Aura vs LifeLock Comparison for 2026
We compared Aura and LifeLock, and LifeLock's comprehensive identity protection and higher insurance coverage make it the stronger choice for many. See how they fared in this guide.
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Last Updated on Jul 02, 2026
- Full-service identity theft and credit monitoring
- Device protection with Norton 360 antivirus
- Reputation for outstanding customer service
- Fast fraud alerts if your identity and credit are compromised
- Antivirus, VPN and Data Broker Removal for additional identity and device protection
- Up to $5 million ID theft insurance, 24/7 fraud support and 60-day money back guarantee
the security.brief
LifeLock and Aura go head-to-head — we compared plans, pricing, and protection to see which identity theft service wins. Read our full comparison.
The AARP reported that American adults lost $47 billion to identity fraud in 2024.1 That’s why we recommend exploring identity protection options to safeguard your finances. You can start with two of our favorite identity theft protection services, Aura and LifeLock. Both offer features that can extensively protect your bank balance and creditworthiness, as well as alert you to potential fraud and identity theft.
But how do you choose between these two popular brands? With our help. We tested Aura and LifeLock side-by-side. Both turned out excellent, but LifeLock stood out more with its comprehensive, full-service approach to identity protection, including insurance coverage up to $3 million and complete identity restoration support if your identity is compromised.
Keep reading to learn more.
About LifeLock
LifeLock was founded in 2005. It’s now part of Gen Digital, the same company that owns the antivirus brands Norton, Avira, and AVG. As such, LifeLock excels at offering cybersecurity suites that help in preventing digital identity theft.
LifeLock has a partnership with Norton in particular, offering identity theft protection bundles with a Norton 360 digital security subscription. That’s not an uncommon partnership, but unlike Aura, these bundles are optional. That means you can just grab LifeLock if you already have cybersecurity tools, or you can bundle identity and digital protection and save money.
>> Learn More: LifeLock Review 2026
About Aura
Aura is a much younger company, having been established only in 2014. But it grew quickly and is now one of the most comprehensive identity protection services. Aura focuses on all-around identity protection, and just like LifeLock, they include cybersecurity features.
All Aura subscriptions include a VPN, antivirus software, password manager, and an encrypted vault. These additional tools appear within the Aura dashboard, but they are powered by third-party brands. For example, the VPN is powered by the Hotspot Shield VPN we tested recently.
>> Check Out: Aura Identity Theft Protection Review
Prices and Plans Breakdown
Now that you know a bit more about each company, we’re going to break down both of their pricing. Since we recently purchased a plan from Aura and LifeLock, we’ll give you the inside scoop.
LifeLock
LifeLock’s tiered pricing doesn’t make it easy to choose a protection plan. There are four standalone plans with varying levels of protection, and each of those plans can be purchased for individuals, couples, and families (two adults, up to five children).
On top of that, LifeLock offers bundles that include the Norton 360 antivirus we tested. The bundles are optional, but if you don’t already have antivirus software and a VPN, we recommend considering the bundles. They’re good value for your money.
Here are LifeLock’s options for individuals:
| Household | Core | Advanced | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual | $12.49 monthly (or $124.99 if paid yearly) | $19.99 monthly (or $199.99 if paid yearly) | $34.99 monthly (or $349.99 if paid yearly) |
| Couple | $22.49 monthly (or $224.99 if paid yearly) | $35.99 monthly (or $359.99 if paid yearly) | $62.99 monthly (or $629.99 if paid yearly) |
| Family (2 adults, 10 children) | $34.49 monthly (or $344.99 if paid yearly) | $47.99 monthly (or $479.99 if paid yearly) | $74.99 monthly (or $749.99 if paid yearly) |
LifeLock backs all purchases with a 60-day money-back guarantee, in addition to a 30-day free trial. Just note that you will need to provide payment information to get the trial.
Aura
It’s easy to choose a plan with Aura simply by its name. Each tier tells you exactly who the plan is for. Here’s a quick overview of Aura’s prices and plans:
| Plan | Monthly Cost | Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Kids | $13 | $120 |
| Individual | $12 | $108 |
| Couple | $30 | $204 |
| Family | $30 | $300 |
The Kids tier primarily focuses on parental controls and online safety. But what we like most is that it gives coverage for as many devices and children you have.
