Guardio review
Updated September 28, 2026 · ShieldCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026
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Our verdict
Guardio suits people who want protection built into the browser rather than a full device suite. Its first-year price of $143.88 is one of the higher entries in this category, and the renewal price of $227.88 is higher again, so most of the value sits in the free tier.
Key facts
- Best for
- Households wanting browser-based scam protection plus identity cover in the mobile app.
- First-year price
- $143.88 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Renewal price
- $227.88 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Platforms
- Chrome, Edge, iOS, Android (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Free version
- Yes (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Legal entity
- Guardio Ltd. (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Headquarters
- Israel (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Founded
- 2018 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Support channels
- Email, Chat, Phone, Help-centre (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Pricing model
- Free
- Official website
- guard.io
Privacy tools
- Price from
- $7.80 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Free plan
- Yes (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Free plan limits
- 1 member; basic browser protection and manual security scan (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Platforms
- Chrome, Edge, iOS, Android (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Logging policy
- Collects browsing history, real-time browsing and DNS traffic metadata; data pseudonymized after each session, but data on suspected security threats retained indefinitely (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Jurisdiction
- US (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Open source
- No (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Privacy tool type
- Browser (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Legal entity
- Guardio Ltd. (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Headquarters
- Israel (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Founded
- 2018 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Support channels
- Email, Chat, Phone, Help-centre (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Pricing model
- Free
Identity protection
- Monthly price
- $18.99 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Insurance amount
- $1,000,000 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Family plan price
- $38.99 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Legal entity
- Guardio Ltd. (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Headquarters
- Israel (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Founded
- 2018 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Support channels
- Email, Chat, Phone, Help-centre (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Pricing model
- Free
Apps and profiles
- Get the app
- App StoreGoogle Play
Pros and cons
Pros
- A free plan and a free version give you 1 member; basic browser protection and manual security scan.
- Support runs on email, chat and phone, so help is available by chat and phone as well as by email.
- Identity theft cover of $1,000,000 compares with a median of €876,962.20 across the identity products here.
- Protection is delivered through the browser on Chrome, Edge and iOS, so there is no heavyweight suite to install.
Cons
- Entry cost is high: the first-year price of $143.88 sits far above the €49.95 median, and renewal of $227.88 climbs higher again.
- Coverage is limited to Chrome, Edge and iOS, so Windows and Mac users get browser-level protection only.
- The logging policy collects browsing history and real-time browsing and DNS traffic metadata, and data on suspected security threats is kept indefinitely.
Who it suits
- People who browse mainly in Chrome or Edge on Chrome, Edge and iOS and want scam blocking without a full antivirus suite.
- Households after a single plan price, with the family plan at $38.99.
- Mobile users who also want identity theft cover of $1,000,000 in the app.
Who should look elsewhere
- Apple Inc. users, whose protection ships with the operating system across iOS, iPadOS and macOS rather than as a browser extension.
- Comodo (Xcitium) users who need a desktop product, since it runs on Windows and Linux.
- ESET Brasil shoppers weighing entry cost, where the first-year price is listed as BRL 64.22.
Free plan and trial
Guardio offers a free plan and a free version. What the free tier includes is limited: 1 member; basic browser protection and manual security scan. That makes it a practical first step for a single person who wants browser-level scam protection, and a reason to weigh the paid plans before picking a subscription.
Privacy and jurisdiction
Guardio is governed by US jurisdiction. Its logging policy collects browsing history along with real-time browsing and DNS traffic metadata, pseudonymizes that data after each session, and states that data on suspected security threats is retained indefinitely. For readers who weigh retention practices, that last part is the deciding detail.
How Guardio compares
8.8 vs 9.1
8.8 vs 8.8
8.8 vs 8.5
8.8 vs 9.5
8.8 vs 9.4
8.8 vs 9.1
8.8 vs 9.2
8.8 vs 9.4Shoppers in its market see a first-year price of BRL 64.22, a useful second data point on entry cost.
8.8 vs 9.2
8.8 vs 8.8
8.8 vs 9.3
8.8 vs 9.0
8.8 vs 9.0
8.8 vs 9.4
Where Guardio is available
- Available
- Everywhere except Belarus, Cuba, Iraq, Iran, North Korea, Lebanon, Libya, Russia, Sudan, Syria
Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Frequently asked questions
How much does Guardio cost in the first year?+
The first-year price is $143.88, with a monthly price of $18.99 and an entry price of $7.80. That first-year figure sits well above the €49.95 median across the brands compared here, so the paid tiers are pitched at the expensive end.
What does Guardio charge when the subscription renews?+
Renewal is listed at $227.88, higher than the $143.88 first-year figure, and it ranks at position 20 of 22 brands on renewal cost. Budget for a bigger bill in the second year, and treat the free tier as the steady option if that matters.
What does the Guardio free plan include?+
A free plan exists, and so does a free version, but coverage is narrow: 1 member; basic browser protection and manual security scan. In practice that suits a single person who wants basic browser protection and a manual security scan, rather than a household or a full device suite.
Which platforms does Guardio protect?+
Guardio works on Chrome, Edge and iOS, a browser and mobile footprint rather than a desktop antivirus install. The extension handles browser protection and the mobile apps cover iOS and Android, so full machine scanning on Windows or Mac is not part of this range.
Does Guardio include identity theft protection?+
Yes. The Google Play listing for the app shows identity theft insurance of $1,000,000, which compares with a median of €876,962.20 across the identity products in this comparison. It is a headline extra rather than the main reason to buy the browser protection.
How does Guardio handle my data?+
The logging policy is the detail to read: Guardio collects browsing history plus real-time browsing and DNS traffic metadata, pseudonymizes it after each session, and retains data on suspected security threats indefinitely. The company operates under US jurisdiction, and the software is closed source.
Who is Guardio a good fit for?+
It suits people who work mainly in Chrome or Edge on a desktop or phone and want scam blocking without installing a full antivirus suite. Families after one household price can look at the family plan at $38.99, and free-plan users can start with 1 member; basic browser protection and manual security scan.
What support does Guardio offer?+
Support runs on email, chat and phone, so help is available by email, chat and phone as well as through a help centre. Phone support is a plus, since only 60% of the antivirus brands compared here offer one.
Sources
- guard.io checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Support channels
“24-hour, 7 days a week, human support; Emergency hotline with security experts; Contact the Guardio support team through the Guardio Help Center or by email at support@guard.io”
- guard.io/faq checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Free version
“You can enjoy basic free protection with the Guardio extension on your desktop or laptop.”
- guard.io/plans checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Family plan price, Free plan, Free plan limits, Pricing model, Platforms, First-year price, Price from, Monthly price, Privacy tool type, Renewal price
“Family 5 members $38.99 billed monthly”
- guard.io/privacy-policy checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Logging policy
“We retain data related to suspected security threats and risks indefinitely.”
- guard.io/terms-of-use checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Headquarters, Jurisdiction, Legal entity, Open source
“or by sending a letter to Derech Menachem Begin 144, Tel Aviv, Israel”
- play.google.com/store/apps/details/Guardio checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Insurance amount
“$1M identity theft insurance coverage (US only)”
- techcrunch.com/2021/12/14/cybersecurity-startup-guardio-n... checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Founded
“Tel Aviv-based Guardio, which was founded in 2018”
Compiled from 7 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.
Not confirmed yet: Devices.
Related by the facts
Guardio
Households wanting browser-based scam protection plus identity cover in the mobile app.