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Best for identity and asset protection
Easy-to-use identity theft protection service
Includes extra features like a password manager
No dedicated remediation assistance available
Best for families
Lots of features
Easy-to-use dashboard
Dicey privacy policy
Choosing the best identity theft protection service can be overwhelming when so many options are readily available. We’ve compared two of the best, Identity Guard and IdentityForce, to help you choose between them. Identity Guard is best for anyone who wants to safeguard their identity and assets, while IdentityForce is best for individuals and families who want to protect their identity and closely watch their credit.
In our comprehensive review, we will unpack each service’s adult and child ID theft protection services, identity theft insurance, pricing plans, three-bureau credit monitoring services, and bonus features, so you can decide which is best for you.
At a glance, Identity Guard and IdentityForce both offer identity theft protection, credit monitoring and alerts, up to $1 million in identity theft insurance, and identity recovery services. They also offer child ID theft protection with their family plans.
As we delved further, we discovered Identity Guard is ideal for protecting your identity and assets, such as your home title and investments. In contrast, IdentityForce is a great pick for child ID theft protection and comprehensive credit monitoring and protection services.
 Identity Guard |
 IdentityForce |
|
| Price | $6.67–$19.99/mo | $17.95–$23.95/mo |
| Identity theft insurance | Up to $1 million | Up to $1 million |
| Credit monitoring | ||
| 3-bureau credit reports | ||
| Credit score | ||
| Identity recovery | ||
| Dark web alerts | ||
| Social media account alerts | ||
| View Plans | View Plans |
Identity Guard and IdentityForce are reputable identity theft protection companies that have provided reliable solutions for decades. They both offer advanced identity theft protection for adults and children and have various pricing plans available.
We appreciated that both Identity Guard and IdentityForce offer up to $1 million in identity theft insurance. ID theft insurance coverage serves as a safety net, protecting you and your family against ID fraud and identity theft losses, which can become very costly.
Identity Guard’s individual plans cover one adult, while its family plans cover five adults and unlimited kids. In contrast, IdentityForce offers family plan options but doesn’t specify how many adults and kids are covered. In order to take advantage of a family plan, you must contact IdentityForce by phone and make an inquiry. IdentityForce offers award-winning child identity theft protection, which incurs fees as an add-on. In this case, you have to weigh if child ID theft protection is worth it. (The answer is usually yes.)
As far as account security is concerned, both services offer bank-grade encryption to safeguard your data, which is crucial when sensitive data is being monitored. But IdentityForce offers two-factor authentication (2FA) for your account, Identity Guard does not, which is disappointing for security-conscious people.
Moreover, Identity Guard doesn’t come with a handy virtual private network (VPN), unlike IdentityForce. However, Identity Guard compensates for this with its safe browsing tool and password manager. And while Identity Guard offers advanced monitoring features — monitoring your home title, 401(k), and investment accounts — IdentityForce does not.
| Identity Guard Best Pricing
|
IdentityForce | |
| Monthly price range | $6.67–$19.99/mo | $17.95–$23.95/mo |
| Yearly price range | $80.04–$287.88/yr for first yr | $179.50–$239.50/yr |
| Best value plan | Total Individual Annual Plan for $11.99/mo | UltraSecure+Credit for $23.95/mo |
| Identity theft insurance | Up to $1 million | Up to $1 million |
| Get Identity Guard | Get IdentityForce |
Identity Guard offers three plan options for individuals and families: Value, Total, and Ultra. Individual packages cover one person, while family packages cover five adults and unlimited kids.
Each plan offers identity theft and financial monitoring (advanced features are available in higher-tiered plans), up to $1 million in identity theft insurance coverage, a U.S.-based customer care team, a safe browsing tool, and a password manager.
Although no free trials are available, each plan offers a fully refundable 60-day money-back guarantee, so you can give them a try risk-free.
At the time of writing, IdentityForce offers the UltraSecure and UltraSecure+Credit on its website. These plans are loaded with ID theft monitoring features for adults and children, a VPN and password manager, $1 million in identity theft insurance, and white-glove family restoration.
