LifeLock vs Aura: Which Is Better in 2026?
Reviewed · Updated
Not legal or financial advice. Identity theft protection services reduce risk; they do not prevent all fraud.
Quick answer: Both are identity theft protection subscriptions with credit monitoring, insurance and data broker removal. LifeLock Core is cheaper in year one, $124.99, and lists the same price at renewal. Aura Individual is $144 for the first year with 3-bureau monitoring and higher insurance limits, but no renewal price before payment. LifeLock scores 8.1/10 and Aura 7.0/10 (both checked 10/08/2026).
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This site couldn’t open an account at either service on 10/08/2026. LifeLock’s trial needs a card and its checkout asks for part of your Social Security number (SSN). Aura’s enrollment asked for a home address before payment. Everything below comes from each vendor’s checkout up to that point and its published documents. This is not legal or financial advice.
Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | LifeLock | Aura |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 8.1/10 | 7.0/10 |
| Company | Gen Digital, the company behind Norton | Aura Sub, LLC |
| Cheapest adult plan, first year | $124.99 (Core) | $144 (Individual, $288 crossed out) |
| Paying month to month | $12.49 | $15 |
| Renewal price before payment | $124.99 on the renewal pricing page | Not shown |
| Sales tax at checkout | “Tax May Apply” with a New York ZIP | Not reached |
| Trial | 30 days, card required | 14 days, “Pay $0 now” |
| Credit monitoring | 2 bureaus, monthly 1-bureau report (Core) | 3 bureaus, every adult plan |
| Stolen-funds insurance, cheapest plan | Up to $25,000 | Up to $1,000,000 |
| Data broker removal | Requests every 90 days, per the plans page | “425+” brokers claimed, no public list |
| Also included | Dark web monitoring; Norton 360 bundles add antivirus | Antivirus, VPN, password manager |
| What it asks for before payment | Email; phone and last 4 of SSN on a phone-width screen | Email, name, home address |
| Refund | 60 days annual, 14 days monthly | 60 days annual only, by phone |
| Two adults, per year | $224.99 (Core, 2 Adults) | $264 (Couple, $22 × 12) |
| Check prices |
Prices verified on 10/08/2026 on LifeLock’s and Aura’s sites. Aura’s Couple total is the monthly rate times 12; it wasn’t seen at checkout.
Price: first year and renewal
LifeLock Core is about $19 cheaper for the first year: $124.99 against $144 for Aura Individual. Monthly billing costs $12.49 at LifeLock and $15 at Aura.
The renewal is where they differ. Norton’s renewal pricing page lists Core at $124.99 a year, the same as the first year. Its checkout terms still say renewal prices “may be higher than the initial price,” and annual plans are billed up to 35 days before they expire, after an email with the price. Aura’s plans page showed $288 crossed out next to $144, which is more than 12 months at its own $15 monthly rate. Its enrollment showed no renewal price, and its terms say the plan renews “at the price shown in your account dashboard.”
Full numbers are on the LifeLock pricing page and the Aura pricing page.
Insurance: what the cheapest plan covers
This is the biggest gap between the entry plans. For stolen identity events from 09/01/2026, LifeLock Core covers up to $25,000 in stolen funds, up to $25,000 in expenses, and up to $1,000,000 for lawyers and experts, per its Evidence of Coverage. Advanced raises stolen funds to $100,000 at $199.99/year, and Total to $1,000,000 at $349.99/year.
Aura’s plans page promises “Identity Theft Insurance ($1M per adult).” Its $1M policy summary sets a limit of $1,000,000 per membership per 12 months, with stolen funds covered up to $1,000,000 inside that total. Fees for lawyers, investigators and accountants are capped at $125 an hour.
Both policies have deadlines and exclusions. LifeLock wants the event reported within 90 days of discovery and excludes losses caused by family members or by “negligence.” Aura’s insurer must be called within 60 days of finding the loss, and stolen funds reported within 90 days. Terms apply. This is not legal or financial advice.
Monitoring and data removal
Every Aura adult plan lists 3-bureau credit monitoring, an instant credit lock, home and auto title monitoring, and financial transaction alerts. LifeLock Core monitors credit at two bureaus and adds a monthly credit report and score from one, per its plan page. Both list dark web monitoring and data broker removal. LifeLock says it submits removal requests every 90 days. Aura claims “425+” brokers without a public list, so this site couldn’t count either service’s coverage.
Aura’s plans also include antivirus, a VPN and a password manager. At LifeLock, they come with the Norton 360 with LifeLock bundles, such as Select at $99.99 for the first year, renewing at $159.99.
None of the monitoring was tested in an account. If you only want to stop new credit in your name, a credit freeze at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion is free and works without either service.
Personal data and trying before you pay
LifeLock’s 30-day trial requires a card, charged at the end unless you cancel. On a phone-width screen, its checkout asked for a phone number and the last 4 digits of the SSN before the payment step.
Aura’s 14-day trial showed “Pay $0 now,” but enrollment asked for a home address “to verify your identity” before the Details and Payment steps. This site stopped there, so what Aura asks next is unknown.
