LifeLock vs. Experian vs. Identity Guard

Last year, more than 16.7 million people fell victim to identity-based fraud. One way to protect yourself is with a protection plan from an identity theft company. LifeLock, Experian and Identity Guard all provide identity theft protection services and apps with multiple plan levels. Each company has their own unique technologies to prevent identity theft, and they offer expert help if your identity gets compromised. They also have full suites of tools that can protect your identity and keep you secure. Although similar, each company has several unique differences to consider.

LifeLock vs. Experian vs. Identity Guard comparison

At their most basic plans, Lifelock sources single-bureau credit reports through Equifax, and Identity Guard sources their single-bureau credit reports from TransUnion. Experian is a credit bureau, and so they source single-bureau reports themselves. LifeLock, Experian and Identity Guard all source reports from the three bureaus at upper membership tiers.

Monthly membership prices	$9.99–$29.99	$9.99–$19.99	$6.67-$23.33
Free trial
Gives FICO scores
24/7 customer service
Secure ID vault to store passwords
Annual billing with discount
AI monitoring
Dark web monitoring
Customer satisfaction	Read reviews	Read reviews	Read reviews

	Monthly membership prices	Free trial	Gives FICO scores	24/7 customer service	Secure ID vault to store passwords	Annual billing with discount	AI monitoring	Dark web monitoring	Customer satisfaction
	$9.99–$29.99								Read reviews
	$9.99–$19.99								Read reviews
	$6.67-$23.33								Read reviews

Most popular
LifeLock

LifeLock price:
Lifelock’s plans include Standard, Advantage and Ultimate Plus. LifeLock costs $9.99, $19.99 and $29.99 per month, respectively, with optional Norton security for up to five devices. Add a LifeLock Junior to any plan for $5.99 per month.

LifeLock features:
LifeLock plans provide comprehensive services that include real-time alerts, dark web monitoring and credit monitoring. They offer credit monitoring only through Equifax at lower plan levels and through Equifax, TransUnion and Experian for premium memberships. Members have access to restoration specialists and 24/7 live customer support as well as optional Norton Antivirus security for up to five devices.

LifeLock reviews:
When evaluating customer feedback through 2018, we found that 65 percent would recommend LifeLock to a friend. Reviewers also mention that the customer service is helpful and the alerts and monitoring are accurate.

Most affordable
Experian

Experian price:
Experian has two plans, IdentityWorks Plus and IdentityWorks Premium, which cost $9.99 and $19.99 per month, respectively. You can choose to have one or two adults with no children included or one adult or two adults including up to 10 children with either plan. Both of Experian’s plans come with a 30-day free trial period.

Experian features:
Experian offers credit monitoring through Experian only at lower plan levels and through Equifax, TransUnion and Experian for premium memberships. Top-tier plans come with Social Security number and black market website monitoring, non-credit loan alerts, alerts on changes of address and court records, and daily FICO scores.

Experian reviews:
Some consumers complained about long wait times when calling customer support. You can get your credit report with FICO score for $1 when you start a 7-day free trial.

Most comprehensive
Identity Guard

Identity Guard price:
Value, Total and Premier are Identity Guard’s plans, which all cover one adult. Identity Guard costs $6.67, $13.33, and $16.67 per month, respectively.

Identity Guard features:
All three of Identity Guard’s plans come with IBM® Watson™ artificial intelligence, $1 million insurance** with stolen funds reimbursement and a mobile app. Identity Guard will alert you if your personal info is detected on the dark web and if they detect any high-risk transactions. Opting for Identity Guard’s Total plan will get you alerts on your monthly credit score*, three-bureau credit changes, bank account takeovers and requests to open checking or savings accounts with your name. Premier, Identity Guard’s top plan, also comes with three-bureau credit reports and social insight reports.

Identity Guard reviews:
Most Identity Guard customers say that the website is easy to navigate and that they are pleased with the customer service.

Bottom line: LifeLock or Experian or Identity Guard?

While Identity Guard, Experian and LifeLock offer many similar services, each is best for different circumstances. LifeLock’s 24/7 assistance is a big plus, while Identity Guard includes high-risk transaction alerts and risk management scores at all plan levels.

LifeLock is a best for tech-savvy consumers. LifeLock utilizes its own proprietary technology to monitor for identity theft, while Identity Guard has partnered with IBM to offer a unique artificial intelligence program to protect consumer’s identities. LifeLock’s separate coverage plan for lawyers and additional coverage options like investment account monitoring make it a good choice for high-income earners.

Experian is best for low-income earners. Experian has the advantage of being a credit bureau itself, and it’s the best bet for those wanting the extra credit features like CreditLock, more frequent credit scores and FICO scores. Its option of including up to 10 children makes it a good choice for families too.

Identity Guard is best for families. Identity Guard offers additional technology safeguards like a unique AI system and a secure password vault. Comparatively, Identity Guard is also the most comprehensive identity theft protection service.

>>MORE: IDShield vs. LifeLock

† 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.