We list the best identity theft protection services, to make it simple and easy to keep your ID and personal information safe and protected online.
The best Identity theft protection is almost a necessity in today's interconnected world where every day we spread more of our precious personal information far and wide across the internet. Every website or application we provide our emails and passwords to is just another data breach waiting to happen.
Cyber criminals are profit-motivated beings, and your stolen data can be used to expose you to phishing scams, malware, credit card fraud, and more.
To test the best identity theft protection, we have examine the features of 24 identity theft protection services, including monitoring options, user experience, reputation, and value for money. We also believe that you should get the best protection possible, so services that throw in extras such as built-in antivirus or a handy VPN are taken into consideration.
For those looking to protect a household, it may be worth taking a look at the best identity theft protection for families, or if you’re after a different kind of online protection, why not take a look at our guide to the best internet security suites.
The best identity theft protection of 2024 in full:
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Best identity theft protection overall
✅ You want all the bells and whistles: Aura has many features to protect your identity, and it also comes with a VPN, antivirus, and a password manager to boot.
✅ You want to block unwanted calls: Its relatively new Call Assistant is included in all family plans, using AI to filter spam and scam calls for you.
❌ You're on a budget: Aura can be quite expensive, so cheaper alternatives such as ADT Identity Protection may be a better option if you're on a budget.
🔒 Aura is a very comprehensive package that offers everything you'd need and more to protect you and your family's identity online. The more premium plans can be quite expensive, though. ★★★★½
Aura may not be the cheapest option out there, but the level of features and protection available make it one of the most attractive propositions in our view. Regardless of which plan you go for, Aura throws in a password manager, antivirus protection, and a VPN, which we think is quite generous.
It also has some cutting-edge features, such as AI-powered call blocking, and there’s even a 60-day money back guarantee for peace of mind. This is especially handy, given that Aura is one of the more expensive services.
All plans cover you for up to $1m in losses resulting from identity theft, and you can get support from US-based fraud experts any day at any time. The family plan also offers parental controls and safe gaming features, as well as other child protection tools.
Read our full Aura review.
Best identity theft protection for families
✅ You have a big family: IdentityForce supports an unlimited number of children, and has an add-on called ChildWatch that keeps you abreast of concerns relating to your child's identity.
✅ You want to get rid of junk mail: IdentityForce has a useful junk mail opt-out feature that can save your inbox from getting clogged with useless spam.
❌ You want regular credit reports: Credit reports are only given each quarter with IdentityForce, so not great if you want to stay on top of your score.
❌ You want a good mobile app: Looking at the user reviews, both the iPhone and Android apps appear to need some improvement.
🔒 IdentityForce offers great coverage for families, and has plenty of other great protection features. If you want more regular credit monitoring, though, you may want to look at a service like myFICO. ★★★★½
As far as we can tell, IdentityForce bills its service for pretty much anyone, all the way from individuals right up to families and government organizations. The basic plan comes with social media monitoring as standard, as well as a feature to eliminate junk mail.
If you opt for the top plan, you get credit monitoring from the three main agencies, as well as support for freezing your credit to prevent others opening accounts in your name. You can also get alerts for your investment accounts too.
One of the downsides of IdentityForce is that credit reports are only delivered to you once a month. It’s also not the cheapest identity protection services around either, although there is at least a 30-day free trial.
If you want a cheaper alternative that also offers 3-bureau credit reporting and good family protection, then Complete ID may be one to look at - especially if you’re a Costco member, as they get discounts. The interface isn’t nearly as slick, though.
The family plan also allows you to get additional child protection features, such as ChildWatch, as well as offering protection for an unlimited number of children, so we think large families will find this beneficial.
Read our full IdentityForce review.
- To speak to an expert about how identity theft protection software can keep you secure online, call IdentityForce directly on this toll-free number 888-266-3930.
Best identity theft protection for beginners
✅ You want good credit monitoring: As you would expect from an Experian company, credit monitoring is available for its own agency, as well as Equifax and TransUnion.
❌ You want to cancel easily: IdentityWorks does offer a free week-long trial, but you have to buy it first, then cancel if you want your money back.
❌ You want apps: There are no mobile apps for IdentityWorks, so if these are important to you, then Aura, Norton LifeLock and myFICO are better choices.
🔒 Experian IdentityWorks offers a competent service with good credit monitoring, as you might expect from the company. But the lack of apps and the cancellation policy may put you off. ★★★★
If you’re new to the world of identity protection, then we think Experian IdentityWorks could be a good place to start. Experian will of course be known to many for their credit reporting, so as you can imagine, you get credit monitoring with this service - not just from Experian, but also from Equifax and TransUnion.
As well as reporting and scoring - which you’ll get daily - you’ll also get alerts when there are any significant changes, in addition to dark web monitoring for checking if your personal data has leaked anywhere online.
