The 8 best Identity Guard alternatives

Our top picks for best Identity Guard alternatives

If you’re looking to switch from Identity Guard, these are the best identity theft protection services based on value, features, and target audience:

Why you might want an Identity Guard alternative 

Identity Guard is a well-established identity theft protection service that offers credit monitoring, dark web monitoring, and identity theft insurance up to $1 million. It provides identity restoration support and fraud alerts to help you detect and respond to threats. However, you might want to switch to an Identity Guard alternative if:

• You need higher insurance coverage. Identity Guard offers up to $1 million in identity theft insurance on its plans for individual users, while competitors like Coveron provide up to $2 million.
• You want better value for bundled features. Some alternatives include a VPN, an antivirus, or data removal services in their plans at lower price points.
• You want parental controls for your children. Identity Guard doesn’t offer device-level parental controls, while some alternatives like Aura include full parental controls in their family plans.
• You want more comprehensive monitoring. Certain competitors offer additional monitoring features like financial account monitoring or short-term loan monitoring.

What are the 8 Identity Guard alternatives right now?

We reviewed the following services and found them to be the top Identity Guard alternatives:

• Coveron
• Aura
• IdentityForce
• LifeLock
• PrivacyGuard
• ID Watchdog
• IdentityIQ
• IDShield

Identity Guard alternatives vary in pricing, insurance coverage, monitoring features, and bundled tools. Each offers a different balance of protection, cost, and additional features for different needs and budgets.

Disclaimer: This overview of Identity Guard alternatives was last verified on September 21, 2026, on the official Aura, IdentityForce, LifeLock, PrivacyGuard, ID Watchdog, IdentityIQ, and IDShield websites. The U.S. was used as the key location. Please note that pricing information may include promotional or introductory rates that are subject to change, and regular pricing may be higher after promotional periods end. These plans may differ in price or subscription length, and the information is subject to change over time. We recommend verifying current pricing and terms directly with each service provider before making a purchasing decision.

1. Coveron

Coveron combines extensive monitoring with advanced privacy tools. Created by the cybersecurity company behind NordVPN, this service goes beyond basic identity theft protection to offer a complete security package that protects both your personal information and your digital privacy.

Coveron’s strength lies in its cybersecurity-first approach. The service scans the dark web for your personal information and monitors your credit file for suspicious changes, sending immediate alerts when it detects threats. Beyond these standard features, Coveron’s higher-tier plans include extras that competitors don’t always offer, like NordVPN opens in a new tab for online privacy protection and Incogni personal data removal services that help reduce your online exposure to prevent identity theft.

You can access all these features in an easy-to-use account that doesn’t require any technical expertise or software installation. Coveron also offers family identity theft protection with plans covering up to two adults or up to five adults, plus an unlimited number of children.

Six reasons to choose Coveron:

• $2M in identity theft insurance. Coveron’s Identity Theft Protection and Full Protection plans provide up to $2 million for eligible identity theft recovery expenses, including legal fees, lost wages, and document replacement. Identity Guard Ultra Individual caps this coverage at $1 million.
• Separate cyber insurance benefits. Coveron includes distinct insurance for cyber extortion (up to $100,000), online fraud (up to $100,000), and cyberattacks (up to $10,000) on its Identity Theft Protection and Full Protection plans. Identity Guard lists general identity theft insurance but doesn’t define separate coverage for these threats.
• Home title insurance included. Coveron provides up to $100,000 in home title insurance with the Identity Theft Protection and Full Protection plans, covering eligible losses if your home title is fraudulently transferred. Identity Guard Ultra only offers home title monitoring but provides no reimbursement if you suffer fraud.
• VPN and antivirus included. The Full Protection plan includes NordVPN for encrypted browsing and a next-gen antivirus with phishing detection, malware scanning, ad blocking, and tracker blocking. Identity Guard doesn’t include a VPN or standalone antivirus software, though it does offer what it calls Safe Browsing tools.
• Personal data removal service. Coveron’s Full Protection plan includes Incogni, which removes your personal information from data broker databases and people search sites to reduce your exposure to spam, scams, and identity theft. Identity Guard doesn’t offer this service.
• Lower price than competitors. Coveron Full Protection costs $8.79/month with the two-year plan, which adds up to $211.01 for the first 24 months. In comparison, Identity Guard Ultra’s promotional rate of $7.99/month for the first year adds up to $95.88 for the 12 months but after renewing at $29.99/month, it will cost you $359.88 for the second year — which comes at $455.76 for the two years. For comparable features and higher insurance limits, Coveron delivers better long-term value.

