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Identity theft and fraud protection for your finances, personal info, and devices.
Is There a Better Option Than LifeLock for Digital Security?
LifeLock is one of the original and most well-known brands in the identity theft protection industry. But that doesn’t mean it’s the right choice for everyone.
Along with complicated and questionable pricing plans, LifeLock has a checkered history when it comes to securing customer data.
A recent security breach leaked the private information — including passwords — of thousands of LifeLock users [*], while the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) previously fined LifeLock more than $100 million for failing to secure customer data correctly [*].
Whether you’re looking to sign up for your first identity theft protection provider or are a current LifeLock customer seeking an alternative, it pays to know what other services are available.
In this guide, we’ll cover how to pick a LifeLock alternative — along with 10 of the best options available in 2024.
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How To Choose a LifeLock Alternative
LifeLock has been a leading cybersecurity provider since it was first released in 2005. But in 2024, there are numerous alternatives that offer nearly identical or even more comprehensive feature sets when compared to LifeLock – often at lower prices.
However, the sheer number of LifeLock competitors, all offering similar features, makes it hard to know which one to choose. That’s why it’s so important to look at specific details, standout features, and limitations when comparing the best identity theft protection services.
Here are some of the most important factors to consider when choosing a LifeLock alternative:
- How much protection are you really getting? Almost every identity theft protection service offers some variation of the same features: identity monitoring, credit protection, digital security, etc. But how much protection are you really getting? Check for standout features, such as three-bureau credit monitoring, public records monitoring, monthly credit scores, and 24/7 customer support.
- Will you get fast, high-quality help when you need it? One of the main reasons to sign up for an identity theft protection provider is to get support in case you become the victim of identity theft. But not all companies offer the same quality or availability when it comes to support. Look for 24/7 access to fraud resolution specialists — ideally located in the United States.
- Are you paying a fair price for the service you want? Many service providers offer tiered plans that get more expensive as you layer on additional protections. Make sure you’re not getting pulled into basic plans that leave you vulnerable — or artificially low first-year “deals” that skyrocket later on.
- Can you protect family members and loved ones? Some LifeLock alternatives are more geared towards families — including specific protections for children, dependent adults, and seniors. Make sure you’re choosing a provider that matches up with your family situation.
- Will you be able to block modern scams and threats? Cybercriminals and fraudsters are constantly looking for new ways to scam victims. Look for a provider that is future-focused with protection against modern scams like phishing, scam calls, and fake websites.
The bottom line: Choosing an identity theft protection provider is all about balancing your needs and budget with the right features. Here are 10 top picks for LifeLock alternatives to consider.
The 10 Best LifeLock Alternatives in 2024
- Identity Guard
- Aura
- IdentityForce
- IDShield
- ID Watchdog
- Identity Defense
- PrivacyGuard
- Experian IdentityWorks
- ID Strong
- Zander
There are plenty of reasons why you should choose a LifeLock alternative, including (but not limited to):
- Security concerns: LifeLock has suffered multiple security issues in recent years and was even fined more than $100 million by the FTC for failing to secure customer data.
- Sky-high renewal rates: LifeLock offers low pricing options for your first year of service — and then increases costs by 40-70% during your second year.
- Confusing and expensive pricing plans: LifeLock’s pricing plans all offer different features — hiding essential services like three-bureau credit monitoring on the more expensive Ultimate Plus plan.
- Poor levels of customer support: LifeLock currently holds a 4.1-star rating on third-party review site Trustpilot, with many customers complaining about poor service.
These 10 LifeLock alternatives offer a range of features, plans, and prices that should fit just about every individual’s needs. Learn more about them, and why one could be right for you:
1. Identity Guard
For more than 25 years, Identity Guard has protected millions of Americans from identity theft, hacking, and fraud.
With multiple plan options, you can choose to safeguard yourself or your family with basic identity protection or comprehensive security — including three-bureau credit monitoring, White Glove Fraud Resolution, and $1 million in identity theft insurance per adult member.
Identity Guard was one of the first companies to use artificial intelligence (AI) to help combat online threats, and recently joined forces with Aura to provide modern identity theft protection.
Here are some of Identity Guard’s standout features:
- Extensive identity watchlist and monitoring options. Identity Guard can monitor up to 40 credit card numbers, two passports, and multiple other forms of government ID. You’ll get near real-time alerts if someone tries to use your Social Security number (SSN), driver’s license, or other personal information without your consent. Identity Guard will also monitor your identity across the Dark Web and in certain public records — such as sex offender lists, court records, and home title changes.