The Individual and Couple tiers offer identical features, and the Family plan covers up to five adults and as many children as there are living in your house. You can try out any package free for 14 days, and there is also a 60-day money-back guarantee on all annual payments.
>>Read More: Norton Antivirus Cost and Plan Pricing
Verdict: Lifelock is the winner. While LifeLock’s tiered structure takes more effort to navigate, it also means you’re only paying for the protection you actually need. If you want the strongest coverage available, LifeLock’s higher tiers deliver more comprehensive identity restoration and insurance than Aura offers at any price point.
Comparing the Features
There are a lot of similarities between Aura and LifeLock. Both offer financial activity alerts, three-bureau credit reports, dark web alerts, Social Security number monitoring, and more. But there are a few differences in how they approach specific features.
Identity Protection
Both services keep a close eye on millions of data points to ensure your personal information isn’t in the hands of the wrong people or found in questionable places, including data broker sites, online marketplaces, and dark web forums.
Pro Tip: Some identity theft protection services offer more robust dark web monitoring than others. It depends how many sites each one digs through on the dark web. Take a look at our list of the best identity theft protection with dark web monitoring for our favorites.
LifeLock takes a preventative approach. When it finds your information, it makes it easy for you to file requests to take these details down. Aura is more reactive. It only provides alerts that a breach has occurred, but it’s up to you to take action on your own.
If you need to access insurance, Aura and LifeLock have you covered. However, the amounts are significantly different. Aura will cover each adult up to $1 million, whereas LifeLock is up to $3 million on its premium tiers. It breaks that $3 million down to coverage for lawyers, experts, and stolen funds reimbursements.
Verdict: LifeLock’s higher tiers offer more robust protection than Aura, including daily updated credit scores instead — the industry standard for full credit visibility. That said, unlike Aura that provides solid baseline protection on every tier, you’ll need to step up to a higher LifeLock plan to unlock its more comprehensive features.
Credit Monitoring
Aura and LifeLock made it easy for us to keep an eye on our credit score and stop anyone from taking out loans in our name while we tested both services. Some of the features we liked most include:
- Credit score reports: Aura provides monthly alerts, and LifeLock offers unlimited one-bureau scores that are updated daily.
- Credit lock: You can easily lock and unlock your credit file with TransUnion to stop taking out lines of credit or loans.
- Fraud monitoring: Both services monitor linked financial accounts and send alerts for unusual spending activities.
- Financial monitoring: You can receive updates if someone tries to add or remove account holders. Notifications can occur for other changes as well, such as increasing withdrawal limits or linking new accounts.
All of these services are available on every Aura plan. However, you only get access to the credit lock feature, fraud monitoring, and financial monitoring on LifeLock’s higher tiers.
Three-bureau credit monitoring, which is the industry standard for identity theft protection, is only available on higher LifeLock tiers, too. It’s also important to note that free reports are unavailable with the cheapest offerings.
Verdict: Aura provides adequate protection on every tier. With LifeLock, you’ll need to pay close attention to the included features to get the credit monitoring you want.
Device and Online Protection
In addition to financial protection, Aura and LifeLock keep you safe while browsing online, no matter what device you use. Both services have apps compatible with iOS, Windows, and Android. Some of the features include the following:
| Feature | Aura | LifeLock with Norton 360 |
|---|---|---|
| Antivirus | Yes | Yes |
| VPN | Yes | Yes |
| Safe Browsing | Yes | Yes |
| Password Manager | Yes | Yes |
| Ad Blocker | Yes | Yes |
| Cloud Storage | Up to 1 GB | Up to 500 GB |
Did You Know? Cloud storage can provide greater protection against cyberattacks, as it is regularly backed up and stored off-site. You can use it to protect important digital files you need to share with family members.