The UltraSecure+Credit plan covers one individual and includes comprehensive credit protection. Adding an additional family member to the plan, whether it’s a spouse, adult, or child, is available at checkout with additional fees as an add-on.
Its award-winning ChildWatch feature for child ID theft protection is automatically provided when you add a child under 18 to the plan. It monitors your child’s identity and Social Security number (SSN) and sends alerts and messages to your identity protection dashboard when suspicious activities are detected. Plus, it provides an identity restoration specialist when needed and up to $1 million in identity theft insurance.
Below is an overview of the UltraSecure and UltraSecure+Credit plans:
| Feature | Identity Guard | IdentityForce |
| Credit monitoring | ||
| Financial activity alerts | ||
| 3-bureau credit reports | Yes — Experian, TransUnion, Equifax | Yes — Experian, TransUnion, Equifax |
| Credit score | ||
| FICO score | ||
| Credit lock and freeze | ||
| Identity recovery | ||
| Dark web alerts | ||
| Social media account alerts | ||
| SSN monitoring | ||
| Home title monitoring | ||
| 401(k) and investment account monitoring | ||
| Address change alerts | ||
| View Plans | View Plans |
Identity Guard and IdentityForce share many of the same monitoring and alert features. Both services alert you when your personal data is found on the dark web, on social media accounts, or when your home address has changed. They also come with credit-based services, including credit monitoring, three-bureau credit reports, and credit score updates, but many of these features are exclusive to the top-tier plan.
What sets them apart are their differences in coverage. Identity Guard extends its protective umbrella beyond your identity to include your assets too, incorporating features like home title monitoring, 401(k) and investment account monitoring, and high-risk transaction monitoring.
On the other hand, IdentityForce stands out for its ChildWatch feature and exhaustive credit-related services. This comes in handy when you want to safeguard your child’s credit from fraudsters. IdentityForce’s UltraSecure+Credit plan comes with credit monitoring, credit reporting, and credit score updates with all three credit bureaus — Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. Plus, we think its credit score simulator is a hit, which many identity theft protection services do not offer.
Imagine using identity theft protection to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft, only to have a cybercriminal log in to your account and access the sensitive data you’ve entrusted to the service. Wouldn’t that be such a nightmare?
That’s why it’s important to use a service that allows you to enable 2FA or multi-factor authentication (MFA). Consider 2FA and MFA as digital security guards at your login's front door. Before granting you access to your account, the service verifies that it is actually you logging in by, for example, requesting a code via text message and/or examining your unique fingerprint. This keeps unwanted intruders out!
| Identity Guard | IdentityForce Best Security
|
|
| Two-factor authentication | ||
| Multi-factor authentication | ||
| Collects data | Some | Some |
| Shares data with third parties | ||
| View Plans | View Plans |
IdentityForce offers 2FA, a VPN, and a password manager to keep your data safe. Identity Guard offers 2FA with its mobile app only, as well as safe browsing tools with anti-phishing software and a password manager. Unfortunately, neither service offers MFA, which can add another layer of security for user data by requiring additional verification steps.
IdentityForce encrypts your sensitive data and protects it with military-grade encryption (AES 256-bit) and implements PCI-DSS security controls to protect your credit card information. Identity Guard did not indicate in its FAQ what type of encryption it uses, but it stated that it utilizes military- and bank-grade levels of encryption, in which AES-256 is the standard.
Moreover, both Identity Guard and IdentityForce may collect, store, use, and share data with third parties, as indicated in their privacy policies listed on their websites. Keep in mind that sometimes this is required in order for third-party features or tools to work properly. However, it’s always a good idea to read a service’s privacy policy to make sure your data isn’t being shared for advertising purposes or similar.
| Platform | Identity Guard | IdentityForce |
| Windows | ||
| macOS | ||
| Android | ||
| iOS |
We looked at each service’s interface to determine how intuitive it was to navigate their dashboard and find monitored data, alerts, and settings.
Identity Guard is compatible with any browser. It offers desktop apps for Windows, macOS, as well as mobile apps for Android and iOS.
