Aura vs. LifeLock Comparison: 2024 Showdown

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.  

At a high level, the main differences between Aura and LifeLock are that:

• Aura provides stronger protection against hackers and online scammers, better support (that's available 24/7), and more affordable pricing plans without hidden renewal rates.
• LifeLock offers more flexible plans with a wide (and sometimes overwhelming) variety of options for everything from basic identity monitoring to more comprehensive digital security.

Here’s how Aura and LifeLock stack up:

Deciding on a service that's right for you

1. Monitoring. Identity theft protection services monitor public records, credit files, the Dark Web, and other places where your stolen personal information might be found. 
2. 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. 
3. 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 [*].
4. 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.

Aura Overview:

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.

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.

250x faster fraud alerts than competitors³. Third-party research has shown that Aura caught more changes to users’ credit reports and sent notifications up to 250x 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. No hidden 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.

AI-powered spam call and text protection. Aura is one of the first identity theft protection solutions to use AI to protect you against spam or spam calls and texts. Aura’s Call Assistant keeps your phone safe by screening calls on your behalf and filtering out spam messages.

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.

Note: You can save up to 76% on Aura when you sign up today — with a 60-day money-back guarantee on all annual plans.

But there are two caveats here:

1. 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.
2. 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 [*].

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. Sign up for your free 14-day trial of Aura today →

LifeLock Overview:

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

Recent data breach leaked user’s data. LifeLock was recently hit by a data breach and sensitive information from thousands of customers — including passwords — was compromised [*].

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

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.

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.

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. 

• Aura: Criminal and court records monitoring included on all plans.
• LifeLock: Only offered on Advantage and Ultimate Plus plans.

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.

Wi-Fi Security and VPN

• 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.

Antivirus

• 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.

Password Manager

• 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.

Ease of Setup

• 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

Aura offers 24/7/365 support and digital security consultations. 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?

• ‍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

• Aura has an A+ rating at the Better Business Bureau. At Trustpilot, a third-party review site, Aura scores 4.7 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 4.2 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

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.
• You can save up to 76% on Aura when you sign up today.

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 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 250x faster than the competition³.

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.

Ready for ironclad digital security? Try Aura free for 14 days →