Experian IdentityWorks Review 2024: Testing a Credit Bureau-Provided Service

Experian IdentityWorks has a solid free plan for basic identity and credit protection, but it can be pricey on its paid plans and it doesn't have the best data security. Experian was breached in 2015 and it only uses SSL encryption on its site, which is has been deprecated and replaced by TLS. 

But IdentityWorks does offer up to $1 million in identity theft insurance if you become an identity theft victim, as well as dedicated identity resolution specialists, so you don’t have to navigate recovering your identity and money alone. 

We tested Experian IdentityWorks so we could break down its pricing, features, security practices, and more.

Experian IdentityWorks review at a glance

Price	Free–$34.99/mo
# of people covered	1 - 2 adults, 20 children
Types of identity monitoring	SSN, financial account takeover, social network, dark web, court records, and more
Credit monitoring	Yes
Credit reports	Yes — Experian, Equifax, TransUnion
Credit score	Yes
Identity theft insurance	Up to $1 million
Identity restoration services	Yes
Extras	None
24/7 customer support	No
Learn more	Get Experian IdentityWorks

Our experience with Experian IdentityWorks

Experian IdentityWorks had a basic signup process, with a free trial for the Premium and Family plans. You'll be asked to share personally identifiable information (PII) like your full name, date of birth, and Social Security number (SSN).

We've found that most identity theft protection have user-friendly dashboards. But the Experian dashboard has a lot more going on than we're used to. 

There are tabs for "Money," "Credit Cards," "Loans," and "Auto & Insurance," which are all focused on what your credit scores can do for you. The "Protection" tab is where you can find your identity monitoring categories, but we wish it was more clearly labeled or at least somewhere on the main dashboard.

We stumbled upon some major hitches during our testing. Experian's habit of sharing user data with third parties might put off those who value their privacy, especially since it states your data may be used to create targeted advertising. 

We also aren't fans of its use of SSL encryption, which has been deprecated since 2015. And in 2015, Experian was hacked, which led to a data breach that affected millions of consumers. 

Experian IdentityWorks is a solid credit monitoring service, especially if you opt for the free plan, but these security issues may not justify the cost.

Who is Experian IdentityWorks best for?

• Recommended for those in need of basic credit monitoring

We found the Experian IdentityWorks free plan is not as comprehenve as the paid plans, but it's very helpful for monitoring credit and personal information. After all, some protection is better than none.

The paid Premium and Family plans aren’t the cheapest — you’ll find better deals from Norton LifeLock, for example — but they do offer exceptional identity monitoring and protection features. These include monthly privacy scans and data removal services.

Experian IdentityWorks prices and subscriptions

Experian IdentityWorks plans are between Free–$34.99/mo. There's a free plan and two premium plans.

Most identity theft protection doesn't have a free option, so Experian is unique in that way. However, it's starting prices are more expensive than most identity theft protection.

Here's how Experian IdentityWorks' Premium plan compares to equivalent plans from other services:

• Aura Individual: $17.00/mo (billed annually)
• Identity Guard Ultra: Starts at $10.99/mo (billed annually)
• LifeLock Ultimate Plus: Starts at $19.99/mo (billed annually) for first year
• Experian IdentityWorks Premium: $24.99/mo

Note that Experian IdentityWorks doesn't have any long-term subscriptions, which usually help save money. You can only pay month-to-month.

Plan	1-month cost
Basic	Free
Premium	$24.99/mo
Family	$34.99/mo

Plan features comparison

Experian IdentityWorks offers three identity protection plans: Basic, Premium, and Family. The Basic plan provides credit monitoring, reports, and FICO scores from Experian.

The two paid plans, Premium and Family, include similar features but the Family plan adds coverage for an additional adult and up to Free children.

See how the plan coverage compares in the table below. 

Plan	Basic	Premium	Family
Who’s covered	1 adult	1 adult	2 adults, 10 children
SSN monitoring
Financial account monitoring
Credit monitoring
Credit reports	Yes — Experian	Yes — Experian, Equifax, TransUnion	Yes — Experian, Equifax, TransUnion
Credit score	Yes — FICO	Yes — FICO	Yes — FICO
Credit lock
Identity theft insurance		Up to $1 million	Up to $1 million
Identity restoration services
Dark web monitoring	One-time surveillance report
Social media monitoring
Home title monitoring
USPS address change alerts

Experian IdentityWorks features

Experian IdentityWorks offers an several features to help you safeguard your personal information and monitor your credit. Some standouts include credit monitoring from all three credit bureaus, dark web alerts, and social media account alerts.