- Three-bureau credit monitoring. Identity Guard’s Ultra plan monitors your credit file with all three major credit bureaus – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Three-bureau monitoring is vital to prevent scammers from opening new bank accounts or taking out loans in your name.
- Bank account and transaction monitoring. Identity Guard will also monitor your debit and credit cards, bank accounts, and investment accounts for suspicious activity, and warn you of potential fraud.
- White Glove Fraud Resolution support. Identity Guard’s dedicated team of U.S.-based fraud resolution specialists is available to answer questions or help you deal with fraud.
- $1 million identity theft insurance. Every Identity Guard plan comes with a generous insurance policy to protect against losses and costs associated with recovering from identity theft. This includes expenses like lost wages and legal fees, which are not always covered by competing services.
- Higher ratings. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) rates Identity Guard an A+ while Trustpilot gives it a 4.3 (compared to LifeLock’s 4.1).
How much does Identity Guard cost?
Identity Guard offers three different pricing tiers — each adding additional protections and security features as you move up. You can also choose between individual and family plans that cover up to five adults and an unlimited number of children.
Here are Identity Guard’s plans and pricing as of December 2023 (using this special discount link):
- Value Plan (no credit monitoring): $6.67/month (individual) and $10/month (family)
- Total Plan: $13.33/month (individual) and $19.99/month (family)
- Ultra Plan: $19.99/month (individual) and $26.67/month (family)
Identity Guard doesn’t offer a free trial but includes a 60-day money-back guarantee on all annual plans.
Why you should choose Identity Guard as an alternative to LifeLock:
Identity Guard provides comprehensive, easy-to-use identity theft protection with more honest and transparent pricing when compared to LifeLock (and there’s no sneaky price hikes after your first year). If you’re looking for robust protection and identity monitoring at an affordable price, Identity Guard is an excellent choice.
🥇 Get award-winning identity theft protection. Identity Guard’s all-in-one solution monitors and protects your sensitive personal information, online accounts, and financial data. Save 33% when you sign up for Identity Guard today.
2. Aura
Aura was founded in 2017 with the intention of providing modern, simplified identity theft protection to everyone.
Since then, the company has expanded its offerings to include the most up-to-date digital security features and financial account protection — including AI-powered scam and spam call protection, the industry’s fastest fraud alerts, phishing protection, parental controls, and more.
Unlike LifeLock and other alternatives, Aura doesn’t offer plans with vastly different feature sets. Instead, every account comes with premium features, such as three-bureau credit monitoring, 24/7 White Glove Fraud Resolution support, a full suite of digital security tools, and up to $5 million in identity theft insurance.
Aura currently holds a 4.7-star rating on Trustpilot — the highest out of any LifeLock alternative.
How much does Aura cost?
Aura’s protection plans and pricing plans are simple and straightforward. The company offers a single set of features for all subscribers. The only difference in price comes from the number of individuals subscribed under a single account.
Here are Aura’s plans and pricing as of December 2023:
- Individual Plan: $12/month
- Couple Plan (full coverage for two adults): $22/month
- Family Plan (up to five adults and unlimited children): $24/month
Why you should choose Aura as an alternative to LifeLock:
Aura’s all-in-one digital security solution and stellar reputation make it a valuable LifeLock alternative worth considering. Aura’s simple, no-nonsense pricing and comprehensive set of features make it an ideal choice for anyone who wants to safeguard their data against a wide range of scams.
📚 Related: The 10 Best Identity Theft Protection Providers of 2024 →
3. IdentityForce
IdentityForce claims to be one of the oldest identity theft protection services on the market, tracing its origins back to a company founded in 1978.
It is now owned by TransUnion, one of the three major credit bureaus. This gives IdentityForce a strong case for its credit reporting capabilities, which can help keep you safe from scammers trying to open new lines of credit in your name. However, credit monitoring is only available with the more expensive UltraSecure+Credit plan.
How much does IdentityForce cost?
Here are IdentityForce’s plans and pricing as of December 2023:
- UltraSecure: $17.99/month (individual)
- UltraSecure+Credit: $23.95/month (individual)
IdentityForce offers a 30-day free trial for its basic plan, but it doesn’t have a money-back policy for new subscribers.
