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Aura vs IDShield: Which is better?


There were more than one million reported cases of identity theft in the United States during 2023 alone, resulting in losses of over $12.5 billion. But these numbers aren’t just statistics–they’re a daily reality that affects real people with long-lasting effects that can go much further than the simple costs of recovery. Your credit file can be integral in everything from buying a home to getting a new job to obtaining a security clearance, so it’s critical that you do everything you can to protect it.

As a cybersecurity professional, I’ve seen the impact of identity theft firsthand, and so I’m always looking for ways to better protect myself and my family from fraud and cybercrime. That’s why I decided to test Aura and IDShield, two popular providers near the top of our best identity theft protection services list. Both offer a range of features to safeguard your personal information, but I wanted to find out which one is objectively better.

Along with my colleagues in the Cybernews research team, I’ve tested both services and evaluated their performance in terms of their credit monitoring and protection features, alerts, recovery services, user experience, customer support, and overall value for money.

If you’re unsure which is better for you, continue reading for detailed information, evaluation, and comparison of Aura and IDShield identity theft protection tools.

Overview of Aura vs IDShield

Aura Identity Theft ProtectionIDShield
⭐ Rating:
4.8
4.7
🥇 Overall rank:#2 out of #11#3 out of #11
💵 Price:From $10/monthFrom $14.95/month
✂️ Free version:NoNo
🖥️ Platforms:Windows, macOS, Android, iOSAndroid, iOS
💰 Credit monitoring:YesYes
🔒 Insurance:YesYes
🔥 Coupons:Aura Identity Theft Protection coupon 63% OFF!Get IDShield Identity Theft Protection coupon!

Features overview

AuraIDShield
Credit monitoringYesYes
Dark Web monitoringYes
Yes
AntivirusYesYes
Social media reviewNoYes
VPNYesYes
Password managerYesYes
Identity restorationYesYes, with licensed private investigators
Insurance coverageUp to $1 million (individual), Up to $5 million (family)Up to $3 million
Family planUp to 5 adults, unlimited children2 adults, up to 10 children
Devices coveredUp to 10 (Individual or Couple), Unlimited (Family)Up to 3 (Individual)Up to 10 (Family)
Parental controlsYesYes – Limited
Child identity protectionYesYes
401(k) and investment monitoringYesYes – Up to 10 accounts
Home title monitoringYesNo
Fraud alertsUp to 250x faster than competitionStandard
Price (Individual)From $9.99/month$14.95/month (1-bureau)
Price (Family)From $32/month$34.95/month (3-bureau)
Money-back guarantee60-day (annual plans)30-day

When it comes to features, Aura vs IDShield initially seems like a pretty close match. Both providers offer a variety of features that promise well-rounded protection. However, upon closer inspection, some differences become pretty clear. In nearly every area, Aura offers a more comprehensive service, fewer limitations, more coverage, faster speeds, or a more attractive price. You can see this in Aura’s 3-bureau credit monitoring as a standard option, its 60-day money-back guarantee, and its inclusion of a wider range of more sophisticated parental control tools.

ID data monitoring

During my testing with my colleagues in the Cybernews research team, I found that Aura offers impressive identity protection capabilities. I was particularly impressed with the real-time monitoring that can instantly track activities related to your Social Security Number (SSN) as well as those of your family members, both adults and children. When we simulated potential threats during testing, Aura’s alerts were consistently fast, accurate, and useful.

Personal data

As a cybersecurity professional, I’m not just concerned about criminals stealing my identity through purely unlawful means. I’m concerned about scammers or bad actors buying my details legally and then doing something illegal with that information. So, the thing that really impressed me about Aura’s service was its sophisticated approach to privacy protection. Aura doesn’t just monitor for and report on breaches. Instead, it searches data brokers for your details and reaches out to request removal, significantly reducing your identity theft attack surface and reducing your exposure to spam and robocalls. This function works similarly to some dedicated data broker removal tools like Incogni.

