Aura vs. IdentityForce 2024

The FTC reported that credit card fraud was the most common type of identity theft in 2022. Over 400,000 people had to notify their credit card issuer, get in touch with law enforcement, and speak to credit bureaus about placing a fraud alert on their file.

This is easier when using an identity theft protection service like IdentityForce, a TransUnion brand. But when we compared their extensive range of features against our favorite ID protection service, Aura, we learned that IdentityForce didn’t offer the same value for our money.

Here’s how we came to that conclusion after testing both services ourselves.

About Aura

Aura was founded in 2019 and quickly acquired some of the industry’s best digital security brands, such as IdentityGuard, Figleaf, PrivacyMate, and Intrusta. It also owns Hotspot Shield and includes a version of its VPN in every Aura plan.

You’ll also find features powered by other partners. For example, their parental control tools use award-winning technology from Circle, and the cyberbullying gaming alerts use infrastructure from Kidas.

>> Check Out: Aura Identity Theft Protection Review

About Identity Guard

IdentityForce has changed ownership multiple times since its inception in 2005. It was first acquired by EZShield in 2019. The two companies then rebranded under the parent company Sontiq.

TransUnion, the credit bureau, eventually took over Sontiq and its product suite, which included cyber insurance tools, incident response solutions, and IdentityForce.

>> See More: IdentityForce Review: Identity Theft Protection

Prices and Plans Breakdown

With the history out of the way, let’s get into the first factor we look at when picking identity protection services. We don’t just look at the price. We look at what we get for our dollar to see the comparative value of the service.

Aura

Thanks to its product names, Aura makes choosing a plan effortless. Anyone can visit its pricing page and know exactly which service to sign up for. The features within the packages are also tailored to the individuals using them. For example, singles and couples don’t need to worry about paying for tools that protect children they don’t have.

Here’s what Aura’s plans and pricing look like:

If you need added assurance you’re choosing the right product, Aura provides a 14-day free trial and a 60-day money-back guarantee on all annual plans. You can pay with a credit or debit card, Apple Pay, or PayPal. We started with the 14-day free trial but then realized it wasn’t long enough for our rigorous testing process, so we signed up for an additional month.

IdentityForce

The biggest differentiator between IdentityForce plans is the inclusion of credit monitoring. Without it, you still get dark web monitoring, a VPN for your mobile device, and up to $1 million in identity theft insurance per person up to a maximum of $2 million.

With credit monitoring, you gain daily TransUnion credit reports and scores, plus three bureau monitoring and alerts. This comes standard with all Aura plans.

Here’s the price of IdentityForce’s identity protection plan, called UltraSecure, with and without credit monitoring:

IdentityForce has a 30-day free trial, so you can try it before you buy it. That 30-day free trial was barely long enough for us to finish our tests on IdentityForce, but there is no money-back guarantee on annual plans. We had to put our credit card down to start our 30-day free trial, too.

Verdict on Prices and Plans: Aura offers many features you need to pay extra for with IdentityForce. The basic plans are also more expensive. While IdentityForce’s 30-day free trial is a great inclusion, Aura’s plans and pricing are still better.

Features Comparison

There are very few differences in features between Aura and IdentityForce. One that stands out is the suite of digital security tools in Aura’s plans. But IdentityForce has some additional monitoring features for your address and investments. Where they differ the most is how they protect your children online.

Identity Protection

Aura and IdentityForce provide up to $1 million in identity theft insurance per adult. With IdentityForce, it’s capped at $2 million, and with Aura, it’s $5 million.

Both products also give you access to specialists who can get your life back on track if an incident occurs. Thankfully, we didn’t have any incidents while testing either service, but we liked that we could speak to an expert if we did.

IdentityForce provides a personalized action plan with a restoration specialist. It can even arrange the cancellation and replacement of credit and debit cards.

Aura’s approach is similar. It has a white glove fraud resolution team that creates a remediation plan and walks you through how to fix every issue. They also arrange new credit and debit cards for you.

