Pros
- Up to $3 million in identity theft insurance with all plans
- Licensed private investigators assigned to all identity theft cases
- Provides medical data reports and data breach notifications, not often featured in rival services
- Intuitive help and info that explain how to protect yourself online
Cons
- Limits covered dependents to anyone living in your home.
- There are some cheaper individual and family plans available.
- No annual plan discounts
Even the best identity theft protection service can't protect your information from leaking online. The truth is identity theft can happen to anyone, even if your credit is frozen or you have signed up for protection.
This puts the onus on companies to step up, not just when it comes to monitoring your sensitive data on the dark web and your credit reports for early signs of identity theft, but in the restoration of your identity as well. One of the best features an identity theft protection service can offer is full-service identity restoration.
IDShield offers robust identity theft restoration services, making it our choice for the identity theft protection service with the best restoration assistance. IDShield assigns licensed private investigators to your case in the event your identity is stolen. The company also guarantees your identity will be restored to its status prior to theft, meaning you won't be held responsible for any debt racked up by criminals.
The core service itself holds its weight against competitors. Like Lifelock, I found even more monitoring features after testing IDShield's software than what's advertised on its website. It's not a bargain service -- look elsewhere for affordable, basic coverage -- but I found its services well-priced for the value you get.
Who should use IDShield theft protection?
IDShield will work well for anyone looking for identity theft protection. It offers competitive pricing across its individual and family plans. Plus, its monitoring features, such as medical data reports and data breach notifications, are not typically offered by industry peers.
IDShield also offers one of the better identity theft insurance payouts in the industry at $3 million for both individual and family plans. Its identity restoration guarantee and cohort of licensed private investigators -- assigned to your case if your identity is stolen -- make it the best identity theft restoration service we've found.
You should avoid IDShield if you are looking for a steep discount for signing up for an annual subscription. IDShield only offers monthly plans. Additionally, only its premium individual and family plans offer three-bureau credit monitoring. So having your credit monitored with Experian, Equifax and TransUnion through competitors like Aura or IdentityIQ might be more affordable.
IDShield's family plan covers two adults and any dependents living in your home. This is restrictive compared to other services that may include more adults or let you add dependents to a plan that don't live with you.
What identity theft plans does IDShield offer?
IDShield offers two plans for individuals and families. You'll pay more for three-bureau credit monitoring and to protect your spouse and children. But the list of features it offers, such as a virtual privacy network and a password manager for up to 15 devices, are included in every plan.
Pricing is also in line with top competitors like LifeLock by Norton, Aura and IdentityForce. I recommend comparing features offered by other identity theft protection services, in addition to price, before deciding what's best for you or your family.
IDShield offers a 30-day free trial to try out the service for yourself.
Individual
IDShield offers two individual plans that vary only in the number of credit bureaus monitored. You can have only your Experian credit file monitored for $15 or all three (Experian, TransUnion and Equifax) for $20. But the list of features is exactly the same.
Top features include the basics of identity theft protection: dark web and Social Security number monitoring and identity theft insurance of up to $3 million. Additional perks we like include credit freeze and fraud alert assistance, data breach notifications and medical data reports.
Family
IDShield's family plans cost $30 per month for single credit bureau monitoring and $35 for all three. Family plans protect two adults and all eligible dependent children under the age of 18 living in the same household.
Its family plans offer the same perks and services as the plans for individuals. However, parents may find IDShield's VPN, password manager and sex offender registry search especially helpful for their dependents included in their plan.
IDShield identity theft protection products compared
| Individual | Family | |
| One-bureau credit monitoring | $15 | $30 |
| Three-bureau credit monitoring | $20 | $35 |
| Top features | Dark web and Social Security number monitoring; medical data reports, licensed private investigators; virtual privacy network; password manager; lost device protection; one- or three-bureau credit monitoring | Same as Individual plan; family plan covers two adults and unlimited children no matter how many credit bureaus you want monitored. |
| Identity theft insurance | Up to $3 million | Up to $3 million |
What’s it like to use IDShield ID Theft Protection?
I tested IDShield's individual plan with three-bureau credit monitoring, valued at $20 per month. When I logged in, I was greeted by a dashboard with a few options on the left-hand navigation panel to update my personal information, payment method, password (under "security") and notification preferences.
