Identity theft protection can be an essential security tool in protecting your financial livelihood online. These comprehensive services can monitor your credit reports with all three major bureaus as well as your bank and retirement accounts. You'll also receive insurance to cover necessary expenses in retrieving your identity if you or a family member ever becomes a victim of identity theft. While free services are available, a paid plan -- ranging from $7 to $35 for individuals and $12 to $80 for families -- offers more features for subscribers to take advantage of, such as continuous dark web and Social Security number monitoring. In some cases, having a paid identity theft protection service can notify you early of a data breach where your information was leaked on the dark web. After evaluating dozens of the top names in identity theft protection and monitoring services, we’ve deemed Aura to be the best identity theft protection service available today.
Our Picks
Best identity theft protection services
Aura was founded in 2017 by CEO Hari Ravichandran after his identity was stolen a few years earlier. We believe Aura gives you the most bang for your buck compared with the competition. For a reasonable monthly price, you can get features rival services make you upgrade for. We also appreciate its straightforward pricing model (just four plans to choose from).
Like most identity theft protection services, Aura scans the dark web for your personal information, in addition to monitoring your Social Security number and criminal record activity for potential signs of identity theft. Aura subscribers also receive identity theft insurance of up to $1 million per adult.
Aura’s plans also include perks like a virtual private network, email aliases to keep unwanted emails out of your inbox, and antivirus protection on up to 10 devices per adult. We also like that Aura offers three credit bureau monitoring with all plans. Typically, providers only offer three credit bureau monitoring through their most expensive tier.
Starts at $13 per month
- $13 per month for Kids plan
- $15 per month for Individual plan
- $29 per month for Couple plan
- $50 per month for Family plan
Annual plans cost $120 for Kids, $144 for individuals, $228 for couples and $240 for families (five adults and unlimited children) under current promotional pricing.
The prices displayed below are current as of April 30. You may receive a discount when clicking on CNET’s link.
LifeLock is a top identity theft service with what feels like unlimited features, some of which aren't offered by competitors. Subscribers benefit from monitoring tools that track unauthorized transactions, such as Buy Now Pay Later, PayDay loans and utility alerts. After signup, you'll discover even more features not advertised on its website.
However, LifeLock doesn't offer antivirus protection, a password manager or virtual privacy network. These online security tools are fairly common in the industry, and are a critical component of how CNET rates identity theft protection services.
Online security tools are available if you sign up for Norton 360 with LifeLock protection, which is a bundle service offered by Gen Digital -- owners of both Norton and LifeLock. Even without Norton protection, LIfeLock is the most expensive ID theft protection service on our best list.
Looking at LifeLock's three tiers, Standard gets you get the essentials you need in identity theft protection. This includes dark web monitoring, data breach notifications and Social Security number alerts. Subscribers also get the industry standard $1 million in identity theft insurance protection and white glove restoration. The service even throws in an extra $50,000 for stolen fund reimbursements and necessary expenses if you’re the victim of identity theft. These payouts increase in value if you opt for Advantage or Ultimate Plus.
The ID theft protection service's Advantage or Ultimate Plus plans, which cost $23 and $35 per month, respectively, offer a wider range of features, such as social media and phone takeover monitoring, fraud alerts for crimes committed in your name, as well as credit, checking and savings account activity notifications. Ultimate Plus additionally offers three-credit bureau monitoring.
LifeLock's family plans uniquely offer identity theft insurance to minors, which even our best overall service Aura does not. Families can receive up to $25,000 for stolen funds and personal expenses reimbursement per child in addition to $1 million to cover lawyers and experts necessary to recover their identity.
Starts at $12 per month
- $12 to $35 per month for individual plans
- $24 to $70 per month for family plans (two adults)
- $36 to $80 per month for family plans (two adults and five children)
Annual plans start at $90 to $240 for individuals, $150 to $396 for family (two adults) and $222 to $468 for family (two adults + five children) under current promotional pricing.
The prices displayed below are current as of May 27. You may receive a discount when clicking on CNET’s link.
TransUnion-owned IdentityForce is the best of both worlds if you’re trying to decide between LifeLock and Aura. You get a good mix of the unique services LifeLock offers but pay monthly or yearly fees that are closer to Aura’s more affordable price.
