Top 10 Best Identity Theft Protection Services

Were you one of the 15 million Americans who had their identity stolen in 2021? If you were, would you even know?

Identity theft is a reality of modern life. The more connected you are, the more you run the risk of being targeted. It’s why identity theft protection services have become a whole industry of their own.

While you can take steps like changing passwords and checking your credit regularly to stop identity thieves in their tracks, no solution is foolproof. That’s why these companies offer protection in case the unthinkable happens.

When it comes to security, you can’t afford to cut corners. Here are the absolute best identity theft protection services on the market in 2022.

1) AURA

While Aura is one of the newest products on this list, it comes from decades of experience. The service grew out of Intersections, the company behind Identity Guard. Identity Guard was one of the first identity protection services on the market, coming about in 1996.

Today, Identity Guard is still on the market, and it’s still a great, affordable identity protection option. But if you want the total package, Aura is putting it all into their self-titled tool.

Features:

• $1m identity theft protection
• Credit and finance tracking
• 3-bureau annual credit reports, monthly credit score
• Mobile app
• 24/7 support
• Antivirus, VPN, safe browsing
• Lost wallet remediation

Cons:

• Based in US (data can be surveilled by Fourteen Eyes countries)
• Limited VPN and anti-spam features

Pricing: $12/mo Individual plan, $22/mo Couple plan, $37/mo Family plan (all billed annually). 14-day free trial.

2) IdentityForce by TransUnion

IdentityForce began as Stop-Loss Associates, a loss prevention analysis company founded in 1978. Like Aura, they were invested in identity theft protection from the early days of the internet, but they launched IdentityForce as a service in 2006. Today, under the TransUnion umbrella, they boast dozens of industry awards and a 95% customer satisfaction rate.

Features*:

• $1m identity theft insurance
• Social media and dark web tracking
• VPN (mobile only)
• Two-factor authentication
• PC protection
• Mobile app
• Financial tracking

Cons:

• Limited VPN
• Poor UI
• Mobile app has 3.1-star rating
• US-based
• No antivirus software

Pricing: Starts at $17.99/mo Individual plan, $26.90/mo Family plan.

*Note: lists of features are incomplete.

3) IdentityIQ

Founded in 2009, IdentityIQ offers a somewhat broader range of identity theft protection services. Their plans range from $8.50/mo to $30/mo, with higher-end plans including monthly credit reports, family protection insurance, and other impressive features.

Features:

• $1m stolen funds reimbursement
• 3-bureau credit reports and tracking
• Dark web tracking
• Wallet loss assistance
• Antivirus and VPN (add-on)

Cons:

• No free trial period
• No social media tracking
• Won’t delete your data when you cancel
• No app
• US-based

Pricing: Starting at $5.94/mo basic Secure plan, $8.50/mo Secure Plus plan, $16.99/mo Secure Pro plan, $25.50/mo Secure Max plan. Antivirus & VPN add-on increases monthly cost by $2-4.

4) McAfee

Despite the titillating details of their founder’s life, McAfee remains one of the most trusted names in online security. They’ve been at it for 35 years and they’ve developed a wide array of solutions for protecting your privacy. Some of their identity theft protection services, such as their WebAdvisor tool, are available for free.

Features:

• Antivirus and VPN
• Identity tracking
• Protection score
• Personal data cleanup
• $1m coverage, lost wallet protection, and security freeze for Advanced subscribers
• Available for mobile

Cons:

• Complicated pricing plans
• Overwhelming options
• Limited credit tracking
• Shares some data with third parties

Pricing: Premium all-in-one plan costs $49.99 for first year, $129.99/yr subsequently. Advanced all-in-one plan costs $89.99 for first year, $179.99/yr subsequently. Family plans start at $59.99 and $99.99, respectively.

5) Allstate Identity Protection

In 2018, Allstate acquired InfoArmor, which had been providing employee privacy protection since 1968. Together, they formed Allstate Identity Protection, a robust identity theft protection service with solutions for brokers, employers, and individuals. Among other accolades, they boast a client base including ⅓ of the Fortune 500.

Features:

• $1m expense coverage
• Digital footprint tracking
• Financial tracking
• Identity tracking
• Stolen funds reimbursement ($50k for Essentials, $500k for Premier)
• Full-service remediation
• Credit reports and social media tracking for Premier subscribers

Cons:

• Limited credit tools
• One-bureau credit tracking
• Lack of transparency
• US-based
• App has a 3.2-star rating

Pricing: First 30 days free. Essentials plan costs $9.99/mo for individuals and $18.99/mo for families. Premier plan costs $17.99/mo for individuals and $34.99/mo for families.

