LifeLock vs Discover Identity Theft Protection: An Expert Review and Comparison
Identity theft is a growing threat that demands to be taken seriously. According to the Federal Trade Commission, identity theft reports doubled from 2019 to 2020, reaching a record 1.4 million cases [1]. This troubling trend highlights the importance of proactive identity protection measures. Choosing the right identity theft protection service can make a real difference in your financial security and peace of mind.
In this blog post, I‘ll use my decade-plus of experience in cybersecurity and data protection to take an in-depth look at two popular services: LifeLock and Discover Identity Theft Protection. We‘ll compare the key features, pricing, user experience, and overall value to help you determine which one is the better choice for your needs.
How Do LifeLock and Discover Identity Theft Protection Work?
Both LifeLock and Discover Identity Theft Protection operate on the same basic principle: proactively monitoring for signs that your personal information has been compromised or misused by identity thieves. Some of the most common indicators include:
- New accounts being opened in your name
- Suspicious changes to your credit report
- Your personal info being sold on the dark web
- High-risk transactions like money transfers or password resets
By keeping an eye out for these red flags 24/7, LifeLock and Discover aim to catch identity theft quickly. You‘ll receive an alert if suspicious activity is detected. If you do fall victim to identity theft, both services provide stolen funds reimbursement, coverage for out-of-pocket expenses, and hands-on assistance from a dedicated resolution specialist.
Now let‘s look at how the two services compare when it comes to the specific features and monitoring capabilities they offer.
LifeLock Features
- Three-bureau credit monitoring and reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion
- Dedicated identity monitoring scanning for misuse of your SSN, name, address and date of birth
- Dark web monitoring to alert you if your info is found on criminal websites
- Fictitious identity monitoring to detect thieves creating new identities linked to your personal data
- Bank account and credit card monitoring with alerts for suspicious activity
- 401(k) and investment account monitoring
- Payday loan monitoring
- Sex offender registry monitoring to track sex offender data for your address
- Social media account monitoring for inappropriate content or signs of account takeover
Discover Identity Theft Protection Features
- Daily tracking of your Experian credit report with alerts for key changes
- Monitoring of online "black markets" for your info being sold
- Alerts if your SSN is found on risky websites
- High risk transaction monitoring for large bank transfers, password resets and more
- Monthly updates on your credit scores and data
Feature Comparison
As you can see, LifeLock boasts the more extensive feature list, with a wider range of specialized monitoring services. If you want the maximum possible protection and alerts for things like payday loans, investment accounts or social media, LifeLock is the clear winner.
However, Discover Identity Theft Protection still covers many of the most important bases, especially for the lower price point. The core credit, dark web and SSN monitoring will catch most instances of identity fraud.
Pricing and Value
Now let‘s talk about how much you‘ll pay for each service and what you get for your money. Identity theft protection is an investment, so you want to be sure you‘re getting good bang for your buck.
LifeLock Pricing
- Standard: $9.99/month ($99.99/year)
- Advantage: $17.99/month ($179.99/year)
- Ultimate Plus: $26.99/month ($269.99/year)
LifeLock offers graduated plans that get more expensive as you add extra features and higher coverage limits. The Standard plan provides up to $25,000 in stolen funds reimbursement, the Advantage plan bumps that to $100,000, and the Ultimate Plus plan maxes out at $1 million. You also get more extensive monitoring with each level, with Ultimate Plus being the only LifeLock plan to include things like 401(k), social media and home title monitoring.
Discover Pricing
- $15/month for one adult and up to 10 kids
Discover keeps pricing simple with a single flat-rate plan. $15 per month gets you $1 million in coverage plus essential monitoring for one adult and up to 10 children under 18. Adding a second adult raises the price to $30/month.
Pricing Comparison
Discover Identity Theft Protection is the clear value winner for families. Getting coverage for up to 11 people for $15/month is an unbeatable deal. An equivalent LifeLock family plan with kids would run over $60/month, although it would include additional features.
For an individual user, Discover‘s $15/month price falls between LifeLock‘s Standard and Advantage plans. So the better value depends on which features matter most to you. If you just need basic credit and identity monitoring, LifeLock Standard is a bit cheaper. If you want extra protection like bank account monitoring or a higher coverage limit, Discover could be the better deal over LifeLock Advantage.
One thing to keep in mind is that Discover requires you to have an eligible Discover product like a credit card to sign up. So it‘s not even an option if you‘re not already a Discover customer. LifeLock is available to anyone.
User Experience and Customer Service
Of course, price is just one piece of the puzzle. An identity theft protection service also needs to be easy to use and come with good customer support to actually deliver on its promises. Here‘s how LifeLock and Discover compare:
LifeLock User Experience
LifeLock provides a well-designed web portal and mobile apps for iOS and Android. The interface is intuitive and easy to navigate, with a centralized dashboard for checking your protection status and viewing alerts.
LifeLock recently added a significant account security upgrade in the form of two-factor authentication. This requires a second form of verification like a code from your phone to access your account. Enabling 2FA greatly reduces the risk of your LifeLock account itself being compromised.
LifeLock offers 24/7 live support by phone and email. There‘s also an extensive online knowledge base with in-depth information and FAQs. However, LifeLock has had some issues with support responsiveness and consistency. Some users report long wait times and difficulty getting issues escalated and resolved.
Discover User Experience
Discover‘s web and mobile apps are functional but feel a bit dated compared to LifeLock‘s slicker interface. The layout is relatively simple, which some users may prefer, but others may find it too basic. Alerts sometimes lack detail or context, leaving the user unsure about the severity of the threat.
One notable issue is that Discover does not currently offer two-factor authentication. This unfortunately leaves Discover accounts more vulnerable than necessary to hacking and takeover.
On the plus side, Discover has a strong reputation for customer service. Support is available by phone seven days a week during extended business hours. Discover‘s identity protection specialists generally receive positive reviews for being helpful and knowledgeable, although having 24/7 availability like LifeLock would be even better.
UX & Customer Service Comparison
From a user experience perspective, LifeLock has the edge with a more modern, full-featured portal and app. The lack of two-factor authentication is a significant concern with Discover that will hopefully be addressed soon.
When it comes to customer service, Discover seems to have the higher user satisfaction despite the lack of 24/7 support. LifeLock has an advantage in availability but mixed reviews on quality.
Final Word: Which is Better, LifeLock or Discover?
As with most cybersecurity decisions, there‘s no one-size-fits-all answer to whether LifeLock or Discover Identity Theft Protection is the better choice. It depends on your unique needs and circumstances. But here are my general recommendations:
Consider LifeLock if:
- You want the absolute maximum level of monitoring and protection
- You need extra features like social media monitoring, 401(k) alerts or sex offender tracking
- 24/7 customer support is a priority
- You‘re not currently a Discover customer
Consider Discover if:
- You‘re looking for an affordable family coverage option
- You want core credit, dark web, and SSN monitoring at a lower price than LifeLock
- You‘re willing to sacrifice some features for Discover‘s highly rated customer service
- You already have a Discover credit card or bank account
Ultimately, the "best" identity theft protection service is the one you‘ll actually use consistently. LifeLock and Discover both offer a lot of value for the money. You‘re making a smart choice either way to invest in protecting yourself and your family from the financial and emotional toll of identity crimes.