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LifeLock Competitors | Alternatives Reviews 2019
I have a confession to make.
I’ve been pretty casual about my online security. And if you’re in the vast majority, you’ve probably been guilty of it too.
You might be thinking “I just changed my password last month!”
Well, guess what? It isn’t enough.
Swiping our card at the checkpoint saves us a few minutes here and there, but at what cost?
Well, it essentially means we’re making ourselves an easy target for many different forms of cyber theft.
You see, thousands fall prey to identity theft around the world every day and that number keeps on inflating. Let’s explore what identity theft is and how it can affect you.
We’ll also look into 5 well-known identity protection service providers, so you’re able to make the right choice when choosing one right for you and your family.
Here are our Top 5 LifeLock Competitors or Alternatives on the market that provide comprehensive coverage for 2019:
If you still think that LifeLock has the right features for your needs, you can always choose this company to protect your identity.
All About Identity Theft
What Is It & How to Protect Yourself?
Identity theft is exactly what it sounds like. Someone swoops in to steal your personal and financial information to dent you financially or socially by tarnishing your reputation.
Here are a few handy points to keep you safe:
- 1Caution is your best friend when it comes to digital security. Avoid sharing your personal information. And when you must surrender it, be very careful. Find out why your information is needed.
- 2Don’t leave your sensitive personal documents around. Even the smallest detail can provide an opening for an enterprising identity thief.
- 3Always carry some cash with you and try to use credit cards only when you must. It may not be convenient but it will keep you safe.
- 4Don’t ever leave your ATM slip behind. Always destroy it.
Why You Must Invest in an Identity Protection Service?
Here are a few very strong reasons on why it’s crucial to invest a few dollars in a reputable identity protection service.
How to Choose the Best One for YOU
Here’s what to consider when selecting your service provider:
The Top 5 LifeLock Competitors 2019
LifeLock is a giant in the ID protection industry. It does offer distinct advantages but there are several alternatives that can do a decent job in keeping you safe from ID theft. Here’s the top-5 LifeLock competitors list:
Features
Identity Guard’s information protection mechanism derives its horsepower from IBM's Watson artificial intelligence. It offers easy to use Android and iOS apps. Also, it allows for further protection against tracking cookies with anti-phishing features and extensions for Chrome, Firefox and Safari browsers.
Identity Guard Pricing and Plans
Identity Guard offers 3 plans, which you can try without paying a cent for 30 days. However, there are no rebates on bulk payments.
- 1Basic Value Plan: It costs $8.99 per month, which makes it quite affordable for newbies. Even at this lower price point, you’re eligible for an insurance cover of up to $1 million. Plus they will assign your own case manager to restore identity in case of a mishap.
- 2Identity Guard Total Protection: It costs $19.99/month. You’re qualified for all the coverage and features of the Basic Value Plan. Moreover, they’ll alert you if any changes are made to your credit, a bank account is opened or if any changes occur to your existing accounts. You will also have monthly access to credit scores from VantageScore 3.0.
- 3Identity Guard Premier: If you’re after added protection then this plan will suit you better. It costs $24.99 a month. In addition to the features from the other two plans, you can get credit monitoring reports from Equifax, Experian, FICO and VantageScore 3.0.
- 4Family plans: You can bring your entire family (at a single address) under identity protection with Identity Guard Family Plans. They are further categorized as:
2. IDShield
Features and Services
IDShield has over 15 years of operational history in ID theft space. It is well-established in 50 US states and 4 Canadian provinces.
It provides a comprehensive list of security features such as unlimited consulting, $1 million identity theft insurance, 12-month credit score tracking history, 24-7 access to customer support, licensed private investigators, 24-7 credit monitoring & alerts, dark web surveillance, financial account monitoring , payday loan monitoring, credit report disputes, sex offender alerts, court records & bookings and SSN monitoring.
IDShield Pricing and Plans
There are 2 main IDShield plan categories – individual and family plans.
The plans are further divided into 4 sub-categories. The basic features (as explained above) are the same across all plans.
The main difference is the level of credit monitoring. You can either choose credit monitoring from a single agency or all 3 agencies. Let’s take a closer look at their prices:
There is a drawback though; there are no bulk sign-up discounts or risk-free trial periods.
IDShield Recovery Process
IDShield offers a pretty reliable fraud recovery process for identity theft victims. Here’s what it offers.
To start off, you will get an immediate alert if it detects an attempt to access your information. After breach determination, an IDShield staff member will call you to confirm the occurrence of the breach.
Their recovery department will generate a case for your particular threat and will assign you a licensed private investigator. His core job will be to work with government agencies, financial institutions, credit bureaus, and collection agencies to recover your stolen identity.
3. IdentityForce
Features
One of the reasons for IdentityForce’s popularity is its user-friendly dashboard. It provides a comprehensive feature bucket, which covers screening your social security number, bank account information, credit cards, information on loans, and public record information. It also screens vehicle registrations and insurance records.
IdentityForce Pricing and Plans
IdentityForce offers 2 personal plans and you can enjoy a free 2-week trial:
- 1UltraSecure costs $17.95 a month; you can save about $3 a month if you pay upfront for the year. It will promptly alert you of any suspicious activity. Your social security number, bank accounts, address variations, loan and court records, dark web, sex offender registry, and social media are screened under the plan. It will also monitor your credit card transactions and it will keep your inbox spam-free. You’re eligible for up to $1 million of insurance coverage in case of identity theft. Their team will also help you in case of wallet loss and will also offer protection for your tech devices and medical id.