In contrast, IdentityForce is a web-based portal that also works on any browser. It also offers mobile apps for Android and iOS but does not seem to offer a desktop app for Windows or macOS. Additionally, IdentityForce offers a Mobile Attack Control feature, which protects your mobile device from malware, spyware, or unsecured Wi-Fi connections, should you decide to use its mobile app.
| Identity Guard Best Support
|
IdentityForce | |
| 24/7 live chat | ||
| Phone | ||
| Support forums | ||
| Online guides |
When it comes to customer service, neither Identity Guard nor IdentityForce offers 24/7 support via live chat, phone, or email. Instead, Identity Guard can be contacted by phone Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. EST, or on Saturday between the hours of 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST. Additionally, you can email its customer service, and you'll get a response within 24 to 48 hours.
We didn’t get a chance to contact Identity Guard’s customer service, but based on reviews from TrustPilot, many customers had a pleasant experience. Furthermore, Identity Guard, like IdentityForce, does not have a support forum or online guides. However, IdentityForce has a blog and provides educational resources like ebooks, whitepapers, and videos.
IdentityForce claims to offer 24/7 customer support via live chat, phone, or email for members. However, when we tried to contact an agent via its live chat support, it wasn’t available 24/7 and directed us to an email inquiry form. Also, when we submitted an email inquiry to cancel our account after signing up, it took a while to receive a response, and there was no option in the portal to cancel our subscription.
When we were able to use IdentityForce’s live chat, it connected us to a chatbot rather than a live person. In order to speak with a live person, you must call. We were placed on a 4-minute hold before being connected to someone. When we spoke to a live person to cancel our account, they were very rude and didn’t explain why we were charged for a free trial.
Identity Guard was one of the first companies to serve the identity theft protection industry. It has been in business for over 20 years, has over 47 million customers, and has resolved over 140,000 identity fraud cases.
As a reputable company in its industry, Identity Guard has garnered a partnership with the world-renowned artificial intelligence (AI) IBM Watson®.
IdentityForce is a very reliable Sontiq brand with a strong reputation for being committed to providing the best-in-class identity theft protection solution for over 40 years.
The company maintains an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and provides award-winning identity protection solutions. It’s no wonder that the company serves businesses, including federal, state, and local government agencies.
Identity Guard provides bank account monitoring as part of its Ultra plan. If you're looking to bolster your financial protection even more, this plan also includes monitoring of your 401(k) and investment accounts, giving you more peace of mind knowing your finances are under vigilant watch while you sleep.
Both IdentityForce and LifeLock are reputable companies that offer comprehensive identity theft protection, including security features like bank-grade encryption and 2FA. However, IdentityForce offers more credit-related services, like frequent credit report updates.
On the other hand, LifeLock is superior when it comes to providing customer service, offering 24/7 live chat, which IdentityForce does not. LifeLock also allows anyone to report a bug or vulnerability found in its product to help keep it more secure.
Ultimately, the choice depends on your needs, budget, and whether you’d rather trade more credit-related services for better customer support or vice versa.
Identity Guard shines with its comprehensive identity theft protection services and unique monitoring features for your assets, such as your home title, 401(k) and investment accounts, and credit and debit cards. On the other hand, IdentityForce provides robust children’s identity protection services with its ChildWatch feature, as well as three-bureau premium credit protection services, including a credit score simulator. Both offer up to $1 million in identity theft insurance, as well as identity theft recovery services.
When deciding between Identity Guard and IdentityForce, it boils down to personal preference. If you own a lot of assets and investments, then Identity Guard is your best bet. After all, it can get costly if identity thieves take over your most prized possessions and accounts. On the other hand, IdentityForce would serve you best if protecting your children from ID theft and credit fraud, as well as monitoring your identity for criminal and sex offenses unbeknownst to you, is crucial.
If you’re still on the fence between these two services, read about LifeLock’s identity theft protection services in our LifeLock review.
Excellent identity theft protection service
Includes a password manager and VPN
Robust tools for children’s security
Provides VantageScore and not FICO score updates
