Identity Guard® vs LifeLock: Who’s Better At ID Theft Protection?

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Man with empty pocketsIdentity Guard® and LifeLock are two of the most popular identity theft protection services on the market. Both are top-tier options, but how do you know which one is the best for your particular needs?

See how these two big ID theft players measure up against each other in our Identity Guard® vs LifeLock review.

Visit Identity Guard®’s Website | Visit LifeLock’s Website

LifeLock is a leading ID theft protection company with a history of reliable service since launching in 2005. Who owns LifeLock? Cybersecurity giant Symantec acquired LifeLock in late 2016. LifeLock was named in the 2016 Online Trust Honor Roll for excellent consumer protection and data security.

Identity Guard®‘s parent company, Intersections Inc., has protected more than 47 million consumers for over 20 years. Named Kiplinger magazine’s #1 best ID theft protection service in 2015, Identity Guard® was also recognized in the Online Trust Honor Roll in 2017.

How do you choose between two of the best? See how their features stack up on our Identity Guard® vs LifeLock comparison.

Identity Guard® Vs LifeLock Feature Comparison (Winners By Catgory)

Monitoring Coverage

Both services offer some of the best coverage on the market, with monitoring everything from your personal information, court records, bank accounts, credit cards, credit bureaus and more.

LifeLock, however, has the slight edge over Identity Guard® in this category. What do they cover that Identity Guard® doesn’t? LifeLock also keeps an eye on your investment account activity and driver’s license and monitors the sex offender registry in your area.LifeLock logo

Winner: LifeLock

Recovery Services

LifeLock provides full recovery services and 24/7 access to their fraud specialists, who take care of most of the recovery process for you. They’ll contact your financial institutions and handle paperwork and all the necessary steps to restore your identity.

While Identity Guard® also offers 24/7 access to specialists, you’re responsible for all the legwork to recover your identity. Identity Guard® also provides up to $1 million in reimbursement insurance* (as does LifeLock). LifeLock goes beyond that to provide up to $1 million in stolen funds reimbursement.LifeLock logo

Winner: LifeLock 

Customer Service & Reputation

Identity Guard® and LifeLock both stand out for exceptional customer support and reputations. These two companies provide U.S.-based, 24/7 access to ID theft specialists and general member services. Their websites also have a lot of useful information about identity theft.

We also compared online customer reviews for LifeLock and Identity Guard®, both of which had mostly positive user feedback. The Identity Guard® complaints we found focused mainly on hit or miss customer service representatives. We found some more consistent LifeLock complaints about delayed alerts, which is why Identity Guard® has the leg up on this one.Identity Guard logo

Winner: Identity Guard®

Mobile Access

Both Identity Guard® and LifeLock have mobile apps with overall decent reviews and ratings from Google Play and iTunes. However, LifeLock has thousands more reviews and higher ratings than Identity Guard® does, which is why it wins this category.LifeLock logo

Winner: LifeLock 

Family/Child Coverage

Identity Guard® has three separate family plans that are among the most affordable on the market. Is there a LifeLock family plan? Yes, they offer one as well.  How much does LifeLock cost to add kids? Lifelock has a family plan starting at $14.99 for 2 adults or $21.99 for 2 adults and up to 5 kids for the standard plan.

With Identity Guard® you can cover two adults and two children for only $27.99 per month. To get the same level of coverage for a family of four with LifeLock, you’ll end up spending more than $50 per month. You can also enjoy the same savings with Identity Guard®‘s Couple Plan.Identity Guard logo

Winner: Identity Guard®

Pricing

Regarding pricing, how do Identity Guard® plans and LifeLock plans compare? They’re fairly comparable in proce. But if you’e goinog for the best coverage, you’re going to save more with LifeLock. At $29.99/month, ID Gurad’s Ultra plan is $10 more per month than LifeLock’s Ultimate plan. However, if you have a family, you’ll save a little with Identity Guard®.