In addition to these features, both brands monitor your details on the dark web and activity tied to your Social Security number. On top of this, Aura includes home and auto title monitoring while IdentityForce keeps an eye on social media posts and address changes with the USPS.

Verdict on Identity Protection: We’re calling it a draw. Aura and IdentityForce have extensive monitoring features and experts on hand when you need their assistance to manage the damage.

Credit Monitoring

While it might look like Aura and IdentityForce offer identical services, you’ll need to pay extra for some of them with the latter. Here’s a comparison between them:

Credit and debit monitoring, 3-bureau credit monitoring, and monthly credit scores are only available on the premium plans with IdentityForce. But they come standard with all Aura plans.

All other credit monitoring services are included in all plans for both solutions. The only difference is the credit scores for Aura come from Vantage, whereas with IdentityForce it’s from TransUnion.

Verdict on Credit Monitoring: While there’s no significant difference in the performance of these features, we give the win to Aura, as all credit monitoring services are included in every plan.

Device Protection

With Aura, you get antivirus protection, a VPN powered by Hotspot Shield, a safe browsing extension, a password manager, and an ad blocker. The company also added AI-powered spam call and message protection. Before you receive a call or text, the caller’s details are verified.

>> Read More: Hotspot Shield Review 2024

IdentityForce doesn’t offer as many tools as Aura, and some work differently. The VPN only works on mobile devices and doesn’t let you choose a server. It still encrypts your information and hides your browsing activity. Our IdentityForce subscription also came with PC software to proactively prevent malware attacks and phishing scams and detect keylogging software.

Both services include storage to secure digital files and passwords. They can be used for financial account information, birth certificates, medical records, or other legal documents. You can access them easily from the respective apps.

Verdict on Device and Online Protection: Aura’s inclusion of antivirus protection puts it ahead of IdentityForce. The VPN is also superior, as you can choose the server’s location. It’s also accessible on more devices.

Child Protection

IdentityForce has protection for children, but not to the same extent as Aura. You can access services such as:

• Dark web social media monitoring and ID restoration: IdentityForce monitors black market chat rooms and websites to detect illegal trading and selling of sensitive information. There’s no limit on how many children can get their information monitored.
• Credit activity monitoring: This feature is limited to 10 children and alerts you when suspicious activity occurs with your kid’s credit scores. It’s conveniently located in the same dashboard as your information.

Aura expands on this type of protection by adding features that keep your kids safe when using devices and interacting with others online.

• Device management: Track your child’s location and monitor what they do on their devices if they’re not responding to your calls, messages, or yelling from the other room.
• Usage reports: Receive updates on how long your kids spend browsing the internet, scrolling through social media, and playing video games.
• SSN freeze: If someone tries to set up an account or take out a loan with your child’s Social Security number, you’ll be the first to know.

• Screen time limits: Schedule or set a timer on devices to limit your child’s usage. Once time is up, it locks and requires a code to open.
• Cyberbullying alerts: Get alerts when other players send abusive messages during gameplay. The app can detect predators and scams while they’re playing PC games.
• Sex offender geo-alerts: The Aura app notifies you when a known criminal is within a one-mile radius.

Verdict on Child Protection: Aura not only offers extensive identity theft protection for children, but it also includes tools to manage their device usage, keep them safe when interacting with others online, and address cyberbullying incidents that occur.

Final Verdict: Aura or IdentityForce?

Both Aura and IdentityForce do an excellent job of monitoring your personal information and credit details while providing tools like a VPN and a safe browsing extension to keep you safe online.

However, the biggest difference is that many credit monitoring features come at an additional cost with IdentityForce while they’re a standard service with Aura. The performance of some of the tools is also better with Aura, and there is a lack of child protection with IdentityForce.

It might not bother us as much if IdentityForce were cheaper than Aura. But it’s more expensive regardless of what plan you choose.

So, as it includes extensive monitoring on all of its plans, superior device safety tools, a range of child protection features, and better value, we choose Aura.