Why Coveron might not be for you:

• $2M in identity theft insurance on family plans. Coveron offers the same identity theft insurance coverage amount ($2M) on family plans as on individual plans. Even though this is a high coverage amount compared to similar services, Identity Guard’s Ultra Family offers up to $5M in identity theft insurance.
• No social media monitoring. Identity Guard Ultra includes social media monitoring to detect unauthorized use of your personal information on social platforms. Coveron does not currently offer this feature, so if social media protection is a priority, Identity Guard may be a better fit.
• No investment account monitoring. Identity Guard Ultra monitors 401(k) and investment accounts for suspicious activity. Coveron focuses on credit accounts, financial accounts, and short-term loans but doesn’t extend monitoring to investment accounts. This may be a drawback if you hold significant assets in retirement or brokerage accounts.

You should also know that Coveron is only available to U.S. citizens.

Should you choose Coveron as an Identity Guard alternative? The verdict  

Coveron is the better choice if you want higher identity theft insurance limits, separate cyber insurance benefits, actual home title insurance coverage, and bundled privacy tools like a VPN and data removal — all at a lower long-term price. Choose Identity Guard if you need social media monitoring, investment account monitoring, or a higher identity theft insurance coverage on a family plan. For more details, see how Coveron compares to Identity Guard.

2. Aura

Aura is an identity theft protection and digital security platform owned by the same parent company as Identity Guard (Aura Sub, LLC). While these services share ownership, Aura positions itself as an all-in-one digital security suite with bundled security tools, while Identity Guard operates as an independent brand focused specifically on identity theft and credit protection.

Aura bundles three-bureau credit monitoring, dark web monitoring, financial account tracking, stolen identity alerts, and fraud remediation support with a VPN, an antivirus, a password manager, and parental controls.

Aura’s Individual plan starts at $9.99/month billed annually (or $12.99/month billed monthly), the Couple plan at $17.99/month billed annually, and the Family plan at $24.99/month billed annually.

Aura pros and cons

Aura offers several advantages:

• Complete security bundle. Aura combines identity theft protection, a VPN, an antivirus, a password manager, and safe browsing in one subscription. Identity Guard Ultra includes its Safe Browsing features and a password manager but no VPN or antivirus.
• Parental controls. Aura Family includes content filtering, site blocking, screen time limits, remote internet pause, and online predator alerts that monitor in-game voice and text for scams and cyberbullying. Identity Guard doesn’t offer parental controls.
• Password manager on all plans. Aura includes a password manager that stores and autofills login credentials across devices — on all plans. Identity Guard Ultra also has a password manager but only on its top-tier plan.
• AI spam call blocking. The Family plan includes AI-based spam call and message protection to reduce unwanted contact from scammers and telemarketers. Identity Guard doesn’t offer this feature.

Some of Aura’s limitations include:

• Higher monthly price. Aura Individual at $12.99/month billed monthly is higher than Identity Guard’s Ultra Individual $7.99/month.

Should you choose Aura as an Identity Guard alternative? The verdict  

So is Aura worth it? It is worth getting if you want an all-in-one subscription combining identity theft protection with a VPN, an antivirus, a password manager, and parental controls. It’s great for families that need online protection for a household with children and spam call filtering. Stick with Identity Guard or other Aura alternatives if you don’t need family identity protection or if you want basic protection features for a lower price.

3. IdentityForce

IdentityForce is a TransUnion-backed identity theft protection service offering credit monitoring, dark web monitoring, and fraud restoration. It provides two plan tiers — UltraSecure and UltraSecure+Credit — for individuals and families (up to 2 adults and 10 children).

UltraSecure+Credit Individual costs $34.90/month or $349.90/year. UltraSecure+Credit Family costs $39.90/month or $399.90/year and covers 2 adults plus up to 10 children.

