Keeping in touch with your family can be a hard thing to do in this fast-paced era. Everyone is just so busy in their lives and hyper-connected with their social circles through phone apps. However, there are family locator apps like Life360 and Family360 as well that will help you track your loved ones and promote interactions within families. So, if you’re also looking for an app to be more in touch with your family members, choosing between Life360 vs Family360 should have you sorted.
Both of these tracking applications are designed to help people keep an eye on their families. Everyone connected to one family group in these apps will be shown their profile picture on a shared map. These apps also offer details like driving previous, location history, and much more. So, let’s cover Life360 and Family360 to help you pick the right option.
What is the difference between Life360 vs. Family360?
Figuring out the differences between different family locators can be a hard task. There are just so many factors, like location tracking accuracy, extensive location history, and the responsiveness of geofencing features. So, you’ll have to thoroughly judge both apps to find the right pick for your family’s safety.
As far as Life360 is concerned, you will get more features. It offers a ton of add-ons like theft protection, free towing, credit monitoring, and much more. Here are some of the features you’ll get within Life360 platinum that are absent in Family360.
- Medical assistance
- Disaster response
- Stolen funds reimbursement
- Free towing (50 miles)
- ID theft protection
My thoughts
If you live in a risky neighborhood, then these features are far more important than any location tracking option you’ll get in Family360. Consider Family360 as a basic location tracker, and it can’t be compared to the additional safety features from Life360.
Moreover, if you live in a relatively safer neighborhood and don’t want to spend more than five dollars a month on your family’s safety, then Family360 is the better pick. However, I don’t think that you should base your final decision based on the price point.
The major difference between the two apps is that you’ll get more features from Life360. It has better location accuracy, longer location history, and consistent geofencing alerts. The only downside with this app is that you will have to pay a little more to access its premium features. I always recommend new users start with Life360. However, if you’ve tested out both apps and just want a basic location tracker, then Family360 is an OK option.
How much does Life360 cost?
Life360 offers a free version, including two days of location history and 2 location alerts. Other than that, you’ll get three paid tiers: Sliver, Gold, and Platinum. Here are your options when you want to use Life360.
- Free plan
- Silver ($7.99/mo)
- Gold ($14.99/mo)
- Platinum ($24.99/mo)
How much is Family360?
The pricing plan for Family360 is more affordable. Even though you will not get the same “free plan” option within this app, it can link up to five devices at around five dollars a month. Moreover, the yearly plan can be even cheaper at just under 3 dollars a month. Here are your options for using Family360.
- Monthly Family Pack ($5.49/mo)
- Annual Family Pack ($34.99/yr)
- Per person extension package ($0.99/person)
Life360 vs. Family360: features
Life360
Each plan within Life360 brings a different range of features to the audience. So, if you’re unsure about which subscription will best match your needs, let’s discuss Life360 vs Family360 features in depth.
Free plan
- 2 days Location History
- 2 places with Unlimited Alert
- Family Driving Summary
- SOS Help Alert
Silver ($7.99/mo)
- 7 days Location History
- 5 places with Unlimited Alert
- $100 Stolen Phone Protection
- Crime Reports
Gold ($14.99/mo)
- 30 days Location History
- Unlimited Place Alerts
- $25K Stolen Funds Reimbursement
- $250 Stolen Phone Protection
Platinum ($24.99/mo)
- 30 days Location History
- 50 miles Free towing
- $1M Stolen Funds Reimbursement
- $500 Stolen Phone Protection
If you’re just looking for basic tracking for your family, then there is no harm in staying with the free plan. However, I’d suggest that you go with the Gold plan, at least when you need geofencing alerts for more than five locations. Otherwise, you won’t get any updates from your family when they arrive at or depart from the defined locations. Let’s also cover some pros and cons of Life360.
- Pros
- Life360 has better location tracking accuracy.
- The diverse range of subscription plans will help you meet all your family’s safety needs.
- Cons
- The subscription plans are pricier than Family360.
Family360
The features under the different subscription plans offered by Family360 are fairly similar. There isn’t any exclusive feature or access to any specialized security measures, even if you subscribe to the yearly plan. So, the only benefit you’ll get from subbing to the yearly plan is the cheaper monthly bill. However, paying 2 dollars less for your family’s safety isn’t that significant. Anyhow, here are the feature details for each of the subscription plans for Family360.
Monthly Family Pack ($5.49/mo)
- Location tracking
- Geofencing
- Panic Button
- Up to five devices
Annual Family Pack ($34.99/yr)
- Location tracking
- Geofencing
- Panic button
- Up to five devices
Per person extension package ($0.99/person)
- Accommodates larger families
- Offers the same features as the above-mentioned plans
I find the Family360 features to be a bit underwhelming. You’re only getting access to basic location tracking features and standard geofencing without any additional safety considerations. The following pros and cons will further help you decide which you should pick.
