Aura vs. LifeLock: Which Is Right for You?
Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the world. Last year alone, 42 million Americans had their identities stolen, leading to losses of $52 billion [*].
If you’re looking to protect yourself or your family from scammers and cybercriminals, chances are that you’ve come across two of the leading identity theft protection providers — Aura and LifeLock.
While both companies offer similar features and services, there are unique differences that can help you determine which one is right for you.
In this showdown, we examine the pros and cons of these two identity theft protection providers and how they help keep you safe. By the end of this guide, you’ll be able to make an informed decision about which solution is right for you.
Aura and LifeLock Head-to-Head: What You Need To Know
Both Aura and LifeLock offer features that monitor your personal information and financial accounts, alert you to signs of fraud, and proactively safeguard your devices from hackers. Both companies also offer 24/7 customer support and $1 million in identity theft insurance.
However, there are significant differences in their levels of service, plan types, and pricing that may influence your decision.
Here’s how Aura and LifeLock stack up head-to-head:
Overall, Aura offers more features, better protection with included digital security tools, and more affordable pricing than LifeLock’s comparable plan.
In the news: LifeLock recently disclosed that it was the target of a data breach. Sensitive information from thousands of LifeLock customers — including passwords — was compromised, according to TechCrunch [*].
How To Decide Which Identity Theft Protection Service Is Right For You
Identity monitoring services like Aura and LifeLock help protect you against identity fraud in four ways:
- Monitoring. Identity theft protection services monitor public records, credit files, the Dark Web, and other places where your stolen personal information might be found.
- Protection. These services also help proactively protect your information from cyber thieves by using tools that remove harmful software, help you browse the internet securely, and more.
- Notifications. If anything suspicious is found, these services notify you via “fraud alerts.” The faster you learn about potential identity fraud, the better. A 2020 report showed that 40% of account takeovers happen within a day of a criminal gaining access to your data [*].
- Resolution. If you are a victim of identity theft, identity protection providers offer human support to help resolve the problem, along with insurance to cover eligible expenses and losses related to identity theft incidents.
We’re going to start with a high-level overview of both Aura and LifeLock and then see how they compare head-to-head when it comes to the key features described below.
Aura Overview: What’s Included & Pros and Cons
Aura was founded in 2014 as an all-in-one, easy-to-use comprehensive security product. Aura also owns Identity Guard — another top-rated identity theft protection solution that has been trusted by over 38 million Americans.
Here’s what you get with Aura:
- Identity monitoring
- Bank and investment account monitoring
- Financial transaction monitoring
- Credit protection and three-bureau credit monitoring
- One-click credit lock
- 4x faster fraud alerts
- Identity theft insurance ($1 million per adult on every plan)
- Antivirus software
- Password manager
- Virtual private network (VPN)
- Safe Browsing & Anti-Track
- Dark Web monitoring to warn you of data leaks and breaches
- Parental controls
- Public records monitoring (change of address, criminal records, sex offender list, home title, and more)
Aura: Pros
$1 million in coverage on all plans. Aura offers up to $1 million in identity theft insurance per person on every plan — even the most affordable basic plan for individuals. For family and couple plans, each adult member is covered for $1 million.
Proactive protection against identity theft. Aura provides more than just identity theft protection and credit monitoring. Every plan includes a virtual private network (VPN), antivirus, password manager, Safe Browsing tools, and more to proactively protect you and your entire family.
Three-bureau credit monitoring on all plans. Aura tracks your credit score with all three major credit bureaus — Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. This gives you the best picture of your credit and helps you quickly identify signs of fraud. Plus, you can instantly lock and unlock your Experian credit file directly from the Aura desktop or mobile app.
4x faster alerts than competitors³. Third-party research has shown that Aura notifies you of credit fraud up to four times faster than the competition.
Comprehensive family plans. Aura offers family identity theft protection for up to five adults and unlimited children. Family plan members can live in different households — meaning you can protect your parents, grandparents, or adult children all with one plan.
Honest, transparent pricing. Pay the same price each year — No hidden or skyrocketing renewal fees.
Simplified pricing model. Select a pricing plan based on the number of family members you want to protect (individual, couple, or family). No matter which plan you choose, you get everything Aura has to offer — no complexity, upgrades, or add-ons are required.
Aura: Cons
Aura’s biggest downside is that its individual plan is slightly more expensive than LifeLock’s basic plan (although Aura’s individual plan includes more features). For example, Aura’s individual plan starts at $15/month (if you choose to pay monthly), compared to LifeLock’s Standard Plan at $9/month.