The main difference between Aura and LifeLock is the number of devices you can protect. With Aura, all plans include protection for up to 10 devices per adult user (i.e., 10 devices for the Individual plan, 20 for the Couple plan, etc.). With LifeLock’s Norton 360 bundles, you get protection for five devices with the Standard (a.k.a. Select) plan and unlimited devices with the Ultimate Plus bundle.
It’s worth noting, however, that LifeLock’s antivirus software, Norton 360, takes down Aura in terms of quality. Both made our list of the best antivirus software and have excellent malware catch rates, but Norton 360 is more comprehensive. Real-time protection, for example, is available on almost all platforms. With Aura, you only get real-time protection if you’re a Windows user.
Verdict: LifeLock has the edge here for anyone who wants top-tier device protection. Norton 360 is one of the most comprehensive antivirus products available, with real-time protection across nearly every platform. Aura covers more devices per user and costs less if you’re on a tight budget, but LifeLock delivers more powerful protection where it counts.
Child Protection
This is where Aura and LifeLock begin to differ. While both offer parental controls, Aura takes it a few steps further. Some of the ways they keep your kids safe are:
- Device management: Remotely monitor your children’s devices, including tracking their location.
- Content filtering: Prevent your kids from accessing specific websites.
- Screen time limits: This feature lets you limit how long kids can stay on devices. Once their time is up, it automatically locks.
- Child SSN monitoring: Aura provides the same protection for your kids’ Social Security numbers as your own.
- Usage tracking: Get detailed reports on how long your kids spend online. You’ll also get browsing history and timings for social media apps, Roblox, and YouTube.
- Safe gaming: Currently, it only works for PC games, but the feature provides in-game voice and text monitoring. You’ll receive an alert if it detects predators, cyberbullying, or scams while they’re playing online.
- Child sex offender geo-alerts: You’ll receive an alert to known and new criminals within a one-mile radius of your address.
LifeLock offers many of the same parental controls with Norton 360 plans, including reports on what videos your kids are watching on YouTube, content filtering, screen time limits, and device location. However, it doesn’t provide protection for gaming and devices limited by basic tiers. With Aura, there aren’t any device limits on plans for kids.
Verdict: It’s a tie, and the winner depends on your priorities. Aura’s Family plans offer more granular parental controls, particularly for gaming and device limits. LifeLock’s Norton 360 plans cover the essentials well, including content filtering, screen time limits, and device location, making it a solid choice for families who want reliable core protection without paying for advanced features.
Final Verdict: Aura or LifeLock?
If you have to choose between the two, base your decision on what matters most for your protection. LifeLock offers more comprehensive coverage overall, with higher insurance limits, stronger device protection through Norton 360, and full-service identity restoration support. Aura is worth considering if cost and plan simplicity are your top priorities.
Overall, we lean toward LifeLock for readers who want the most complete protection, but we always encourage our readers to explore their options and decide based on their needs. And between Aura and LifeLock, you really can’t go wrong with either.
FAQs
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Does Aura protect you from hackers?
Aura provides preventative and reactive measures in the event of a hack. You receive reports when someone uses your SSN or tries to open a loan in your name. It also offers remediation services to help you recover from an incident.
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Did LifeLock have a data breach?
LifeLock had a data breach in December 2022.3 Information leaked from the password manager, including account details, credit card data, and bank credentials.
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Does Aura sell my data?
While Aura can use your data to promote co-branded offers with partners, it does not sell your information.
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Does LifeLock protect you from the dark web?
LifeLock plans include dark web monitoring and alerts when personal information, such as Social Security numbers and credit card information, becomes exposed and shared.
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Who owns Aura?
Headquartered in Boston, Aura’s founder and owner is Hari Ravichandran. The company is not affiliated with Aura International, a Chinese training and management consulting firm.
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AARP. (2025). Identity Fraud and Scams Cost Americans $47 Billion in 2024.
https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/javelin-identity-theft-report-2024.html -
Federal Trade Commission. (2024). Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book.
ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/CSN-Annual-Data-Book-2023.pdf -
NortonLifeLock. (2023). Data Breach Notice to Consumers.
ago.vermont.gov/sites/ago/files/2023-01/2023-01-09-NortonLifeLock-Gen-Digital-Data-Breach-Notice-to-Consumers.pdf
