By: Matt | Last updated June 15, 2021 
Nowadays, there is a lot of risk involved with putting your personal information online. This is because thieves may take your information and use it for financial gain. This is called identity theft.
Identity Theft
Identity theft happens whenever a thief gets your personal information such as your social security number, credit information, and name and uses it for financial again. Using this information, they can create credit and merchandise accounts and can also commit illegal activities while making you a suspect. This can make you have a criminal record or even an arrest warrant without your knowledge. This is why it is important to know that the company you are choosing is the best possible, and why it usually comes down to Identity Guard vs LifeLock when looking at who is the best.
Some of the ways you can have your information stolen include:
- Data breaches – The websites where you store your personal information itself can be hacked and stolen data from. This is usually done when the websites are unencrypted. This is why it is best to be selective of the websites you visit.
- Physical methods – Your identity and personal information can be stolen through physical methods such as the use of ATM overlays, dumpster diving, and losing your wallet. Even low visibility mailboxes can also be stolen from.
- Malware and Viruses – Whenever you visit unsafe websites, you may accidentally download malware and viruses. These may get your private personal information from inside your computer.
The thieves can then use your information to purchase expensive products online, open credit accounts, and commit crimes while using a fake identity. This may lead to a criminal record against you. Even worse is that this cannot be fully prevented. The only thing to do is to use Identity Protection Services.
Identity Protection Services
Identity theft cannot be fully prevented. However, identity protection services exist for you to be immediately notified whenever suspicious activities are linked to your identity. They are equipped with different features as to make sure that the important parts of the internet are constantly monitored as to defend users better.
Lifelock
Lifelock is one of these services. They have been operating since 2005. They are based in Tempe, Arizona.
They are known for having over 5 million subscribers which signifies good customer relationship. They can watch out for your identity linked to your credit and bank accounts. They also offer a lot of services to help you recover in case you become a victim of identity theft.
Identity Guard
Identity Guard is another identity protection service. They are one of the original services on the market and has been operating since 2001. They are known for integrating artificial intelligence to help their customers guard their identity better.
Comparison
To see which provider is better, let us analyze the two using the following criteria:
- Pricing
- Features
Pricing
LifeLock offers three plans: Standard, Advantage, and Ultimate Plus. Here is a side by side comparison of the plans along with their features:
| Plan Name | Price per month | Features |
| LifeLock Standard | $9.99 | · Reimbursement of up to $25,000 for stolen funds · Personal expense compensation of up to $25,000 · Dark web monitoring · USPS Address Change Notifications · Notifications about service and credit applications which uses your personal info · Detects fake information connected to your identity |
| LifeLock Advantage | $19.99 | · Reimbursements increased to $100,000 · Information on court booking and arrest records · Large scale breaches information · Transactions from your credit (withdrawals, purchases, etc.) |
| LifeLock Ultimate Plus | $29.99 | · Reimbursements increased to $1 million · Information about new bank applications which uses your personal info · Takeover of bank accounts linked to your identity · Sex offender registry data · Notifications regarding personal information written on file sharing websites |
Identity Guard offers three plans as well. This includes:
| Plan Name | Price per month | Features |
| Value Plan
| $7.50 if billed annually $8.99 if billed monthly
| · Dark Web Monitoring · Risk Management Report · Safe Browsing Tools · Anti-Phishing Mobile Apps |
| Total Plan
| $16.67 if billed annually $19.99 if billed monthly | · All of Value Plan’s features · Monthly Credit Report to advise you in case of a lower credit score · Address Monitoring · 3-Credit Bureau Monitoring · Tax Refund Alert |
| Premier Plan | $20.83 if billed annually $24.99 if billed monthly | · All of Total Plan’s Features · Credit Score Report · Social Insight Report |
Based on their pricing, Identity Guard offers cheaper prices with both their monthly and annual payment schedules.
Winner: Identity Guard
Comparable Features
| Phone assistance for any emergency situations | LifeLock offers 24/7 assistance while Identity Guard only provides assistance on work hours |
| Emergency expense compensation | LifeLock has emergency expense compensation while Identity Guard does not |
| Sex offender registry data | Only LifeLock has this feature |
| Reimbursement | LifeLock offers a $1 million insurance coverage along with reimbursement for emergency compensation while Identity Guard offers $1 million insurance coverage along with assistance from a case manager to guide you in case you become a victim of identity theft |
These are the features of both services where a comparison can be made. Other features such as Dark Web Monitoring, Credit Bureau Monitoring, Notification Systems, and more are included with both services as they are essentials of an identity protection service.
Based on these, we can see that some important features, namely 24/7 phone assistance, emergency expense compensation, and sex offender registry data are areas where Identity Guard is not equipped for. If these parts are important for you, LifeLock is definitely recommended.
Winner: LifeLock
Conclusion
In the end, both services are competitive in terms of pricing and features. Identity Guard has an advantage over LifeLock if you would like to save more and prefer an annual subscription. LifeLock has an advantage in terms of some features which are priorities for some. So if you are looking at who is better between LifeLock and Identity Guard you have your clear winner here!
Both services are impressive and the better one ultimately depends upon its user.