Lifelock logo

Winner: LifeLock 

Identity Guard® Vs LifeLock Plans – Detailed Comparison

Identity Guard® Identity Guard® Identity Guard® LifeLock LifeLock LifeLock
Value Total Ultra Standard Advantage Ultimate Plus
Visit Website Visit Website Visit Website Visit Website Visit Website Visit Website Visit Website
Price (individual) $8.99/month $19.99/month $29.99/month $8.99/month $17.99/month $19.99/month
Price (family) $14.99/month $29.99/month $39.99/month $21.99/month $35.99/month $46.99/month
Free Trial 30 days 30 days 30 days
U.S.-Based Agents 24/7 Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark
Full Identity Recovery Support Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark
SSN Monitoring Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark
Driver’s License Monitoring Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark
Credit Card Monitoring & Activity Alerts Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark
Bank Account Monitoring & Activity Alerts Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark
Address Change Verification Checkmark Checkmark USPS Address Change Verification USPS Address Change Verification USPS Address Change Verification
Lost Wallet Assistance Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark
Alerts for New Account Attempts Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark
Black Market Website Surveillance Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark
File Sharing Network Searches Checkmark
PC Keyboard Encryption Software Checkmark Checkmark
PC Antivirus Software Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark
ID Vault Password Protection Checkmark Checkmark
Payday Loan Monitoring Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark
Investment Account Activity Alerts Checkmark
Court Records Scanning Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark
Sex Offender Registry Reports Checkmark
Fictitious Identity Monitoring Checkmark Checkmark
Online Annual Credit Reports and Scores 3 Credit Bureaus 3 Credit Bureaus 1 Credit Bureau 3 Credit Bureau
Credit Score Tracking Three Bureaus, Quarterly Three Bureaus, Monthly One Bureau, Monthly
3-Bureau Credit Analyzer Checkmark Checkmark
Stolen Funds Replacement Up to $25,000 Up to $100,000 Up to $1 million
Personal Expense Reimbursement Insurance Up to $1 million Up to $1 million Up to $1 million Up to $25,000 Up to $100,000 Up to $1 million
Coverage for Lawyers & Experts Included in Reimbursement Insurance Included in Reimbursement Insurance Included in Reimbursement Insurance Up to $1 million Up to $1 million Up to $1 million

Overall Winner

Each of these services offers something different for consumers, and this battle is close but in the end, Identity Guard® wins even though it has the same number of checkmarks as LifeLock.

LifeLock may cover a few more things, have slightly better recovery services and mobile app ratings, but Identity Guard® has better customer service, family/child coverage and lower pricing. Identity Guard® is the way to go if you want to save money, especially if you have more than one family member you want to cover.

Is LifeLock worth it? Yes, if you’re not on a strict budget. LifeLock’s Ultimate Plus plan offers some of the most comprehensive monitoring and recovery services available. These features come with a much higher than average price tag.Identity Guard logo

Winner: Identity Guard®

Want to learn more about each service? Take a look at our in-depth Identity Guard® review and LifeLock review for more information on each company.

Before deciding on an ID theft protection service, be sure to check out our comprehensive review where we compare identity theft protection services. We compare a dozen providers, see how Identity Guard® and LifeLock stack up to the competition! You may also be interested in learning about how common identity theft is.

*Identity Theft insurance underwritten by insurance company subsidiaries or affiliates of American International Group, Inc. The description herein is a summary and intended for informational purposes only and does not include all terms, conditions and exclusions of the policies described. Please refer to the actual policies for terms, conditions, and exclusions of coverage. Coverage may not be available in all jurisdictions.

Identity Guard® Disclosures
*The score you receive with Identity Guard is provided for educational purposes to help you understand your credit. It is calculated using the information contained in your TransUnion credit file. Lenders use many different credit scoring systems, and the score you receive with Identity Guard is not the same score used by lenders to evaluate your credit.
**Identity Theft Insurance underwritten by insurance company subsidiaries or affiliates of American International Group‚ Inc. The description herein is a summary and intended for informational purposes only and does not include all terms‚ conditions and exclusions of the policies described. Please refer to the actual policies for terms‚ conditions‚ and exclusions of coverage. Coverage may not be available in all jurisdictions.
***Your card will be charged either a monthly or annual fee, depending on the membership plan you choose. You may cancel your membership anytime simply by contacting us. If you do not cancel your membership within the trial period, your card will be charged either a monthly or annual fee, depending on the membership plan you choose. You may cancel your membership anytime simply by contacting us.

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The information provided through this website should not be used to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease; it is not intended to offer any legal opinion or advice or a substitute for professional safety advice or professional care. Please consult your health care provider, attorney, or product manual for professional advice. Products and services reviewed are provided by third parties; we are not responsible in any way for them, nor do we guarantee their functionality, utility, safety, or reliability. Our content is for educational purposes only.

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