Guardio vs. Norton: which security tool is better?

Say you’re searching for something online. One site floods your screen with pop-ups, another redirects you somewhere sketchy, and before you know it, your device starts acting up. That’s when you realize you’ve been infected with malware.

Such a scenario isn’t far from the actual browsing experience and will only worsen as the number of threats rises. And that’s not even mentioning various other breaching methods.

In today’s digital world, having a dedicated cybersecurity app has never been more critical. After all, these tools protect your devices from malicious sites and online threats, stop phishing attacks, block malware, and prevent identity thefts.

However, since the leading cybersecurity solutions, such as Guardio and Norton, specialize in different user needs, picking the right tool can be challenging. That’s why Cybernews’ experts and I spent days thoroughly testing them. We examined their security features, pricing, customer support, and overall effectiveness, aiming to provide expert-backed recommendations.

Guardio vs. Norton overview – comparing the two security apps

Guardio and Norton are both excellent choices for protecting yourself in today’s digital world, where cybercriminals constantly develop new ways to infiltrate your system. Yet, these two solutions serve very different needs.

Before we explore them in detail and see which needs each can meet, here’s a quick table comparing the two tools. Analyze it to learn more about Guardio and Norton’s pricing, free trials and versions, supported platforms, and special features you might need.

Tools	Norton	Guardio
Rating	4.7/5	4.5/5
Price	From $59.99/year ($29.99 for the first year)	From $14.99/month
Free version	No	Yes
Free trial	7 days	7 days
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS	Chromium-based browsers (Chrome, Edge, Opera) on Windows, macOS, Linux; iOS and Android apps
Credit monitoring	Yes – one bureau (Select Plus plan only)	No
Insurance	Up to $1 million (varies by plan)	Up to $1 million (Premium and Business plans)
Discounts	Up to 52%% on first-year discounts	Variable

About Guardio

Guardio isn’t your average antivirus program. In fact, it’s not an antivirus at all; it’s an extension for Chromium-based browsers that protects your devices on the browser level. As such, it acts as your first line of defense, providing real-time protection against online threats.

Guardio functions strictly in the browser, alerting you of and blocking dangerous sites, fending off browser-based attacks, blocking malware downloads, and providing email security, but only for Gmail. And while it’s best at blocking harmful websites, Guardio is by no means a one-trick pony.

Its identity monitoring is no slouch either – Guardio can monitor up to five different email addresses and instantly alert you if your data gets exposed. Furthermore, both its paid plans offer up to $1 million in identity theft insurance through TransUnion.

About Norton

Norton is a name that’s been around since the 1980s. Over the years, it has evolved into a fully-fledged cybersecurity software suite that offers a wide array of features. From real-time protection and device scans to identity theft monitoring and financial fraud protection, Norton has everything you need to safeguard your data.

Unlike Guardio, Norton goes beyond browser protection. Besides malicious URL blocking and phishing defense, it also stops viruses, spyware, ransomware, trojans, and worms with device-level scans and protection. It’s available for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.

It even has a VPN, a password manager, and dark web monitoring for data breaches, with the Select Plus plan also offering credit monitoring features. There’s also up to $1 million in identity theft insurance with Norton.

Guardio vs. Norton: features comparison

While both Guardio and Norton enhance the user’s safety and boost security, these apps focus on different protection aspects. Guardio was created for the browser, so its features focus on boosting browser security and blocking threats before they even infect your device.

On the other hand, Norton offers device-wide protection, so its features are all about boosting the overall security of your device. Before we continue further, here’s a quick overview of the features these two different tools offer:

Features	Norton	Guardio
Real-time threat blocking	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Malicious URL blocking	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Antivirus	✅ Yes	❌ No
Ransomware protection	✅ Yes	❌ No
Phishing protection	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Email security	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Scam detection	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Identity monitoring	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Credit monitoring	✅ Yes	❌ No
Dark web monitoring	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Insurance coverage	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Browser protection	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Device-level security	✅ Yes	❌ No
Multi-device protection	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
VPN	✅ Yes	❌ No
Password manager	✅ Yes	❌ No
Cloud backup	✅ Yes	❌ No
Parental controls	✅ Yes	❌ No

Once you compare their features, one thing becomes clear. Guardio is built to be as lightweight as possible and offer browser-based protection, while Norton provides a complete security system for protecting every aspect of your smart device.

