Best Keylogger for Windows - Top 9 Tools for Monitoring
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Looking for the best keylogger for Windows?
Although considered unethical for many years, keyloggers have now evolved as a security tool for parental control and student and employee monitoring. If you’re on the hunt for the best and budget-friendly options, keep reading.
Note: This is an informative article. Don’t install software keyloggers or attach a hardware keylogger to a PC that you don’t own.
Best Keylogger Software for Windows
I’ve tested more than 20 keyloggers for Windows PCs and have found the following to be top performers:
Software | Best Features | Free Trial | Pricing* | Ease of Use | Online/Offline | Type |
Refog | Organized keylogging reports for typed and copied text | Yes | $30.00/ month | Moderate | Online | Software |
KidInspector | Remote management of multiple devices | Yes | $59.00/ year for one PC | Fairly easy, no prior expertise is needed | Online | Software |
Spyrix | Recovers deleted keystrokes and texts | Yes | $79.00 | Moderate | Online | Software |
Spyera | Surrounding recording and app-specific keylogging | No | $49.00/ month | A bit challenging | Online | Software |
Clever Control | Set alerts for NSFW keywords or business confidential data | Yes | $4.70/ PC | Fairly easy, no prior expertise is needed | Online | Software |
NetBull | The premium edition is mostly undetectable to antivirus apps | Yes | $14.99 | A bit challenging | Online | Software |
Revealer Keylogger | Card statement won’t reveal the name of the app | Yes | $39.99 | Moderate | Online | Software |
AirDrive Forensic Keylogger | Windows Security and other antiviruses can’t detect its activity | No | $44.99 | Moderate | Only Wi-Fi, no internet needed | Hardware |
KeyGhost USB Keylogger | Windows Security and other antiviruses can’t detect its activity | No | $249 .00 | Moderate | Offline, internal chip stores up to 2,000,000 keystroke signals | Hardware |
Refog
Using the Refog keylogger application, you can track any Windows PC you own via remote operating. You can specify the actions you want to monitor. It keeps a record of everything the user types, including the chats and conversations done on blogs, forums, and other PC apps.
It even saves each pressed key on the target computers. Besides tracking typing, the tool periodically captures the computer screen to display what’s happening at that moment. Refog also creates readable logs containing IM conversations so that you can understand the user behavior.
Pros | Cons |
Generates readable logs | No content filter option |
Easy installation | Windows Security constantly blocks the app until you add it to the Exclusions directory |
No learning curve |
KidInspector
KidInspector is an intuitive and maintenance-less software. The monitoring agent, once installed, operates silently without giving a hint of its presence to the users.
Upon subscribing, the software sends you an email will all the credentials and URLs you need to monitor remote computers. Besides keylogging, it offers live screen mirroring, app activity monitoring, web browsing, sound recording, webcam mirroring, IM activity tracking, site blocking, and more.
Pros | Cons |
Real-time dashboard | Easily detected by Windows Security if not added to the Exclusion list |
Lightweight software | Live screen mirroring graphics could be better |
Truly invisible |
Spyrix
With Spyrix, you can monitor activities and keystrokes made on different computers. The text is included in the log even if the users delete it. You can set some keywords so that whenever users type them in the browser’s search bar, you get an instant alert.
Furthermore, it displays all the keyboard events. You can search them based on values like date, time, source app, title, and text. When your work is done, you can remove the software remotely from the target computer.
Pros | Cons |
Track activities on email and social media | Needs admin rights for installation |
View logs from remote locations | Basic features like screen recording, webcam recording, etc., come at an extra cost |
Keyword alerts | Doesn’t log passwords |
SPYERA
If you’re looking for invisible keylogger software, SPYERA is another great choice. It can record any text typed on apps like Facebook, WhatsApp, Skype, Microsoft Teams, and more. All the captured data is securely uploaded to the server so that you can view them using a web browser or app.
It even lets you track the email passwords entered on the target computer. You can then access those accounts later to check their contact and chat history. It runs in the background without affecting the computer’s performance. Also, its impact on the laptop battery is negligible.
Pros | Cons |
24×7 live chat customer support | Remote installation isn’t supported |
Single portal to monitor all devices | User manuals and support only available to paid users |
Access to data from mobile app |
Clever Control
Clever Control is a robust keylogger and security tool for employee monitoring. As an employer or IT manager, you can turn on the keylogger feature and prevent information leakages, determine insider threats, and get notified for high-security keywords.
It also supports keystroke recording on any application and uploading to your cloud. Its intuitive dashboard supports filtering keystroke data by date, event, computer, and so on.
Pros | Cons |
Instantly view all entered text | Simultaneous live viewing feature isn’t available for all computers |
Supports keylogging for apps, clipboards, and browsers | The on-premise solution is expensive |
Data filtering feature is available on the dashboard |
NetBull
NetBull is a comprehensive internet monitoring software with a hidden keylogger functionality. It can track online activities that involve typing including general texts, user IDs, and passwords. It doesn’t contain any spyware or trojan, hence it’s completely safe to install. You can get the log reports via email and FTP.