- Pros
- It is cheaper for smaller families.
- The layout is fairly simple.
- The panic button is really handy.
- Works fairly well on even patchy data connections.
- Cons
- The feature list is fairly limited.
The panic button is my favorite feature within Family360. Other than that, I think there is still room for improvement within this app. If you need something more to protect your family, I’d suggest that you stick with Life360 or find a better location-tracking application.
How to choose the best family locator app?
When choosing the best family locator app, you should prioritize three features besides easy-to-use and your budget: the location accuracy, the geofencing alert, and the location history. Other than that, all the extra features are complementary. So, if you are considering which is better Life360 vs. Family360 vs. any other app, thoroughly judge your choice based on these three factors.
1. Location tracking accuracy
The real-time location of your family members should be accurate to a few hundred meters within the application. Even if the connection is patchy and you don’t live in the best neighborhood, the app should be optimized enough to show you an accurate location estimate. Otherwise, there is no point in even spending a single penny on the location tracker.
2. Geofencing alerts
The main intention behind using family locators is to track kids or spouses when they leave school or work. If your chosen app doesn’t give any alerts when your family members leave the chosen spot, then it is pretty much useless. So, only stick with an app that offers quick alerts when the target individual leaves the premises.
3. Location history
Lastly, you need to prioritize the location tracking timeline for the family members. This timeline can help you track down lost devices and even your family members when they are out of reach. Moreover, you’ll have a general guide about where to look when tracking your family members.
Other than these three features, I am also a fan of surround monitoring. Having a tracking application that can track the camera and the mic on the target device will give you much more information. If you have little children, then you can’t take any risks about their safety. So, consider going with an app that offers surround tracking along with the basic location tracking features. Hopefully, you’ll never feel concerned about your kids’ location after that.
Is there a better app than Life360 and Family360?
Many new apps like FlashGet Kids have joined the market in the last few years. Even though these apps are fairly new in the market, their advanced features, like surround monitoring and live tracking, are exceptional. So, if you’re looking for features that extend beyond just a simple family locator, then FlashGet Kids is the only app I can recommend. This app is fairly easy to set up, and you can even track your children in hidden mode when using this option.
Before we decide which is the best solution, let’s dive into the FlashGet Kids app and the tracking options you’ll get.
- Features
- Live location tracking
- Location history and timeline
- Geofencing
- Surround monitoring
- Screen mirroring
- App blocker
- Notification tracking and alerts
- Screen time limits
- Pros
- It is more than a simple location tracker.
- The pricing is fairly affordable.
- It has a hidden mode.
- It can stop your kids from installing malware on their devices.
- Prices
- 8.99/mo
- 19.99/qtr
- 59.99/yr
(Go to the “Me” section in the app and click on “Subscribe” to check the detailed pricing plans.)
Now, I can go all day about how the advanced features from FlashGet Kids make it better than Life360 and Family360. However, the main point of focus should be your requirements.
Personally, the hidden mode and the surround tracking features helped me a ton when I had to track my kids’ devices. If you’re in a situation where you have to track rebellious kids, then FlashGet Kids is the only pick.
It will help you sneakily track all their activities without bothering them all day. Moreover, your kids won’t be able to bypass any features that you use from the FlashGet Kids application. All you need is one-time access to your child’s device for the installation and the binding process. From there, you will never have to worry about your kids hiding their location or being on their phones for an extended period.
FlashGet Kids vs. Life360 vs. Family360: Comparison
FlashGet Kids | Life360 | Family360 | |
---|---|---|---|
Compatibility | iOS and Android | iOS and Android | iOS and Android |
Devices up to | 10 devices | 1 device | 5 devices |
Cheapest pricing plan | $4.99/mo (yearly plan) | $8.33/mo (yearly gold plan) | $2.99/mo (yearly plan) |
Free trial | 7 days | 7 days | 21 days |
Hidden mode | Yes | No | No |
Live location sharing | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Location History | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Emergency alerts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Live-monitor surroundings | Yes | No | No |
Notifications tracker | Yes | With Gold/Platinum | No |
Crash detection | No | With Gold/Platinum | No |
Roadside assistance | No | No | No |
Geo-Fence | Yes | Yes | Yes |
App blocker | Yes | No | No |
FAQs
Does Life360 work when your phone is off?
No, Life360 doesn’t work when the phone is off, as it relies on the GPS data updates to send your live location to the circle members. When the phone is off, the app becomes inactive.
Does Life360 work in airplane mode?
No, Life360 doesn’t work in airplane mode because it restricts all access to the network. Your phone will not be able to refresh or update your location when it can not access the network.
What is the most accurate location sharing app?
FlashGet Kids is the most accurate location sharing application. It offers decent location accuracy, even when you have a patchy data connection.
Is there a free version of Life360?
Yes, the basic features within Life360, like location tracking and brief location history, are free. So, you will not have to pay a single penny to access these features.