Guardio vs. Norton: pricing and plans

While Guardio’s Basic plan is free, in most cases, you’ll want to use its paid options. For the Premium plan, you’re looking at $14.99/month, while business users pay that same amount for each user. Furthermore, both plans let you protect up to five devices at no additional cost.

I’d also recommend going for the yearly subscription, as it comes with 33% savings at $119.88/year. However, you won’t even see this option on the site unless you try to activate a free trial or make a purchase. Nonetheless, Guardio provides a 30-day refund policy in case you change your mind.

In contrast, I found Norton AntiVirus’s four pricing plans to be much more detailed. The entry-level Plus plan starts at $59.99/year, but you also get the first year for 50% off. While it protects only one device, you can get one of Norton 360 plans to protect additional gadgets.

Alternatively, you can purchase Norton AntiVirus Plus for five devices, costing $84.99/year ($39.99 for the first year). Either way, there’s a 60-day money-back guarantee, so you can get a full refund if you’re unhappy with Norton.

All things considered, I’d say Guardio’s five-device protection makes it an excellent option for families. However, Norton’s undeniably the better option here, even if you disregard first-year discounts, as you can get it for half the price of Guardio.

Guardio vs. Norton: identity protection

If you want a tool with dedicated identity protection features, you can immediately skip Guardio’s free plan. Its Premium package is a different story, though. Besides identity and data breach monitoring, it also includes identity theft insurance worth up to $1 million (through the TransUnion partnership), which is pretty much the standard with these services. And if you run into trouble, there’s also a 24/7 identity theft resolution hotline.

You also get access to dark web monitoring with Guardio, and the tool will scan for exposed personal data linked to up to five email addresses. If it detects anything, it’ll instantly warn you and prompt you to change passwords and cancel associated credit cards.

Norton, on the other hand, goes beyond basic email monitoring. Its dark web monitoring feature also scans for exposed phone numbers, banking details, and social security numbers (SSN). Breaches are also reported in real time.

However, I must note that these monitoring features vary based on region and don’t apply to Norton’s macOS app for some reason. Similarly, identity theft protection is unavailable in certain countries and only comes with the top-tier plan. That’s also the only plan that offers single-bureau credit monitoring.

In any case, while Guardio’s identity protection is quite decent and provides email monitoring for up to five addresses, I’d say Norton gets another win here. After all, it’s a more comprehensive solution with better identity protection, credit monitoring, and dark web scans for multiple types of personal data.

Guardio vs. Norton: malware and phishing protection

As malware and phishing scams are some of the most common online threats, the team and I thoroughly tested Guardio and Norton in this department.

Our findings confirm Guardio’s claims. It’s a browser-level security tool that proactively blocks sketchy sites, phishing attempts, and malware downloads before they even get the chance to infect your device. Guardio’s real-time scanning, which relies on artificial intelligence and machine learning to analyze sites, emails, and downloads, did well in our tests.

The downside here is that Guardio doesn’t offer device-level protection. Thus, installing the extension on a PC or Mac that’s already been infected won’t do anything.

In contrast, Norton provides comprehensive malware and phishing protection for the whole device. Like Guardio, Norton’s Safe Web extension protects your browser from threats by blocking malicious URLs and malware downloads.

Unlike Guardio, though, Norton can also detect and remove viruses, spyware, and ransomware that are already on your device. Furthermore, its AI-powered threat detection is another one of its strong points, as it can only make Norton better at preventing emerging cyber threats over time.

After considering everything, I believe Norton is the better choice here, too. While Guardio is excellent at preventing infections by handling browser-level threats, it can’t do anything if you’re already infected. Norton can, and its robust software suite covers both online and offline threats, making it a strong choice, especially for users looking for complete malware defense.

Guardio vs. Norton: device and online protection

Guardio’s creators believe that the browser is where you’re exposed the most, and that’s what Guardio protects. Its extension for Chromium-based browsers (Chrome, Edge, and Opera), as well as Android and iOS mobile apps, protects your device from threats at the browser level.

