Leafguard vs. LeafFilter | 2025 Guide
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Leafguard and LeafFilter are two of the most popular gutter guard companies on the market, but depending on your needs, one might be better than the other. To help you choose the right brand, we’ve put together a thorough comparison guide. We compared the two companies on several key factors including the benefits, drawbacks, warranties, customer reviews, and product specifications of both Leafguard and LeafFilter so that you can make an educated decision on which of these products fits your needs as a homeowner the best.
Leafguard vs. LeafFilter: How Do They Compare?
Leafguard and LeafFilter are two of the most recognizable name brands in the gutter guard industry. The main difference between Leafguard and LeafFilter is their design. Leafguard is a reverse curve or surface tension design that replaces your current gutters. LeafFilter is a micro-mesh screen that fits over your existing gutters. While their approaches to gutter guards differ, they both offer impressive products, strong services, and reasonable prices. Here is a quick rundown of each company:
| Fast Facts | Leafguard | LeafFilter |
|---|---|---|
| Gutter Guard Type | Reverse-Curve | Micro-Mesh |
| Gutter Guard Material | Aluminum | Stainless Steel |
| Sizes | 5 or 6-inch | 4, 5, 6, or 7-inch |
| Warranty | Transferable Lifetime | Transferable Lifetime |
| Price Range | $10–$35 per linear foot | $15–$45 per linear foot |
| State Availability | 36* | 47** |
| Years in Business | 30 | 18 |
| BBB Score | A+ | A+ |
| Read Full Review | Leafguard Review | LeafFilter Review |
**LeafFilter is not available in Alaska, Arizona, and Hawaii
Leafguard vs. LeafFilter: Our Take on Pros, Cons, and Customer Reviews
Leafguard and LeafFilter offer sturdy and long-lasting gutter guards with transferable lifetime warranties. However, both companies have limited state availability. Overall, LeafFilter’s micro-mesh guard is more aesthetically pleasing, while Leafguard is more sturdy and long-lasting.
Pros and Cons
Leafguard
Pros
- Includes transferable lifetime warranty
- Uses ScratchGuard® paint for increased durability and longevity
- Offers a sturdy, one-piece reverse-curve design
Cons
- Doesn't provide cost information online
- Operates in only 36 states
- Reverse curve design is less attractive than other designs
LeafFilter
Pros
- Offers a high-quality micro-mesh gutter guard
- Includes a transferable lifetime warranty
- Performs a detailed, convenient installation
Cons
- Price makes it a big investment
- Includes a number of limitations in its warranty
Our Take on the Pros
What We Like About Leafguard
Leafguard has an impressive warranty, sturdy construction, and a scratch-resistant coating. However, it has a smaller operating area and a bulky design.
Leafguard is a great option for homeowners looking for new gutters that include built-in protection against clogs. The reverse-curve design features a sturdy, one-piece construction that replaces your existing gutter system. The aluminum material resists warping and cracking and can endure the elements longer than many types of DIY gutter guards.
Leafguard customizes the length of each gutter run during professional installation for the perfect fit. It also uses a scratch-resistant finish and offers its gutter system in 12 or more colors.
What We Like About LeafFilter
LeafFilter backs up its stainless steel micro-mesh guard with a transferable lifetime warranty and a convenient, professional installation process. However, it only operates in 43 states, and its lifetime warranty has some limitations.
LeafFilter offers a three-piece, steel micro-mesh gutter guard system that uses surface tension to pull water through your gutters but push debris off. Its steel body means that extreme temperature changes will not warp the guard over time. LeafFilter pitches the guard flush with your roof to minimize maintenance and visibility from the ground. LeafFilter’s gutters come in various colors, including off-white and beige, to match your home’s external color scheme.
Our Take on the Cons
What We Don’t Like About Leafguard
Leafguard requires you to replace your entire gutter system. Reverse-curve designs are susceptible to allowing small debris, such as shingle grit, into the gutters. Plus, you may see visible debris accumulation on the curve of the gutter guard. Heavy downpours can also allow water to spill over onto your home’s siding.
What We Don’t Like About LeafFilter
Many customer reviews for LeafFilter systems have mentioned pushy sales tactics and high initial quotes. We’ve also seen feedback about ice buildup on the gutter guard during cold snaps and during periods of very heavy rain, debris might cover the screen and not allow as much water into the gutters.
What Homeowner Reviews Say
Leafguard Reviews
We analyzed 100 reviews across Trustpilot and the BBB. Positive reviews mentioned professional and knowledgeable sales staff, clean and courteous installation, and a quality product. Discontented customers called out aggressive sales tactics, inflated prices, and limitations in the lifetime warranty.