The software works on all the latest Windows versions. Its keylogger feature functions on all accounts including Administrator and Guest. It also supports remote installation, which means you can download the software package from an email and install it on the target computer.
Pros | Cons |
Remotely deployable keylogger | Strict ‘no refunds’ policy |
Log delivery by email and FTP channels | Antivirus software can detect the trial edition easily |
Standalone and portable software package |
Revealer Keylogger
Revealer Keylogger is an efficient tool for remote and off-site employee productivity monitoring along with home and educational establishments. This conversation recorder can capture all keystrokes, including the passwords. It tracks everything employees or students type using the keyboard on any application or social media platform.
Furthermore, it can monitor text typed on all web browsers, including Chrome incognito mode. The software can also automatically capture screenshots when users type high-security or pre-configured keywords. As the tool runs in the background and doesn’t display any message, you can stay sure of its confidentiality.
Pros | Cons |
Records passwords, system inputs, and conversations | Windows Security constantly blocks the app until you add its folder to the Exclusions directory |
Password protection for the app | |
Delivers reports via email, Dropbox, FTP, and LAN |
AirDrive Forensic Keylogger
The AirDrive keylogger device can be quite useful thanks to its small size and constant Wi-Fi connectivity. You can easily plug it into the device and make necessary changes in the configuration from its web-based console, just like a router console page. This hardware is compatible with USB keyboards and barcode readers.
It’s also completely stealthy and you won’t get any pop-up as a system device. It supports 40+ keyboard layouts of popular languages in the world. Also, you don’t need to have physical access to this keylogger as it lets you retrieve the logged file by connecting to it via Wi-Fi.
Pros | Cons |
Don’t need any software installation | Intermittent issues with keylogging reported by active users |
Capacity of 16,000,000 keystrokes | Easily detectable by tech-savvy users |
Remote log download |
Get AirDrive Forensic Keylogger
KeyGhost USB Keylogger
KeyGhost hardware keylogger records USB traffic and retrieves keystrokes made on Windows devices. It’s a plug-and-play device that doesn’t require you to turn off or restart the PC after plugging it in. You can use it to record keystrokes of multiple Windows PCs and analyze the recorded data from an admin PC.
Anything typed on the input devices is recorded in the internal flash memory chip. It’s compatible with low-speed (1.1Mbps) and high-speed (12Mbps) keyboards. Moreover, KeyGhost USB Keylogger won’t show up as an additional USB accessory in the Windows device manager.
Pros | Cons |
Up to 2,000,000 keystrokes with 128-bit encryption | Won’t work with new Logitech keyboards using a unified BT receiver |
No need to install an app | |
Plug-and-play device |
Is It Legal To Install a Keylogger?
It depends on the situation and the purpose. For example, if you’re about to monitor the online activities of your underaged children, or conduct research on the online behavior of a group, installing a keylogger is legal. Also, if your employees signed an agreement allowing such surveillance, using a keystroke tracking tool to track their activity is legal. In all other cases, using such apps is illegal.
Can a USB Keylogger Be Detected?
Yes, you can discover USB keyloggers through several means, such as:
Manual Inspection
You can easily detect a USB keylogger by carefully monitoring the connection of your keyboard with the computer. If your keyboard isn’t directly connected to the CPU and it goes through another USB connector or hub, it might be a USB keylogger.
Antivirus Software
Any robust antivirus software including Windows Defender or Windows Security should detect a USB keylogger’s processes. Scan your computer with an antivirus and it’ll detect the hardware keylogger’s graphical user interface tool.
Windows Task Manager
On Windows 10 or Windows 11, you can open the Task Manager and see the active processes related to USB keylogger management software. If a hardware keylogger is attached to the computer and its app is open somewhere, it’ll be visible in the processes section.
Do Keyloggers Really Work?
Both software and hardware keyloggers work as they claim. The features, can, however, vary a little depending on your budget.
My basis for the selection of the apps/ hardware mentioned in this article is real-world testing. Here’s how I used the KidInspector keylogger on my PCs. The steps to use other tools are quite similar.
- Go to the KidInspector registration portal and create a new account using your email ID and a unique password for your dashboard.
- You should now see your app dashboard. Click the Download for Windows button to get the software on the PC you want to track.
- Disable the antivirus software and add C:ProgramDataSecurity Monitor to the Windows Security Exclusions folder.
- Install the app on the tracked PC.
- Now, access your KidInspector dashboard from the admin PC.
- Allow your kids, students, or employees to use the tracked PC for a while.
- After 10 to 15 minutes, you should be able to see a detailed report of keystrokes on the monitored PC by going to the Keyboard events page.
Related readings:
- How to disable Microsoft’s built-in keylogger with the Windows 10 Spring Creators Update
- Best Junkware Removal Tools
- 7 Tips to Protect Your Windows Against Cybercrime
Summary
So, now you know how to pick your best keylogger for Windows! You can read the above tool and device reviews to get informed suggestions from an experienced IT analyst and PC security specialist. I’ve included the tools after testing each one of them.
Whichever you choose, don’t forget to share your experience in the comment section below.
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