All About Cookies is an independent, advertising-supported website. Some of the offers that appear on this site are from third-party advertisers from which All About Cookies receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear).
All About Cookies does not include all financial or credit offers that might be available to consumers nor do we include all companies or all available products. Information is accurate as of the publishing date and has not been provided or endorsed by the advertiser.
The All About Cookies editorial team strives to provide accurate, in-depth information and reviews to help you, our reader, make online privacy decisions with confidence. Here's what you can expect from us:
According to identitytheft.org, total fraud and identity theft cases have nearly tripled over the last decade, and they dramatically increased in 2023. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported 5.7 million total fraud and identity theft reports; 1.4 million of those were identity theft cases. [1] The case for the best identity theft protection has never been stronger.
Identity Guard is one of the top-rated players in this space, loaded with features to help protect your personal and financial information from identity thieves. A simple Identity Guard login can provide you access to a whole host of identity theft protection services designed to safeguard your identity.
That’s why we’ve evaluated Identity Guard, which offers plans at a modest cost ranging from $7.50–$33.33/mo. With its three different pricing tiers and plans for individuals and families, Identity Guard has options that can suit a wide range of identity theft protection needs.
Identity Guard can be as low as $7.50/mo or as high as $33.33/mo depending on various factors, such as the plan type you select, your payment plan, and how many credit monitoring features you desire. First, you can select between an individual plan and a family plan. Then, you can select to pay either monthly or annually.
Individual monthly costs can range from $8.99/mo for the basic Value plan to $29.99/mo for the comprehensive Ultra plan. Additionally, families can protect their households with monthly plans ranging from $14.99/mo to $39.99/mo. However, annual plans can help you save more money in the long run, with prices ranging from $7.50/mo to $25.00/mo for individual plans or $12.50/mo to $33.33/mo for family plans.
| Plan | Identity Guard | Norton LifeLock | IdentityForce |
| Individual plan paid annually | Starts at $7.50/mo | Starts at $7.50/mo (billed annually) for first yr | Starts at $17.95-$19.95/mo |
| Individual plan paid monthly | Starts at $8.99/mo | Starts at $11.99/mo | Starts at $19.95/mo |
| Learn More | View Plans | View Plans | View Plans |
When compared to Norton LifeLock and IdentityForce, Identity Guard offers the best pricing. Identity Guard's starting plan is about half the price of IdentityForce's starting plan. And although Identity Guard and LifeLock start at the same price, LifeLock increases in price after the first year.
Identity Guard offers three plans for individuals and families: Value, Total, and Ultra. The Value plan is a basic plan, Total is a mid-tier plan with more protection features, and Ultra is our recommended plan, which offers comprehensive identity monitoring as well as credit monitoring services.
| Plan | Value | Total | Ultra |
| Identity theft insurance | Yes — up to $1 million | Yes — up to $1 million | Yes — up to $1 million |
| Data breach notifications | |||
| Dark web monitoring | |||
| High-risk transaction monitoring | |||
| Bank account monitoring | |||
| USPS address change monitoring | |||
| Credit monitoring | Yes — Experian, TransUnion, Equifax | Yes — Experian, TransUnion, Equifax | |
| Monthly credit score | |||
| Three-bureau annual credit report | |||
| Learn More | View Value Plan | View Total Plan | View Ultra Plan |
Identity Guard’s basic plan, the Value plan, uses your Social Security number (SSN) and other personal data to monitor for signs of identity theft. This includes high-risk transaction monitoring, dark web monitoring, and data breach notifications. All Identity Guard plans also come with identity theft insurance of up to $1 million for you and your family. Its individual packages cost $7.50/mo, and family packages cost $12.50/mo.
The Value plan is best suited for single individuals or large families with children. The individual plans only cover one person. The family plans cover five adults and an unlimited number of kids, which we thought was impressive. Unfortunately, the Value plan does not come with credit monitoring or protection services, but the next tiers do.
Identity Guard’s Total plan is a slight notch above its Value plan. Identity Guard Total protection offers the same features as the Value plan, plus bank account monitoring, three-bureau credit monitoring, and monthly credit score updates.