But there are two caveats here:
- LifeLock’s Standard Plan includes significantly fewer features than Aura’s. If you want three-bureau credit monitoring, proactive online security, and parental controls, you’ll need to pay for LifeLock with Norton 360 — at $29.99/month.
- All LifeLock plans renew at prices that are ~30+% higher than in their first year [*]. With LifeLock, costs can add up quickly with all the required upgrades (especially because your subscription auto-renews), which can be a nuisance, according to NerdWallet [*].
With Aura, you pay one price for all features — and it won’t increase in year two.
The price you pay when you sign up for Aura is the same price you’ll pay when you renew.
What’s Included in Aura’s 14-Day Free Trial?
Every Aura plan comes with a fully featured 14-day free trial — giving you access to every feature you would enjoy as a full-time member. Annual plans also come with a 60-day money-back guarantee.
Here are just a few of the benefits you receive from starting a free trial with Aura:
- Remove your personal data from data broker lists. Data brokers collect and sell your personal data to marketers (and even scammers). Aura checks the databases of hundreds of data brokers in the United States and requests the removal of your personal information on your behalf.
- Scan the Dark Web for your leaked personal data. Aura uses artificial intelligence to scan millions of Dark Web sites, forums, and marketplaces, and will alert you if your personal data has been leaked — including your passwords and credit card numbers.
- Instantly lock your Experian credit file. Locking your credit file stops scammers from opening new accounts or taking out loans in your name. Most credit locks are paid services run by each individual credit bureau.
- Do a full antivirus scan of all of your devices. Aura protects your computer, phone, and tablet from malware. Scan all of your devices to make sure hackers haven’t gained access to them.
- Protect your home network with a VPN. A virtual private network encrypts your data so that hackers can’t access it. VPNs are essential when you’re doing any work, shopping, or emailing while on public Wi-Fi.
- Check your monthly credit score across all three bureaus. Aura gives you access to your monthly and annual credit reports, so you can track your financial health and spot any inaccuracies.
- Monitor public records for your Social Security number (SSN), name, and other personal information. Find out if criminals have used your identity to commit crimes, gain employment, or file fraudulent tax returns.
- Get help from Aura’s team of U.S.-based Fraud Resolution Specialists. If you’re the victim of fraud (or just have questions), you can quickly get in touch with an Aura specialist — day or night via phone or email.
In just two weeks, you could vastly increase your digital security, improve your privacy, and make sure that you’re not a vulnerable target for identity thieves.
✅ Ready to get started? Sign up for your free 14-day trial of Aura today →
Now, let’s dive deeper into LifeLock.
LifeLock Overview: What’s Included & Pros and Cons
LifeLock was founded in 2005, making it one of the oldest identity theft protection services. Symantec, the creator of Norton Antivirus, acquired LifeLock in 2017. The acquisition prompted Symantec to change its name to NortonLifeLock, Inc.
LifeLock includes:
- Identity theft monitoring
- Credit monitoring (only one-bureau on standard plans)
- Identity theft insurance ($25,000 or more, depending on the plan)
- Financial account monitoring
You can also add Norton 360 to your LifeLock subscription (for an additional fee). This includes:
- Antivirus software
- Virtual private network (VPN)
- Parental controls
- Cloud file backups (Windows PC only)
LifeLock: Pros
A household name with a long history. LifeLock is well-known and has been a name brand for decades, in large part due to early marketing and publicity stunts.
Built-in connection with Norton. Like LifeLock, Norton has been a household name for decades.
Trillions of data points are scanned daily. According to LifeLock, its risk management software scans trillions of data points every day to find leaked data.
Wide-ranging monitoring and alerts. If you don’t want to monitor your own credit and other accounts for suspicious activity, this is useful.
LifeLock: Cons
Most expensive solution. LifeLock is one of the most expensive solutions for identity theft protection. After the first year’s promotional price, the subscription price of your protection plan can increase by 30-45%, and even higher.
According to Security.org [*]: "LifeLock’s most elite individual plan has a one-year promotional price of $24.99 per month but renews at $29.16 per month. The top-level plan for families with kids is $40.99 per month for the first year. It renews for $68.33 per month, a monthly increase of over $25."
"Once LifeLock’s one-year promotional period expires, prices go up significantly."
Misleading marketing. In 2010, LifeLock paid $12 million in a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over inaccurate marketing claims [*]. FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz said that the security LifeLock provided, “left enough holes that you could drive a truck through it.”
Unsecured user data. In 2015, the FTC filed a second suit against LifeLock for failing to secure user data. LifeLock paid $100 million in fines, the largest fine amount ever imposed at the time [*]. LifeLock’s poor data protection came to light again in 2018, when a flaw allowed any internet user to collect all LifeLock customer emails from the website.
