Parenting & Family · head to head
BabyCenter vs Norton Family
BabyCenter
Parenting & Family
Comprehensive pregnancy and baby information app
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Norton Family
Parenting & Family
Comprehensive parental control from Norton Security
- From
- $49.99/year
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only BabyCenter has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: BabyCenter babyCenter is free to use with no subscription tier of its own, monetising through advertising and partnerships rather than a user fee; Norton Family norton Family can only be installed on a child's Windows PC, iOS or Android device, with no macOS support
- They diverge on capability: BabyCenter covers Week-by-week pregnancy updates, Norton Family covers Antivirus protection.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which BabyCenter and Norton Family actually diverge.
| Attribute | BabyCenter | Norton Family |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $49.99/year |
| Pricing model | free | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web, Ios, Android | Web, Ios, Android, Windows, Mac |
| Founded | 1997 | 1991 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Parenting & Family).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in BabyCenter
- Week-by-week pregnancy updates
- Baby development tracker
- Milestone tracking
- Parenting tips
- Expert articles
- Community forums
- Growth charts
- Vaccine schedules
Only in Norton Family
- Antivirus protection
- Web monitoring
- App blocking
- Screen time management
- Location tracking
- Activity reports
- Social media monitoring
- Custom alerts
Both cover
- Cloud deployment
- Web support
- Ios support
- Android support
- English language support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
BabyCenter
- Pregnancy informationnot Norton Family
- Baby trackingnot Norton Family
- Community supportnot Norton Family
- Health informationnot Norton Family
Norton Family
- Blocking unsuitable websites and reporting which sites a child visitsnot BabyCenter
- Scheduling screen time limits and a School Time focus modenot BabyCenter
- Tracking a child's device location with arrival and departure alertsnot BabyCenter
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
BabyCenter
- BabyCenter is free to use with no subscription tier of its own, monetising through advertising and partnerships rather than a user fee
Norton Family
- Norton Family can only be installed on a child's Windows PC, iOS or Android device, with no macOS support
- Windows 10 in S mode is explicitly excluded
- Not all features are available on all supported platforms
- Location Supervision is not available in all countries and must be activated before use
- Video Supervision covers only videos watched on YouTube.com and does not track YouTube videos embedded in other sites or blogs
- Mobile App Supervision shows and controls apps only on Android devices
- The Android app relies on the AccessibilityService API to see websites viewed and to stop the child removing permissions
- Features require the child's device to have an internet or data plan and to be turned on
Pricing, plan by plan
BabyCenter
Free- FreeFree
- Week-by-week updates
- Baby tracker
- Community forums
Norton Family
$49.99/year- Norton 360 Deluxe$49.99/year
- Antivirus protection
- Parental controls
- Screen time limits
- Norton 360 Premium$99.99/year
- Everything in Deluxe
- Location tracking
- Advanced monitoring
Which should you pick?
Choose BabyCenter if
- You need week-by-week pregnancy updates.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want baby development tracker.
Choose Norton Family if
- You need antivirus protection.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Windows, Mac.
- You also want web monitoring.
Questions people ask
- Is BabyCenter or Norton Family better?
- Neither clearly leads. BabyCenter starts at Free and Norton Family at $49.99/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, BabyCenter or Norton Family?
- BabyCenter has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for BabyCenter and $49.99/year for Norton Family.
- Does BabyCenter or Norton Family run on more platforms?
- BabyCenter runs on Web, Ios, Android. Norton Family runs on Web, Ios, Android, Windows, Mac.
- Can I use BabyCenter for free?
- Yes. BabyCenter has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Norton Family starts at $49.99/year.
- What is BabyCenter best used for?
- BabyCenter is most often used for pregnancy information, baby tracking, community support, health information. Of those, pregnancy information and baby tracking are not what Norton Family is typically brought in for.
- What can BabyCenter do that Norton Family cannot?
- BabyCenter covers Week-by-week pregnancy updates, Baby development tracker, Milestone tracking, Parenting tips. Norton Family covers Antivirus protection, Web monitoring, App blocking, Screen time management. Both handle Cloud deployment, Web support, Ios support, Android support.