This is particularly true for families. LifeLock by Norton’s family plan costs $80 per month. By comparison, IdentityForce’s family plans won’t run you more than $40 per month.
IdentityForce differs from most other companies on our list because it offers only identity theft protection services with its entry-level UltraSecure individual and family plans. Credit monitoring services, including three credit bureau monitoring and quarterly credit reports, are included in its more expensive UltraSecure+Credit plans.
Among its top features, IdentityForce gives you a personal identity safety score and uses it to devise a personalized action plan. You even get a VPN, but unlike Aura, it’s only for mobile.
IdentityForce also includes investment account alerts, social media monitoring and a password manager. You’ll get $1 million in identity theft protection insurance for UltraSecure plans and $2 million for UltraSecure+Credit plans.
Starts at $20 per month
- $20 to $35 per month for individual plans
- $25 to $40 per month for family plans
Annual plans range from $200 to $350 for individuals and $250 to $400 for families (two adults and up to 10 children).
The prices displayed below are current as of April 30. You may receive a discount when clicking on CNET’s link.
Consider Zander if you want identity theft protection but don’t want to break the bank. The company mainly operates as an insurance broker selling auto and home coverage for carriers like Nationwide, Allstate and Progressive. But it also provides identity theft protection on the cheap.
With its Essential Plan, you get what we view as the three pillars of identity theft protection: Social Security number monitoring, dark web monitoring and identity theft insurance of up to $1 million for individuals and $2 million for families. Zander’s Essential Plan also includes alerts on significant data breaches that may impact your personal information.
Like IdentityForce, Zander makes you pay for its most expensive tier for credit and transaction monitoring features. Elite Bundle includes everything in the Essential Plan, and adds Experian credit lock, as well as bank, credit, loan and retirement account monitoring.
Zander notably does not include credit report monitoring.
Starts at $7 per month
- $7 to $12 per month for individual plans
- $13 to $22 for family plans
Annual plans range from $75 to $130 for individuals and $145 to $240 for families (two adults and unlimited children covered for free).
The prices displayed below are current as of April 30. You may receive a discount when clicking on CNET’s link.
Identity Guard, owned by Aura, offers three subscription plans for both adults and families: Value, Total and Ultra. We find that there’s a noticeable jump in coverage between the tiers to justify this.
Value offers services like dark web monitoring and data breach notifications, whereas Total adds credit protection and three credit bureau monitoring. Ultra tacks on social media and bank account monitoring as well as white glove restoration services in case your identity is stolen, among other features.
The inner workings of Identity Guard are nothing to write home about (the features are pretty standard throughout in the industry) but it could be a good fit for families. Identity Guard’s family plans cover five adults and unlimited children — even if you choose Identity Guard’s cheapest family plan, at $15 per month.
Starts at $9 per month
- $9 to $30 for individual plans
- $15 to $40 for family plans
Annual plans range from $80 to $216 for individuals and $120 to $288 for families (five adults and unlimited children).
The prices displayed below are current as of April 30. You may receive a discount when clicking on CNET’s link.
For the price, IDShield packs quite a punch. IDShield offers four plans (two for individuals and two for families) that go up in price depending on how many credit bureaus you want monitored — one or all three. Individual plans with one credit bureau monitoring included cost $15. It costs $20 per month to have Equifax, TransUnion and Experian all monitored.
No matter which you opt for, all individual and family plans include dark web, Social Security number and public records monitoring, as well as credit freezing and hard inquiry alerts.
Where IDShield really shines is with its identity restoration tools. IDShield works with licensed private investigators who are assigned to your case if your identity is stolen. It also offers identity theft consultation services, unlimited customer support and up to $3 million in identity theft insurance coverage for members to cover lawyers and experts needed to restore identities.
Starts at $15 per month
- $15 to $20 for individual plans
- $30 to $35 for family plans (two adults and 10 children)
There are no annual plans available.
The prices displayed below are current as of April 30. You may receive a discount when clicking on CNET’s link.