6) LifeLock by Norton

If I asked you to name an identity theft protection service, LifeLock may be the first one that comes to mind. Founded in 2005, the service is now offered alongside Norton’s equally-popular antivirus protection.

Features:

• $1m coverage for lawyers and experts
• Additional protection for stolen funds and personal expenses ($25k Standard, $100k Advantage, $1m Ultimate Plus)
• Privacy tracking
• Dark web tracking
• One-bureau credit tracking (3-bureau for Ultimate Plus)
• 24/7 support
• Data breach alerts
• Monthly credit reports for Advantage, unlimited for Ultimate Plus
• Strict data storage policies, less susceptible to breach/seizure

Cons:

• Relatively high-cost plans after first year
• Basic plans not comprehensive
• History of false advertising and data scares
• US-based

Pricing: Standard plan starts at $8.99/mo, Advantage plan $12.99/mo, Ultimate Plus plan $19.99/mo. Check their pricing page for more details.

7) ReliaShield

Since 2003, this Tennessee-based company has been providing “smart, affordable” identity theft protection to individuals and families nationwide. While their plans are largely industry-standard, ReliaShield is considered an especially strong option for families; children are included in their coverage at no extra cost.

Features:

• $1m stolen funds and expense reimbursement
• Dark web tracking
• Data breach updates
• Lost wallet protection
• 24/7 support
• Unlimited restoration services
• Social media and credit tracking for Prime and Elite subscribers

Cons:

• No free trial
• Mobile app has 2.4-star rating
• Few details on some features
• No credit tracking on Essential tier
• 3-bureau tracking only on Elite tier
• US-based

Pricing: Essential plan starts at $7.99/mo for individuals, $14.99/mo for families. Prime plan $14.99/mo for individuals, $24.99/mo for families. Elite plan $21.99/mo for individuals, $34.99/mo for families.

8) Experian IdentityWorks

Like McAfee, Experian is a big name with decades of ID protection experience. They also offer a broad range of different services, some of which are available for free. Among their popular free tools are free monthly credit reports, credit tracking, and dark web information scans. They are, after all, one of the three credit bureaus I keep mentioning.

Features:

• $500k identity theft insurance at Plus tier, $1m at Premium tier
• Dark web surveillance
• Lost wallet assistance
• Family plans
• Identity theft tracking and alerts
• Credit tracking

Cons:

• Basic plan only covers $500k, less than competitors
• Some tracking unreliable
• One-bureau credit tracking at Plus tier
• US-based

Pricing: Free for 30 days. Plus plan starts at $9.99/mo, Premium starts at $19.99/mo. Additional $5/mo to include children.

9) IDShield

Like several companies on this list, IDShield began half a century ago as a legal services provider. IDShield got its start as Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. in 1972. Over the decades, that company became LegalShield, and IDShield is their identity theft protection service.

Features:

• $1m fraud protection
• Social media tracking
• Reputation management
• Full service identity theft restoration
• 24/7 emergency assistance
• Lost wallet assistance
• Monthly credit score tracker
• Finance and credit tracking
• Antivirus and VPN
• Password manager
• Data breach alerts

Cons:

• No discount for annual plan
• Mediocre UI
• Few plan options
• Some lacking features (password manager, reputation management)

Pricing: 1-bureau plan $14.95/mo for individuals, $29.95/mo for families, $79.95/mo for businesses. 3-bureau plan $19.95/mo for individuals, $34.95/mo for families, $149/mo for businesses.

10) ID Watchdog by EquiFax

Just like Experian and TransUnion, EquiFax (the other of the three credit bureaus) offers its own identity theft protection service, ID Watchdog. It was founded in 2005 and acquired by EquiFax in 2017. Since then, it’s won awards for its identity protection services.

Features:

• $1m identity theft insurance
• 24/7 support
• Mobile app
• Lost wallet assistance
• Credit tracking (1-bureau for Select, 3-bureau for Premium)
• Dark web tracking
• Data breach alerts
• Premium accounts get social media and financial tracking, VPN, safe browsing, and password manager

Cons:

• No free trial
• 1-bureau for Select plan
• Family plans limited to 4 children
• Poor UI
• App has 2.3-star rating
• Limited features at lower tier

Pricing: Select plan starts at $14.95/mo individual, $23.95/mo family. Premium plan starts at $21.95/mo individual, $34.95/mo family.