Although the most basic plan is free, it only offers the bare minimum of features, which include an Experian credit report and FICO score tracker, as well as dark web surveillance.
The premium tiers offer more features, though, bringing them in line with what we would expect from an identity protection service. You get three-bureau credit monitoring, alerts, and support for removing your personal information from certain people finder sites.
Read our full Experian IdentityWorks review.
Best identity theft protection package
✅ You want great antivirus: Norton is perhaps best known to many for its comprehensive 360 antivirus suite, which is included with LifeLock.
✅ You want other extras: A VPN and a password manager are also included with LifeLock.
❌ You want clear pricing: We found the pricing for LifeLock to be quite confusing, and prices even rise after the first year.
🔒 Norton LifeLock is a good package, complete with the company's industry-leading antivirus suite, plus a VPN and password manager. The pricing isn't something we are too sure of, though. ★★★★
The name Norton will be familiar to many, thanks to its popular 360 antivirus suite. LifeLock bundles this, as well as a password manager and VPN, with its identity theft protection, which we think makes it the best overall package for such a service.
Although the basic plan doesn’t have many identity protection features compared to other vendors, it does offer up to $1m in coverage from identity theft, which, based on our assessment of many other services, appears to be the baseline figure.
There is also credit locking, which looks to us to be easy to use, as well as support from the firm if you lose your wallet or if it thinks you’ve become a victim of identity fraud.
One thing we didn’t like about LifeLock is the pricing. It can be unclear, and the prices rise after the first year, so that is something to watch out for. There are three plans in total, with the most basic starting at $9.90 per month.
Read our full Norton LifeLock review.
Best affordable identity theft protection provider
✅ You're on a budget: ADT Identity Protection is well priced in comparison to its rivals, and makes a good choice for individuals looking for basic coverage.
❌ You want lots of features: The comparatively low price of ADT Identity Protection does mean that some of the more advanced features, like data breach updates, social media monitoring, and investment monitoring are all absent.
🔒 ADT Identity Protection is very affordable and a great way for individuals to protect themselves. But those with families looking for more advanced features may want to consider another option, such as Aura. ★★★★
Although it lacks some of the more advanced features of its peers, ADT Identity Protection comes at such a good price that it’s hard for us not to recommend it for at least some users.
You still get credit reports - albeit annually - and monitoring for your bank account, credit cards, criminal records, the dark web, and more. However, it doesn’t monitor social media accounts, nor does it provide updates on data breaches. If you want the latter at a budget price, then Zander Identity Theft Protection may be for you (although there is no credit monitoring with this one).
One of the bonuses of ADT’s single plan offering, though, is that you can pay monthly, so you aren’t locked in for at least a whole year, as is the case for many other identity protection services.
Read our full ADT Identity Protection review.
Best identity theft protection for social media
✅ You want good social media coverage: Social media monitoring is good, as is the Digital Footprint tool which finds the potentially harmful traces you've left online.
❌ You want better credit monitoring: Allstate only monitors credit reports from TransUnion on the basic plans - only the top tier will monitor Experian and Equifax as well. Our top pick, Aura, offers credit monitoring from the triumvirate even on its basic plan.
🔒 Allstate provides good social media profile monitoring tools, but the lack of credit monitoring on the lower plans is a drawback. ★★★★
Social media monitoring is included with Allstate, along with the obligatory credit monitoring. However, on the latter, you only get monitoring from one agency - TransUnion - on the basic plans; you need to opt for the most expensive plan to get monitoring from Experian and Equifax too.
There are three plans in total, all of which offer financial fraud protection and identity monitoring. In addition to coverage for expenses you incur dealing with fraud - which maxes out at $2m for the top family plans - there is also a stolen fund reimbursement available up to a million dollars for the top tier plan, as well as 401K/HSA reimbursement up to $1m too.
This top plan also offers cybersecurity for your devices and something called family digital safety, which allows you to monitor content, manage screen time, and set location alerts for your loved ones.
Read our full Allstate review.
Best identity theft protection for credit monitoring
✅ You want FICO scores: As you might expect, FICO scores are a given with myFICO. So if you rely on these, then this could be a good option for you.
✅ You want a good UI: the interface and the apps for myFICO are nicely presented, making it easier to navigate your way around them.
❌ You are on a budget: myFICO has no annual plans, making it one of the more expensive options out there.
❌ You want more identity protection features: Identity protection only comes with the more premium plans on myFICO. There are also no family plans.
🔒 myFICO is a great service for those who want good credit monitoring and FICO scores, and there is no cap on wages lost either. But identity protection features are only available with the premium plans, and families aren't catered for, as they are with services like Aura. ★★★★
myFICO gives you regular updates on your credit scores, and naturally this includes your FICO scores, which give you valuable knowledge as to what financial institutions look for when determining your creditworthiness. The UI is also user friendly for desktop and mobile apps, making it easy to navigate.
