A nanny is a professional childcare employee, while an au pair is a young person from another country who lives with your family as part of a cultural exchange and provides childcare in return for room, board, and a stipend.

Core difference in one glance

  • Employment vs. exchange
    • Nanny: Hired as an employee, usually with a wage or salary, often covered by employment laws and taxes.
* Au pair: Participant in a cultural exchange program, receives “pocket money”/stipend plus housing and meals, not a traditional employee in the same way.
  • Where they come from
    • Nanny: Can be from your own country or abroad, no cultural-exchange requirement.
* Au pair: By definition from another country and in your home country on a specific au pair/visitor status or program.
  • Living situation
    • Nanny: Often live-out, but can be live-in depending on the arrangement.
* Au pair: Almost always lives in your home, with their own room, and eats with the family.
  • Professional background
    • Nanny: Typically more experienced, may have childcare training, certifications, or early childhood education background.
* Au pair: Usually a young adult with some childcare experience (babysitting, siblings), but not a trained professional; may need more guidance from parents.
  • Hours and duties
    • Nanny: Works a defined job—often full-time, sometimes long-term—with responsibilities that can include full childcare management and some household tasks.
* Au pair: Typically limited weekly hours (for example 25–35 hours) with childcare and light housework, plus set days off as part of the program rules.
  • Role in the family
    • Nanny: Seen more as a professional caregiver who may or may not blend into family life socially.
* Au pair: Expected to be more like a “big sibling” who joins family meals, outings, and everyday life as part of the cultural exchange.

Simple example

If you hire a local experienced caregiver who comes 8 a.m.–6 p.m. Monday to Friday, manages naps, meals, and activities, and you pay them an hourly wage with taxes, that’s a nanny.

If a 20-year-old from another country moves into your spare room for a year, helps with school runs and after-school care for up to a set number of hours per week, receives pocket money plus free housing and meals, and joins you for family dinners, that’s an au pair.

Quick HTML table for clarity

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Aspect</th>
      <th>Nanny</th>
      <th>Au pair</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Basic definition</td>
      <td>Professional in-home childcare employee.[web:1][web:5][web:7]</td>
      <td>Young person from abroad providing childcare as part of a cultural exchange program.[web:1][web:5][web:7]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Origin</td>
      <td>Can be local or foreign; no exchange requirement.[web:5][web:7]</td>
      <td>Must come from another country.[web:5][web:7]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Living arrangement</td>
      <td>Usually live-out; can be live-in by agreement.[web:1][web:3][web:7]</td>
      <td>Lives with the host family, has own room, shares meals.[web:1][web:3][web:7]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Pay structure</td>
      <td>Hourly wage or salary, treated as an employee with payroll/taxes in many places.[web:5][web:7][web:9]</td>
      <td>Receives room, board, and a set stipend or pocket money.[web:1][web:5][web:7]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Experience/training</td>
      <td>Often more experienced, may have childcare qualifications.[web:5][web:7][web:9]</td>
      <td>Generally less formal training; more like an older sibling/helper.[web:1][web:5][web:7]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Typical hours</td>
      <td>Full-time or part-time, no universal cap; defined by contract.[web:7][web:9]</td>
      <td>Limited weekly hours with required days off, set by program rules.[web:1][web:5][web:7]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Main goal</td>
      <td>Reliable, professional childcare service.[web:1][web:5][web:7]</td>
      <td>Childcare plus language and cultural exchange for both sides.[web:1][web:5][web:7]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Family integration</td>
      <td>More professional boundary; may or may not join family activities.[web:1][web:3]</td>
      <td>Expected to join family activities and daily life like a family member.[web:1][web:3][web:5]</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

TL;DR:
If you want a highly experienced, long-term childcare employee , you’re looking for a nanny; if you want a cultural exchange with built-in live-in help who feels like an older sibling and works set limited hours, you’re looking for an au pair.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.