Security Expert Brian Krebs said the creators of LifeLock, “lacked a basic understanding of website authentication and security.” [*]
Publicity gimmicks. LifeLock’s most famous publicity stunt involved CEO Todd Davis announcing his own Social Security number in TV commercials. Despite relying on LifeLock protection, hackers stole Davis’ identity 13 times [*]. In at least one instance, he didn’t know about the theft for over a year.
Norton crypto mining. In 2022, Norton came under fire for installing crypto mining software by default on users’ computers [*]. This kind of software runs energy-intensive processes in the background and is a common feature in modern malware. Norton has included it by default on every machine — and collects a 15% commission on earnings.
How to cancel your LifeLock subscription
If you’re a current LifeLock member and are ready to switch to Aura, here’s how to cancel your subscription:
- Log in to your LifeLock account at https://memberportal.lifelock.com/ and select “Request Support” and then “Cancel.”
- Alternatively, contact LifeLock support to request an account cancellation — especially if your account auto-renewed when you didn’t want it to.
- If you paid for bundled services (for example, LifeLock + Norton 360), make sure that you’ve canceled all of your services.
- Refunds for annual subscriptions: As per LifeLock’s refund policy, you’re eligible for a full refund within 60 days of starting your LifeLock membership or 60 days from your membership renewal.
- Refunds for monthly subscriptions: You’re eligible for a full refund within 14 days of purchasing your membership.
Once your cancellation is complete (or even before), it’s easy to start a free 14-day trial of Aura.
Aura vs. LifeLock: In-Depth Feature Comparison
At a high level, Aura is a strong contender for the top spot in this showdown. But how do Aura and LifeLock compare on specific features?
Identity Monitoring
Identity monitoring tools track your personally identifiable information (PII), such as your name, phone number, SSN, health insurance data, passport number, and more. If anything is found — on the web, Dark Web, or in public records and recent data breaches — you’ll get an alert with information on what to do.
When comparing identity monitoring services, it’s important to look at three factors:
- Where they look for fraudulent activity (for example, the Dark Web, court records, home title, etc.)
- What you can add to your “watchlist” (for example, how many email addresses or credit/debit cards?)
- How quickly they send you fraud alerts
How do Aura and LifeLock compare?
Winner: Tie
Both Aura and LifeLock offer similar levels of identity monitoring. While LifeLock includes social media monitoring, Aura offers more items on your watchlist (credit cards, email addresses, etc.).
Where Aura stands out is in the quality of its alerts.
Every Aura alert includes critical information about what happened, what you can do, and whom to contact for help. This means you’ll never be alone or confused when faced with the warning signs of identity theft.
Credit Monitoring
Credit monitoring services review your credit reports across the three major credit bureaus — Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion — and notify you of any suspicious activity. This could include new accounts or credit applications that you didn’t submit.
With credit monitoring, you can also check your monthly and annual credit scores and lock your credit file to stop fraudsters from opening new accounts in your name.
When comparing credit monitoring, there are two main factors to consider:
- Are you getting three-bureau credit monitoring? Lenders don’t always inform all three bureaus about new accounts, loans, or inquiries. If you’re not monitoring all three credit bureaus, you could miss signs of fraud.
- How fast are the alerts? Some credit monitoring providers wait until the bureaus inform them of major changes, while others connect directly with the credit bureaus so that alerts can be sent in near real-time. In the worst case, this could encompass hours or even days from when the crime occurred — giving scammers more time to do serious damage.
How do Aura and LifeLock compare?
Winner: Aura
Aura’s direct connection to the credit bureaus, faster alerts, and three-bureau credit monitoring included on all plans, make it a better option for credit monitoring.
Financial Account Monitoring
Financial account monitoring tracks activity in your linked bank accounts, credit cards, investments, and even retirement savings. You can set threshold limits on your alerts to warn you if someone is trying to steal your money or use your financial information for large purchases.
Financial account monitoring can also warn you if your identity and SSN are being used for transactions that don’t get reported to the credit bureaus — such as payday loans.
How do Aura and LifeLock compare?
Winner: Aura
Aura includes all of the critical account monitoring features in every plan — rather than restricting them to only the highest-priced option.
Criminal Record Monitoring
Few records can be as damaging to your reputation as an arrest record or a listing on the national sex offender registry. But criminals have been known to provide stolen identities upon arrest, leading to innocent people having their names appear on national and state court records, arrest warrants, or sex offender lists — without even knowing it.
How do Aura and LifeLock compare?
- Aura: Criminal and court records monitoring included on all plans.