- 2UltraSecure + Credit: At $23.95 per month, this plan is indeed expensive. But in addition to the features of the UltraSecure plan, it offers access to quarterly credit reports from the three bureaus – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
- 3IdentityForce family plan: There are two options depending on the number of people:
4. Zander Identity Theft
Features
Zander’s key source of popularity seems to be an endorsement from Dave Ramsey, a well-known authority on personal finance. Despite its lower prices point, Zander is still able to offer reliable identity protection.
It includes financial and tax fraud, medical identity theft, criminal identity theft, social security fraud, child identity theft, employment fraud, and title fraud. In addition to account restoration, you will be entitled to up to $1 million in insurance coverage in case of identity theft.
Zander Identity Theft Pricing and Plans
Zander has kept its plan offering limited with the key focus on providing affordable protection. It currently offers 2 plans – individual and family.
Zander’s Individual Plan: You can get started for only $6.75 a month. You also get a bulk payment discount for the annual plan, which will cost $75. When you combine Zander’s affordable prices, the feature bucket, and the million-dollar insurance, the plan becomes quite compelling.
In case of identity theft, it will provide insurance coverage of up to $1 million. Moreover, you will be entitled to personal expense compensation at $7500 a week for up to 4 weeks plus account restoration services.
Zander’s Family Plan provides great value! It will cost you $12.90 a month or $145 annually with a 6% discount. And apart from all the features of the individual plan, the family plan allows you to add 2 adults and an unlimited number of children up to age 25.
5. ProtectMyID
Features
While ProtectMyID is new on the market, it has managed to win a healthy market share in a short time span. This is mostly due to the fact that its owned by Experian, a name that carries some weight in this niche.
Here’s what you can expect after signing up with ProtectMyID. The key features include social network monitoring, SSN monitoring, dark web surveillance, daily detection scans, address safeguard, bank account, and credit card monitoring, identity validation alerts, payday loan monitoring, court records monitoring, sex offender registry, file sharing network monitoring, credit bureaus monitoring and daily Experian credit score.
Pricing and Plans
ProtectMyID offers 3 plans. All three plans are divided into 2 tiers; Plus and Premium. While the Plus tier offers basic coverage, the Premium tier offers a much more comprehensive list of protection features.
It’s important to know that after signing up with ProtectMyID you will be redirected to the Experian Identity Works page.
The plans start from $9.99 a month and are priced up to $29.99 a month depending on the features you choose and whether it’s an individual plan or a family plan. You can take advantage of the 30-day free trial with all the plans.
Moreover, ProtectMyID offers a generous bulk discount if you make an annual payment. You save up to 17% on annual payments. Here’s how the plans are priced:
- 1Individual: Plus $9.99 a month, Premium $19.99 a month.
- 2Family plan with 1 adult and up to 10 children: Plus $14.99 a month, Premium $24.99 a month.
- 3Family plan with 2 adults and up to 10 children: Plus $19.99 a month, Premium $29.99 a month.
Pros and Cons
Within the following section, you’ll find a snapshot of the strengths and weaknesses of each of the services discussed above.
IDShield
Pros
- Up to $1 million for financial loss from identity theft.
- You will be assigned a licensed private investigator to recover your stolen identity.
- You can add up to 10 children with their family plan.
- User-friendly Android and iOS app.
- Reliable phone support.
Cons - They don’t offer a free trial.
- It's not easy to cancel.
Identity Guard
Pros
- Identity Guard offers an extensive suite of identity theft services.
- It derives its horsepower from IBM Watson artificial intelligence framework, which further strengthens its reliability.
- You will be eligible for up to $1 million in ID theft insurance.
- Lost income compensation of up to $2000 for a maximum of 5 weeks plus you will receive travel expenses of up to $1,000 per policy period, and spousal and childcare expenses of up to $2,000 per policy period.
- They will provide you anti-virus software, password protection, ad blocking, tracking cookie blocking, keyboard encryption software, and an anti-phishing mobile app.
Cons
- No protection for your medical and tax information.
- No refunds.
IdentityForce
Pros
- It offers extensive coverage, including medical record screening and court records.
- It offers credit reports from all 3 credit bureaus.
- You’ll have access to a credit score simulator, which lets you see how your credit will be affected by your spending.
Cons
- It’s a bit cumbersome to sign up for the family plan; you must do it through the phone.
- Quite expensive - the cheapest plan starts at $17.95
Zander Identity Theft
Pros
- Very affordable, you can get started for less than $7 a month,
- It offers $7500 weekly personal expense coverage.
- You can add unlimited children to the family plan.
- It offers 24-7 customer care.
Cons
- Zander doesn’t have a mobile app.
- It doesn’t offer credit screening.
ProtectMyID
Pros
- Owned and run by Experian.
- Affordable – starts at $9.99 a month.
- Up to $1 million insurance coverage.
- If needed, they will assign you an exclusive identity restoration official
Cons
- Lower tier plan offers no more than bare-bones ID theft protection.
- The sign-up process may take a while and is relatively confusing.
Summary
As you can see, all the above options have their distinct advantages. Of course, not all of them will suit everyone.
There are several factors that you need to consider here, such as your budget, the required level of security, whether you want to add your family and your experience with ID protection services.
If you have a large family and you want them all protected, then it would be hard to ignore Zander, which allows you to add unlimited children along with your spouse. Similarly, if you want extensive coverage and budget isn’t an issue then Identityforce will suit you better.
To make the right choice, we suggest going through the above reviews for each of the 5 Lifelock competitors.
If you think that LifeLock is still the right product for you, click on the link to know more about their services.
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