Norton 360 vs Tailscale Comparison: Reviews, Features, Pricing & Alternatives in 2026

Detailed side-by-side comparison to help you choose the right solution for your team

Updated May 2026 8 min read

Norton 360

0.0 (0 reviews)

Norton 360 provides comprehensive layers of protection for your devices and online privacy against viruses, malware, and identity threats in a single integrated solution.

Starting at $2.5/mo
Free Trial 30 days
VS

Tailscale

0.0 (0 reviews)

Tailscale is a zero-config VPN software that creates secure mesh networks between your devices and cloud resources using the WireGuard protocol to simplify remote access and internal connectivity.

Starting at Free
Free Trial 0 days

Quick Comparison

Feature Norton 360 Tailscale
Website norton.com tailscale.com
Pricing Model Subscription Freemium
Starting Price $2.5/month Free
FREE Trial ✓ 30 days free trial ✓ 0 days free trial
Free Plan ✘ No free plan ✓ Has free plan
Product Demo ✘ No product demo ✓ Request demo here
Deployment desktop mobile saas mobile desktop
Integrations Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Microsoft Outlook Dropbox Google Drive OneDrive Google Microsoft 365 GitHub Okta Slack Heroku AWS Azure Google Cloud Synology
Target Users solopreneur small-business solopreneur small-business mid-market enterprise
Target Industries
Customer Count 0 0
Founded Year 1982 2019
Headquarters Tempe, USA Toronto, Canada

Overview

N

Norton 360

Norton 360 is an all-in-one security suite designed to protect your digital life across multiple fronts. You can safeguard your PCs, Macs, and mobile devices from evolving cyber threats like ransomware and phishing while securing your internet connection with a built-in virtual private network. It goes beyond traditional antivirus by helping you manage your passwords and backing up your important files to the cloud automatically.

You can also monitor your personal information on the dark web and receive alerts if your data is found in known breaches. Whether you are a solo user or looking to protect your entire family, the platform offers flexible plans that scale based on the number of devices you need to cover and the depth of identity protection you require.

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Tailscale

Tailscale makes creating a secure network between your computers, servers, and cloud instances as easy as installing an app. It builds a private mesh network—called a tailnet—that connects your devices directly to each other using the WireGuard protocol. This means you can access your home office computer from a coffee shop or connect to a private database in the cloud without managing complex firewall rules or centralized VPN gateways.

You can manage identity and access through your existing providers like Google, Microsoft 365, or GitHub, ensuring that only authorized users can reach your sensitive resources. It handles the difficult parts of networking, like NAT traversal and key rotation, automatically in the background. Whether you are a developer connecting to a local test environment or an enterprise securing thousands of endpoints, it provides a stable, encrypted connection that works across any provider or location.

Overview

N

Norton 360 Features

  • Real-time Threat Protection Block hackers and malware in real-time with advanced security technology that identifies both known and emerging online threats.
  • Secure VPN Browse anonymously and more securely with a no-log VPN that encrypts your data when using public Wi-Fi networks.
  • Dark Web Monitoring Receive instant notifications if your personal information, like email addresses or gamer tags, is discovered on the dark web.
  • Cloud Backup Prevent data loss due to drive failures or ransomware by automatically backing up your important files to secure cloud storage.
  • Password Manager Generate, store, and manage your passwords, credit card information, and other credentials in your own encrypted, online vault.
  • Smart Firewall Monitor the communication between your computer and other systems to block unauthorized traffic and protect your private files.
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Tailscale Features

  • Zero-Config Mesh VPN. Connect your devices directly to one another without manual port forwarding or complex firewall rules.
  • Single Sign-On Integration. Use your existing identity providers like Google, Microsoft 365, or Okta to authenticate users and devices.
  • MagicDNS. Access your devices using short, easy-to-remember names instead of tracking changing IP addresses across your network.
  • Tailscale SSH. Manage SSH access to your servers using your tailnet identity instead of distributing and rotating static SSH keys.
  • Split DNS. Configure specific DNS servers for different domains so your internal queries stay private while public traffic flows normally.
  • Exit Nodes. Route all your internet traffic through a specific trusted device on your network to stay secure on public Wi-Fi.
  • Subnet Routers. Expose entire existing networks to your tailnet so you can access legacy devices that cannot run the software.
  • Access Control Lists. Define granular security policies in code to restrict which users can access specific devices or ports.

Pricing Comparison

N

Norton 360 Pricing

Norton 360 Antivirus Plus
$2.5
  • 1 PC, Mac, or mobile device
  • Real-time threat protection
  • 2GB Cloud Backup
  • Password Manager
  • Smart Firewall
  • Virus Protection Promise
T

Tailscale Pricing

Personal
$0
  • Up to 3 users
  • Up to 100 devices
  • MagicDNS
  • Tailscale SSH
  • Community support
  • Admin console access

Pros & Cons

M

Norton 360

Pros

  • Excellent malware detection rates across all devices
  • Comprehensive feature set in one single subscription
  • Generous 60-day money-back guarantee for annual plans
  • Intuitive interface makes security management very simple

Cons

  • Renewal prices increase significantly after first year
  • Full system scans can impact older hardware performance
  • Frequent pop-up notifications can be distracting
A

Tailscale

Pros

  • Extremely simple setup process for all devices
  • Reliable connectivity even behind strict firewalls
  • Generous free tier for personal projects
  • Minimal impact on system performance and battery
  • Seamless integration with existing identity providers

Cons

  • Requires a third-party identity provider login
  • Limited advanced routing features for complex setups
  • Mobile app can occasionally drain battery
  • Admin console lacks some deep auditing logs
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