Why choose IdentityForce as an alternative to LifeLock:
IdentityForce offers decent protection against some types of fraud, but its services are more useful for improving your credit score. The biggest drawback to using IdentityForce is the lack of support for mobile devices, which often play a major role in well-known scams.
📚 Go Deeper: Identity Guard vs. IdentityForce — Which Option Is Best In 2024? →
4. IDShield
IDShield is a digital security service launched by a legal service provider called LegalShield. The parent company has been in business since 1972, and has built a reputation for investigating scammers and identity thieves by using private investigators.
IDShield offers a wide range of identity theft protection services including credit monitoring and fraud resolution — but is considerably more expensive than other options that offer more protective features.
How much does IDShield cost?
IDShield offers a few different pricing plans, depending on whether or not you want three-bureau credit monitoring (which you do).
Here are IDShield’s plans as of December 2023:
- Individual (one credit bureau monitoring — only TransUnion): $14.95/month
- Individual (three-bureau monitoring): $19.95/month
- Family (one credit bureau monitoring — only TransUnion): $29.95/month
- Family (three-bureau monitoring): $34.95/month
Why you should choose IDShield as an alternative to LifeLock:
The main advantage IDShield has over LifeLock is its focus on private investigator-led recovery services. If you want to track down the people who scammed you, IDShield has the resources to make it happen.
However, you should take a moment to consider what you can actually do with that information once you have it – especially if people who scammed you live in a foreign country. Identity theft is notoriously hard to investigate, and you’re unlikely to get justice or even recover your money.
5. ID Watchdog
ID Watchdog provides identity theft protection services that focus on credit monitoring and security. The company is a subsidiary of Equifax — another of the three major credit bureaus. However, it’s important to note that Equifax suffered a devastating and history-making data breach in 2017 and ended up paying nearly half a billion dollars in damages to victims five years later [*].
The service itself includes many of the same identity theft protection services offered by other entrants on this list, with a focus on credit monitoring and reporting. ID Watchdog’s Premium plan includes daily access to the single-bureau VantageScore credit score report, which not all competitors offer.
How much does ID Watchdog cost?
ID Watchdog’s plans are fairly straightforward — however, they’re still more expensive than many other LifeLock alternatives.
Here are ID Watchdog’s pricing and plans as of December 2023:
- ID Watchdog Select: $14.95/month (individual) or $23.95/month (family)
- ID Watchdog Premium: $21.95/month (individual) or $34.95/month (family)
Why you should choose ID Watchdog as an alternative to LifeLock:
If your main security concern revolves around people using your information to open new credit accounts in your name, ID Watchdog can provide decent protection. However, it only supports credit locking with two of the three major credit bureaus. You will still have to pay separately to lock your credit file with Experian.
6. Identity Defense
Identity Defense offers multiple tiers of identity fraud protection to families and individuals at an affordable price. It combines multi-bureau credit reporting with $1 million in identity theft insurance as well as extensive records searches.
Unlike other LifeLock alternatives, it does not include home title monitoring or protect you from cases of criminal identity theft.
How much does Identity Defense cost?
Identity Defense’s plans range from the very limited Essentials plan to a more fully-featured Complete plan that includes three-bureau credit monitoring, monthly credit scores, and bank and social media monitoring. However, none of Identity Defense’s plans include digital security tools; and support is only available during limited hours.
Here are Identity Defense’s plans and pricing as of December 2023:
- Essential plan: $6.99/month (paid annually)
- Plus plan: $9.99/month (paid annually)
- Complete plan: $19.99/month (paid annually)
Why choose Identity Defense as an alternative to LifeLock:
Identity Defense offers one of the least expensive plans out of any LifeLock alternative, but its low-priced subscription is missing an important component of digital security. The company’s higher-tier plans are more comprehensive — but still lack features included with other cheaper services.
💡 Related: How To Get 3-Bureau Credit Monitoring (7 Best Options) →
7. PrivacyGuard
PrivacyGuard offers ID monitoring services that alert users when their information is used to open new lines of credit. It also notifies customers when their information appears on the Dark Web and other public online spaces.
PrivacyGuard customers have access to a fraud resolution team that assists with recovering from identity theft and disputing fraudulent charges.
How much does PrivacyGuard cost?