The basic plan only covers credit score updates, while the Premier and Advanced plans give you identity protection features. You can also buy a single report for your FICO score if you wish, without having to commit to a subscription.
However, one of the glaring omissions from myFICO is the lack of family plans, and the premium plans are quite expensive. However, for those plans, claims for wage losses are uncapped (other services usually top out at $7,500). You can also get assistance with travel expenses and getting new documents, such as a passport or driving license. MyFICO is also underwritten by the American Bankers Insurance Company of Florida.
Read our full myFico review.
We've also featured the best credit monitoring service.
The best Identity theft protection FAQs
Identity Theft Protection vs Monitoring Services: What's the difference?
Identity theft protection and monitoring services share many similarities, but there is a big difference.
Monitoring services will only provide insight into your credit rating, with the option to notify if its drops. However, they don’t do much to protect your identity beyond this.
Identity theft protection services will also monitor the dark web for your data, including criminal databases and SSN repositories. Many services will also provide insurance to cover the costs of damages incurred in identity theft, and will provide guidance and best practices throughout the process.
If you would like to learn more about the differences, we have a dedicated guide to the differences between credit monitoring, credit protection, and identity theft protection services.
Signs of ID theft: what should I look out for to see if my identity was stolen?
Luckily, there are many warning signs of identity theft that you can keep an eye on. Suspicious charges and bills on your accounts are one, with another being debt collectors contacting you to settle unknown debts. Cyber criminals are sneaky, so it is also worth checking for small suspicious charges that bad actors could be using to test how alert you are.
When these occur, it is best to act immediately by contacting the relevant organizations, as well as placing locks on your credit and setting up alerts for potential fraud committed in your name. These can help protect you and your accounts, as well as keeping you from becoming a victim of identity theft protection.
These may sound very obvious, but there are other signs that are more subtle. For example, not receiving an expected monthly bill or statement could indicate that someone has changed your mailing address for the account in question.
Cards opened in your name and credit score drops are also indication of identity theft.
What are the steps to take to prevent my identity from being stolen?
The best way to protect against identity theft is to prevent it happening in the first place, which is thankfully easier than dealing with it once it's happened. Following the best practices for cybersecurity, such as using strong and unique passwords, is essential. Using one of the best password managers will make this task significantly easier.
If you believe you have already fallen victim to identity theft, it is important to report it immediately to both law enforcement and the organization you believe is being used by the thief, such as financial institutions. Any charges that were not made by you can be disputed, and fraud alerts can be put in place on your personal details.
Also be sure to check in with credit bureaus and have them freeze your credit, which can stop criminals from creating more accounts using your details. The best part about this is that by alerting one of the big three - Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion - will result in the others being alerted too, thanks to their information sharing.
If you would like more information about identity theft protection, take a look at our 5 tips for avoiding identity theft, as well as our guide on free identity theft protection.
How does identity theft happen?
Identity theft is becoming more common thanks to the advances made in technology, and the constantly evolving tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) used by cyber criminals.
When an organization is breached in a ransomware attack, the threat actors will look to secure a ransom from the victim. But, in order to remove the incentive from the attackers, many organizations are deciding not to pay. In order to recoup their losses, cyber criminals will often sell the data they have stolen to other criminals on the dark web.
These cybercriminals will then use your PII to attempt to gain access to your accounts, or open fake accounts in your name to secure loans, defaulting on them, and leaving you to pay the costs.
What types of identity theft are there?
Cyber criminals can use your personal details to access your bank accounts and apply for fraudulent loans and credit cards before transferring the funds to themselves - which is why credit monitoring is an essential part of the best identity theft protection.
They can also use your details to submit false tax returns, which will prompt the IRS to contact you and stating that a questionable return has been filed in your name. If this is the cast, you can contact the body if you believe your details have been compromised.
Medical care plans can also be subjected to identity theft, especially if criminals use your plan to pay for their treatments, prescriptions, or insurance claims. If you believe this is happening to you, you can contact your healthcare provider to check your medical records for illegitimate filings. You can then use these to appeal any false claims against your medical plan.
What is identity theft protection?
Every account you have on the internet contains your Personally Identifiable Information (PII). If an account is hacked or breached - such as your bank account - your bank details, address, and potentially the details of friends and family could be stolen.
Then take into consideration how many other bank and credit card accounts, social media accounts, and every other account you have and it’s not hard to see why cyber criminals are so determined to steal and sell data.
The best identity theft protection will alert you when this happens, and hopefully let you know exactly which of your accounts has been compromised, while also providing monitoring across your digital life and scouring the depths of the dark web to spot any stolen emails or passwords.
