SpyBuddy Details

SpyBuddy is a program that seems to be behind the times in other ways as well. Internet conversations are recorded from only a short list of chat programs – usually not the latest version – plus, it does not record newer programs like Google Talk, MySpaceIM, or Skype.

The email message logging functionality is also limited to programs that originated in the last century. SpyBuddy only records POP3 and SMTP supported e-mail clients, such as Outlook, Outlook Express, and Eudora! You are not able to record email messages sent and received with more up to date web clients, like Hotmail, Yahoo mail, Gmail, or even AOL.

Some of the other programs we tested recorded all the latest versions and all the newer products.

A feature that we found surprisingly limited in SpyBuddy is keyword or key phase detection. It only works for words “found” on web pages, but overlooks chat conversations, email messages and keystrokes typed into web browsers or PC applications, like MS Word. You can’t really protect your child from unwanted contact from online predators if you can’t monitor their chat conversation and email messages for foul language and sex terms.

If you were planning to use SpyBuddy in the office to catch employees mishandling sensitive documents or files, then you will be disappointed. The program will log all the files and documents accessed, but it will not tell you if they emailed them outside the company or copied them to a USB memory stick.

Customer Support

The SpyBuddy web site says that they do not provide telephone-based support, although they are happy to take your order by telephone Monday through Friday. This is actually typical of many of the sites/products we have examined, but greatly inferior to products that are backed by toll-free telephone support, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Bottom Line

We found SpyBuddy to be full of outdated features and lacking in recording of complete and useful information.