Aura Identity Theft Protection Review 2025: More Than Just Identity Protection

From our testing, Aura is very much worth it thanks to a full kit of identity protection and online security tools.
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4.8
Editorial Rating
Learn More
On Aura Identity Theft's website

Identity Protection
Aura Identity Theft
Save up to 68% Off
  • #1 rated ID theft protection service with a full suite of monitoring tools
  • Includes up to $1 million in ID theft insurance for up to five adults
  • Protect your children with robust parental controls and gaming alerts

Aura is a comprehensive suite of services, but we like its identity theft protection above all. It offers solutions for individuals, couples, and families to help them protect their future. 

We liked that Aura had easy-to-understand plans that focus on the number of people you’re protecting and your subscription length. Every feature you see listed is included with all plans. It does include an antivirus and a virtual private network (VPN), but the functionality is nowhere near what you'd get with a standalone service. 

We'll go over why we found Aura to be such a great identity theft protection solution.

Pros
  • Up to $1 million in identity theft insurance per adult
  • Robust tools for children's security, including parental controls and Safe Gaming
  • Includes a password manager, VPN, data removal services, an antivirus, and more
Cons
  • No social media account monitoring
  • Provides only VantageScore, not FICO score

In this article
At a glance
Our experience
Who is it best for?
Prices and subscriptions
Features
Does it keep your data safe?
Compatibility
Customer support
Top alternatives
FAQs
Bottom line: Is Aura good?

At a glance

Price $9.00–$50.00/mo
Identity theft insurance Up to $1 million per adult
Number of people covered 5 adults, unlimited children
Types of identity monitoring Credit, SSN, Home & auto title, Criminal & court records, lost wallet remediation
Credit monitoring Yes
Credit reports Yes — Experian, Equifax, TransUnion
Credit score Yes — VantageScore
Financial fraud protection Yes
White glove fraud resolution Yes
Extras Data removal, Safe Gaming, Antivirus, VPN, Password manager, Parental controls, AI spam call & message protection
24/7 support Yes
Details Get Aura

How we test and rate identity theft protection services

To review identity theft protection services, we sign up for the service several days prior to our review. This allows the service time to begin populating our dashboard with identity and credit monitoring information and send us real-time alerts. During this time, we also evaluate the service's ease of use, contact customer support, and play around with the extra features. 

After spending some time with the service, we use our proprietary grading rubric which calculates a star rating based on prices, identity monitoring features, credit features, and other criteria. 

To learn more about how we test, check out our full ID theft testing methodology here.

We last tested Aura on February 5, 2025.

4.8
Editorial Rating
Learn More
On Aura Identity Theft's website
Identity Protection
Aura Identity Theft
Save up to 68% Off
  • #1 rated ID theft protection service with a full suite of monitoring tools
  • Includes up to $1 million in ID theft insurance for up to five adults
  • Protect your children with robust parental controls and gaming alerts

Our experience

Overall, we were very impressed with Aura identity theft protection. Signing up for the service, downloading it from the Aura website, and installing it was fairly simple. We found it easy to activate credit monitoring, identity monitoring, and financial account alerts.

Aura dashboard main page

We continued by setting up the data broker removal service, which was also a breeze. We were able to enter our personal information and get the removal requests going quickly.

The antivirus product was equally as easy. It may come off as simpler than other antivirus, but that just means it’s more user-friendly. We were able to find the features like the VPN without having to search.

Aura Antivirus full scan results (no threats found)

Speaking of the VPN, it doesn’t have the same functionality as robust VPNs like Surfshark or NordVPN, but it is secure. There aren’t server choices or the ability to switch protocols, but it does protect you quickly by flipping the toggle on.

We weren’t in love with the process for Safe Gaming — it required another download of ProtectMe to work. There was a smidgen of game lag while testing, but not the entire time. Uninstalling was the most difficult since it had to be done from the Aura portal, but this method does help protect against kids uninstalling on their own.

While the price tag may seem like a steep commitment, especially if you’re protecting your entire family, we think Aura's ID theft protection is worth it. It has a high level of protection and plenty of additional security tools, so we’ feel comfortable recommending and using it ourselves.

Reviewed by Kate Quinlan

“I wanted a user-friendly cybersecurity suite that I could share with my spouse. I didn't want to pay à la carte for ID theft, data removal, antivirus, and a password manager. As a bonus, Aura includes a basic VPN, which helps secure our mobile devices.”

Who is it best for?

  • For individuals, families, and anyone else looking to combine multiple security products into one monthly payment.