Many of these services offer credit monitoring with main bureaus, providing insights into negative changes to your score that could be the result of a fraudulent loan or credit card taken out in your name using your stolen details.
By having an immediate alert to these changes, you can act fast to cancel your cards or amend your accounts, as well as alerting your bank to the fraudulent accounts made in your name to get them shut down. Many of the services on our list provide assistance in this process too.
Is identity theft protection worth it?
If you’re someone who, like many of us, shops online frequently and has their card details and personal information punched into many different online shops - identity theft protection is definitely worthwhile.
Identity theft protection services check almost constantly with credit monitoring services to check how likely your identity is to be stolen. Other security software does not provide this service (unless they come as a package).
The main question of whether identity theft protection is worth it comes down to how much you value your identity, and how far you’ll go to protect it. If you are a money-minded person, we have included some less expensive options in our guide - but bear in mind that they won’t offer the same additional features and protections that the premium options do.
It is worth noting that according to the FTC, $10 billion was lost to fraud in 2023 in the US alone, and the cost of having your identity stolen is high in most cases.
Should I get identity theft protection?
From tiny tots to wise seniors, identity theft is an equal opportunity offender that shows no signs of slowing down. Protect yourself and your loved ones by considering these seven groups that could benefit from identity theft protection:
1. Digital Doers - Anyone who spends a significant amount of time online or has numerous financial accounts is at higher risk for identity theft. Every account is a potential point of attack, so be wary of suspicious activity or messages.
2. Senior Savers - Older Americans may have more money saved, but they're also less tech-savvy, making them prime targets for identity thieves.
3. Family Firsts - Children and teens with clean credit histories can be attractive targets for fraudsters. Keep them safe by signing up for a family identity theft protection plan.
4. Repeat Victims - If you've been hit by identity theft once, you're more likely to be targeted again. Stay ahead of the curve with reliable protection.
5. Busy Bees - If you don't have the time to monitor your accounts constantly, identity theft protection services can help.
6. Insurance Insureds - Don't risk losing everything. Protect your home, savings, and credit score with an identity theft insurance policy.
7. Dark Web Dwellers - After a data breach, your account credentials could be floating around on hacker forums. Use Identity Guard's Dark Web scanner to keep an eye on any potential leaks.
Remember, the more accounts you have, the more important it is to keep your identity safe.
How to choose the best identity theft protection services
Here are some things to consider when choosing an identity theft protection service:
• Monitoring: Which aspects of your digital life you and your family need monitoring is an important consideration. Credit reports are a feature that many services provide, but not all of them. Other checks to look out for are criminal and court records, as well as bank accounts. The speed and quality of alerts is also something that will be vital to these services’ performance.
• Family protection: You should also consider whether you need just individual protection or family protection. If you live with children who have online devices, then a family plan is certainly worth it, as it will offer protection for them too. Naturally, however, these are often quite a bit more expensive than individual plans.
• Customer support: As with any other service, customer service and ease of use are very important factors. But it’s especially important if you’ve fallen victim to identity theft and need to remedy the situation asap.
Where we’ve been able to find out, we’ve detailed how well the services in this guide perform on these fronts. Reading customer reviews is again something that is always recommended when choosing any service or product.
• Insurance: You should check how much you are insured for in the event your identity has been stolen and you’ve suffered financial damages. Again, where possible, we have provided these details in our picks for the best identity theft protection services.
• Price: Price is of course always something to take into account. For identity theft protection services, be aware that family plans are often quite a bit more expensive than their individual counterparts, and also look out for services that increase charges after the first year.
You can also read our in-depth guide on how to choose the best identity theft protection service for you.
How we tested the best identity theft protection
Our reviews of the identity protection apps in this guide looked at the features they offer, as well as their value for money and how well they compare to one another.
It is important to note that while we have been as thorough as possible, we have not reviewed these services hands-on, as that wouldn’t be feasible. It would involve deliberately compromising our own personal accounts and sensitive information to see how well they worked.
Instead, we made our choices based on each service's reputation, as well as a desire to include those with differing features, use cases and pricing. We've also reviewed each of them in-depth.
Read how we test, rate, and review products on TechRadar.
Tested by
John's tech journalism career spans decades, and during that time he has covered many stories related to identity theft and reviewed numerous protection services. He has also written features and weekly columns for TechRadar.
Sead is a seasoned freelance journalist based in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He covers all things cybersecurity, including ID theft, ransomware, and data breaches, as well as laws and regulations related to the field.
Why you can trust us
You can trust our opinion on identity theft protection services: our journalists are experts in the topic, and cover all the latest news and developments in the field. They have also closely reviewed dozens of products from the biggest names and the lesser-known alternatives.
Disclaimer
We may earn a commission when you click on links to buy products in this guide. However, our product reviews are impartial and only take into consideration the qualities of the services themselves. They are also not influenced by our advertisers.
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