The service includes a dedicated restoration specialist, a mobile VPN, online PC protection, and phishing and botnet monitoring.

IdentityForce pros and cons

IdentityForce might be up your alley if you’re looking for the following benefits:

• Child credit monitoring for up to 10 children. IdentityForce Family plans include child credit activity monitoring for up to 10 children at no extra cost. Identity Guard does not offer child credit monitoring.
• Mobile VPN and PC protection included. All IdentityForce plans include a VPN for mobile devices and online PC protection to secure your connection and block malicious sites. Identity Guard does not include a VPN, though it offers what it calls Safe Browsing tools.
• Phishing and botnet monitoring. IdentityForce monitors for phishing attacks and botnet activity that could compromise your devices or accounts. Identity Guard does not explicitly offer this feature.
• Personalized identity safety score. This score helps you get a better picture of your identity security by measuring your overall susceptibility to identity theft based on your data breach history and active security risks.

Some IdentityForce limitations to consider:

• Higher pricing than Identity Guard. IdentityForce UltraSecure+Credit Individual costs $34.90/month ($29.16/month equivalent if billed annually), which is significantly higher than Identity Guard Ultra Individual’s promotional rate of $7.99/month for the first year (renewing at $29.99/month).
• Fewer adults on family plans. IdentityForce’s family plans cover only two adults, while Identity Guard offers coverage for five adults.
• No social media monitoring. IdentityForce does not offer social media monitoring, while Identity Guard Ultra includes a feature for detecting unauthorized use of your personal information on social platforms.
• No investment account of high-risk transaction monitoring. You won’t get these features with IdentityForce.

Should you choose IdentityForce as an Identity Guard alternative? The verdict  

Choose IdentityForce if you have multiple children and want child credit monitoring included or if a mobile VPN and phishing/botnet monitoring are priorities. Stick with Identity Guard if you want social media monitoring, lower promotional pricing, or higher family insurance limits.

4. LifeLock

LifeLock is a Norton-owned identity theft protection service founded in 2005. It offers credit monitoring, dark web monitoring, investment account monitoring, and fraud restoration services. LifeLock provides three plan tiers — Core, Advanced, and Total — with varying levels of coverage and insurance.

Core costs a $10.42/month equivalent if billed annually and $12.49/month if billed monthly. Advanced costs $16.67/month or $19.99/month billed monthly. Total costs $29.17/month or $34.99/month billed monthly.

LifeLock Advanced and Total plans include three-bureau credit monitoring, utility account alerts, and home title monitoring. Total adds 401(k)/investment activity alerts, bank account takeover alerts, and phone takeover monitoring.

LifeLock pros and cons

LifeLock has several useful benefits:

• Up to $1M for stolen funds. In addition to a generous ($3M) reimbursement for identity theft, LifeLock Total provides up to a $1 million reimbursement included in top-tier plans to cover the money thieves steal from you in an identity theft incident.
• Bank account takeover alerts. LifeLock Total monitors for unauthorized attempts to access or take over your bank accounts. Identity Guard does not explicitly offer bank account takeover alerts as a separate feature.
• Phone takeover monitoring. LifeLock Total alerts you to unauthorized attempts to take over your mobile phone account. Identity Guard doesn’t offer that.
• Automatic data broker removal. All LifeLock plans include automatic data broker removal to reduce your exposure on people search sites. Identity Guard doesn’t offer data removal.
• Card exposure control. This tool identifies which online merchants and websites have stored your credit or debit card information.

Potential LifeLock drawbacks to keep in mind:

• Higher pricing than Identity Guard. LifeLock Total costs $29.17/month annually ($34.99/month monthly), higher than Identity Guard Ultra Individual’s promotional rate of $7.99/month for the first year (renewing at $29.99/month).
• No VPN. Standalone LifeLock identity theft protection plans do not include a VPN unless you purchase a combined Norton 360 with LifeLock bundle.

