Norton Family vs. Net Nanny 2024: Well-Rounded Protection or No Frills?

Best for overall security

4.5

AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Editorial Rating

Learn More

On Norton Family's website

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Norton Family

• Excels at app blocking and content filtering across 47 categories
• Offers age-specific restriction levels to enhance safety and unlimited device connections
• Not compatible with macOS and offers fewer monitoring features for iOS

Best for just parental controls

4.0

AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Editorial Rating

Learn More

On Net Nanny's website

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Net Nanny

• Supports up to 20 devices
• Easy-to-use Location Tracking and Screen Time Management features
• No text and email monitoring feature

Norton Family has parental controls to help you monitor a child's online activity. But you can also bundle this with Norton's antivirus software for a comprehensive security package. Norton Family may be an ideal choice for families looking for well-rounded protection from online threats.

Meanwhile, Net Nanny focuses exclusively on parental controls. It offers the essential features you need to track a child's online experience. Net Nanny may be a good choice for families looking for basic parental controls with no frills.

Keep reading to find out more about the features and device compatibility that make Norton Family and Net Nanny stand apart from each other.

Norton Family vs. Net Nanny review at a glance

Norton Family provides more tools and monitoring than Net Nanny. Families could also choose to buy a Norton antivirus package that comes with Norton Family for comprehensive security coverage.

Net Nanny doesn't offer any protection from cyberthreats like malware or viruses. It focuses exclusively on parental controls and offers all the essential features you need to protect your child online.

• Norton Family: Best for overall security
• Net Nanny: Best for just parental controls

Norton Family vs. Net Nanny compared

Starting price	Starts at $49.99/first yr	Starts at $3.33/mo (billed annually)
Free version
Max number of protected devices	Unlimited	20
Web filtering
Screen time limits
Location tracking
Activity reports
Learn more	Get Norton Family Read Norton Family Review	Read Net Nanny Review

Norton Family pros and cons

Net Nanny pros and cons

Norton Family vs. Net Nanny: prices

	Our Pick
Price range	$49.99/first yr	$3.33-$7.50/mo (billed annually)
Best value plan	Norton Family for $49.99/first yr	20 Devices Family Protection Pass for $7.50/mo (billed annually)
Money-back guarantee	Yes — 30 days	Yes — 14 days
Learn more	Get Norton Family Read Norton Family Review	Read Net Nanny Review

Norton Family plans

Norton Family provides parents with the ability to monitor and control their child's online experience. There is only one annual subscription offered if you’re only interested in parental control.

However, if you would like to bundle parental control with security tools like antivirus software, then you should consider Norton's other plans. Norton 360 Deluxe and Norton 360 with LifeLock Select provide other features to help you and your family stay safe online.

• Norton Family: Norton Family provides parental controls for unlimited devices. While Norton Family has several features to protect and monitor your child online, it doesn't provide any other additional security features like antivirus software or a virtual private network (VPN).
• Norton 360 Deluxe: Norton 360 Deluxe includes the same parental controls offered in Norton Family, though it only covers five devices. It also includes security features designed to protect your device and data from malware, ransomware, antivirus, and hacking. The first year costs the same as Norton Family, although the price increases on renewal.
• Norton 360 with LifeLock Select: This plan includes all of the same security features and parental controls as Norton 360 Deluxe. In addition, it also offers LifeLock, a service for identity theft protection. This plan covers 10 devices, which may be more appropriate coverage for families.

If you opt for just Norton Family, then you can take advantage of a 30-day free trial before purchasing. However, you’ll need to enter payment information to get the free trial. The Norton 360 plans provide a 60-day money-back guarantee.

Net Nanny plans

Net Nanny provides three different plans that cover a varying number of devices and operating systems. The same features are available across plans.

• 1 Desktop: The cheapest plan only covers 1 PC or Mac and there's no option to cover an iOS device. This plan includes all of the Net Nanny features like screen time management and web filtering.
• 5 Devices Family Protection Pass: This plan covers up to five devices. Unlike the 1 Desktop plan, it includes iOS devices.
• 20 Devices Family Protection Pass: This plan covers up to 20 devices, which is substantial coverage for families. It covers PC, Mac, and iOS devices and provides the best overall value.

There’s no free trial currently available for Net Nanny. However, if you purchase directly from Net Nanny, you are eligible for a 14-day return policy. While it's a short timeframe, this could give you enough time to decide if Net Nanny is right for you.

Norton Family vs. Net Nanny: monitoring and alerts

Feature	Our Pick
Website filtering	Yes — 47 categories	Yes — 14 categories
App filtering	Yes, only on Windows and Android	Yes, only on iOS — Blocks 125 apps
Social media monitoring	Limited monitoring on Android	Yes
Text message monitoring
Email monitoring
Internet search monitoring
Screen time limits
Remote lock
Cyberbullying and online predator alerts
Location tracking
Geo-fencing
Activity reports
Learn more	Get Norton Family Read Norton Family Review	Read Net Nanny Review

Norton Family shines because it covers far more categories for website filtering than Net Nanny. It also provides more significant location-tracking tools like geo-fencing. This tool alerts parents when a child's phone has gone outside a designated safe zone.

