Aura vs Complete ID: features, pricing, and privacy compared

When you’re looking for an identity protection and internet privacy tool, you need a trustworthy option you can lean on. For years, Complete ID represented the option that instilled trust, being backed by Experian and tied to Costco memberships.

Since it’s no longer accepting new enrollments (at least for the time being), Aura has emerged as somewhat of a modernized legacy option. It even features an advanced suite of privacy tools tied to the VPN service and parental controls, but is it a worthy alternative?

In this guide, my team of Cybernews research experts and I have compared Aura and Complete ID to see how they rate in terms of privacy features, extras, and subscription plans. So, if you are considering switching from Complete ID to Aura or simply want to understand the nuances separating the two, take a look.

Aura vs Complete ID overview

Getting deep into the features and specs is crucial. Still, a simple breakdown should give you a clear sense of which tool meets your demands:

Feature	Aura	Complete ID
Rating	4.8⭐	4.4⭐
Overall rank	#1st out of 5	#4th out of 5
Price	Starting from $9.00/month ($10 when billed annually)	Last known price starting from $19.99/month (Costco members only)
Free version	❌ No	❌ No
Free trial	✅ Yes (14-day trial)	❌(Not available at the moment, enrollment temporarily closed)
Platforms	Windows, macOS, iOS, Android	iOS, web (existing members only)
Credit monitoring	✅ Yes (3 bureaus)	✅ Yes (3 bureaus)
Insurance coverage	$1M identity theft insurance	$1M identity theft insurance
Discounts	✅ Yes (discounts available for annual subscriptions)	❌ No

About Aura

Aura is not just one of my personal favorite privacy and ID protection tools; it’s also one of the top-ranked solutions by the Cybernews research team. Its benefits compared to Complete ID are clear: it’s easily accessible, it welcomes new users, and it features a broad range of extras, such as a VPN.

It also offers convenient plans starting at just $13/month ($10 with the annual subscription discount). Plus, you can get a bundle that suits your needs best, whether it’s an antivirus package, password management add-on, or dark web and fraud alerts.

I also liked the fact that you can lean on a $1 million identity theft insurance or use the assistance of the white-glove fraud resolution team.

Aura’s customer support operates 24/7.

About Complete ID

Complete ID may seem similar to Aura, but it primarily focuses on identity protection and credit monitoring. You can’t get any anti-malware or VPN bundles; in fact, at this time, you can’t even join as a new member.

At the time of my research, the Complete ID website clearly stated they were not accepting any new members. This might change soon, though, and I’ll be the first to let you know by updating this page.

As an existing user, you can get a tri-merge report from all major bureaus, including Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. The service also offers up to $1 million in identity theft insurance coverage, and their ID restoration specialists are among the best in the game. Plus, being a part of Costco’s user program and backed by Experian adds a dose of familiarity and trust.

Aura vs Complete ID: features compared

Both Aura and Complete ID feature a comprehensive choice of tools. With my Cybernews team of experts, I’ve done a head-to-head comparison the old-fashioned way:

Feature	Aura	Complete ID
Credit monitoring	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Dark web monitoring	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Social Security number tracking	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
ID theft insurance	✅ Yes (up to $1 million)	✅ Yes (up to $1 million)
Data broker removal	✅ Yes	❌ No
VPN service	✅ Yes	❌ No
Antivirus service	✅ Yes (via Norton)	❌ No
Secure password manager	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Credit lock and file checks	❌ No	✅ Yes (via Experian’s CreditLock)
Change of address monitoring	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Fraud resolution support	✅ Yes (via personal case managers)	✅ Yes (via dedicated ID restoration specialists)

All things considered, Aura clearly offers more detailed coverage of add-ons and handy tools that can boost your online safety. On the other hand, Complete ID is directly backed by one of the biggest credit bureaus in the US, but it lacks direct subscription options.

Either way, these are my biggest takeaways from the features’ comparison:

• Aura is currently accepting new users, and it’s a better option in terms of bundles.
• CompleteID is directly backed by Experian, so it offers the bureau’s CreditLock option.
• Aura carries a low risk with an industry-leading 60-day money-back guarantee.

Aura vs Complete ID: monitoring capabilities

One of the toughest parts of this side-by-side comparison was deciding the winner in the monitoring features category. Both tools do an excellent job, with Aura focusing a bit more on keeping your accounts and passwords safe.

Complete ID excels at credit monitoring, but it also covers dark web surveillance, SSN monitoring, and alternative loan monitoring.