Should you choose LifeLock as an Identity Guard alternative? The verdict

Choose LifeLock if you want a separate reimbursement for stolen funds ($1M), bank account takeover alerts, phone takeover monitoring, automatic data broker removal, or card exposure control. Stick with Identity Guard if you prefer lower promotional pricing or need a VPN included (LifeLock requires a separate Norton 360 bundle for VPN). For more, see how LifeLock compares to Identity Guard and check out our article “Is LifeLock worth it?”

5. PrivacyGuard

PrivacyGuard is an identity theft protection and credit monitoring service offering three plan tiers: Identity Protection, Credit Protection, and Total Protection. It provides dark web scanning, credit monitoring, and identity theft insurance on select plans.

Identity Protection costs $9.99/month, Credit Protection costs $19.99/month, and Total Protection costs $24.99/month.

PrivacyGuard’s Identity Protection plan focuses on dark web scanning and personal info monitoring without credit monitoring. Credit Protection adds daily three-bureau credit monitoring and monthly credit reports but excludes identity theft insurance. Total Protection combines both feature sets and adds children’s SSN monitoring for up to 10 children.

PrivacyGuard pros and cons

Pros of choosing PrivacyGuard include:

• Lower pricing on comparable plans. PrivacyGuard Total Protection costs $24.99/month, which is lower than Identity Guard Ultra Individual’s renewal rate of $29.99/month after the promotional $7.99/month first-year rate.
• Children’s SSN monitoring. PrivacyGuard Total Protection monitors Social Security numbers for up to 10 children under 18. Identity Guard doesn’t offer this feature.
• Credit score simulator and financial calculators. PrivacyGuard includes a credit score simulator to model the impact of financial decisions and financial calculators for budgeting. Identity Guard doesn’t offer these features.

Some PrivacyGuard disadvantages to consider:

• Split feature sets across plans. PrivacyGuard’s Identity Protection plan excludes credit monitoring, while Credit Protection excludes identity theft insurance. You need Total Protection to get both. Identity Guard bundles credit monitoring and insurance on its Ultra plan.
• No investment account monitoring. PrivacyGuard doesn’t monitor 401(k) or investment accounts, while Identity Guard Ultra offers investment account monitoring on its top-tier plan.
• No social media monitoring. PrivacyGuard doesn’t monitor social media platforms for unauthorized use of your personal information. Identity Guard Ultra includes this feature.

Should you choose PrivacyGuard as an Identity Guard alternative? The verdict

Choose PrivacyGuard if you want daily three-bureau credit monitoring at a lower long-term price, children’s SSN monitoring for multiple kids, or credit score simulation tools. Stick with Identity Guard if you need investment account monitoring or social media monitoring, or prefer a bundled plan that includes both credit monitoring and insurance at the entry tier. Identity Guard’s promotional pricing ($7.99/month first year) beats PrivacyGuard upfront, but PrivacyGuard’s $24.99/month Total Protection is cheaper than Identity Guard’s $29.99/month renewal rate.

6. ID Watchdog

ID Watchdog is an Equifax-owned identity theft protection service offering credit monitoring, dark web monitoring, and identity restoration. It provides two plan tiers, Select and Premium, with options for individuals and families.

Select Individual costs $14.95/month, while Premium Individual costs $21.95/month. Select Family costs $240/year ($20/month equivalent), and Premium Family costs $350/year ($29.17/month equivalent).

All ID Watchdog plans include registered sex offender reporting, data breach notifications, public records monitoring, USPS change of address monitoring, credit freeze assistance, and personalized identity restoration. Premium plans add three-bureau credit monitoring, AI-powered phishing and malware alerts, social account monitoring, personal data removal, a VPN, a password manager, and higher insurance limits.

ID Watchdog pros and cons

ID Watchdog might be the right fit due to several benefits:

• Registered sex offender monitoring on all plans. ID Watchdog includes registered sex offender reporting that searches for offenders in your area. Identity Guard doesn’t offer this service.
• Up to $2M in insurance. ID Watchdog’s Premium plan provides up to $2 million in identity theft insurance, while Identity Guard Ultra Individual offers only $1 million.
• Cyberbullying expense coverage. ID Watchdog includes reimbursement for expenses related to cyberbullying incidents — Identity Guard doesn’t.
• Personal data removal. ID Watchdog’s Premium plan includes personal data removal to reduce your exposure on people search sites. Identity Guard doesn’t have this.
• AI-powered phishing and malware alerts. ID Watchdog’s Premium plan uses AI to detect phishing attempts and malware threats, while Identity Guard doesn’t offer this.
• VPN. ID Watchdog’s Premium plan includes a VPN for secure browsing. Identity Guard doesn’t offer a VPN on any plan.