IDShield’s core monitoring features

IDShield’s core monitoring features are similar to Aura’s, at a lower speed and level of sophistication. Aura generally offers a more comprehensive implementation of each feature at an equal or lower overall price point. The one exception to this was an intriguing feature that could be appealing for certain use cases: the social media review’s reputation management feature. It scans your linked social media accounts for posts that might create problems for you personally or professionally. Although I didn’t find it particularly useful in my case, if you’ve ever said or done things on social media that you wish you hadn’t, you might find this feature to be useful. While I considered it merely “nice to have,” it’s only fair to note that IDShield has it while Aura does not.

Reputation management

Dark web monitoring

Data breaches are a security nightmare from a cybersecurity and identity theft standpoint. One of the major risks associated with data breaches is that your data–names, email addresses, SSNs, even passwords–will be traded or sold on the Dark Web. This means that the criminals who caused the breach sell or trade your details to other criminals who plan to directly exploit your information, particularly by stealing your identity.

The silver lining to this cloud is that we can use tools like Aura and IDShield to continuously scan the Dark Web for these trades taking place. When your name, SSN, or linked account details appear in Aura or IDShield’s scans of these shady transactions on the dark web, you get an alert. You can then secure your accounts by changing passwords or other appropriate actions.

I was particularly pleased with Aura’s sophisticated approach to Dark Web surveillance during my testing.

Aura dark web

It monitors email addresses and online accounts, as well as nearly all of your ID and account numbers. When our research team intentionally planted test data, Aura was consistently able to detect this and send an alert within a matter of hours.

IDShield also offers dark web monitoring and gives you basic guidance on how to respond when a breach occurs. However, I didn’t find its scanning to be as effective or quick. I also wasn’t convinced that it offered significantly better results than I could with some free Dark Web scanning tools.

ID security

Given the context I provided at the start of this section, you can also see how Aura’s faster alerts can make it much more valuable as an early warning system before identity theft takes place in the wake of your data circulating on the Dark Web.

Credit monitoring

As a cybersecurity professional, I’m concerned with preventing breaches or incidents as well as minimizing the damage if they do happen. A good credit monitoring system covers both of these points, making it absolutely essential for preventing harm from financial fraud. During our testing, I found Aura’s credit protection features to offer more flexible monitoring and much faster response times than most competitors.

Aura credit monitoring

Since Aura provides full three-bureau credit monitoring, you can track your credit status simultaneously across Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. While your credit score itself is only updated on a monthly basis, the alerts for new accounts or changes to your credit report are much more rapid. More importantly, Aura gives you the option to lock your credit file immediately if you see anything suspicious happen, restricting access and preventing changes during a crisis.

IDShield credit monitoring

IDShield does offer three-bureau credit monitoring on its higher-tier plans, but this system was more limited and didn’t offer me as many options for immediately responding to an emergent threat. While both services track new loan or credit card applications, suspicious purchases, and bank accounts, Aura’s rapid monitoring and alerts, combined with quick-response capabilities, make it the stronger choice for credit monitoring and protection.

Insurance

Many of the tools and features that Aura and IDShield offer aim to prevent an identity theft incident from even happening. But, as I mentioned earlier, we need to also have protocols in place to lessen the impact of an incident and to help recover in the event that something goes wrong. That’s where insurance comes in because the cost of an identity theft incident isn’t solely the funds you could lose. There’s also the time, effort, and cost of legal processes, as well as restoring your credit file to its state before you were victimized.

Aura and IDShield both have very good insurance packages, showing that both providers recognize the importance of recovery if you ever become a victim of identity theft. IDShield is a bit more coy about who its underwriters are, suggesting that its partnerships may not be as fixed and long-term. However, both have appropriate coverage. Aura’s overall insurance reaches a higher threshold of up to $5 million for family coverage, and Aura is clearer about identifying who underwrites its policy. Specifically, this insurance is underwritten by American Bankers Insurance of Florida, an Assurant company. This transparency and the higher overall insurance threshold make Aura the clear winner.

