On Guard vs Covenant Eyes
Covenant Eyes pioneered accountability software and pairs it with real recovery programs. On Guard is for men who want the accountability without any screenshot of their screen leaving the device.
Covenant Eyes is a long-established name in accountability software, with church, ministry, and recovery programs alongside the product.
The two products draw the trust boundary in different places. Covenant Eyes takes screenshots of your screen, blurs and encrypts them, uploads them, and shows your ally an activity feed. On Guard analyzes the screen on the device itself, on Mac, Windows, and Android, and sends your ally a short text that something happened. No image ever leaves your phone.
Both are honest ways to be accountable. The question is what you want another person to see, and what you want uploaded at all.
What Covenant Eyes does well
- A long operating history in accountability software and a broad recovery program around it.
- Plans built for family use across multiple devices.
- A recovery ecosystem beyond the software, including a free Victory tier with check-ins, courses, and community.
- They say screenshots are blurred, distorted, and encrypted before upload.
- They block as well as monitor, with custom block and allow lists.
Where On Guard differs
- No pixels ever leave your device. Covenant Eyes uploads blurred screenshots for its reporting experience. On Guard uploads none, ever. Detection runs on the device and the pixels stay there.
- Your ally gets a text, not a feed to review. Within seconds of a detection, the ally you chose gets an event-only message. There is no screenshot feed, so being your ally costs a brother almost nothing.
- On Guard moves you somewhere better. After a detection the moment gets redirected to content worth your attention, and each redirect tells the feed: not interested.
- No VPN. On Guard routes none of your traffic anywhere. Covenant Eyes runs a VPN on iPhone for device-wide reporting and blocking.
Where On Guard falls short
- On iPhone, Covenant Eyes monitors more than we do. Their app captures Safari screenshots and reports explicit domains device-wide. On Guard runs no detection of its own on iOS: iPhone gets a Safari content filter plus Block and Nudge modes.
- They advertise a free Victory tier with check-ins, courses, and community. On Guard offers a 30-day trial, not a free tier.
- Their plans are built for family use. On Guard is built for one man and his allies.
- Their recovery content is deep: courses, structured programs, community. On Guard deliberately stays a defense system.
Side by side
| Covenant Eyes | On Guard | |
|---|---|---|
| Trial and refunds | Paid-plan trial offers vary by channel; a free Victory tier and refund policy are also advertised. Check the current offer before buying | 30-day free trial, then a 30-day money-back guarantee |
| How it detects | Takes screenshots and analyzes them with AI | Analyzes the screen in real time, on the device |
| What leaves your device | Blurred, encrypted screenshots are uploaded for its reporting experience | No screenshots or screen pixels, ever. Only the event alert is sent |
| What your ally sees | An activity feed of blurred screenshots, device usage tracking, and real-time notifications | An event-only text within seconds. No images, no URLs, never what it was. |
| VPN | Runs a VPN on iPhone for device-wide domain reporting and blocking | None |
| Platforms | Check Covenant Eyes' current compatibility list for your device | Full engine on Mac, Windows, and Android; on iPhone a Safari filter plus Block and Nudge modes, with no On Guard detection |
| Devices per plan | Family-oriented plans; check current plan limits | Unlimited devices for one man, allies included |
Covenant Eyes facts checked against covenanteyes.com and their App Store listings on 2026-08-17. Offer terms, review counts, prices, and plan limits can change, so this page leaves those dynamic claims out. Covenant Eyes and Victory are trademarks of Covenant Eyes, Inc.; On Guard is not affiliated with or endorsed by them. Tell us if something here is out of date.
Questions, answered.
Does Covenant Eyes take screenshots?
Yes, by their own description: screenshots are captured, blurred, encrypted, and uploaded for reporting. On Guard takes a different approach. Detection runs on your device and no screenshot is ever uploaded, at any resolution.
What does my ally see with On Guard?
A short text that something happened. Never screenshots, never URLs, never what it was. They can also see whether each of your devices is standing guard.
Can I switch from Covenant Eyes to On Guard?
Yes. Install On Guard, run the test run, and invite your ally. The 30-day free trial covers the overlap while you decide.