Parenting & Family · head to head
Bark vs Norton Family
Norton Family
Parenting & Family
Comprehensive parental control from Norton Security
- From
- $49.99/year
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Bark the hardware products lock you into 24 month device payments on top of the monthly service; 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: Bark covers AI-powered content monitoring, Norton Family covers Antivirus protection.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Bark and Norton Family actually diverge.
| Attribute | Bark | Norton Family |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $5/month | $49.99/year |
| Platforms | Web, Ios, Android, Windows, Mac, Chromebook | Web, Ios, Android, Windows, Mac |
| Founded | 2015 | 1991 |
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), 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 Bark
- AI-powered content monitoring
- Text & email monitoring
- Web filtering
- Check-in alerts
- Cyberbullying detection
- TikTok
- Snapchat
Only in Norton Family
- Antivirus protection
- Web monitoring
- App blocking
- Activity reports
- Custom alerts
- Norton antivirus
- Device manufacturers
- Military-grade encryption
Both cover
- Social media monitoring
- Screen time management
- Location tracking
- Cloud deployment
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Bark
- Monitoring a child's texts, social media and photos for concerning contentnot Norton Family
- Blocking websites and apps by schedulenot Norton Family
- Location tracking for a child's phone or watchnot Norton Family
- Screen time limits across home devicesnot Norton Family
- A restricted phone or watch with no browser or social medianot Norton Family
Norton Family
- Blocking unsuitable websites and reporting which sites a child visitsnot Bark
- Scheduling screen time limits and a School Time focus modenot Bark
- Tracking a child's device location with arrival and departure alertsnot Bark
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Bark
- The hardware products lock you into 24 month device payments on top of the monthly service
- The app costs more on iOS at $20 a month than on Android at $14, because of what Apple allows a monitoring app to do
- Sold in the United States only, with the app also available in South Africa and Australia
- Bark Home at $6 a month covers home network devices only and does not travel with a phone
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
Bark
$5/month- Bark Jr$5/month
- Screen time scheduling
- Web filtering
- Location tracking
- Bark Premium$14/month
- Everything in Bark Jr
- Content monitoring
- 30+ social platforms
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 Bark if
- You need ai-powered content monitoring.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Windows, Mac, Chromebook.
- You also want text & email monitoring.
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 Bark or Norton Family better?
- Neither clearly leads. Bark starts at $5/month 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, Bark or Norton Family?
- Bark starts at $5/month and Norton Family at $49.99/year.
- Does Bark or Norton Family run on more platforms?
- Bark runs on Web, Ios, Android, Windows, Mac, Chromebook. Norton Family runs on Web, Ios, Android, Windows, Mac.
- What is Bark best used for?
- Bark is most often used for monitoring a child's texts, social media and photos for concerning content, blocking websites and apps by schedule, location tracking for a child's phone or watch, screen time limits across home devices. Of those, monitoring a child's texts, social media and photos for concerning content and blocking websites and apps by schedule are not what Norton Family is typically brought in for.
- What can Bark do that Norton Family cannot?
- Bark covers AI-powered content monitoring, Text & email monitoring, Web filtering, Check-in alerts. Norton Family covers Antivirus protection, Web monitoring, App blocking, Activity reports. Both handle Social media monitoring, Screen time management, Location tracking, Cloud deployment.