Additional features

During our comprehensive testing, I looked beyond basic identity protection features to evaluate the full service each provider offers. Both services provide essential digital safety and cybersecurity tools, but Aura’s implementation of these tools stands out in several key ways.

First, Aura’s device coverage is generous in comparison with IDShield’s, protecting up to 10 devices for an individual plan and having no limit on covered devices for family plans. Beyond this, Aura’s protection tools don’t require key redemption or other hurdles in order to add a new device, whereas IDShield’s solution forces users to redeem license keys from another party.

IDShield has the distinction of partnering with Trend Micro for its antivirus, password manager, and cybersecurity software. Because Trend is a recognized name, some users may count this as a selling point. However, I found the additional barriers to installation to more than offset this, particularly given Trend Micro’s relatively modest brand recognition. For more details about IDShield’s features, check out our IDShield review.

Password management

Aura protects your internet traffic with an encrypted VPN as well, and it lets you store credentials in its password manager. This tool can find breached accounts, warn you of weak or old passwords, and help you automatically generate strong new ones.

To protect your children, Aura also offers a fairly comprehensive Parental Controls suite to help you monitor your children's online activities and limit their screen time. Although these features go beyond the core identity protection offering, they’ll be very appealing for users with children.If you’re interested in learning more, visit our comprehensive Aura review.

Conclusion
Aura wins over IDShield on features for its faster monitoring and alerts, higher insurance thresholds, and more sophisticated Dark Web and credit monitoring, creating a service offering that is more comprehensive, responsive, and trustworthy overall.

Pricing and plans

PlanAuraIDShield
Individual
$10.00/month$14.95/month (one-bureau monitoring)
Couple
$18.00/month-
Family
$29.00/month$29.95/month (one-bureau monitoring)
Check Latest DiscountsCheck Latest Discounts

Aura comes with three subscription plans. They mainly differ by the number of members. The individual plan, as the name suggests, is dedicated to one person and costs $10.00/month. However, it allows you to protect up to 10 devices with the VPN and cybersecurity features. Meanwhile, the couples plan allows two adults and 20 devices for $18.00/month with annual billing.

The family plan is the most expensive one. It allows five adults, unlimited kids, and unlimited devices. All of that comes for $29.00/month with annual billing. It also includes Parental Controls and Child Identity Protection features. Aura also gives you a 14-day free trial to test the service as well as a 60-day money-back guarantee.

IDShield has simplified its pricing into two main plans, differentiated by the number of members and how many credit bureaus they track.

The individual plan will cost you $14.95/month for one credit bureau and $19.95/month for all three. The family plan with one credit bureau costs $29.95/month and includes up to two adults and up to 10 dependent children. The price increases to $34.95/month if you choose all three credit bureaus. However, IDShield only offers protection for up to 3 devices for all of its plans. It also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, which is half of what Aura provides.

Conclusion
Aura beats IDShield on its protection features, better family coverage, unlimited device protection on family plans, and some of the most comprehensive insurance in the industry at up to $5 million. With similar base pricing, Aura’s longer 60-day money-back guarantee and faster, more flexible credit monitoring options make it significantly better value overall.

Interface and ease of use

Whether you choose Aura or IDShield, you'll have a good user experience. Aura is more consistently stable and usable regardless of platform, with a simple subscription process and well-designed user interfaces. Thus, the comparison between Aura vs. IDShield's ease of use comes out in Aura’s favor.

Availability

Aura

Aura is available for Windows and MacOS but not ChromeOS or Linux. Its password manager is compatible with Chrome, Firefox, and Edge as a browser extension.

Aura availability

IDShield

IDShield is browser-based, so you won't have to download any additional apps except on your smartphone. It is compatible with iOS and Android.

Desktop apps

The overall experience with Aura's apps was great. We were pleasantly surprised by the design of both Windows and MacOS apps. Both have a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate and use. It’s worth noting that the desktop apps are for cybersecurity and parental control tools only, and the browser app is the location for identity protection.