For a few minutes I struggled to decipher how to access the identity monitoring features in my account. Turns out, I had to click my actual membership on the homepage, which redirected me to another dashboard -- after first verifying my identity using my SSN and having me answer five questions about my credit history.
Despite this initial confusion, I found IDShield's interface simple and easy to use. Once you make it to the second dashboard, you'll find navigation options on the upper left-hand side of the screen.
If you click on "Credit," you can view your credit scores from all three credit bureaus. Keep in mind that if you only have one-bureau credit monitoring, you will only see your Experian score. Right underneath, you can find all of your past credit alerts. On the same page, you can also click on financial monitoring to add your bank accounts and investment accounts for IDShield to monitor on your behalf.
IDShield uses Plaid to connect to your bank. To do this, you'll need to manually login to your bank in a separate pop-up window. Plaid works with more than 12,000 banks. Notably, IDShield lets you set up what it calls threshold alerts after you connect your accounts, such as credit purchases over a certain dollar amount or large account withdrawals.
Click on "Security" on the left hand navigation panel, and you'll see a similar layout. You'll find a list of previous identity alerts and an overview of everything IDShield monitors on your behalf on the dark web.
Below are more options to dive into, including your online security tools and extra monitoring features you can add at no cost. This includes spam call protection and privacy checks, which delete your information from public data broker sites. These are two features I was delighted to see, because they are not advertised on IDShield's website.
As far as online security tools, IDShield offers a VPN, password manager and antivirus protection. You just have to click through to aggregate those services through IDShield partner Trend Micro.
Other notable features
Just about every landing page on your IDShield account has a tips section at the bottom of the screen, tailored to the tab you're on.
Click on any tip, and you'll be redirected to a related short article, such as how to understand your credit score, what to do after a data breach or learn more about medical identity theft. IDShield will tell you how its service helps you in any of these scenarios.
On your navigation menu, under "Account" is where you can find ways to contact IDShield experts for help, even after hours for emergencies. Here, you can also view your entire list of features in one place and cancel your subscription if IDShield isn't right for you.
How does IDShield's identity restoration service work?
IDShield guarantees identity restoration in the event your identity is stolen. This is made possible through its team of licensed private investigators, which dive deep into your case and work with you until your identity is returned to pre-theft status. IDShield also says you won't be held responsible for any new debt racked up by criminals.
They offer up to $3 million in identity theft insurance protection to cover costs such as legal fees and other expenses related to restoring your identity. Once identity theft has been confirmed, IDShield works with all three bureaus to dispute new accounts -- regardless of how many credit bureaus your subscription offers, one or three.
If you are an IDShield customer and believe you have been a victim of identity theft, you can contact IDShield at 888-494-8519 or via chat at www.idshield.com and the IDShield app between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. ET. Members can also call after hours with emergencies at 888-696-0927.
Is IDShield's three credit bureau monitoring worth the price?
It's always a good idea to opt for three-bureau credit monitoring, because creditors don't always report to each bureau. IDShield provides competitive pricing for its three-bureau credit plans.
For example, IDShield's individual plan with full-bureau credit monitoring costs $20, which is the same price as IdentityIQ and Identity Guard. IDShield's family plan is $35, which is cheaper than Aura, IdentityForce and Lifelock.
Some companies also offer credit monitoring as its own service. If you're signing up for identity theft anyway, you'll typically save money when combining services. Do your research to decide which plan works best for you.
You also don't have to pay a penny for credit monitoring if you'd prefer to do it yourself. You can request free credit reports from each credit bureau weekly -- for free -- and monitor them for any suspicious activity.
Is IDShield's identity theft protection right for me?
IDShield's restoration services stand out thanks to its identity restoration guarantee. The company contracts licensed investigators that work with you through the entire process, no matter how long it takes.
There aren't any glaring holes in IDShield's identity theft protection services. You get individual and family plans for middle of the road pricing compared to competitors, plus a formidable list of perks and identity monitoring categories.
In addition to dark web and SSN monitoring, IDShield provides up to $3 million in identity theft insurance, which is far above the industry standard.
For these reasons, it's best to compare different services, particularly those on our best list, for price and features offered to figure out what works best for you or your family.