LeafFilter Reviews
We analyzed the 100 most recent Google Reviews for LeafFilter’s Aurora, Colorado, branch. Some of these reviews were critical of the company’s professionalism and punctuality. Many homeowners noted that it took several phone calls to ensure they received services on the correct date. However, LeafFilter was responsive to each review.
Many reviews praised the quality of LeafFilter’s gutter guards, though some homeowners noted that LeafFilter’s guards are not ideal for extreme winter conditions. On its blog, The Leaflet, the company advises homeowners to take preventive measures to combat ice dams. You also have to clean your gutters every one to two years with LeafFilter’s gutter guards, despite advertising that you’ll never have to clean them again.
Which is More Expensive, Leafguard or LeafFilter?
LeafFilter is typically slightly more expensive than Leafguard. According to survey data and customer reviews, LeafFilter installation costs $5,600 or $28 per linear foot of gutter on average. In contrast, Leafguard installation costs an average of $5,242 or about $26 per linear foot of gutter. Though LeafFilter’s cost is slightly higher than Leafguards, they are comparable in price.
Neither Leafguard nor LeafFilter provides pricing information online, which is standard practice for gutter installation companies. These providers will offer you a quote after conducting an inspection of your home that includes measuring your gutters. Depending on the length of your gutters and any special circumstances, such as gutters on a second story, or an unusual gutter shape, your price may be higher than the average.
Leafguard vs. LeafFilter: Comparison of Each Gutter Guard System
Both Leafguard and LeafFilter are established companies with high-quality gutter guard systems. Whereas Leafguard has a one-piece, aluminum reverse-curve gutter guard, LeafFilter offers a three-piece, stainless steel micro-mesh system.
Leafguard’s system is supported every two feet by hidden hangers and filters up to 32 inches of rain per hour. It also uses downspouts that are 30% larger than average, allowing them to carry more water during heavy downpours. Both companies pitch their guards flush with your roof, blending them seamlessly with your home. However, Leafguard’s overall design is more distracting and noticeable than LeafFilter’s.
Product Specs
Leafguard and LeafFilter’s gutter guard systems both protect your home from sticks, leaves, and other debris, though LeafFilter’s micro-mesh design is better for small debris such as pine needles. See the specifications for each provider’s gutter guards below.
Leafguard Product Specs
- Aluminum reverse-curve: Leafguard offers a one-piece aluminum gutter guard with a reverse-curve design. Its system can handle up to 32 inches of rain per hour. Aluminum is sturdier and longer-lasting than other gutter cover materials such as foam or brush.
- Custom-fit: Leafguard custom-fits its gutter systems to each home.
- Hidden hangers: Leafguard’s gutter guards are supported every two feet by hidden hangers and fitted to your roof pitch. Additionally, the company mounts its gutter guards away from your roof shingles to avoid damage that could void your roof warranty.
- ScratchGuard® paint finish: Leafguard uses a ScratchGuard® paint finish that prevents chipping, peeling, and cracking.
LeafFilter Product Specs
- Steel micro-mesh: LeafFilter uses 275-micron, surgical-grade, stainless steel micro-mesh. This material doesn’t rust or erode and is compact enough to allow surface tension to draw water through. LeafFilter’s micro-mesh screen is designed to block even small debris such as pollen and shingle grit.
- uPVC frame: LeafFilter makes its frames from a durable, lightweight material called unplasticized polyvinyl chloride (uPVC) that won’t warp or bend over time. The frame also has a built-in pitch, so the gutter guard can be installed to fit seamlessly with the angle of your roof.
- Hidden structural hangers: LeafFilter uses hidden hangers to fasten its gutter cover to your fascia board, the edge that runs along your roof. This provides stability while keeping LeafFilter’s guard from being an eyesore.
Installation Process
Leafguard’s Installation Process
As the first step of Leafguard’s installation process, a licensed technician will visit your home, do a walkthrough, and provide a free, detailed estimate. You’ll then select an installation day with the company.
Leafguard’s installation team will start by disassembling your old gutters. Next, they’ll use a specialized roll-forming machine to form your custom gutter guards on-site. The team will insert patented hangers two feet apart and connect your gutter system to your fascia board. They’ll also measure each gutter’s pitch to ensure efficient water flow. Finally, the team will attach downspouts to your new gutter system. Once everything is installed correctly, Leafguard will clean your property and remove all equipment and debris.
LeafFilter’s Installation Process
LeafFilter follows a similar process. After a free inspection, you’ll schedule an installation day. A local team of professional gutter contractors will clean your existing gutters and install new ones if necessary. They’ll then ensure your gutters have the correct pitch and are properly sealed and aligned before installing LeafFilter’s guards. Like Leafguard, the team will clean up any debris from the installation.