Aura offers parental controls, family plans, and cybersecurity tools like a VPN, antivirus, and password manager all for one monthly fee. Whether you're a family with up to five adults (and unlimited children), a couple, or an individual, Aura has a price point and plan designed for you. 

All of its security features combined with the identity theft protection service means its an all-in-one security product. Just note that Aura doesn't have the most robust antivirus or VPN, so you'll have to determine how important those features are to you.

Prices and subscriptions

Aura offers plans for individuals, couples, and families ranging from $9.00–$50.00/mo. This is a great deal considering the other cybersecurity features you get included.

There are three plans, and we recommend you purchase the one that covers all the people in your life. If you’re a parent, go for the Family plan. If it’s you and someone special (that includes your roommate and besties for life), then grab the Aura Couple plan. If you’re loving the single life, don’t hesitate to grab the Aura Individual plan.

Aura also offers a 60-day money-back guarantee on all of its annual plans, so you can try one and request a refund if it doesn't meet your needs.

Plan Individual Couple Family
Vantage or FICO score Vantage Vantage Vantage
Who’s covered 1 adult 2 adults 5 adults, unlimited children
Identity theft insurance Up to $1 million Up to $2 million ($1 million per adult) Up to $5 million ($1 million per adult)
Credit reports Yes — Experian, Equifax, TransUnion Yes — Experian, Equifax, TransUnion Yes — Experian, Equifax, TransUnion
Credit lock Yes — Experian only Yes — Experian only Yes — Experian only
Vault Yes — 1 GB Yes — 2 GB Yes — 5 GB
Antivirus Yes — 10 devices Yes — 20 devices Yes — 50 devices
VPN Yes — 10 devices Yes — 20 devices Yes — 50 devices
Safe browsing blocker Yes — 10 devices Yes — 20 devices Yes — 50 devices
Password manager Yes — 10 devices Yes — 20 devices Yes — 50 devices
Parental controls
Safe Gaming alerts
Spam call and text protection
Learn more View plan View plan View plan

If you’re thinking about trying Aura, you can sign up for a free 14-day trial, which gives you access to most of Aura’s features. You won’t have access to all three credit reports until you have a full membership though. 

You also have to input your payment details, so make sure you cancel it at least 24 hours before the trial ends.

Features

We like that Aura offers a well-rounded approach to protecting your identity and monitoring your credit. Not only does it offer credit report monitoring, but it also offers tools to help you avoid identity theft before it happens, such as a virtual private network (VPN) and antivirus protection. 

There are plenty of identity theft protection services out there, but we feel that Aura is at the top of the list. The integrated tools it provides, like Safe Browsing and an email alias, are bonuses that you don’t find in some of the other services.

Combining all of the extras with data broker deletion services makes it an extremely valuable service. In our experience, Aura gives you all the tools you need to protect your identity and credit.

What does Aura protect against?

Aura safeguards a range of personal information as well as provides you with secure tools to help protect your identity. It has features to protect you from the following identity theft and other cybercrime situations:

  • Personal details found on dark web: Sends alerts if your registered accounts have been breached or found on the dark web
  • Spam calls and messages: Uses AI to verify call and message details before forwarding them to you
  • Lost wallet: Customer support team will help create a plan for you if you lose your wallet
  • Home title theft: Monitors your property and auto titles for fraud and sends alerts if any changes are made
  • Child identity theft: Provides Social Security number (SSN) alerts for children on family plans
  • Malware: Includes antivirus to protect against viruses, ransomware, spyware, and other cyberthreats

Identity monitoring

Aura sends notifications any time your information is found on the dark web. In the Vault, Aura separates dark web monitoring alerts into four categories: personal data, home and property, passwords, and documents.

This can feel daunting and frustrating, but Aura provides guides on how to deal with these types of alerts. If you still don’t feel like it’s been handled, you can reach out to Aura’s support team for more assistance.

Aura includes guides on what to do if your email or other personal info is exposed.

You'll also be notified about any financial accounts (like bank and investment accounts) you link to your Aura dashboard and a spending limit that you can set for all accounts or set individually for each.

For example, if you set a spending limit of $500 and someone withdraws $600 from your bank account, Aura alerts you so you can review the withdrawal and make sure it’s legit.

Aura can go beyond the limits you set within its dashboard. It uses machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) to observe your spending habits and alert you if something falls outside of those norms.

You can help Aura’s AI by being vigilant and marking any unusual transactions you may see within your Aura dashboard. If you do notice suspicious activity, make sure to notify your bank and the merchant right away. You may be able to stop payment, cancel the transaction, or get the amount returned to you — but time is of the essence.

Aura's transaction alerts feature lest you set thresholds for each of your connected bank accounts.

