Is Identity Guard Legit? What You Need To Know

Can You Trust Identity Guard To Protect Your Personal Data?

For more than 20 years, Identity Guard has been a leader in the identity theft protection industry,  serving nearly 50 million customers and helping resolve real fraud cases for over 140,000 victims of identity theft. 

While Identity Guard still offers some of the best identity and credit monitoring services available, newer providers — including Aura — are challenging its reach, especially when it comes to digital security tools and proactive protection. 

If you're wondering if Identity Guard is the best identity theft protection service for your needs, consider this user feedback: 

• What users like about Identity Guard: Users and reviewers rave about Identity Guard's extensive identity monitoring and full-service customer support and identity restoration services.
• What users question about Identity Guard: Some reviewers criticize Identity Guard's limited digital security features and its basic Value plan. 

Ultimately, you need to choose a protection plan that works for your unique needs and budget. Identity Guard offers high quality ID theft protection, but it might not be the right answer for everyone.

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Identity Guard Review: Plans, Pricing, Features, and Potential Issues

Identity Guard is one of the most established identity theft protection providers on the market. Since launching in the mid-90s, Identity Guard's subscriber plans have evolved to include robust identity theft protection, credit protection and monitoring, basic digital security, 24/7 U.S.-based customer support, and $1 million in identity theft insurance. 

Identity Guard has consistently been included on lists citing the best identity theft protection services in publications including USNews.com, CNBC Select, Forbes Advisor, and Security.org. 

However, it’s important to note that not all Identity Guard plans are the same. Your level of protection will depend on how much you pay. 

For example, the most affordable “Value” plan includes identity monitoring and alerts, $1 million in insurance coverage, and basic digital security tools — but offers no credit monitoring, White Glove Fraud Resolution support, or bank account monitoring. 

Here’s a breakdown of Identity Guard's plans and pricing:

Identity Guard divides its key features into four categories: support, identity protection, credit protection, and online and device security. Before signing up for the service, it’s important to know what’s included, how it will keep you safe, and in what areas it might leave you vulnerable to attacks.

Dark Web monitoring with data breach notifications

All Identity Guard plans come with 24/7 Dark Web monitoring for more than 70 pieces of personally identifiable information (PII). The information you provide Identity Guard goes onto a secure “watchlist” which the service then monitors across the Dark Web, data breaches, public records, sex offender lists, and more. 

Your watchlist can include information ranging from your driver's license and Social Security number (SSN) to two passport numbers, five phone numbers, and up to 10 email addresses (plus financial account numbers and data). Higher-priced plans also include home title monitoring. 

What you need to know: If you allow it, Identity Guard will monitor a significant amount of your personal data and notify you if your private details have leaked or fallen into the wrong hands. The company's policy states that user data is aggregated and anonymized to ensure that it remains unidentifiable. 

Three-bureau credit monitoring with near real-time alerts

On its Ultra and Total plans, Identity Guard monitors your credit file with each of the three major credit bureaus (TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian). This monitoring looks for signs of fraud, including the opening of new accounts, unauthorized inquiries, and other suspicious activity in your credit file. 

While Total plan users also receive monthly credit scores from their Experian files, Ultra plan members receive annual credit reports from all three major bureaus and have access to an Experian credit lock that can instantly freeze their files at the first signs of fraud. 

What you need to know: Identity Guard offers powerful three-bureau credit monitoring and alerts on its top plans, but its Value plans provide no credit protection at all. Users on these plans need to make alternative arrangements for credit monitoring if they wish to protect themselves against identity theft and fraud.  

Financial account monitoring and protection

Identity Guard provides varying levels of financial account protection. On all plans, the company offers to monitor up to five financial account numbers and 40 credit and debit cards via users’ watchlists. All plans also include high risk transaction monitoring, which alerts members to any Payday loans involving their information.

For Total and Ultra plan members only, Identity Guard provides additional bank account monitoring. Ultra plan members also receive credit card, debit card, and investment account monitoring, which allows them to track account changes and transaction history.

What you need to know: Identity Guard's financial account monitoring provides effective and well-reviewed protection [*], but the service is not infallible. The company's terms of use states that detection delays and failures are possible, and users should still keep close watch on their financial accounts to ensure added security [*]. 

Phishing and privacy protection

On all plans, Identity Guard includes basic but useful digital and online protection tools, including:

• Password manager. The built-in password manager allows users to easily create and store unique and complex passwords — and can also warn if any credentials are too weak or have been compromised in a data breach. 
• Safe Browsing tools. This set of basic digital security tools includes warnings against potentially malicious websites and phishing links, along with ad, Flash, and tracker blocking. 
• Privacy manager (for social media and data brokers). The privacy manager enables users to enhance their privacy settings with a single click; and the privacy check feature makes it easy to search and remove your information from people search sites.

What you need to know: Identity Guard works with data brokers on your behalf to remove your personal information. But the service is somewhat limited, and results depend on the data brokers. As per the terms of use [*], Identity Guard will make "reasonable attempts" to remove your information from about 20 third-party databases. 

24/7 U.S.-based support and generous insurance policy

One of Identity Guard's major strengths is the support that it offers members, including round-the-clock customer service from its U.S.-based support staff. Ultra plan members also have access to White Glove Fraud Resolution Specialists who walk them through the remediation process — even facilitating calls with banks and government agencies. 

All Identity Guard members also receive up to $1 million in identity theft insurance coverage during their policy periods. This insurance policy provides reimbursements for eligible costs and expenses, including identity theft resolution costs, lost wages, and legal fees. 