The installation process may take anywhere from a few hours to a full day for both companies.
Maintenance and Cleaning
Gutter guards significantly reduce how often you have to clean your gutters, but we recommend you check them annually. You may also need additional maintenance if you experience an extended period of inclement weather.
Leafguard Maintenance and Cleaning
Though Leafguard’s gutter guards work in up to 32 inches of rain per hour, you may experience overflow if rainfall exceeds this. If you live in a cold climate, it’s also possible that snow will accumulate, leading to ice dams and icicles if excess water freezes. You can prevent this by using a broom to push snow off the top of your gutter guards.
LeafFilter Maintenance and Cleaning
Similarly, wet debris may get stuck on LeafFilter’s gutter covers during heavy downpours. You can wait for it to dry and fall on its own or use a blower or broom to knock off the debris. You may have to clean LeafFilter’s guards more frequently to prevent debris buildup because they block more debris than Leafguard.
Leafguard vs. LeafFilter: Warranty
Leafguard includes a transferable lifetime warranty with its gutter and rain-carrying accessories. If your Leafguard gutter guard blisters, flakes, chips, cracks, peels, rots, rusts, or experiences other structural deterioration, the company will cover repairs, replacement, and cleaning. However, this is only if the damage results from manufacturing defects or ordinary wear and tear. Your guards must also have been installed to Leafguard’s specifications, and you must have kept up the cleaning methods described in your warranty.
LeafFilter similarly offers a lifetime transferable warranty. However, it includes some significant limitations. The company doesn’t cover damage to gutters, fascia boards, roof substrate, or surfaces caused by gutter guard installation, nor incidental damage from ice dams or ice flows. The warranty is also void if the LeafFilter product sustains damage from structural changes, such as roof adjustments, adjacent trees or plant life, or any uncontrollable acts of nature, such as storms. Modifying or altering your guards after installation may void your warranty.
Because both of these warranties are transferable, they increase your home’s value, guaranteeing gutter guard protection for future homeowners.
Leafguard vs. LeafFilter: Customer Reviews
Both Leafguard and LeafFilter have positive reputations on popular customer review sites such as the Better Business Bureau and Google. Many Leafguard reviews praise the company’s professional sales reps and high-quality products, but others mention steep pricing and difficulty scheduling maintenance appointments.
Many LeafFilter reviews applaud the company’s thorough installation process, high-quality products, and overall professionalism. Critical reviews mention confusion about estimates and receiving higher pricing than expected.
Read a mix of reviews for both companies below.
Leafguard Reviews
LeafFilter Reviews
Our Recommendation
LeafFilter offers an efficient, aesthetically pleasing gutter guard ideal for homeowners interested in maintaining their curb appeal. You may have to clear out buildup more often because its design blocks more debris. However, LeafFilter combats ice dams and icicles better than Leafguard. If you’re more concerned about sturdiness and longevity than appearance, Leafguard is a solid choice.
Gutter Guards FAQ
Does Leafguard or LeafFilter get clogged?
Both Leafguard and LeafFilter gutter guards are designed to avoid clogged gutters and come with a no-clog guarantee. However, both are also susceptible to issues due to inclement weather and heavy rainfall.
What is the best material for gutter guards?
The best material for gutter guards depends on the type of debris your home experiences, but micro-mesh and surface-tension gutter guards provide the best overall results. These types of gutter guards are more effective at blocking small debris like pine needles and require the least amount of maintenance and gutter cleaning compared to brush and screen gutter guards.
Does LeafFilter prevent ice dams?
LeafFilter does not prevent ice dams entirely. However, its micro-mesh gutter guard is more effective at preventing them than a reverse-curve guard like Leafguard’s.
Why are clean gutters important?
Cleaning your gutters is important because rainwater won’t drain properly if they get clogged by leaves and other debris. This causes water to overflow from your gutters, which can lead to water damage to the interior and exterior of your home, roof, and foundation.
How We Chose the Top Gutter Guard Providers
We researched and analyzed dozens of gutter guards and gutter guard companies to create an in-depth review methodology. We formulated a rating system based on the factors homeowners find most important. We evaluated each provider’s gutter guard design and aesthetics, service offerings, customer service and communication, quote process, warranties, and financing options.
We created a separate rating system for DIY-installed gutter guards sold on retailer sites. We evaluated these guards based on their quality of materials, aesthetics, communication, warranty, customer reviews, and cost.
We evaluated each provider’s reputation using independent, third-party sites such as the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Google My Business pages. For products, we analyzed the customer reviews on whichever online retailer primarily hosts the product.
