Editor's Overview:
- The Winner: WalletHub
- All three companies offer credit monitoring and identity monitoring to watch over your information and notify you about suspicious activity.
- WalletHub and Experian offer free plans that allow you to view your credit score and report and get credit monitoring LifeLock does not offer a free plan.
- WalletHub Premium is cheaper than an Experian or LifeLock subscription.
- WalletHub and Experian have tools that allow you to report your on-time rent and utility payments to the credit bureaus so you can build credit history. LifeLock does not have this feature.
- WalletHub is the only app here that allows you to share your account with others.
- WalletHub offers the most features to help improve your overall financial health, with tools that allow you to make a budget, create debt payoff plans, track your net worth, etc.
LifeLock vs. Experian vs. WalletHub: Key Characteristics
| Features | LifeLock | Experian | WalletHub |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average App Rating | 4.6 | 4.8 | 4.8 |
| Free Plan Available | No | Yes | Yes |
| Premium Plan Cost | $10.42 -$40/month (billed annually) | $24.99/month | $7.99 per month, billed annually (SAVE 50.0%) |
| Number of Authorized Users | N/A | N/A | 5 |
| Credit Builder | No | Yes | Yes |
| Daily Updates to Scores & Reports | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Credit Monitoring | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Overall Financial Health Score (e.g. WalletScore) | No | Yes | Yes |
| Budgeting | No | No | Yes |
| Spending Tracker | No | Yes | Yes |
| Debt Payoff Plan | No | No | Yes |
| Dark Web Monitoring | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Identity Theft Restoration/Insurance | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Net Worth | No | No | Yes |
| Investment Tracker | No | Yes | Yes |
| Compatible Devices | Web, Apple, and Android | Web, Apple, and Android | Web, Apple, and Android |
You can learn more about these companies below. We’ll also list which one is the best for key categories such as budgeting, credit management, and identity theft protection.
LifeLock vs. Experian vs. WalletHub: Identity Theft Protection
Winner: LifeLock
| Features | LifeLock | Experian | WalletHub |
|---|---|---|---|
| Credit Report Monitoring | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Real-Time Credit Inquiry Alerts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Change of Address Alerts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Password Monitoring | No | Yes | Yes |
| Social Security Number Trace Alerts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Credit Lock (with alerts and scheduling) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Identity Theft Restoration | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Dark Web Monitoring | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| $1,000,000 Identity Theft Insurance | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Enhanced Loan Monitoring | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Lost Wallet Assistance | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| USPS Address Monitoring | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Account Takeover Monitoring | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Checking & Savings Account Application Alerts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Criminal Activity Monitoring | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| OFAC Sanctions List Monitoring | No | No | Yes |
| SMS for Urgent Alerts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Identity theft protection features such as change-of-address alerts, Social Security number trace alerts, lost wallet assistance, and bank account takeover monitoring are available with all three of these companies. Plus, they all provide identity theft restoration services and identity theft insurance.
Both LifeLock and Experian offer family identity theft protection plans. They also have three-bureau credit monitoring. However, LifeLock has a slight edge over Experian since it provides up to $3 million in identity theft insurance, while Experian only provides up to $1 million. LifeLock also has three different individual plans users can pick from to find the coverage that best fits their budget. Experian only has two individual plans, and one of the plans is a free account with very limited features.
If you are looking to get some level of identity theft protection without paying a hefty price, WalletHub’s premium plan is cheaper than Experian and LifeLock, though WalletHub may not offer quite as many features. However, you can still get plenty of valuable tools, such as credit monitoring, change-of-address alerts, and Social Security number trace alerts, with even a free WalletHub account.
LifeLock vs. Experian vs. WalletHub: Credit Tools
Winner: WalletHub
| Features | LifeLock | Experian | WalletHub |
|---|---|---|---|
| Credit Scores | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Full Credit Reports | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Daily Updates to Scores & Reports | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Credit Builder | No | Yes | Yes |
| Credit Analysis | No | Yes | Yes |
| Enhanced Credit Report Insights | No | No | Yes |
| Why My Credit Score Changed | No | No | Yes |
| Credit-Improvement Plan | No | Yes | Yes |
| Credit Score Goals | No | Yes | Yes |
| Credit Score Simulator | No | Yes | Yes |
| Debt Payoff Plan | No | No | Yes |
| Debt Payoff Goals | No | No | Yes |
These apps can all monitor your credit and let you see your credit score and report. Unlike LifeLock, WalletHub and Experian also provide a detailed breakdown of what’s impacting your credit score, give you access to a credit score simulator, and allow you to report your rent and utility payments to the credit bureaus to build credit history.
WalletHub wins this category since it offers enhanced credit report insights and gives you explanations for credit score changes. Neither Experian nor LifeLock offers these features.
LifeLock vs. Experian vs. WalletHub: Budgeting Tools
Winner: WalletHub
| Features | LifeLock | Experian | WalletHub |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spending Tracker | No | Yes | Yes |
| Budgeting | No | No | Yes |
| Customizable Transaction Alerts | No | No | Yes |
| Financial Reports | No | No | Yes |
| Share Transactions | No | No | Yes |
| Number of Budgeting Methods Supported | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Subscription Manager | No | Yes | Yes |
| Savings Goals | No | Yes | Yes |
| Spending Trimmer | No | No | Yes |
| Transaction Validator | No | No | Yes |
| AI-enhanced Transactions | No | No | Yes |
You can connect your financial accounts with any of these apps to track your transactions. WalletHub and Experian will also break down your spending into different categories, allow you to track your recurring expenses in one list to make it easier to spot subscriptions you no longer need, and let you set and track savings goals, unlike LifeLock.
However, WalletHub has the edge in this category since it is the only app here that lets you make a budget and create debt payoff plans directly from your account. LifeLock and Experian do not offer these features.
LifeLock vs. Experian vs. WalletHub: Investing & Retirement Tools
Winner: WalletHub
| Features | LifeLock | Experian | WalletHub |
|---|---|---|---|
| Net Worth | No | No | Yes |
| Investment Tracker | No | Yes | Yes |
| Investing News | No | No | Yes |
| Sync Real Estate Values | No | No | Yes |
| Sync Vehicle Values | No | Yes | Yes |
You can sync your investments, such as brokerage and retirement accounts, to track activity on them. But WalletHub is the only app here that allows you to also track your home value, monitor your net worth, and see investment news straight from your account. LifeLock and Experian don’t offer these additional features.
LifeLock vs. Experian vs. WalletHub: Additional Features
Winner: WalletHub
| Features | LifeLock | Experian | WalletHub |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interactive Alerts | No | No | Yes |
| Custom Dashboards | No | No | Yes |
| Auto Insurance Score | No | No | Yes |
| Financial Timeline | No | Yes | Yes |
| App Store Rating | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.8 |
| Google Play Rating | 4.4 | 4.7 | 4.7 |
| Details Loaded From Credit Report | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Customer Support (like email/live chat/etc) | Phone & mail | Phone & Chat Support |
WalletHub provides many additional features that can help you manage your overall financial health, such as a financial timeline that summarizes important alerts and access to your auto insurance score and WalletScore. This gives WalletHub the top spot in this category.
Experian has a financial timeline but doesn’t offer access to your auto insurance score or WalletScore. LifeLock doesn’t have any of these additional features.
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