The study brings the analysis of some contemporary life-span development theories. The focus is especially on the analysis of four areas. The study compares type of the theoretical approach (e.g. psychological vs. sociological vs. system), level of the development elaboration (e.g. microlevel vs. macrolevel), key characteristics of the development and developmental principles. In spite of many differences, there are some common characteristics (e.g. influence of the transitions, normative and nonnormative events). Besides that we can trace up also reciprocal influence of the theories. For example, the bioecological theory is influenced by the life-course theory and the life-span theory of control is widely influenced by the life-span developmental theory.