IdentityIQ isn’t a good fit for families looking for a straightforward plan — there isn’t one advertised on its website. It’s also not ideal for you if paying for add-on services isn’t your cup of tea. If you’re looking for a plan you can customize to your needs, IdentityIQ might be the right fit.
IdentityIQ offers four plans, ranging from $7 for its Secure Plan to $30 for Secure Max. You can also add antivirus protection and a VPN for an additional fee to any plan. All IdentityIQ plans include credit bureau monitoring, dark web surveillance and up to $1 million in stolen funds reimbursement.
IdentityIQ doesn’t offer a designated family protection plan on its website, Secure Max does include $25,000 in ID theft insurance for up to four dependents. Its other three plans also allow you to add a second adult and up to three children for a fee.
Starts at $7 per month
- $7 to $30* for individual plans
- No family plans advertised
Annual plans range from $71 to $306 under promotional pricing (without VPN and antivirus protection).
The prices displayed below are current as of April 30. You may receive a discount when clicking on CNET’s link.
There aren’t many free identity theft protection options. No other companies on our list even offer one. But Experian does.
With Experian IdentityWorks Basic, you get a free Experian credit report, plus monitoring and alerts. You also get one dark web surveillance report and a personal privacy scan. The latter involves Experian searching people finder sites and informing you what personal information is accessible to potential bad actors or robocallers. The free tier also includes a FICO score tracker and FICO score monitoring.
Paid tiers of Experian IdentityWorks include features like three bureau credit monitoring, quarterly credit reports, Social Security number tracing and up to $1 million in identity theft insurance.
Experian IdentityWorks’ Premium and Family plans are nearly identical, with the exception that the Family plan covers two adults and offers child identity monitoring for up to 10 children.
Starts at $0 per month
- Free to $25 for individual plan
- $35 for family plan
No annual plan available.
The prices displayed below are current as of April 30. You may receive a discount when clicking on CNET’s link.
Identity theft protection services, compared
| Service | Dark web monitoring | SSN monitoring | Identity theft insurance | Credit lock | Credit monitoring |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aura | Yes, with all plans | Yes, with all plans | $1 million, per adult covered | Yes, Experian credit lock available with all plans | Yes, three bureau credit monitoring with all plans |
| Lifelock by Norton | Yes, with all plans | Yes, with all plans | Starts at $1 million for legal costs and $25,000 for personal expense compensation and stolen funds reimbursement; up to $3 million combined with Ultimate Plus plan, per adult | Yes, TransUnion credit lock available with Advantage and Ultimate Plus plans | Yes, one credit bureau monitoring included with base plan; extra cost for remaining credit bureaus |
| IdentityForce | Yes, with all plans | Yes, with all plans | $1 million for UltraSecure plans, $2 million for UltraSecure+Credit plans (coverage varies in New York) | No | Yes, all three bureaus with UltraSecure+Credit plans |
| Zander | Yes, with all plans | Yes, with all plans | $1 million, per adult covered | Yes, Experian credit lock available with Elite Bundle plan | No |
| Identity Guard | Yes, with all plans | Yes, with all plans | $1 million for all plans | Yes, Experian credit lock available with Ultra plan | Yes, all three bureaus with Total and Ultra plans |
| ID Shield | Yes, with all plans | Yes, with all plans | Up to $3 million for all plans | No | Yes, only one included with base plan; premium plan includes three credit bureau monitoring |
| IdentityIQ | Yes, with all plans | Yes, with all plans | $1 million stolen funds reimbursement; $25,000 in ID Theft insurance with Secure Max | No | Yes, one bureau included in Secure and Secure Plus plans; three credit bureau monitoring available for Secure Pro and Secure Max |
| Experian IdentityWorks | Yes, but free plan does not offer daily monitoring | Yes, for Premium and Family plans | Up to $1 million for Premium and Family plans | Yes, Experian credit lock available for Premium and Family plans | Yes, all three bureaus with Premium and Family plans |
How do identity theft protection services work?
Identity theft protection services monitor your personal identifiable data -- such as your name and Social Security number -- online and on the dark web to protect you from identity thieves.