ID Watchdog also have some limitations you should consider:

• Higher pricing. ID Watchdog Premium Individual costs $21.95/month, higher than Identity Guard Ultra Individual’s promotional rate of $7.99/month for the first year (renewing at $29.99/month).
• Only one-bureau credit monitoring with the Select plan. ID Watchdog Select monitors only one credit bureau and provides monthly credit reports. Identity Guard's base plans offer more comprehensive credit monitoring.
• No investment account monitoring. ID Watchdog doesn’t monitor 401(k) or investment accounts. Identity Guard Ultra offers investment account monitoring on its top-tier plan.

Should you choose ID Watchdog as an Identity Guard alternative? The verdict 

Choose ID Watchdog if you want registered sex offender monitoring, cyberbullying expense coverage, personal data removal, or a VPN. The Premium plan’s $2M insurance coverage and AI-based alerts are strong features. Stick with Identity Guard if you want lower promotional pricing or investment account monitoring.

7. IdentityIQ

IdentityIQ is an identity theft protection service offering credit monitoring, dark web scanning, and identity restoration. It provides three plan tiers: Secure Plus, Secure Pro, and Secure Max.

Secure Plus costs $9.99/month, Secure Pro costs $19.99/month, and Secure Max costs $29.99/month.

All IdentityIQ plans include dark web and internet monitoring, SSN alerts, synthetic ID theft protection, change of address monitoring, file sharing network searches, lost wallet assistance, opt-out services for junk mail and Do Not Call lists, and U.S.-based identity restoration. Higher tiers add credit monitoring, criminal alerts, and credit score tools.

IdentityIQ pros and cons

IdentityIQ might be the right fit for you if you’re looking for the following features:

• Alerts on crimes committed in your name. IdentityIQ’s Secure Pro and Secure Max plans monitor for crimes committed in your name and send alerts. Identity Guard doesn’t offer this type of monitoring.
• Payday loan monitoring. IdentityIQ’s Secure Max plan monitors payday and short-term loan applications in your name. Identity Guard does not explicitly offer payday loan monitoring.
• Credit score simulator and tracker. IdentityIQ’s Secure Max plan includes a credit score simulator to model the impact of financial decisions and a credit score tracker. Identity Guard doesn’t offer these features.

IdentityIQ’s drawbacks include:

• Lower family coverage. IdentityIQ’s family protection offers only up to $25K in ID theft insurance, significantly lower than Identity Guard Ultra Family’s $5 million in coverage for identity theft.
• No financial account monitoring. IdentityIQ doesn’t monitor checking, savings, or other financial accounts for suspicious activity. Identity Guard Ultra includes financial account monitoring.
• No investment account monitoring. IdentityIQ doesn’t monitor 401(k) or investment accounts. Identity Guard Ultra offers investment account monitoring.
• No social media monitoring. IdentityIQ doesn’t monitor social media platforms for unauthorized use of your personal information. Identity Guard Ultra includes this service.

Should you choose IdentityIQ as an Identity Guard alternative? The verdict

Choose IdentityIQ if you need alerts on crimes committed in your name, credit score simulation tools, or enhanced credit report monitoring at a competitive price. It’s a solid choice for budget-conscious users. Stick with Identity Guard if you need financial account monitoring, investment account monitoring, social media monitoring, or higher insurance limits on family plans. Identity Guard’s promotional pricing beats IdentityIQ upfront, but IdentityIQ’s standard rates are lower than Identity Guard’s renewal pricing.

8. IDShield

IDShield is an identity theft protection service offering credit monitoring, dark web monitoring, and licensed private investigator support for identity restoration. It provides plans with one-bureau (costs $14.95/month) or three-bureau (costs $19.95/month) credit monitoring options.

