy the basic filtering expectation, but Securly's Aware module provides the most comprehensive evidence of proactive student safety monitoring, which strengthens a school's position if an online safety incident is investigated.

State and Territory Education Department Requirements

Each state and territory education department sets its own ICT policies for schools:

• NSW Department of Education: Requires all school internet access to be filtered through approved systems. Government schools typically use department-provided filtering, but independent and Catholic schools need their own solution.
• Victorian Department of Education (DET): Mandates internet content filtering and provides guidelines on monitoring student online activity.
• Queensland Department of Education: Requires internet filtering and expects schools to maintain audit logs of filtering activities.
• Other states and territories: Similar requirements with varying specifics. Independent schools and Catholic school systems across all states are responsible for their own filtering solutions.

For independent and Catholic schools -- which represent the primary market for these tools in Australia -- the ability to generate compliance reports that demonstrate filtering activity, blocked content categories, and incident response is critical. GoGuardian and Securly offer stronger reporting than Blocksi in this regard.

Privacy Act 1988 and Student Data

Schools must handle student data in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). Securly's Aware module scans student documents and communications, which raises questions about privacy proportionality. Schools deploying Aware should:

• Include AI monitoring in their acceptable use policies
• Communicate the monitoring scope to parents and guardians
• Ensure monitoring is proportionate to the safeguarding objective
• Limit access to wellness alerts to trained staff only

GoGuardian Beacon operates at the browsing activity level rather than scanning document content, which presents a smaller privacy footprint. Blocksi's AI safety features are newer and less intrusive.

Recommendation Guide: Which Filter for Which School?

Scenario 1: Small Independent Primary School (100-300 Devices)

A Canberra independent primary school with 200 Chromebooks, a part-time IT coordinator, and a limited ICT budget of AUD $3,000-$5,000 per year for filtering and classroom management.

Best choice: Blocksi (Manager + Teacher bundle). At roughly AUD $1,260 per year for 200 devices, Blocksi fits comfortably within the budget and provides both filtering and classroom management. Teachers get screen viewing and tab control without the school needing to purchase a separate product. The savings compared to GoGuardian Suite (roughly AUD $2,520-$3,160 per year) can be redirected to professional development or other ICT needs. The limited IT staff can manage Blocksi's straightforward policy configuration without specialist training.

Scenario 2: Mid-Size Catholic Secondary School (500-1,000 Devices)

A Brisbane Catholic secondary school with 700 Chromebooks, a full-time IT manager, and a priority on teacher-led classroom management. The diocese requires documented compliance reporting.

Best choice: GoGuardian Suite (Admin + Teacher + Beacon). At roughly AUD $8,820-$11,060 per year for 700 devices, GoGuardian provides the strongest classroom management experience for secondary teachers who need to manage student attention during lessons. Beacon provides duty-of-care safety alerts, and the reporting capabilities satisfy diocesan compliance requirements. The full-time IT manager can configure and maintain the platform effectively. GoGuardian's large user community means plenty of peer schools have documentation and templates to share.

Scenario 3: Large Independent K-12 School with Boarding (1,500-3,000 Devices)

A Melbourne independent K-12 school with 2,000 devices (Chromebooks, iPads, and some Windows laptops), boarding facilities, and a dedicated IT team of 3-4 staff. Student wellbeing is a strategic priority, and devices go home with day students.

Best choice: Securly Platform (Filter + Classroom + Aware) with On-Call. Securly's cross-platform support handles the mixed device environment. Aware monitors student activity across Google Workspace applications and browsing for wellbeing concerns, directly supporting the school's safeguarding obligations. On-Call provides after-hours coverage for boarders and students using devices at home, which neither GoGuardian nor Blocksi offer. At roughly AUD $25,200-$37,800 per year for 2,000 devices (before On-Call), the investment is substantial but proportionate to the school's size, risk profile, and commitment to student welfare. The parent-facing Home app engages families in the online safety conversation.

Decision Framework: Which Tool Should You Choose?

