Home Security Heroes independently tests and reviews every product. We may earn a commission when you buy through our links. Read more here.
ID Watchdog vs LifeLock. Find out which of the two identity theft protection services- LifeLock or ID Watchdog is the best for your needs. LifeLock offers a robust network with years of experience in providing protection to clients. ID Watchdog offers services like credit monitoring, monitoring alerts and makes recovery simple.
- Better Threat Resolution
- More Accurate Monitoring
- More thorough Customer Service
Get It Now and Enjoy OFF!
Every aspect of the modern way of life is dominated by the internet. Along with the obvious ease, there is a clear risk of having your privacy compromised. That said, most people seem to be content with the humble anti-virus software when it comes to their online security.
Considering how sophisticated and persistent hackers are, that leaves a huge chink in our online security. We shouldn’t be surprised if we find out that our bank account has been wiped clean.
Tools such as online ID projection services greatly improve your odds against such attacks and the minor investment you make will pale in comparison to the benefits. Within this article, we will compare two well-known ID protection services ID Watchdog and LifeLock to help you understand what they offer and which one should choose for your digital protection.
But First, Why Should You Trust Us?
You can learn more about our testing process here.
ID Watchdog vs LifeLock: Head to Head Comparison
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick look at what’s on offer from both services:
- LifeLock offers a Family Plan
- ID Watchdog does not have this option
- LifeLock offers Norton Antivirus with all its plans
- ID Watchdog does not have this option
- LifeLock offers Social Media Monitoring
- No social media monitoring
- LifeLock does not have this feature
- ID Watchdog offers National Provider Identifier (NPI) Alerts
Similarities
- Both services offer $1 million in insurance coverage for ID theft victims.
- They both offer Bulk Discounts for Annual Plans.
- Both services have a reliable customer services department.
- They both will provide access to Credit Scores at least once a year.
- Both Services have a Reliable Customer Services Department.
- Both Services provide Dedicated Account Restoration Assistance.
ID Watchdog Features & Services
Run and owned by Equifax, a major consumer credit report agency, ID Watchdog is a relatively new entrant in the online protection niche. However, it is pertinent to mention here that they suffered a major data breach as recent as 2017 when personal information of over 140 million individuals was stolen.
When it comes to feature bucket, they offer the following features; surveillance of USPS National change of address registry, loan database surveillance, dark web monitoring, call, email & text alerts, fully managed resolution, $1 million insurance cover, Credit monitoring, Credit scores and reports, National provider identifier (NPI) alerts.
Pros and Cons
- Up to $1 million in compensation for financial loss from ID theft
- A dedicated department for ID restoration process
- Two-tier information surveillance for better security
- An uncomplicated plan and pricing structure
- The plan cancellation process is quite simple
- 24-7 access to customer support in several languages.
- Facility to lock your credit reports from Equifax
- No family plan on offer currently.
- No social media monitoring
- The login process can be somewhat annoying and confusing
ID Watchdog Plans & Pricing:
ID Watchdog has kept it plan division quite simple. There are two plans on – Plus and Platinum. Let’s take a closer look at what each of these has to offer.
- It will run you $14.95 per month. However, you can make some decent savings if you sign up for their annual plan.
- You will save almost 17% and will be paying $149.95 for the year instead of $179.4.
- You will access to all the features that we discussed above.
- The only thing missing is the annual credit scores and reports
- It will cost you almost 20% more than the Plus plan at $19.95 a month. You can, however, bring your monthly payment down to $18.25 if you sign up for their annual plan.
- The extra price you pay gets you annual credit scores and reports from Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian.
- The rest of the features are identical to what the Plus plan offers.
- You have the option to convert both your individual plans to family plans.
- The Plus family plan will run you $25.95 a month, and the Platinum family comes at $34.95 a month.
- With each of the family plan variations, you can add a maximum of 10 members.
Learn more about this company’s feature on our article ID Watchdog Theft Protection Review.
- Better Threat Resolution
- More Accurate Monitoring
- More thorough Customer Service
Get It Now and Enjoy OFF!
LifeLock Features and Services
LifeLock is one of the oldest names in the online ID protection niche. It offers a well-rounded package with features that include protection for your bank accounts, credit, and other sensitive information. If you are an ID theft victim, LifeLock will help you with the account restoration process and offers generous coverage for financial loss resulting from digital fraud.
Pros and Cons
- You can avail a complete refund within 60-days of signing up
- Up to $1 million for financial loss and $1 million for personal expenses
- 24-7 Phone Assistance
- Dedicated Identity Restoration Department
- Expensive Family Plan
- You’ll have to pay a dollar extra per month for any plan you subscribe after 1 year.
Pricing and Plans
- You will have to pay $11.99 per month. You can make a decent saving if you pay for the year; it’ll cost you $125 instead of $144.
- You will get up to $1 million insurance for digital crime and an additional $25,000 for financial loss and to top it off you’ll be entitled to $25,000 more to cover personal expenses.
- However, you won’t have access to your credit reports or credit scores. But the plan offers to monitor your Equifax credit records and will let you know if your personal information such as your address, bank accounts, or SSN has been accessed without your knowledge.
- You will have to shell out $23.99 a month. You can bring your bill down to $20 per month by signing up for their Annual Plan.
- You will get all the features of the Standard plan. Moreover, financial loss the coverage, and personal expenses payments are raised to $100,000 each. You also get an additional Equifax credit report and Equifax VantageScore 3.0 credit score per year. They will also keep a close eye on your credit card usage for suspicious transactions.
- You will have to pay $34.99 a month. The annual plan offers significant savings though; it will cost $28.33 a month.
- The Ultimate Plus plan offers a very healthy personal expense coverage of $1 million. Plus, it offers better credit screening.
- It provides you reports from all 3 credit agencies, plus you’ll have monthly access to Vantage 3.0 scores from the credit reports of Experian and TransUnion. Also, you will be notified of any sex offenders in your locality.
- You can add children under the age of 18 to your plan for an additional $5.99 per month. However, adding your spouse will cost you quite a bit because you’ll have to cough up cash for a separate individual plan.
Read more LifeLock comparison:
Final Verdict – LifeLock Wins
Lifelock’s family plan is quite expensive when you factor $6 a child and an extra account for your partner. However, they provide great security in addition to regular access to credit reports. So if budget is not a major barrier then LifeLock makes more sense.
Starting at $14.95 a month, ID Watchdog is not cheap by any means. And the fact there is no social media protection and family plan makes you wonder if it is worth paying your hard-earned cash.
Last Updated on