If you have a Family plan, you’ll gain access to additional monitoring to help protect your family, including:

  • Sex offender geo-alerts: Receive alerts if a known sex offender lives within one mile of your provided address.
  • Child SSN monitoring: Receive alerts if any of your children listed on your account had their SSN used unknowingly.
  • Family fraud alerts: Get alerts for threats that affect all family members on your account so you can better protect everyone.
  • Safe Gaming alerts: Protect your children from cyberbullying with alerts for any voice or text threats your child may encounter while playing online games.

Credit monitoring

Credit monitoring is one of the most important aspects of identity theft protection. Without timely and accurate monitoring, someone could use your SSN and credit profile to steal your identity for months before you find out.

Your credit score can affect everything from buying a new car to being able to rent an apartment, so making sure it’s in good standing can save you time, money, and headaches in the future.

Aura monitors all three credit bureaus, TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax, so you get the most accurate and fastest alerts if identity thieves open any new credit card or bank accounts in your name or use your credit to open a new loan. With Aura, you can request your credit report annually from each of the three credit bureaus, no matter what tier you purchase.

Each bureau evaluates your credit individually using its own metrics, so there may be variations on each report worth monitoring. That’s why it’s a good idea to read through each of the three on an annual basis.

We like how clean the Aura credit reports are, with tabs separating your personal information, accounts, inquiries, and public records.

Aura page for Experian Credit Report

Credit reports and credit scores

Along with credit monitoring, you can also access your credit reports and your VantageScore. Aura provides a monthly VantageScore report, and you get updated credit reports from each of the major credit bureaus every year.

Aura Credit tab listing our Equifax credit score

Your VantageScore is similar to your FICO credit score. It gives lenders a numerical value to help them predict how you’ll pay back your debt. A VantageScore is based on your credit report, and in the case of Aura, your score is based on your Equifax credit report. 

Any score above 700 is considered a good or excellent VantageScore.

Alerts

When you log in to your Aura account, the first thing you’ll see is a dashboard of all the available alerts related to the account monitoring you've set up. These alerts notify you of any potential issues related to your credit and financial transactions. 

You'll also receive digital security alerts if any of your passwords are compromised in data breaches, the Aura antivirus detects malware, or your personal info is found on a data broker site.

List of alerts from Aura

Online security

Not only does Aura give you the tools to protect your identity, but it also includes a variety of online security tools to help you improve your online safety. Some standout features include data removal services, a VPN, and an antivirus.

These online security tools are limited to a certain number of devices based on your plan, so an individual plan gets 10 devices while a family plan gets 50 (10 per adult). Other online security features include:

Anti-track and ad blocker

Get rid of annoying ads and website tracking. By downloading and enabling the Aura browser extension, Aura can help you browse safely without ads or tracking cookies following you around the web. This is compatible with iOS, Android, Chrome, Firefox, and Edge.

As you reduce the amount of ads and trackers, you’ll notice fewer creepy ads and spam messages. Companies can’t buy your marketing data if you’ve blocked it from being collected. It’s worth noting that Aura’s ad blocker extension is not made equal across browsers. Chrome definitely has the most options and gives you the best protection.

While using Firefox with Aura's ad blocker, we saw only the option to block malicious sites.
Aura's ad blocker on Firefox

Aura's built-in ad blocker offers more functionality on Chrome.
Aura's ad blocker on Chrome

VPN

A VPN adds further security to your Wi-Fi connection and is a must-have for digital security when using public Wi-Fi.

Aura’s VPN is a security feature that is easy to toggle off and on within the antivirus product. While you can’t choose the server you connect to, you will see the location and any trackers and malicious sites it helped to block.

Aura Online Security VPN (turned on)

Aura antivirus

Aura’s antivirus feature is enhanced with AI to enable Safe Browsing on all your protected devices. It’s available on Windows PC, macOS, and Android and must be downloaded separately (don’t worry, it’s easy).

You’ll find the VPN and an ad blocker within the antivirus. The included ad blocker is useful if your browser doesn’t meet Aura’s compatibility requirements for the browser extension or if you don’t want to download an extra extension.

Many of Aura’s features are located within the antivirus dashboard. You have the ability to access Safe Gaming and virus scans, too.

If you want to enable Safe Gaming for a minor, add their profile to your Aura vault and then download ProtectMe. After that, follow the instructions for activating ProtectMe and Safe Gaming on your device.

You won’t be able to schedule one for antivirus scans, but you can run a manual scan upon download and any time after. In between, Aura protects you with real-time malware detection.