PrivacyGuard has separate plans for credit protection and ID protection.
Here are PrivacyGuard’s pricing and plans as of December 2023:
- Credit Protection: $19.99/month
- Identity Protection: $9.99/month
- Total Protection (Credit and Identity plans): $24.99/month
Why you should choose PrivacyGuard as an alternative to LifeLock:
PrivacyGuard doesn’t offer a full-featured all-in-one security service for customers. It offers specific security features that you may be interested in if you already have coverage from other services and platforms. This piecemeal approach might work if you don’t need complete coverage from a single provider.
📚 Related: Is LifeLock Worth the Price? How To Decide →
8. Experian IdentityWorks
Like TransUnion and Equifax, Experian also has its own identity theft protection service. Experian IdentityWorks helps secure users against credit fraud, and provides multiple plans that offer fully-featured identity theft protection — as well as free (but limited) credit monitoring.
How much does Experian IdentityWorks cost?
Here are IdentityWorks’ pricing and plans as of December 2023:
- IdentityWorks Basic (Experian credit monitoring only): free
- IdentityWorks Premium (individual): $24.99/month
- IdentityWorks Premium (family): $34.99/month
Why you should choose Experian IdentityWorks as an alternative to LifeLock:
IdentityWorks charges more than many of its competitors because it’s backed by the reputation of one of the three major credit bureaus. If you’re willing to pay more for coverage because you trust Experian more than you trust other identity theft protection services, IdentityWorks may be the right choice for you.
9. ID Strong
ID Strong concentrates on monitoring the internet for its customers’ sensitive data. It tracks public records, searches through medical data, and looks through tax records.
While ID Strong includes some important features like restoration support and a $1 million insurance policy, the expensive Basic plan lacks many standout features offered by competitors – such as credit report monitoring and digital security.
How much does ID Strong cost?
ID Strong offers plans with or without credit monitoring.
Here are ID Strong’s pricing and plans as of December 2023:
- Standard (identity theft monitoring and protection): $19.99/month
- Comprehensive (Identity theft monitoring + three-bureau credit monitoring): $24.95/month
Why you should choose ID Strong as an alternative to LifeLock:
If you don’t need mobile app protection and you’re only interested in securing your own accounts, ID Strong offers a service worth considering. However, if you want to extend coverage to loved ones and family members, ID Strong will require you to register a completely new account and pay for it in full.
10. Zander
Zander is an insurance provider that caters specifically to people who want to protect themselves from identity theft and cybercrime. It provides customers with a simple Dark Web monitoring service and warns them when their information appears online.
This makes Zander an indirect LifeLock competitor that doesn’t offer the same features as many other options on this list.
How much does Zander identity theft protection cost?
Here are Zander’s plans and pricing as of December 2023:
- Essential Plan: $6.75/month (individual) or $12.90/month (family)
- Elite Cyber Bundle: $9.99/month (individual) or $19.49/month (family)
Why you should choose Zander as an alternative to LifeLock:
Zander offers an accessible entry point for people who want to start monitoring their information on the Dark Web. However, it mostly caters to people who already have an existing insurance policy with the company. If you are already a Zander customer, you may benefit from adding Dark Web monitoring to your existing plan.
🤔 Ready to make the switch to an award-winning LifeLock alternative? Save 33% when you sign up for Identity Guard today.
How To Cancel Your LifeLock Membership
If you’re ready to switch to a better LifeLock alternative, follow these steps to cancel your LifeLock membership:
- Log in to your account at memberportal.lifelock.com. Select Request Support and click on Cancel.
- You can also contact LifeLock support by phone. If LifeLock charged you for an automatic renewal, you can get a refund if you ask for it within 14 days for a monthly membership or 60 days for an annual membership.
- Pay close attention to bundled services like LifeLock + Norton 360. You may need to cancel these services separately.
Once your LifeLock membership is canceled, you’re free to explore the options available to you through reputable competitors like Identity Guard.
The Bottom Line: Get Peace of Mind With a LifeLock Alternative
LifeLock has made a name for itself as a complete digital protection service, but it’s no longer the best security platform for everyone.
Identity Guard is an all-in-one digital security solution with a strong reputation for protecting customer data from scammers and fraud. Consider switching to Identity Guard and take advantage of acclaimed support, $1 million in insurance coverage per member, and award-winning identity theft protection.