- LifeLock: Only offered on Advantage and Ultimate Plus plans.
Winner: Tie (Aura)
Again, the simplicity of each of Aura’s plans including all features makes it an easier choice when it comes to criminal record monitoring.
Identity Theft Insurance
If your identity is stolen, getting your life back to normal can be expensive. Identity theft insurance provides funds that you’ll need to help you pay for recovery and recoup what you’ve lost — including stolen funds, lawyer fees, child or elder care, and more.
How do Aura and LifeLock compare?
Winner: Aura
LifeLock’s complicated insurance policy means you could end up without coverage for stolen funds or personal expenses in the case of identity theft. With Aura, you have peace of mind knowing that every adult member on your plan is covered for up to $1,000,000 in eligible losses.
Wi-Fi Security and VPN
Securing your devices and internet connections against hackers is one of the only ways you can proactively protect yourself against identity theft. A virtual private network (VPN) encrypts your data — rendering it useless to hackers who break into your home network or intercept your data over public Wi-Fi.
How do Aura and LifeLock compare?
- Aura: Includes a military-grade VPN to use on 10 to 50 devices with all plans. Aura also comes with Safe Browsing tools to warn you of dangerous scam and phishing websites, as well as Anti-Track tools that block distracting ads and intrusive site trackers.
- LifeLock: VPN only available with the more expensive Norton add-on.
Winner: Aura
Aura’s VPN is included in all plans and works across all of your devices — including PCs, Macs, smartphones, and tablets.
Antivirus
Antivirus software can help find and eliminate malware on your computer before it causes damage. Most kinds of malware, including keyloggers and ransomware, act behind the scenes and are invisible to users.
How do Aura and LifeLock compare:
- Aura: Offers professional antivirus software for Windows and Mac with every plan.
- LifeLock: Antivirus is only available with the more expensive Norton 360 add-on, which includes the current version of Norton antivirus software.
Winner: Aura
Aura wins purely on price and ease-of-use. There’s no additional tools, apps, or subscriptions required to protect your devices against malware and viruses.
Password Manager
A password manager securely stores your passwords so that you can choose strong, long, and unique passwords without worrying about forgetting them.
How do Aura and LifeLock compare?
- Aura: Comes with a built-in password manager with every plan that integrates with the rest of Aura’s suite of tools. Aura’s password manager will warn you if you’re using a compromised or weak password; and on select sites, it can automatically update your password with a single click.
- LifeLock: Doesn’t include a password manager. However, you can download the Norton Password Manager for free — though it isn’t integrated into the LifeLock suite of paid monitoring tools.
Winner: Aura
Aura’s integrated password manager makes it easy to securely store your credentials. Plus, one-click password updates are a great way to quickly secure any of your accounts that have been compromised in a recent data breach.
Ease of Setup
An effective identity protection tool is easy to use and works on all of your devices. The learning curve for any piece of software is subjective, but third-party reviews provide a better picture of how Aura and LifeLock stack up.
How do Aura and LifeLock compare?
Aura works on all of your devices. Desktop applications work on Windows and Mac, and mobile apps work for iOS and Android. Aura is considered very easy to use in most user reviews.
LifeLock and Norton 360 also work across devices. You can install the software on a Windows or Mac computer and the mobile apps on iOS or Android devices. LifeLock isn’t hard to use per se, but some reviewers say it’s not as user-friendly as they’d like.
Customer Support and Case Management
One of the most important parts of identity theft monitoring is having a team to support you. Monitoring providers offer two kinds of help — everyday support and dedicated case managers who work with you directly in the event of identity theft.
How do Aura and LifeLock compare?
Aura offers 24/7/365 support. All agents are based in the United States. If you become the victim of identity theft or fraud, Aura offers skilled White-Glove Fraud Resolution case managers with every plan. The average case manager for Aura has resolved thousands of fraud incidents.
LifeLock also offers 24/7/365 support, but agents are based overseas. Many reviewers write about frequent misunderstandings between agents and subscribers. Ultimate Plus users are also guaranteed “priority” support — a tacit confirmation that other subscribers have long wait times. Like Aura, LifeLock’s case managers are all based in the United States.
User Data Security
Identity monitoring services are only as secure as the company’s own treatment of customer data. Aura and LifeLock both need to know your personal information in order to monitor it. So, how do they protect your data?
How do Aura and LifeLock compare?
Aura uses the same level of encryption as banks and the U.S. military. It also has the trust of blue-chip partners like Walmart, Bank of America, and Kaiser Permanente.