Aura Antivirus lsit of scan options

Data broker removal

These pertain to any time you ask Aura to help remove your personal information from a data broker site like Whitepages or LexisNexis. When you set up your Aura account, it prompts you to opt-in to data broker removal if you wish.

You should absolutely opt-in. It’s included in the service and helps remove your personal information from aggregated data broker sites across the web, which makes you a less likely target of identity theft and fraud.

The best data broker removal services like Aura help you delete your info from these predatory sites and continue to monitor them to make sure your personal information stays gone.

Aura's list of data removal requests

Spam call and message protection

Aura can scan your unknown calls and messages for you before they reach your phone. To do this, you’ll need to download the mobile app on your iOS or Android device.

For iOS, Aura will scan your texts and messages and dump spam into your junk folder. For both iOS and Android, Aura uses its AI assistant to screen your calls. It only forwards legitimate calls to you while also using an industry-leading spam list to filter out known spammers.

Aura includes SMS text blocking that seriously cleans out spam messages.

Most likely you’ll need to select your mobile carrier and adjust settings. You’ll also likely have a few tests from Aura to make sure everything is configured properly. When you’re done, however, you’ll enjoy a much quieter life. And we could all do with fewer voicemail alerts letting us know our car’s extended warranty has expired.

Aura's call blocker successfully IDs and blocks spam callers. You can also whitelist phone numbers if you need more control over who can call.

Other online security features

A few additional Aura features you can enjoy include encrypted vault storage, the Safe Browsing feature built-in with the browser extension, and dark web monitoring.

Encrypting and monitoring your data is a cornerstone of internet security. The internet has evolved, and our ability to protect ourselves while using it needs to evolve as well. These features help you move into your next era.

  • Vault: 1 GB of cloud storage per adult for important documents. You can also save passwords and create child profiles for Safe Gaming.
  • Safe Browsing: Set up Aura’s Safe Browsing extension on your browser to protect against scams and phishing attacks. It also alerts you to malicious websites you’ve clicked on and blocks them so you don’t accidentally download malware.
  • Dark web monitoring: Scans the dark web for your information. Stolen credentials, financial information, medical records, and any corporate information like your intellectual property, patents, and company information can be leaked on the dark web.

Aura keeps tabs on the dark web and checks for your personal info.

Child protection

Aura offers a robust set of tools to help protect your children. These features are only included with the Aura Family plan, which lets you add an unlimited number of kids to your account. Here are the ways Aura helps prevent identity theft of minors:

  • Parental control software: Using Circle, Aura lets you block inappropriate sites and monitor how much time your child spends on apps and games like YouTube and Roblox. To access this service, download the Aura app onto your and your child’s phones. From there, you can track internet usage, what sites they’re visiting, as well as being able to block sites, pause internet access, and set screen time limits.
  • Safe Gaming with cyberbullying alerts: Get alerted to cyberbullying, scams, and even online predators that may try to target your child while they game online. ProtectMe by Kidas is offered with family plans of Aura. You can download it onto your child’s Windows PC or Mac. ProtectMe monitors voice and text for bullying, predatory behavior, and scams within your child’s games.
  • Child SSN monitoring: Aura checks public records to ensure no one uses your child’s Social Security number.
  • Credit freeze for kids: Freezing your own credit can be tedious, let alone trying to do the same for your child. Aura simplifies the process so you can request a freeze on your child’s credit through Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
  • Geo-alerts for sex offenders: Get alerts for registered sex offenders who live within a one-mile radius of your location.

One thing to note is that Aura doesn’t offer identity theft insurance for children, so only adults are covered by identity theft insurance.

Aura Parental Controls dashboard

To uninstall ProtectMe, go into your Aura antivirus portal, click on the three dots next to the device you’re protecting in the Safe Gaming tab, and click Uninstall.

Does it keep your data safe?

Aura’s privacy policy is very thorough and organized, so you can easily read through it. We read through the privacy policy and didn’t see anything that stood out as being out of the norm — until we got to the section that details how our info is used.

While it makes sense that Aura collects information in order to provide its services, it concerned us when we saw how that data could be used. Aura notes it may use your information to promote co-branded offers with its partners, including notifying you about services the company thinks you might be interested in. 

That’s a red flag for us since it’s basically saying Aura shares your info to let its partners advertise to you.

We liked that Aura doesn’t allow its partners to use our personal information for purposes other than communicating, evaluating, improving, and administering offers.

You should also note that Aura shares your data with partners that help it provide certain services. For example, Aura uses Circle to provide parental control software with its Family plan, and Circle requires your data to work properly.

Last but not least, Aura also offers multi-factor authentication, so you can add extra security to your account.