What you need to know: Identity Guard covers members for up to $1 million on its individual plans and family plans, which means that families with five adult members receive up to $5 million in total coverage per policy period.

📚 Related: The Top Identity Guard Alternatives To Consider Right Now →

What Are the Downsides of Using Identity Guard?

For millions of users, Identity Guard offers peace of mind and some of the most robust monitoring features available; but the service is not perfect. 

Here are a few of Identity Guard's potential shortcomings:

No credit monitoring on Value plan

While Identity Guard's Value plan provides users with a budget-friendly option, the absence of credit monitoring may make it ineffective for some people — particularly those who don't have time or energy to monitor their own credit. 

Limited digital security features

One common complaint about Identity Guard is that it’s fallen behind competitors in its ability to protect digital devices and data. Identity Guard includes a password manager and Safe Browsing tools on each of its plans, but that may not be enough to prevent identity theft. 

Other providers, such as Aura and LifeLock, take more proactive approaches to identity theft and data breaches — offering plans that include a virtual private network (VPN), antivirus protection, anti-track tools, and more. 

As one user wrote on third-party review platform Trustpilot: "My only disappointment is that they do nothing to prevent identity theft, but only help you recover after it has happened." [*]

No free trial

You can never really know what a service has to offer until you try it out yourself, which is why so many identity theft protection providers have introduced free trials for prospective customers. While Identity Guard does not currently offer a free trial, it does provide a risk-free, 60-day money-back guarantee on its annual plans. 

Here's what some of Identity Guard's main competitors offer in terms of trials and guarantees: 

• Aura: 14-day free trial and 60-day money-back guarantee
• LifeLock: 30-day free trial and 60-day money-back guarantee
• IdentityForce: 30-day free trial (only for the UltraSecure plan)
• Privacy Guard: $1 for 14-day trial period 

No parental controls

Identity Guard's family plans include child identity monitoring for unlimited children, but the service does not provide any parental controls — which several of the top ID theft protection apps have integrated in recent years.

With no such parental controls, Identity Guard users cannot monitor their children's online usage or filter inappropriate content. This may leave kids vulnerable to online scams and other threats, including hacking and cyberbullying.

Advanced plans can be more expensive than competitor plans

Identity Guard's Ultra plan provides three-bureau credit monitoring, an Experian credit lock, and Safe Browsing Tools — plus identity protection that includes SSN, bank and investment account, social media account, and USPS address change monitoring.

With annual plans priced at $300 per year, however, the Ultra plan may be too expensive for some users. 

Here's how Identity Guard's pricing compares to its competitors top-tier plans:

📚 Related: Identity Guard vs. LifeLock: Everything You Need To Know →

What Do Real Customers Say About Using Identity Guard?

Feature lists and tech publications offer previews of what to expect from Identity Guard, but it's often real users who provide the most reliable perspectives. 

Here are some more customer comments about Identity Guard that are cited on third-party review platforms TrustPilot and Consumer Affairs:

• Someone tried to open a bank account today in my name. "I immediately received an alert from Identity Guard stating the bank had verified my identity. They listed the bank name. I was able to call them and shut down the fraudulent account immediately (it had just been opened). I subscribe to LifeLock, IdentityForce, Experian IdentityWorks, and Identity Guard. Only Identity Guard alerted me to this!" [*]
• It eases my mind. "If anything changes on my end, I get notified right away. That's very important. Identity Guard is not the cheapest in the market, but they have a good value to offer. It's very valuable to anyone that it insures. It has made my life more and more seamless in terms of not having to think of the dark web. It eases my mind for sure." [*]
• The jury is still out. "The jury is still out for me as to whether Identity Guard is worthwhile. It's not clear to me how much value added there is. I thought I was paying for a proactive service that could take care of the problems as they arise so I would not have to. Instead it's mainly someone accompanying me so not really saving me much time." [*]

Identity Guard vs. Aura: How Do They Compare? 

Identity Guard and Aura have been owned by the same company since 2019. But while both services offer powerful identity, credit, and financial account monitoring, there are key differences in their plans and approaches to digital safety. 

• Aura provides all-in-one protection, including a full suite of digital security tools, three-bureau credit monitoring on all plans, and extensive identity monitoring. Aura also is better suited for families, offering family plans that include parental controls and more child-focused features.
• Identity Guard offers more flexible plan options, including a budget-friendly Value plan without credit monitoring.  

Here's a brief look at how Identity Guard and Aura differ in their key features:

You should choose Aura over Identity Guard if you want: 

• Faster fraud alerts. While Aura and Identity Guard use many of the same methods for tracking changes to your credit report, a recent mystery shopper survey found that Aura sent more reliable fraud alerts that were up to 250x faster than competitors³. 
• Advanced digital security tools for all of your devices. While Identity Guard only provides basic digital security, Aura offers antivirus software, a VPN, Safe Browsing tools, and spam and scam protection that shields against fraud on all device types.
• Robust family protection including parental controls. Identity Guard offers family plans but no parental controls, whereas Aura's family plans come with gaming and online content monitoring and filtering. 
• Simplicity of options. Unlike Identity Guard, which offers multiple plans with different levels of protection to pick from, Aura members need only decide how many people they want to protect.

Identity Guard and Aura are both great options for protecting yourself and your family from online threats. But Aura’s simpler plans, more robust features, and lower monthly cost could make it a better choice for more people.