LifeLock has been fined twice by the FTC for its failure to protect user data. In the words of FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez during the agency’s second suit against LifeLock [*]:
“The fact that consumers paid LifeLock for help in protecting their sensitive personal information makes the charges in this case particularly troubling.”
Third-Party Ratings and Reviews
Don’t just take our word for it. What are other users saying about Aura and LifeLock?
Aura has an A+ rating at the Better Business Bureau. At Trustpilot, a third-party review site, Aura scores 4.8 out of a possible 5 stars with a grade of “excellent.”
LifeLock also has a rating of A+ at the Better Business Bureau — but scores a dismal 1.13 of 5 stars based on hundreds of customer complaints. At Trustpilot, LifeLock has 4 out of 5 stars.
Most customer reviews complain that LifeLock’s customer service is poor or nonexistent. Some Lifelock customers say they’ve become victims of identity theft because they never received an alert. Others express frustration that LifeLock found exclusions to deny promised insurance. Many also say that LifeLock’s quality plummeted after the Norton acquisition.
Pricing and Plans
Affordability will always be a factor when choosing a new service provider — and identity theft is no different.
Aura: Simple pricing plans with no sky-high renewal fees.
Aura offers a simplified pricing model, so it's easy to protect yourself and your loved ones without any guesswork about which features you need.
- You can choose an Individual, Couple, or Family plan (five adults and unlimited children).
- Each plan comes with a free two-week trial. Annual plans also come with a 60-day money-back guarantee. Aura doesn't have promotional prices for the first year — the rate is the same for new and long-term customers.
- Aura is an all-in-one solution and doesn't have add-ons or upsells.
LifeLock: Complicated plans with add-ons, limits, and high renewal costs.
LifeLock offers Standard, Advantage, and Ultimate Plus plans. You can choose an individual plan or two types of family plans — one for two adults and another for two adults and up to five children. You can add additional children to any plan with a separate subscription to LifeLock Junior.
LifeLock also offers a 60-day money-back guarantee with annual plans but does not offer a free trial. All prices listed on the LifeLock website are promotional for the first year only and increase by 30-45% when you renew.
LifeLock offers Norton 360 device protection and VPN for an extra charge each month.
The Big Question: Do You Really Need Identity Theft Protection?
ID theft protection services have been around for years. But it’s only been in the last half decade that they’ve become a true necessity for most Americans.
Cases of identity theft have skyrocketed ever since the 2017 Equifax hack exposed the Social Security numbers (SSNs), driver’s licenses, and credit card numbers of nearly 150 million Americans [*].
In the following years, companies ranging from Facebook to Capital One to T-Mobile, LinkedIn, and Marriott hotels became victims of data breaches — leaking billions of user passwords and personal details.
The availability of stolen private information on the Dark Web combined with more traditional identity theft scams have put nearly every age group — from children to senior citizens — at risk:
- Children: Fraudsters use children’s SSNs and credit files to take out loans, open new accounts, and commit employment fraud. More than 1.5 million American children had their identities stolen last year [*].
- Families: More than ever, parents are concerned about protecting their loved ones — including children, teenagers, and elderly parents or grandparents. Nearly two-thirds of parents say they’re very concerned about the threat of identity theft [*].
- Individuals: More than 40 million Americans had their identity stolen in 2021 alone — making it the fastest growing crime in the country.
- Young adults: 20-something victims of identity theft were twice as likely to lose money than older Americans in 2021 [*]. New scams that are centered around cryptocurrencies, remote job offers, and online dating have hit this age group especially hard.
- Seniors: Americans over the age of 60 were the most likely to fall victim to scams and fraud in the past year, according to the FTC [*]. Senior citizen scams are especially devious — preying on the goodwill and charity of the elderly.
Even worse, nearly 30% of all identity theft victims are repeat victims [*]. If you’ve been targeted once, you’re likely to become a victim again and again.
The Final Verdict
Choosing an identity protection service is a personal decision that only you can make. But there are a few key factors to consider as you decide between Aura and LifeLock.
The main difference between Aura and LifeLock is that Aura offers a comprehensive, all-in-one solution, whereas LifeLock requires several upgrades and add-ons to reach the same level of coverage.
Aura also has enhanced features where it matters most. Identity theft protection must be comprehensive, fast, and helpful. Aura sends alerts up to 4x faster than the competition.
And finally, you need a partner you can trust. LifeLock has been in trouble with the FTC in the past [*]. Meanwhile, Aura has been consistently rated by third parties as one of the best identity theft protection services.
Whether you end up choosing Aura, LifeLock, or another alternative (like IdentityForce or Identity Guard), taking the step to protect your identity is both smart and essential in today’s digital world.