Hackers work day and night to illegally access our most sensitive data stored by companies, third-party vendors or the federal and state governments. That stolen information can be used by bad actors to spam you with phishing scams, steal your identity or even create synthetic identities.
Top-tier services, like those on this list, also offer monitoring options that alert you if criminals commit a crime or rack up debt in your name. Your social media, credit reports, court records and medical records are some examples of information that identity theft protection companies can keep an eye on for you. Identity theft protection companies may even sweeten the pot by offering you a VPN, password manager and encrypted digital "vaults" to secure your sensitive online documents.
"ID theft is the third certainty in life after death and taxes," said Adam Levin, a cybersecurity expert, author and host of the podcast, What the Hack. "To an ID thief, we are their day job."
In the event your identity is compromised, identity theft protection companies work with you on a recovery plan. It's also common for identity protection service providers to offer insurance (normally up to $1 million) to help pay for expenses like lawyer fees needed to recover your identity. Some services like LifeLock and IdentityIQ may reimburse you for stolen funds.
"Make sure the identity theft protection company you choose has fraud resolution experts and an aggressive resolution program," said Levin. You don't just want a list of what you need to do if your identity is stolen; you want someone working with you directly, he added.
Of course, there are steps you can take to protect yourself if you are still mulling over whether you need identity theft protection. This includes freezing your credit for free or monitoring your bank accounts yourself. But the benefit of having an identity theft protection service is knowing that work is being done for you. If your identity is stolen, you also won't be left on your own to recover it.
How to choose the right identity theft protection service?
When picking an identity theft service, you should consider both the price and the features you want. Most introductory plans include real-time Social Security number and dark web monitoring. Most charge more for additional features like three credit bureau monitoring, bank account monitoring and home and auto title monitoring.
With Aura (our best overall pick), you get all of the above services and more included with all plans. Aura may lack some other features you need. It doesn't offer monitoring of medical records or BNPL plans. IDShield and LifeLock's base individual plans also offer more identity theft insurance coverage.
How much does identity theft protection cost?
Identity theft protection costs can range from under $7 to upward of $30 for individuals and more for couples and families, depending on the level of service you want. Typically, features like three credit bureau monitoring, credit locks, social media monitoring and bank account monitoring are included only in identity theft protection providers' more expensive tiers.
Identity theft protection service pricing, compared
*First year only. All pricing is for monthly plans.
| Identity theft service | Individual | Couple | Family |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aura | $15 | $29 | $50 |
| Lifelock by Norton | $12 to $35* | $24 to $70* | $36 to $80* |
| IdentityForce | $20 or $35 | N/A | $25 or $40 |
| Zander | $7 or $12 | N/A | $13 or $22 |
| Identity Guard | $9 to $30 | N/A | $15 to $40 |
| IDShield | $15 or $20 | N/A | $30 or $35 |
| IdentityIQ | $7 to $30; VPN and antivirus cost extra | N/A | $12 to $48 |
| Experian IdentityWorks | $25; free option also available | N/A | $35 |
Understanding identity theft: What you need to know
There are a few telltale signs that your identity may have been stolen. Identity thieves can drain your bank account, run up charges on your credit card or even receive medical care in your name. You might notice some of the below issues:
- Unauthorized withdrawals: Banks are diligent about catching suspicious activity on your account. But you should also review your statements to keep an eye out for withdrawals or charges you didn't make.
- Credit report inaccuracies: It's common to find a small error or two on your credit report from Equifax, TransUnion or Experian. If you notice new accounts you didn't open, you may be a victim of identity theft.
- Calls from debt collectors: If a debt collector calls you about an unpaid balance for a service or product you don't recognize, your identity may have been compromised.
- Loan rejections: If you're unexpectedly rejected for a new car loan or mortgage due to a bad credit score but have historically had good credit, it might be as a result of identity theft.
- You stop receiving USPS mail: Identity thieves may change your registered home address with the post office so that they receive all your inbound mail and potentially get access to sensitive information.
- Your tax return is rejected by the IRS: It's a good idea to file your tax return as early as possible each year to help avoid your refund being stolen by identity thieves who have already filed by impersonating you.
