Hāpara Filter vs iboss cloud for Education
Compare two K-12 web filters that work across student devices to decide how to best protect students across your school or district.
Overview
There are several web filtering options available for K-12 schools, and Hāpara and iboss are two options to consider. Both platforms offer school districts filtering across student devices. These two begin to contrast, though, when you dive into the full capabilities of their web filters.
This page will help you understand the difference between Hāpara Filter and iboss cloud for Education. Use this information to make the right choice when purchasing a tool to keep students safe.
What does Hāpara do?
Hāpara offers a comprehensive suite of instructional tools specifically built for K-12 schools and districts. They offer the Hāpara Filter for K-12 web filtering, along with tools that make teaching and learning easier on Chromebooks.
What does iboss do?
iboss offers cloud-based network security for companies and organizations, working primarily with Microsoft Office 365 and Azure. While not a K-12 company specifically, iboss offers a cloud-based filtering product for schools called iboss cloud for Education.
An overview of Hāpara Filter
Hāpara Filter is a K-12 web filter that uses artificial intelligence. It works in real-time, analyzing the content a student is viewing and uses context to determine what is harmful or inappropriate. Instead of automatically blocking an entire page or site, it will restrict the part that is not educational. The web filter is also designed to promote conversations about digital citizenship.
An overview of iboss cloud for Education
iboss for Education offers a cloud-based web filter for schools. It works by automatically enabling safe search on Google, Bing, Yahoo and YouTube. Technology administrators can also set up filtering policies for teachers and students.
How they compare
Features
Hāpara Filter
iboss cloud for Education
Devices
Hāpara Filter works on any school-issued device, at home for remote learning or in the classroom. When students log in to Google on Chromebooks or another device, the filter protects students.
iboss for Education works via the cloud across students’ devices on campus or at home.
Admin and teacher management
Technology administrators can install Hāpara Filter within a few minutes. From there, the filter uses AI to do all the work. Tech administrators do not have to maintain lists or policies.
Teachers can approve a site in-the-moment if they would like a student or group to access it. Students can also request approval for a site as they are learning.
With iboss for Education, technology administrators set up filtering policies for staff members and students.
They can also create override groups so that teachers can access certain sites on student computers during instruction.
Video, audio, images and text
Hāpara Filter uses AI to read context across all sites and pages. It works in real-time to restrict content that students should not view.
The web filter blurs inappropriate parts of videos and mutes audio when necessary. It also blurs any images or text on a page that are inappropriate or harmful. Technology administrators don’t need to block sites like YouTube since Hāpara Filter understands context and recognizes which parts are not educational.
iboss cloud for Education automatically re-enables Google Safe Search if it is disabled by students. If anything makes it by Safe Search, it extends filtering only shows clean images and search results. When iboss kicks Safe Search back on, it’s transparent, so students won’t know that it’s been re-enabled.
They also offer social media controls that help schools manage who can access social media, what they can access (such as only seeing text) and how they can access it.
Zoom and Google Meet
Hāpara Filter blurs out any inappropriate text or images during a synchronous online class meeting. Because it works in real-time, teachers can focus on instruction.
iboss for Education does not have this capability because the web filter does not work in real-time.
Google games and games on Google Sites
Hāpara Filter automatically blocks Google games and games on Google Sites that make it through other web filters. Students cannot access them if their school or district uses Hāpara Filter.
With iboss for Education, technology administrators need to set up and restrict specific URLs in order to block Google games and games on Google Sites.
Ads and tracking
Hāpara Filter blocks ads and tracking and anonymizes Google searches.
iboss for Education does not have this capability because the web filter does not work in real-time.
Mental health detection
Hāpara Filter offers a Wellness Module that monitors students’ wellbeing. It uses context to detect signs of cyberbullying and self-harm across all online activity. The web filter then sends administrators mental health alerts.
iboss cloud for Education allows technology administrators to configure high risk alerts. The alerts happen in real-time across search engines.
How they compare
Hāpara Filter
Devices
Hāpara Filter works on any school-issued device, at home for remote learning or in the classroom. When students log in to Google on Chromebooks or another device, the filter protects students.
Admin and teacher management
Technology administrators can install Hāpara Filter within a few minutes. From there, the filter uses AI to do all the work. Tech administrators do not have to maintain lists or policies.
Teachers can approve a site in-the-moment if they would like a student or group to access it. Students can also request approval for a site as they are learning.
Video, audio, images and text
Hāpara Filter uses AI to read context across all sites and pages. It works in real-time to restrict content that students should not view.
The web filter blurs inappropriate parts of videos and mutes audio when necessary. It also blurs any images or text on a page that are inappropriate or harmful. Technology administrators don’t need to block sites like YouTube since Hāpara Filter understands context and recognizes which parts are not educational.
Zoom and Google Meet
Hāpara Filter blurs out any inappropriate text or images during a synchronous online class meeting. Because it works in real-time, teachers can focus on instruction.
Google games and games on Sites
Hāpara Filter automatically blocks Google games and sites that make it through other web filters. Students cannot access them if their school or district uses Hāpara Filter.
Ads and tracking
Hāpara Filter blocks ads and tracking and anonymizes Google searches.
Mental health detection
Hāpara Filter offers a Wellness Module that monitors students’ wellbeing. It uses context to detect signs of cyberbullying and self-harm across all online activity. The web filter then sends administrators mental health alerts.
iboss cloud for Education
Devices
iboss for Education works via the cloud across students’ devices on campus or at home.
Admin and teacher management
With iboss for Education, technology administrators set up filtering policies for staff members and students.
They can also create override groups so that teachers can access certain sites on student computers during instruction.
Video, audio, images and text
iboss cloud for Education automatically re-enables Google Safe Search if it is disabled by students. If anything makes it by Safe Search, it extends filtering only shows clean images and search results. When iboss kicks Safe Search back on, it’s transparent, so students won’t know that it’s been re-enabled.
They also offer social media controls that help schools manage who can access social media, what they can access (such as only seeing text) and how they can access it.
Zoom and Google Meet
iboss for Education does not have this capability because the web filter does not work in real-time.
Google games and games on Sites
Hāpara Filter blocks Google games and games on Google Sites. Most web filters don’t recognize them as games, but Hāpara Filter is able to intelligently read content like humans do.
Ads and tracking
iboss for Education does not have this capability because the web filter does not work in real-time.
Mental health detection
iboss cloud for Education allows technology administrators to configure high risk alerts. The alerts happen in real-time across search engines.