ID Assist vs Identity Guard

ID Assist is an identity protection service that monitors registered personal information for suspicious activity online and on the dark web. Monitored details can include card and bank account numbers, Social Insurance Numbers, passport numbers, and email addresses. It can also pull credit information from both Canadian bureaus, Equifax and TransUnion. Customers can choose alerts by email, text, or the mobile app. If an incident occurs, ID Assist says it can contact the bureaus to place a fraud alert and reach the financial institution about a monitored card. Canadian representatives are available 24/7 for restoration services. The service also offers a Password Manager with password vaults, autofill, password generation, browser extensions, and mobile apps. Its Send feature shares information through an encrypted link, and the privacy policy says the user controls the cryptographic keys. ID Assist is paid and offers a free trial; no price is listed. It is available on Android, iOS, web, and as an extension. The provider, Sigma Loyalty Group Inc., is based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Identity Guard is a paid identity-protection service from Identity Guard, founded in 1996, with apps for iOS and Android. Its listed monitoring covers the dark web, bank accounts, Social Security numbers, and account takeovers. Plans also provide identity restoration, identity-theft insurance, and data-breach notifications. Premium credit protection includes three-bureau credit monitoring, while online and device security includes safe browsing and a password manager. Customers receive access to a U.S.-based care team, with fraud agents and support available 24/7/365. Family plans cover five adults and unlimited children, although child members receive only online-account and SSN monitoring. Annual plans have a 60-day money-back guarantee for eligible purchases through the website or customer support. Listed annual Value plans start at $8.99 per month; a separate annual promotion lists $4.49 per month for the first year and renewal at $107.88 per year. Other individual and family tiers have separate listed prices.