But Norton Family's app filtering only works on Android and Windows. If you need it on iOS, you're out of luck. It's also important to note that Norton Family only notifies you what apps are downloaded and not the content of the apps. On the other hand, Net Nanny only works on iOS, but it can review specific apps' content.

There are essential features that both Norton Family and Net Nanny lack. For example, the ability to monitor text messages and emails. When it comes to social media monitoring, only Net Nanny offers it but we had a difficult time getting it to work. We understand wanting kids to stay safe on social media, so these services might be disappointing in that regard.

If you have older children, monitoring texts, emails, and social media may be important features to you. In that case, neither Net Nanny nor Norton Family are good choices.

Another significant issue with both programs is that some features only work on certain devices. But we'll dive deeper into this issue in the compatibility section.

Which is safer, Norton Family vs. Net Nanny?

Parental control software collects a lot of data to run their services — everything from your unique device ID to geographic location. All of this data is necessary for monitoring a device. However, it's personal information that needs security to prevent a data breach. Parents should consider security protocols when choosing parental control software.

Norton Family collects an extensive amount of data, from your geolocation, to your financial data, to your network traffic. Although it can be used for marketing purposes, you do have the right to opt-out of personal data sharing for marketing.

Net Nanny collects account, location, technical, and usage information, as well as information for your marketing preferences. Net Nanny also allows you to unsubscribe from any marketing communications.

Norton Family vs. Net Nanny data security

	Our Pick
Two-factor authentication
Collects data
Shares data with third parties	Minimal	Minimal
Learn more	Get Norton Family Read Norton Family Review	Read Net Nanny Review

Norton Family provides two-factor authentication (2FA) to ensure your account stays protected. Net Nanny doesn't have a 2FA option. Authentication methods are important because they add an extra layer of security to your account.

Norton Family vs. Net Nanny: compatibility and customer support

	Our Pick
Windows
macOS
Android
iOS
Browser extensions	Yes — Firefox, Chrome, Edge
24/7 customer support
Customer support options	24/7 live chat, phone, forums, online guides, social media	Live chat, email, online guides
Learn more	Get Norton Family Read Norton Family Review	Read Net Nanny Review

Neither Norton Family nor Net Nanny works across all operating systems and devices. You may find that some features are missing on other platforms too.

Norton Family doesn't work on macOS. On top of that, we noticed some monitoring features were missing on the iOS version. Overall, Norton Family might not be a great option if your family heavily uses Macs or iPhones.

Net Nanny can handle macOS and iOS. It's also compatible with Windows. The main problem comes with Android. It currently doesn't offer support for Android, Fire Kindle, or Chromebooks. Net Nanny is planning on releasing versions to support these devices in 2024. In the meantime, Net Nanny isn't a great option if you want to monitor your child's Android phone .

Net Nanny also doesn't have robust customer support compared to Norton Family. Net Nanny has a live chat, but it's only available Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST. If you have a problem on the weekend, then you're on your own. Meanwhile, Norton Family has 24/7 support available.

Norton Family vs. Net Nanny FAQs

Norton Family vs. Net Nanny: which is better?

Norton Family won every category in our list. It provided more monitoring features that actually functioned when we tested them. It's also more affordable overall considering you can add unlimited devices. Another plus is that you can bundle it with antivirus software to further keep your devices secure. However, it doesn't work on macOS and the iOS version lacks monitoring features.

Net Nanny may be a better option if your family uses Apple products. While more expensive, it does offer several tools to protect and monitor your child's online activity.

Norton Family vs. Net Nanny alternatives

Norton Family and Net Nanny may not be your perfect match. Luckily, there are a few other options to consider for the best parental control app for you. Here are a few other alternatives to evaluate:

• Bark: Need parental controls that work on all operating systems and devices? Bark can do that, and it's also an ideal option if you are prioritizing identifying cyberbullying and self-harm situations. It can scan apps, emails, and text messages for warning signs.

  Get Bark | Read Our Bark Review

• Aura Parental Controls: Got a gamer in the family? Aura Parental Control offers 24/7 in-game and voice monitoring to detect online predators, scams, and cyberbullying. It also comes equipped with all the standard features of a parental control app like content filtering, screen time limits, and remote lock.

  Get Aura Parental Controls | Read Our Aura Parental Controls Review

4.5

AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Editorial Rating

Learn More

On Norton Family's website

Norton Family

• Excels at app blocking and content filtering across 47 categories
• Offers age-specific restriction levels to enhance safety and unlimited device connections
• Not compatible with macOS and offers fewer monitoring features for iOS

Author Details

Sara J. Nguyen

About the Author

Sara J. Nguyen is a freelance writer specializing in cybersecurity. She aims to help people protect their data while enjoying technology. She has written about online privacy and tech for over 5 years for several organizations. When she's not writing about the latest cybersecurity trends, you can find her on LinkedIn.