Choose Blocksi if:
- Budget is the primary constraint and you need filtering plus classroom management at the lowest cost
- Your school is Chromebook-only with no mixed device requirements
- You have limited IT staff and need a straightforward platform
- You are a primary school where basic filtering and teacher controls are sufficient
- YouTube filtering granularity is a priority (channel and video-level control)
- Your device count is under 1,000 and you want to keep annual costs under AUD $5,000

Choose GoGuardian if:
- Teacher adoption and classroom management are the highest priority
- You want the most proven and widely-deployed platform with the largest support community
- Your school is primarily Chromebook-based with Google Workspace for Education
- You need reliable safety alerts (Beacon) but document-level scanning is not required
- Compliance reporting for your education authority or diocese needs to be robust
- Your device count is 300-3,000 and you have at least a part-time IT coordinator

Choose Securly if:
- Student wellbeing and mental health monitoring are strategic priorities
- Your school has a mixed device environment (Chromebooks, Windows, Mac, iOS)
- You want AI-driven scanning of student documents and communications for safety concerns
- After-hours monitoring (On-Call) is important -- especially for boarding schools
- Parent engagement through a dedicated app is valuable for your community
- Your device count is 500+ and you have a dedicated IT team to manage the platform

Useful Resources:
- Blocksi for Education
- GoGuardian for Education
- Securly for Education
- eSafety Commissioner -- Schools and Young People
- Google Workspace for Education Admin Help
- Office of the Australian Information Commissioner -- Privacy in Schools

Affiliate & Partner Programs

If your school is evaluating content filtering solutions, the following partner programs may offer additional resources and support:

• GoGuardian Partner Program: https://www.goguardian.com/partners -- partner resources for resellers and education technology consultants working with GoGuardian products.
• Securly Partner Program: https://www.securly.com/partners -- partnership opportunities for IT service providers and education consultants deploying Securly in schools.

The Verdict: Practical Recommendations for Australian Schools

There is no single best content filter for Google Workspace for Education. The right choice depends on your school's size, device environment, budget, and how heavily you weight student wellness monitoring versus classroom management versus pure filtering.

For budget-constrained schools that need solid filtering and classroom management without separate product purchases, Blocksi delivers the most functionality per dollar. At AUD $3.20-$8.70 per device per year with classroom management included, it costs roughly half what GoGuardian or Securly charge for equivalent coverage. For a 500-device school, the annual saving of AUD $2,000-$5,000 compared to the full suites of competitors is real money in an education budget. Blocksi is the pragmatic choice for primary schools and smaller independent schools where the core requirement is reliable filtering and teacher screen visibility.

For schools where teacher adoption is the make-or-break factor, GoGuardian is the safest choice. GoGuardian Teacher is the most refined classroom management tool in this comparison, and teachers who have used it consistently rate it highly. If your school's filtering investment will fail unless teachers actually use the classroom tools, GoGuardian gives you the best chance of adoption. The Beacon safety module provides meaningful duty-of-care protection without the deeper document scanning that raises privacy complexity.

For schools that take a holistic approach to student online safety and have the budget and staff to manage a comprehensive platform, Securly is the most capable option. Aware's AI-driven monitoring of student documents and communications goes further than any competitor in detecting students at risk. The On-Call after-hours service is genuinely unique. For boarding schools, large K-12 campuses with mixed devices, and schools where student wellbeing is a board-level priority, Securly provides the depth that simpler tools cannot match.

If you are unsure where to start, request trials of all three -- each offers pilot programs for schools. Deploy them to a single year group or class for a term and let your teachers and IT staff evaluate the experience. The filtering quality across all three is broadly comparable; the differences lie in classroom tools, wellness monitoring, cross-platform support, and cost. The most important decision is not which filter to choose -- it is to ensure your school has proper content filtering in place. Every Chromebook without adequate filtering is an unmanaged risk to the students using it and a compliance gap your school cannot afford.

Need help selecting and deploying content filtering for your school's Google Workspace environment? Contact our team for a free consultation tailored to Australian education requirements.