The Total plan cost is $16.67/mofor individuals and $25.00/mo for families. It is twice the cost of the Value plan but has more to offer beyond identity theft protection. Credit monitoring with the three major credit bureaus, Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax, is its standout feature. This can be attractive for those who want to protect themselves and their families from becoming victims of credit card fraud.
So if you are willing to shell out extra dollars each month to protect yourself from identity theft, bank account theft, and credit card fraud, then the Total plan is a great choice.
Identity Guard’s Ultra plan has the most comprehensive identity theft and identity fraud protection available. In addition to what’s included in the Value and Total plans, Ultra includes these extra features.
Ultra’s starting price is $25.00/mo for individuals and $33.33/mo for families. It’s certainly the “ultra” choice, packed with features that can help individuals and families protect themselves against identity theft criminals. Even though it’s more costly than the other plans, Identity Guard Ultra is our recommended plan thanks to its extensive monitoring, comprehensive credit monitoring, and recovery services.
We appreciate that Identity Guard offers family plans and accounts for children in them. Family plans include five adults and, well, an unlimited number of kids (which we think is awesome). They are offered for all three plans: Value, Total, and Ultra (our recommended plan).
Best of all, each plan provides up to $1 million in identity theft insurance coverage for all family members living in your household. So whether you want to protect the identity of your spouse, grandparents, or children, Identity Guard has you covered.
You can protect your loved ones from identity theft by selecting the plan that suits your needs and budget, with prices that range from $12.50-$33.33/mo. See the plans below for pricing details.
| Plan | Value | Total | Ultra |
| Family plan paid annually | $12.50/mo | $25.00/mo | $33.33/mo |
| Family plan paid monthly | $14.99/mo | $29.99/mo | $39.99/mo |
Unfortunately, a free trial for Identity Guard was not available at the time of this review. However, Identity Guard does provide a 60-day money-back guarantee if you opt for their annual plans. If you are satisfied with Identity Guard’s services, annual plans can save you more money in the long haul, and if you are not satisfied within 60 days, you are entitled to reimbursement.
Identity Guard can cover a wide range of potential identity threats. It can monitor your bank accounts, credit cards, home titles, and more. Annual credit reports are included with the Ultra plan for individuals and families. All plans also offer $1 million in identity theft protection, so identity restoration services are also covered.
There are no Identity Guard free plans or services offered, unfortunately. However, Identity Guard does offer a 60-day money-back guarantee if you select an annual subscription with any of its three plans.
Identity Guard with Watson delivers personalized identity theft protection and action steps using AI technology from IBM® Watson™ Artificial Intelligence. It does this by continually monitoring millions of data sources that other services don’t and alerting you of potential threats.
Given that identity theft has nearly tripled over the last decade, Identity Guard offers identity theft protection for individuals and families across all tiered plans: Value, Total, and Ultra. We think the comprehensive Ultra family plan may be worth the price, especially for those with large families. However, that decision depends on your personal needs and budget.
For those unfamiliar with ID theft protection services, read our complete guide to identity theft protection for additional guidance.
Due to the continual rise in identity theft and fraud cases, identity theft protection may be needed now more than ever. Identity Guard provides solutions that help individuals and families with children stay protected from identity theft crimes. So whether you are on a budget and can only afford basic identity theft protection or if you have some room to shell out extra dollars for premium features, there is an Identity Guard plan for you and your loved ones.
For a deeper dive into what identity theft protection services offer, check out our guide on the best identity theft protection services with credit reporting.
Easy-to-use identity theft protection service
Includes extra features like a password manager
/images/2023/09/08/lifelock_alternatives.jpg)
/images/2023/10/11/best-data-removal-service.png)
/images/2024/02/26/id_resolve_review_featured_image.jpg)
/images/2023/12/01/omniwatch_review.jpg)
/images/2023/10/05/msecure-password-manager-review.png)
/images/2023/09/29/best-password-manager-for-linux.png)
/images/2023/08/25/zoho-vault-review.png)
/images/2023/07/28/identity-guard-cost.jpg)
/authors/mars-grove.png){kind=small}
/authors/steph-trejos-allaboutcookies-editor.jpg){kind=small}
/images/2023/06/28/id-guard-logo_horizontal_large.png){kind=logo}
/authors/mars-grove.png)