All IDShield plans include identity monitoring features such as dark web monitoring and SSN tracking, restoration support with licensed private investigators, security tools including a VPN and password manager, and specialized monitoring for payday loans and sex offender registries. Higher-tier plans add three-bureau credit monitoring, monthly credit score tracking, and financial threshold account monitoring.

IDShield pros and cons

IDShield is the right fit for you if you prefer the following benefits:

• Dedicated licensed private investigators. IDShield assigns dedicated licensed private investigators to your case when fraud occurs. Identity Guard provides White Glove Fraud Resolution but doesn’t explicitly assign private investigators.
• Payday loan monitoring. IDShield monitors payday and sub-prime loan applications on all plans. Identity Guard doesn’t offer payday loan monitoring.
• VPN. IDShield includes VPN protection on all plans. Identity Guard doesn’t have one.
• Minor child monitoring. IDShield includes minor child monitoring at no extra cost, while Identity Guard doesn’t offer this feature.
• Reputation management. IDShield includes reputation management to monitor and protect your online reputation — Identity Guard doesn’t.
• Sub-prime and high-risk application monitoring. IDShield monitors sub-prime and high-risk applications that could indicate fraud. Identity Guard does not offer this type of monitoring.
• Medical data reports. Unlike Identity Guard, IDShield provides medical data reports to help detect medical identity theft.

Make sure to consider these aspects before committing to the service:

• Lower insurance than Identity Guard Family plan. IDShield offers up to $3 million in reimbursement. Identity Guard Ultra Individual offers $1 million, while Ultra Family offers up to $5 million.
• Three-bureau credit monitoring costs extra. IDShield’s one-bureau plan costs $14.95/month, while 3-bureau monitoring requires upgrading to $19.95/month. Identity Guard Ultra offers three-bureau monitoring on both Individual and Family plans at no extra cost.

Should you choose IDShield as an Identity Guard alternative? The verdict

Choose IDShield if you’re in need of dedicated licensed private investigators for identity restoration, payday loan monitoring, minor child monitoring, a VPN on all plans, reputation management, sub-prime and high-risk application monitoring, or medical data reports. Stick with Identity Guard if you need higher insurance coverage on a family plan ($5M vs. $3M) or prefer the lower promotional pricing ($7.99/month the first year for the Individual plan).

Our methodology

We reviewed each Identity Guard alternative based on plan features, insurance coverage, monitoring capabilities, and pricing as of September 22, 2026. Information was collected directly from each provider’s website, including plan comparison pages and pricing tables.

We compared each service to Identity Guard across key differences — what monitoring features each provider offers or lacks, insurance limits, bundled tools like a VPN or antivirus solution, and pricing including promotional rates and renewal costs.

However, there are some limitations to keep in mind. Plans, features, and prices may change after publication. If you’re looking for the right identity theft protection service for you, always verify current pricing, coverage details, and terms directly with the provider before purchasing a plan.

How to find the right identity protection service for you

Start by identifying your priorities. Do you need family coverage? Is credit monitoring your main concern? Are you focused on online privacy tools like a VPN and antivirus solution?

Consider these factors:

• Monitoring scope. Look for three-bureau credit monitoring (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) and dark web scanning for comprehensive threat monitoring.
• Family protection. If you’re protecting multiple people, prioritize services with family plans that include child monitoring at no extra cost.
• Bundled tools. If you want a VPN, an antivirus, or a data removal feature, choose services that include them instead of paying separately for each.
• Budget. Think about what features you actually need and how much you’re willing to spend.
• Insurance coverage. If you’ve experienced identity theft before or handle sensitive information, prioritize higher insurance limits and dedicated restoration support.
• Pick a service that fits your needs, not the one with the most features. The right choice should make you more secure without overcomplicating your life.
• Check independent reviews. Before committing to a service, it’s worth checking trusted third-party comparisons and expert reviews, such as Gizmodo’s top picks for ID theft protection opens in a new tab.

Disclaimer: This blog post was written by Coveron, one of the Identity Guard alternatives featured in this article. As Coveron, we have a financial interest in promoting our own service, and this inherently creates a bias. While we’ve made efforts to present accurate and balanced information, we encourage you to conduct your own research and consult multiple sources before making a purchasing decision.