Track record
The FTC fined LifeLock twice: $12 million in 2010 over false claims about its protection, and $100 million in 2015 for violating that order (ftc.gov). The 2015 case alleged gaps in its data security from 2012 to 2014 and misleading alert claims. This site found no FTC case against Aura Sub, LLC and 0 CFPB complaints for either company on 10/08/2026.
Owner ratings point the same way for both. Trustpilot showed LifeLock at 4.9 from 17,312 reviews, with a note that it asks customers to review, and Aura at 4.3 from 1,321. On the BBB, Gen Digital’s profile, which covers all its brands, averaged 1.12 from 212 reviews, and Aura’s 1.14 from 127. Complaints at both centered on support that’s hard to reach and billing at renewal (10/08/2026).
What it’s like to be a U.S. customer
| LifeLock | Aura | |
|---|---|---|
| What you’ll pay at checkout | $124.99 for Core; tax “may apply” | $144 first year, $0 during the trial; renewal not shown |
| How to cancel | Norton account → My Subscriptions → Cancel Subscription Renewal; Norton may present offers | Gear icon → Membership → Cancel Membership → Cancel Online |
| Deleting your data | Privacy Options → Delete My Data; all of it within 30 days, per Norton | Privacy Portal, phone or privacy@aura.com |
| Who can sign up | U.S. plans; scam reimbursement not for New York residents | U.S. and Canada, 18+; some insurance parts not in New York or Texas |
| Disputes | Binding arbitration, class action waiver | Binding arbitration, Delaware law |
| Support | 24/7 phone and chat; chat answered the refund question in 2 minutes | 24/7 phone and email; our email has no reply yet |
| Inside the account | Not seen: trial needs a card | Not seen: stopped at the address step |
Details are in the LifeLock review and the Aura review.
Who should pick LifeLock
- You want a price that’s printed for the renewal, not just the first year.
- You want the longer 30-day trial and don’t mind entering a card.
- You want 24/7 chat support; ours was answered in 2 minutes.
- You’d use the restoration help more than a high stolen-funds limit, or you’ll pay for Advanced or Total.
Who should pick Aura
- You want 3-bureau credit monitoring and a $1M stolen-funds limit on the cheapest plan.
- You’d use the antivirus, VPN and password manager that come with it.
- You’ll check the renewal price in your account before the first year ends.
Verdict
LifeLock comes out ahead, 8.1/10 against 7.0/10 for Aura. It costs less in year one, prints its renewal price, and its 24/7 chat answered our question in 2 minutes on 10/08/2026, while Aura hadn’t replied to our email. Aura’s $144 entry plan covers more, with three bureaus and up to $1,000,000 in stolen funds against LifeLock Core’s two bureaus and $25,000, so pick Aura if that limit matters to you. If all you want is to block new credit in your name, freeze your credit for free first. Read the LifeLock review and the Aura review before you choose.
What we checked
- Test accounts: none. LifeLock's 30-day trial needs a card and this site enters none. Aura's 14-day trial enrollment stopped at the home address step on 10/08/2026
- Checkout: LifeLock Core taken to the payment step on 10/08/2026, $124.99, “Tax May Apply” with a New York ZIP. Aura's enrollment showed $144.00 billed yearly and “Pay $0 now,” renewal not shown
- Insurance: LifeLock's Evidence of Coverage for events from 09/01/2026 and Aura's $1M and $5M policy summaries, read 10/08/2026
- Vendor pages: plans, renewal pricing, terms, refund policies, privacy policies and help centers of both — captured 10/08/2026
- Support: LifeLock's chat answered the refund part of our question in 2 minutes, not the data deletion part. Aura had not replied to our email of 10/08/2026
- Public records: FTC press releases from 2010 and 2015 on ftc.gov; CFPB complaint database searched 10/08/2026 — 0 for both
FAQ
Is Aura better than LifeLock?
On the cheapest plans, Aura lists more for the first year: 3-bureau credit monitoring and up to $1,000,000 in stolen-funds coverage for $144, against 2 bureaus and $25,000 for LifeLock Core at $124.99 (10/08/2026). LifeLock costs less in year one, publishes its renewal price, has a longer trial and scores higher on our scale. This is not legal or financial advice.
Is LifeLock or Aura cheaper?
For the first year, LifeLock Core is cheaper at $124.99 against $144 for Aura Individual (10/08/2026). LifeLock's renewal page lists Core at $124.99 a year, while Aura didn't show a renewal price before payment and crossed out $288 next to its $144.
Do LifeLock and Aura have free trials?
Both did on 10/08/2026. LifeLock offered 30 days but needs a card at sign-up and charges at the end unless you cancel. Aura offered 14 days with “Pay $0 now” but asked for a home address before payment; its terms say a card may be required.
Do LifeLock and Aura ask for my Social Security number?
LifeLock did. On a phone-width screen its checkout asked for a phone number and the last 4 digits of the SSN before the payment step. Aura's enrollment stopped this site at the home address step, so whether it asks for an SSN before payment is unknown.
Which has the better refund policy?
Both give 60 days on annual plans. LifeLock also refunds monthly plans within 14 days, per its checkout terms. Aura refunds only annual plans, only by phone at 1-833-552-2123, and doesn't refund renewals.