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Cybersecurity · head to head

Norton 360 vs Socket

Norton 360 logo

Norton 360

Cybersecurity

Powerful protection against evolving threats

From
$36/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Socket logo

Socket

Cybersecurity

Supply chain security platform detecting and blocking malicious dependencies

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Socket has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Norton 360 device limit of 3 devices on Standard plan; higher tiers needed for family with multiple devices; Socket team plan requires minimum 5-developer commitment, expensive for small teams
  • They diverge on capability: Norton 360 covers Real-time threat protection, Socket covers Malware detection.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Norton 360 and Socket actually diverge.

Attributes where Norton 360 and Socket differ
AttributeNorton 360Socket
Starting price$36/yearFree
Pricing modelUnknownPer-developer monthly subscription with tiered access
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, macOS, Android, iOSWeb, CLI, GitHub
Founded19822021

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cybersecurity).

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 Norton 360

  • Real-time threat protection
  • Ransomware protection
  • Firewall
  • Password Manager
  • Secure VPN
  • Cloud backup
  • Dark Web Monitoring
  • Parental Controls

Only in Socket

  • Malware detection
  • Automatic blocking
  • AI behavior analysis
  • Reachability analysis
  • Slack integration
  • SBOM support
  • SAML SSO
  • GitHub Actions scanning

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Norton 360

  • Antivirusnot Socket
  • Internet Securitynot Socket
  • Identity Protectionnot Socket

Socket

  • Blocking zero-day malware attacks in JavaScript dependenciesnot Norton 360
  • Managing CVE false positives with precomputed reachability analysisnot Norton 360
  • Securing Python and Go supply chains at scalenot Norton 360
  • Automating compliance requirements for regulated industriesnot Norton 360
  • Real-time threat notifications via Slack integrationnot Norton 360

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Norton 360

  • Device limit of 3 devices on Standard plan; higher tiers needed for family with multiple devices
  • Parental controls unavailable on Standard plan, requiring purchase of separate Norton Family app
  • No HIPAA compliance or BAA support for regulated industries
  • Exploit Prevention works only on Windows devices, not available for macOS
  • Limited account recovery options if master password is forgotten

Socket

  • Team plan requires minimum 5-developer commitment, expensive for small teams
  • Business plan $50/dev/month becomes costly for teams exceeding 20 members
  • Enterprise pricing requires custom consultation with no transparent pricing
  • Free plan limited to individual developers without team collaboration
  • Reachability analysis improvement (90% false positive reduction) only on Enterprise

Pricing, plan by plan

Norton 360

$36/year
  • Norton 360 Standard$36/year
    • Antivirus and malware protection
    • VPN
    • Dark web monitoring
  • Norton 360 Deluxe$49.99/year
    • All Standard features
    • 50 GB cloud backup
    • Parental controls
  • Norton 360 Premium$54.99/year
    • All Deluxe features
    • 250 GB cloud backup
    • LifeLock identity theft protection

Socket

Free
  • FreeFree
    • For individual developers
    • Detects 70+ risk types
    • Blocks malicious dependencies automatically
  • Team$25/month
    • Per developer on minimum 5 developers
    • Precomputed reachability analysis cuts 60% false positives
    • Slack alerts for threats
  • Business$50/month
    • Per developer on minimum 20 developers
    • All Team features
    • Compliance integrations with Vanta
  • Enterprise$undefined/custom
    • Function-level reachability eliminates up to 90% irrelevant CVEs
    • Multi-repository system support
    • Named account manager

Which should you pick?

Choose Norton 360 if

  • You need real-time threat protection.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Android, iOS.
  • You also want ransomware protection.
Norton 360 review

Choose Socket if

  • You need malware detection.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, CLI, GitHub.
  • You also want automatic blocking.
Socket review

Questions people ask

Is Norton 360 or Socket better?
Neither clearly leads. Norton 360 starts at $36/year and Socket at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Norton 360 or Socket?
Socket has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $36/year for Norton 360 and Free for Socket.
Does Norton 360 or Socket run on more platforms?
Norton 360 runs on Windows, macOS, Android, iOS. Socket runs on Web, CLI, GitHub.
Can I use Socket for free?
Yes. Socket has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Norton 360 starts at $36/year.
What is Norton 360 best used for?
Norton 360 is most often used for antivirus, internet security, identity protection. Of those, antivirus and internet security are not what Socket is typically brought in for.
What can Norton 360 do that Socket cannot?
Norton 360 covers Real-time threat protection, Ransomware protection, Firewall, Password Manager. Socket covers Malware detection, Automatic blocking, AI behavior analysis, Reachability analysis.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Norton 360: What operating systems does Norton 360 Standard support?

Windows 7 SP1 through Windows 11, macOS 10.13 and later, Android 10.0 or later, and current plus two previous iOS versions. Not all features are available on all platforms.

Source
Socket: How many zero-day attacks does Socket detect?

Socket detects over 100 zero-day attacks weekly across JavaScript, Python, and Go ecosystems.

Source
Norton 360: How much cloud backup storage is included in Norton 360 Standard?

2 GB of cloud backup storage is included with Norton 360 Standard. Higher tiers offer 50 GB (Deluxe) and 250 GB (Premium).

Source
Socket: What is precomputed reachability analysis?

Socket's precomputed reachability analysis cuts CVE false positives by 60% automatically on Team plans, and up to 90% on Enterprise plans through function-level analysis.

Source
Norton 360: Does Norton 360 include a VPN?

Yes. All Norton 360 plans include a VPN for secure browsing. The VPN is available on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android devices.

Source
Socket: Is there a discount for annual billing?

Yes. Socket offers a 20% discount for annual commitments across all subscription tiers.

Source
Norton 360: Is Norton 360 HIPAA compliant?

No. Norton 360 does not offer HIPAA compliance or Business Associate Agreements (BAA), making it unsuitable for healthcare organizations handling protected health information (PHI).

Source
Norton 360: What is the renewal price after the first year?

First year pricing is discounted. Standard renews at 94.99 USD per year, Deluxe at 119.99 USD per year. This represents a 140% increase over Deluxe's first-year rate of 49.99 USD.

Source
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