If you notice anything off on your credit report, spot a transaction you don't recognize or receive a bill in the mail for a product or service you didn't buy, you should immediately report your case to the Federal Trade Commission using the IdentityTheft.gov website.
Here are some notable recent data breaches where your personal data may have been leaked:
- Change Healthcare: 100 million people affected.
- National Public Data: Potentially hundreds of millions people affected, according to bankruptcy filing.
- Ally Bank: Potentially billions of people affected, according to September lawsuit.
- AT&T: 73 million people affected.
- Ticketmaster: Up to 560 million people affected.
- Avis Car Rental: 299,000 people affected.
- Comcast: 237,000 people affected.
- Fidelity Investments: 77,000 people affected.
- RIBridges: Potentially hundreds of thousands of Rhode Island residents affected.
How to prevent ID theft
One in five people has experienced identity theft in their lifetime, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. It happens more often than you might think. There are some measures you can take to prevent your identity from being stolen.
- Sign up for an identity theft protection service: If you have room in your budget, an identity theft protection service can monitor the dark web, credit bureaus and more for any unusual activity.
- Avoid phishing attempts: Phishing is a common tactic used by identity thieves trying to get access to your personal information. Be sure to read every email or text you receive carefully, and don't take the bait by clicking any strange links.
- Check your statements: Get in the habit of checking your bank and credit card statements to make sure they're accurate.
- Check your credit report: You can request a free credit report from each bureau every week at AnnualCreditReport.com to review your credit history.
- Use strong passwords: Use a mix of numbers, letters and symbols when creating your passwords and try your best to have different passwords for different accounts. It's also a good idea to set up two-factor authentication on all of your accounts.
- Guard your Social Security number: You shouldn't carry your Social Security card around with you in public or give out this number on a whim. You may need to provide it to apply for a new credit card or loan. Confirming the last four digits of your SSN is less risky.
Additionally, you should avoid using public Wi-Fi for anything other than internet browsing and not share sensitive answers when setting up security questions. Identity thieves will learn as much as they can about you to try to crack your password. You can also freeze your credit to prevent fraudsters from opening new accounts in your name.
How we test identity theft protection services
CNET reviews identity theft protection and monitoring services for the functionality of the identity theft protection software, the user experience and the quality of identity restoration services.
We evaluated over 20 identity theft protection. We ranked services across a developed list of criteria, including the identity and credit monitoring features, online security tool capabilities, the level of identity theft insurance and pricing for the most comprehensive individual and family protection plans.
An identity theft protection service will rank lower on our list if it doesn't offer white glove restoration services, credit bureau monitoring, annual plans or a satisfactory user experience.
FAQ
How does ID theft protection compare to credit monitoring?
Identity theft protection monitors your personal identifiable information on the dark web. If your identity is used to open a new credit account or a crime is committed in your name, identity theft services like Aura (our top choice for 2025) will alert you.
However, credit monitoring alerts aren’t as instant because they rely on changes in your credit report. Many identity theft protection services offer credit monitoring, but you can also sign up for separate credit monitoring services (we like Experian’s offering , which won a CNET Editors’ Choice badge this year). You can do this on your own by reviewing your monthly statements and requesting a free credit report each year.
Can you get ID theft protection even after your ID has been compromised?
You can sign up for identity theft protection at any time. If your identity is stolen before you sign up, an ID theft protection service will work with you to restore your identity. You may be denied identity theft insurance if your identity is already compromised upon signing up. This means you might be on the hook for legal fees and other restorative expenses.
My identity was stolen. Where do I report ID theft?
You can report cases of identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission online at IdentityTheft.gov . The agency will create a recovery plan for you and prefill some forms and letters needed to help retrieve your lost identity.
You should additionally contact any third-party institution where you found evidence of your identity being stolen, such as a bank or credit card issuer.
Also, be sure to call TransUnion, Equifax and Experian to report a fraud claim to keep scammers from opening any new credit accounts in your name. Fraud alerts stay on your credit report for one year.
The editorial content on this page is based solely on objective, independent assessments by our writers and is not influenced by advertising or partnerships. It has not been provided or commissioned by any third party. However, we may receive compensation when you click on links to products or services offered by our partners.