Install Aura
Aura device security
Aura auto scan

IDShield

Meanwhile, IDShield doesn't offer a desktop app but allows you to use it directly in the browser. It has a relatively simple and accessible interface, so navigating and finding information is easy enough.

IDShield protection and monitoring

Mobile apps

Aura

In testing, I’ve found the Aura Android app to be one of the better and more user-friendly identity-protection mobile apps currently available. Although I prefer to operate tools like this on my desktop or laptop, Aura's mobile app is very useful when you need access to your identity protection settings on the go. The app has a simple and intuitive design that mirrors the desktop browser, with easy access to account information, alerts, and features like credit monitoring and identity restoration.

Aura mobile app

IDShield

IDShield’s apps for iOS and Android are usable, but they can be a bit clunky. Although they mimic the browser version, in testing, they sometimes wanted me to reconfigure alerts that I had already set up in my browser. I feel like a mobile-responsive web page might solve these issues more readily than an almost-usable dedicated mobile app.

IDShield mobile app
Conclusion
Aura wins on the interface and ease of use front for its polished mobile app and much more consistent cross-platform experience. Both Aura and IDShield offer good and user-friendly browser interfaces. However, Aura’s dedicated desktop security apps and vastly more stable mobile app experience put it significantly ahead of IDShield for the majority of users.

Customer support

AuraIDShield
Live chat✅ 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. EST
Email / Ticketing system
Phone✅24/7✅M-F7 a.m. - 7 p.m. Central
Guides or articles
FAQs
Conclusion
Aura wins the customer support comparison with its 24/7 phone availability and extended live chat hours. While both providers offer email support, phone support, and decent self-help resources, Aura's all-hours accessibility makes it the clear choice for anyone who wants immediate assistance in an identity theft crisis.

Our testing methodology

When comparing Aura vs IDShield, we tested both providers to see how their service works. Our testing criteria include the following:

  • Protection Features Analysis: We assess the credibility and comprehensiveness of vital features like credit monitoring, dark web monitoring, and social security number(SSN) monitoring.
  • Alerts: How quickly, how correctly, and with what level of customization the system offers alerts.
  • Recovery Services: The amount and type of support available via dedicated specialists. The specific type and value of identity theft insurance and whether there is help freezing credit or contacting institutions.
  • User Experience: We factored in ease of setup, interface design, mobile functionality, and educational resources.
  • Value for Money: We looked closely at pricing, features, family or couples plans, free trials, and satisfaction or money-back guarantees when grading this category.

Aura vs. IDShield: which is right for you?

AuraIDShield
Features
Pricing
Ease of use

With all things considered, Aura is a significantly better option than IDShield. It comes with a wide array of features to keep you safe. Not only does this provider protect you from identity theft, but it also protects your family and helps you teach your children good digital habits. Its cheapest plan costs $9.99/month and can protect up to 10 devices.

Aura is slightly cheaper than IDShield at almost every level of service, and it has benefits IDShield lacks, like three-bureau credit monitoring on every plan, at no additional cost.

When it comes to usability, both providers deliver a pleasant experience. You will get a well-designed and simple dashboard, fast onboarding time, and straightforward sign-on. However, it's worth noting that IDShield's mobile apps seemed clunky and prone to errors. If you’re operating primarily in a browser, this won’t pose much of an issue, but if you’re primarily a mobile user, you’ll have a strong preference for Aura on this point.

Overall, you will find that Aura has a clear edge over IDShield in terms of features, especially if rapid, efficient credit monitoring is your top requirement.

FAQ

Comments

Mel Vos
prefix 1 year ago
We are in the process of switching from IDShield to Aura in hopes of better financial security. We have experienced being hacked on both credit cards and bank accounts while being members of IDShield and they notified us of neither. I was able to catch both myself and resolved both myself with the help of both banking companies.
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