In that sense, Guardio can shield you from harmful sites, phishing scams, and malicious downloads. However, it doesn’t go beyond that. There’s no device-level protection here, and Guardio can’t do anything against system-level malware or ransomware.

Norton, on the other hand, provides complete device protection, and it does so for Windows PCs, Macs, Androids, and iPhones. In terms of online protection, it offers a robust firewall that defends against network infiltration. Furthermore, Norton also comes with secure browsing tools, like the Safe Web extension, which essentially does everything that Guardio does.

Beyond these online security features, Norton also provides additional tools that Guardio lacks. For example, its antivirus offers real-time scans for worms, trojans, malware, and ransomware. Its cloud backup also helps with ransomware infestations, safeguarding your vital files off the device. Finally, its password manager offers robust encryption, so you can rest assured your login credentials will be safe and sound whatever happens.

Overall, I’d say Norton deserves another win. Unlike Guardio, which focuses solely on online protection, Norton provides system-level security. It offers everything Guardio does and more, including existing infection analysis and removal, cloud backups, and password management.

Guardio vs. Norton: customer support

When dealing with potential cyber threats, customer support can really make or break a security service. That’s why the Cybernews team and I paid close attention to the availability of multiple support channels and the responsiveness and helpfulness of the tool’s agents.

Whether you have questions about the product, its features, or subscription costs, as a Guardio user, you can rely on the help center, FAQs, and email support. Guardio boasts response times of less than one hour, and when I tested this myself over email, the company’s support agents were both quick and helpful.

There’s also a 24/7 emergency hotline with human support if you fall victim to identity theft. However, we didn’t test this aspect for either Guardio or Norton, as it’s an emergency-only channel, and using it would feel like a waste of the company’s resources.

On Norton’s side, users can expect even more customer support channels, including 24/7 live chat and phone support. However, I must admit that using the live chat option was a pain, as getting to a live agent took way too long. I first had to log in and deal with a chatbot before I could message a human.

Apart from that, Norton’s response times were also quick, while the agents were polite, patient, and knowledgeable. And that’s precisely why Norton scores higher and edges out a slight win in this category, too.

Our methodology – how we tested the tools

Having the features on paper and using them in real-world situations are two very different things. That’s why the Cybernews experts and I developed a rigorous testing methodology that showcases how cybersecurity apps perform in real-world scenarios.

We put both Guardio and Norton through the wringer, and here’s an overview of our entire testing process:

• Reviewing security tests (35%). Once the tools were installed and set up, we ran a simulated malware attack. After that, we checked how both security tools dealt with a phishing attempt.
• Reviewing identity theft prevention (30%). We intentionally used a breached email address and tested each tool’s dark web monitoring capabilities. Here, we also looked into the speed and accuracy of each tool’s real-time alerts.
• Ease of use (15%). Just because a cybersecurity suite offers a wide range of features doesn’t mean it can’t be simple to install and use. That’s why we also evaluated the setup process and user interface.
• Pricing and value (20%). Getting the most out of your investment is the ultimate goal for any purchases, including security apps. With this in mind, we compared the features each tool provides for the price.i

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Other identity theft protection services:

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Guardio vs. Norton: which one should you choose?

Guardio and Norton are excellent security platforms that can protect your devices from continuously rising online threats. However, these two tools go at it very differently.

Guardio essentially does one thing, but it does it flawlessly. It’s a Chromium-based browser extension (and mobile app) that stops threats solely at the browser level. Thus, it’s excellent at blocking nasty sites and malware downloads, protecting your email (Gmail only), and monitoring up to five email addresses for identity theft.

Conversely, Norton is a fully-fledged antivirus tool with broader features. Besides malicious URL blocking and phishing protection that Guardio has, Norton also provides website ratings, malware scans, vulnerability scans, behavior-based detection, and a firewall.

Cybernews experts and I agree that Guardio is better for families and users who want a simple, easy-to-set-up tool to protect their browsers. Norton, on the other hand, is a comprehensive tool with system-wide protection. It’s meant for individuals and businesses who want to protect against viruses, ransomware, spyware, worms, and phishing on the device level.

At the end of the day, there is no reason to pick between them, as these security tools can coexist on both computers and phones. While Guardio acts as a first line of defense, Norton can eliminate any threats that get past Guardio.

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