Which is Better?: Identity Guard Vs. LifeLock

At first, an Identity Guard vs. LifeLock comparison may look like a toss-up. Both companies have been in the game longer than most, and both offer solid identity theft protections and plans with variable coverages to allow consumers to pick their comfort level and price range. Each company appears in our best identity theft protection companies roundup, too. However, that seems to be where the similarities end. As it turns out, there is a clear winner, which will depend on the service you need and the price you’re willing to pay.

Side-by-Side Comparison of Identity Guard Vs. LifeLock

About Identity Guard 

Identity Guard is an independent company owned by Aura, which holds an A+ grade at the BBB. Identity Guard was a pioneer in identity theft protection when it started in 1996. Aura came on the scene and acquired it in 2019. While Aura is now the company’s flagship brand, Identity Guard still offers valuable services at affordable prices and fits the needs of many consumers.

Identity Guard Pros and Cons

About LifeLock

Graded A+ with the BBB and being one of the most popular names in the identity theft game since 2005, LifeLock is no stranger to the business. LifeLock offers premier identity theft services and a vast selection of plan choices for individuals, families, and families with children.

LifeLock Pros and Cons

Choosing Between Identity Guard Vs. LifeLock

Identity Guard In-Depth

Identity Guard offers three distinct plan options in individual or family versions. Starting at $8.99 monthly, the lowest-cost plan in its lineup includes $1 million in identity theft insurance, Experian credit monitoring, dark web protection, data breach and transaction alerts, and some web protections. A pricing discount is available if you’re willing to make a single annual payment.

The next two plan levels continue adding benefits that eventually include 401k and investment protections, sex offender and address monitoring, three-bureau credit and banking monitoring, credit card purchase monitoring, and fraud resolution. In fact, Identity Guard is our pick for offering the best all-around basic coverage in our best identity theft protection companies roundup.

Identity Guard rounds out its offerings by including protection for an unlimited number of children in its family plans with a maximum plan price of $39.99 per month but doesn’t offer a trial period to test the waters.

• Competitive pricing with annual payment option discount
• Low-price plans available
• High overall consumer satisfaction ratings
• 3-bureau credit monitoring in top two plans
• $1 million ID theft insurance in all plans
• Data breach alerts in all plans
• Straightforward pricing for individuals and families
• Unlimited children coverages in all family plans
• No trial period available
• Child protections include SSN monitoring
• Credit card purchase monitoring includes debit cards
• Both criminal and sex offender monitoring included in Ultra plan

LifeLock In-Depth

LifeLock’s nine plans offer a wide range of features and benefits. The lowest-priced plan starts at $11.99 per month. It includes protections like $1 million in identity theft insurance, up to $50,000 between stolen funds and personal expense reimbursement, social security number monitoring and alerts, single-bureau credit monitoring, restoration services, dark web and data breach notifications, and address change and ID verification.

However, that’s just the start. Between the next tier of plan options and all the way up to the $79.99 per month Ultimate Plus Family plan, LifeLock’s benefits increase exponentially to include up to $3 million in ID theft insurance per adult, Over $1 million of the same for up to five children, three-bureau enhanced credit monitoring, Identity Lock, 401k and investment account monitoring, a full suite of alert protections, and many more features.

However, VPN and device security protections are blatantly absent from LifeLock’s long list of coverages. Those are only available as add-on services through the company’s parent and cybersecurity specialist, Norton.

• Up to nine individual and family plans are available
• 30-day free trial
• Home title protection is available as an add-on
• Family plan options include 2 adults and up to 5 children
• Three-bureau credit monitoring and reporting available in Ultimate Plus plan
• SSN monitoring comes standard with every plan
• Credit file monitoring for children in each family plan
• Stolen funds and expense reimbursement in every plan
• Identity restoration and stolen wallet protection in every plan
• Promotional first-year pricing is available

Identity Guard Vs. LifeLock Reviews: What Are Customers Saying?

No head-to-head comparison is complete without input directly from the customers these companies serve.

Identity Guard Reviews

Collecting reviews and ratings from several platforms is essential to gaining a complete customer service picture. Identity Guard reviews are generally positive and consistently score an average of well over four stars. The company’s ratings percentages as a whole tend toward excellent customer satisfaction.

LifeLock Reviews

LifeLock reviews on the same platforms as Identity Guard also trend positive, and the company also scores well as a general rule on most review sites. LifeLock’s positive customer reviews mostly reflect a sense of security and trust with solid customer service and useful alerts despite concerns that the prices are higher than many competitors.

Identity Guard and LifeLock Average Star Ratings

Which is Better: Is LifeLock Better Than Identity Guard?

Answering the question of whether or not LifeLock is better than Identity Guard depends on your goals for investing in identity theft protection. While the lower-cost plans for each company are very close in price and number of protections, the coverages each provides vary. Where Lifelock offers social security number monitoring in its entry-level plan, Identity Guard skips that but includes financial transaction alerts instead.

However, as the features and benefits increase through plan levels, LifeLock gains a clear advantage in terms of quantity and quality of coverages. The drawback is cost. LifeLock’s most robust plan costs almost exactly twice as much as Identity Guard’s comparable plan.

The best identity theft protection company, then, depends mainly on what you need to protect, how much of that protection you need, and how much you’re willing to spend to make you feel comfortable.

Which is Right for You: Identity Guard Vs. LifeLock

Determining which identity theft protection provider is the best between Identity Guard and LifeLock is far less crucial than choosing the one that’s right for you. If you’re comfortable with relatively basic ID theft protections, aren’t in a demographic that’s particularly vulnerable to identity theft, or sticking to a budget, Identity Guard may be the choice that suits you best.

On the other hand, if you’re part of a vulnerable group, such as seniors, former identity theft victims, or those with high-profile assets and are willing to spend a little more to reach your comfort level, LifeLock is likely your best choice between the two.

Frequently Asked Questions

Image sources:

https://lifelock.norton.com/

https://www.identityguard.com/