Aura offers two-factor authentication to further secure your account, which is an absolute must-have for identity theft protection services.
Aura Identity Theft Protection 2FA security prompt

Compatibility

You can use Aura on almost any device, so you can access alerts from anywhere. There's an Aura app available for iOS and Android, which have a 4.6 and a 4.7 rating, respectively.

Aura also offers a browser extension for its password manager as well as a desktop app for its VPN and antivirus.

VPN and antivirus

  • Microsoft Windows
  • Mac
  • Android
  • iOS (VPN only)

Password manager browser extension

  • Google Chrome
  • Mozilla Firefox
  • Microsoft Edge

Customer support

Aura offers various ways to contact support and a thorough help section if you want to find answers to your questions without talking to someone.

If you do prefer to chat with someone, Aura has a virtual chat assistant. In our testing, this was just a chatbot, and you had to go through a few steps before it allowed you to talk to a security specialist.

Aura also has a support email and phone number that you can use to get help.

Top alternatives

Aura is one of our top recommended identity theft protection services, but it's not the end all be all option. If you need more affordable protection, more identity theft insurance, or other features, consider the following:

Service
Price Starts at $14.95/mo Starts at $7.50/mo for first yr (billed annually) Starts at $8.99/mo
# of people covered 1 - 2 adults, unlimited kids 1 - 2 adults, up 5 children 1 - 5 adults, unlimited children
Types of identity monitoring SSN, dark web, social media, public records, court records, address change Identity and SSN, dark web, phone takeover, home title, social media Dark web, high-risk, bank account, social media, credit and debit card
ID theft insurance Up to $3 million Up to $1.05 million through $3 million, depending on plan Up to $1 million
Credit monitoring
Identity restoration services
Details Get IDShield Get LifeLock Get Identity Guard

FAQs

Is Aura worth getting?

From our testing, Aura is very much worth getting. Not only does it protect your identity, but it also includes a VPN, password manager, and antivirus protection.

Is LifeLock or Aura better?

Aura and LifeLock each have their own pros and cons. To pick the best identity theft monitoring for you, determine what features are most important and pick a service that covers those.

We like LifeLock for its large amount of identity theft insurance (up to $3 million) and generally affordable prices, at least for the first year.

But we think Aura offers more in the way of online protection with its antivirus, VPN, and ad blocker. Plus Aura provides credit reports from all three bureaus with every plan, something LifeLock only provides with its most expensive plan.

Is Aura a legitimate company?

Yes, Aura is a legitimate company. It has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and has been in business since 2019.

Does Aura lock your credit?

Yes, Aura can lock your Experian credit file. If you want to lock your Equifax or TransUnion credit files, however, you’ll need to contact the bureaus on your own.

Bottom line: Is Aura good?

Overall, we were really impressed with Aura. From setting up our account to the robust list of features, we thought it was a great solution to keep your identity protected, not to mention all of the other ways that it helps you protect yourself online, like data removal and antivirus.

Aura gives you real-time alerts on your credit report so you can know quickly if your SSN has been compromised. One thing we didn’t love was that you only get access to your VantageScore. Since so many lenders use the FICO model, we thought it was missing an important piece in the overall credit profile.

If you want to add extra security to your online activity and protect your identity, Aura is a great option. And with all the extra bells and whistles, the price tag isn’t too much to ask since you could cancel your existing password manager, VPN, and antivirus with an Aura membership. 

But if the price tag is still too high, you might consider Identity Guard as a simpler, more budget-friendly alternative — or check out our picks for the best ID theft protection

You can also see how Aura compares to these top protection services: 

4.8
Editorial Rating
Learn More
On Aura Identity Theft's website
Identity Protection
Aura Identity Theft
Save up to 68% Off
  • #1 rated ID theft protection service with a full suite of monitoring tools
  • Includes up to $1 million in ID theft insurance for up to five adults
  • Protect your children with robust parental controls and gaming alerts
Author Details
Andrew Strom Adams is a freelance writer focused on online privacy and digital security. He writes on various topics to help individuals protect themselves on the internet. Andrew has worked in legal marketing, technology, and startups. He has more than 12 years of experience in marketing and communications. He holds an M.B.A. from Westminster College and a B.A. in journalism from Oklahoma Baptist University. When he’s not writing, he’s playing with his two kids or watching reality TV.
Mary is a seasoned cybersecurity writer with over seven years of experience. With a B.S. in Liberal Arts from Clarion University and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Point Park University, she educates audiences on scams, antivirus software, and more. Her passion lies in educating audiences on helpful ways to protect their data.