Here’s a quick summary for both tools:

• Credit monitoring. Aura offers tri-merge credit report monitoring, but you’d need a Family plan to use it. On the other hand, you can track your Experian credit file with the Individual plan. Complete ID bundles all three, so you can monitor Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion credit scores.
• ID protection and monitoring. I’d also praise Aura for its ID protection and monitoring capabilities, which primarily focus on tracking unauthorized use of your SSN, email, phone number, and bank accounts. Complete ID follows up with dark web scanning, criminal records tracking, and even neighborhood watch monitoring.
• Insurance coverage and support. Both platforms are pretty similar in terms of ID theft insurance, with $1 million in coverage and the provision of personally assigned ID restoration experts.

Aura vs Complete ID: pricing and plans

As I’ve already mentioned, CompleteID doesn’t currently accept any new users, so we’ll only focus on Aura’s pricing plans. I mainly liked the range, as there’s an option for every budget. Here’s a quick breakdown:

• Kids plan. Starting at $13/month ($10/month when billed annually)
• Individual plan. Starting at $15/month ($12/month when billed annually)
• Couple plan. Starting at $29/month ($22/month when billed annually)
• Family plan. Starting at $50/month ($32/month when billed annually)

You can test all the features for 60 days and still get a money-back guarantee if you’re not completely satisfied. Plus, you get custom, on-demand pricing for 5 or more people.

As for CompleteID, it was previously around $19/99/month, but it also required a Costco membership for activation. Depending on the membership plan, the additional cost would be between $60 and $120 per year.

Of course, most users already shop at Costco, so the membership isn’t necessarily an extra cost unless you specifically take it for the ID protection tool. Add to that the state sales tax estimated at between 5% and 10% (varies by location), and you get a considerable total price to pay.

Aura vs Complete ID: privacy and security

I’d never choose an ID protection service that stores all my data and potentially sells it to a data broker, so I’ve decided to test their data collection and privacy policies.

Aura comes with a clearly stated privacy policy and is GDPR-compliant. It adheres to all US data collection and privacy laws, with a cookie nuance provision for certain laws. I also liked that users can configure their privacy settings and prevent sharing with third-party services.

Complete ID also has a clear privacy policythat covers everything from SSN tracking to children’s data collection and retention. In fact, a huge chunk of such policies is derived directly from Experian’s corporate laws, which is a good thing, right?

Well, not necessarily. While public trust in the bureau is undeniable, things have been a bit shaky since the major T-Mobile-related breach in 2015, with nearly 15 million users affected. Now, I’m not saying it makes Complete ID unreliable, but I’d advise existing users to proceed with caution.

Aura vs Complete ID: compatibility and customer support

In terms of platform compatibility, Aura has a more intuitive mobile app, with over 500k downloads on the Google Play Store alone. It’s also available for iOS devices, and the platform can be used on Windows and macOS.

CompleteID also has an official app, but it can only be used by those with active accounts. So, if you’re not already enrolled, you won’t have much use for it. It is available for Android and iOS, though.

Another key category I wanted to cover is customer support. In this context, I’d vouch for Aura, due to its 24/7 support availability and qualified ID restoration experts. CompleteID has an available hours restriction, so you can’t reach out at all times. Luckily, they do have dedicated ID restoration specialists, so existing users won’t lose any value.

How we tested the software

These are the key aspects that my team of Cybernews experts and I have considered when comparing the two tools:

• Functionality (30%). I first tested all the core functions for both ID theft protection and monitoring. Then I compared it based on service availability and the experiences of previous users.
• Pricing & value (20%). To make sure both services are affordable for different types of users, I also compared pricing plans and available discounts.
• Privacy policy (20%). I then reviewed the privacy policies and data collection rules for Aura and Complete ID, with a particular focus on alignment with data privacy laws.
• Ease of use (15%). User convenience is everything when you're dealing with ID theft, which is why I’ve tested app usability, credit pull functionality, and overall dashboard intuitiveness.
• Reputation & feedback (15%). Finally, I cross-referenced feedback from previous and current users on platforms like Reddit and Trustpilot.

Aura vs Complete ID: which one should you choose?

This is the part where I would normally weigh the two tools with similar profiles, but Complete ID’s enrollment rules made my decision easier this time. If you’re not an existing user, I’d recommend turning to Aura straight away.

Even if you’re an active Complete ID user, I’d still recommend making the switch if you’re in need of a comprehensive family plan or the availability of multiple support channels. As the complete Aura ID protection review shows, it’s also a better option than Complete ID in terms of data-sharing clauses.

My overall winner is Aura, and I’d go as far as to call it one of the best identity theft services simply because of all the bundling options and remediation methods.

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