You may find IdentityWorks’ identity protection features worthwhile. Here’s what you can expect.

What does Experian IdentityWorks protect against?

The Experian IdentityWorks service protects against these common identity theft situations:

• SSN and personal identifying information (PII) theft with dark web scans
• Credit card fraud — IdentityWorks’ paid plans let you lock or freeze your credit
• Medical identity theft
• Home title theft
• Child identity theft
• Financial account takeover (by monitoring your bank accounts and credit cards as well as monitoring your credit scores on Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax)

Identity monitoring

Identity theft protection services help you stay vigilant by offering a variety of alerts that keep you informed about any suspicious activities that could compromise your security.

Here are some of the common alerts provided by Experian IdentityWorks that will notify you of potential security risks:

• Dark web monitoring that helps you spot compromised personal information
• Social media account alerts, including suspicious activity
• Sex offender registry alerts notify you if and when a sex offender moves in nearby
• Court record and arrest record alerts
• USPS change of address alerts

Experian also provides financial account alerts for the following:

• Bank accounts: High transaction amounts, low balance, and suspicious activity
• Loans: Alternative lending activity, new installment loans, new accounts, and payday loans
• Credit cards: An increase or decrease in credit limit, hard inquiries, unauthorized inquiries on locked credit files, opened new accounts, and delinquent payments

Credit monitoring

Experian IdentityWorks Basic comes with Experian credit reports, scores, and monitoring. The paid plans come with credit monitoring from all three bureaus. 

Credit reports and credit scores

It's important to keep a close watch on your credit reports and scores for many reasons. By regularly looking at your credit reports, you can spot any mistakes, red flags for fraud, or even signs of identity theft — and then do something about it right away.

Staying in the loop with your credit scores helps you know how creditworthy you are, which is really useful when making big financial choices like applying for loans, credit cards, or mortgages.

Experian IdentityWorks paid plans gather reports from all three credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) to make sure you have a complete picture of your credit situation. You'll receive these reports every quarter. 

You'll also get a daily Experian FICO scores with the paid plans. 

These frequent updates mean you stay ahead of the game and tackle any issues as they come up.

Identity restoration services

If you find you’ve become a victim of identity theft, the Experian IdentityWorks paid plans provide identity theft insurance of up to $1 million.

You'll also get dedicated fraud resolution support. These specialists, can help freeze your credit files, contact creditors to dispute charges, close accounts, and more. You can call Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. CT, and Saturday through Sunday, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT.

Finally, you can receive assistance if your wallet is lost or stolen. Its team can check your credit report for active account and help you cancel and reorder any cards or documentation.

None of these services are available with the Basic plan.

Does Experian keep your data safe?

Experian is a reputable credit reporting agency that also provides identity theft protection. Keeping your data safe is vital when selecting such a service. Here are some essential points from Experian's privacy policy and security measures:

• Data collection: Experian gathers a variety information, including personal identification, financial details, and data on your devices and online activities.
• Data usage: Experian uses the collected data to offer and improve their services, secure their databases, and communicate with users about products and services.
• Data sharing: Experian may share your information with third parties in specific situations, such as service providers, affiliates, or as required by law. This includes sharing your data to allow third parties to target you with personalized advertising.
• Encryption: Experian's website uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology for secure communication between your browser and its servers. This is concerning since SSL is a deprecated technology that was replaced by Transport Layer Security (TLS) in 1999.
• Two-factor authentication (2FA): As of September 2021, Experian didn't explicitly mention two-factor or multi-factor authentication, but we’ve noted it now offers a security question or PIN to lock down your account.

In conclusion, we were offput by Experian sharing data with third parties for advertising and that it uses outdated measures to protect user information. We were relived to find a section in the policy detailing your rights to opt out of the processing of certain personal information at the very least.

Experian IdentityWorks compatibility

Experian IdentityWorks knows how essential it is for users to have easy access to their identity theft protection services, which is why they offer their mobile app for Apple and Android users.

Apple users can find the Experian app on the Apple App Store, while Android users can download the Experian app from the Google Play Store. The apps for both platforms were highly rated:

• iOS: Rated 4.8 out of 5 stars
• Android: Rated 4.7 out of 5 stars

Keep in mind, though, that ratings can change over time. So, it's always a good idea to check the app stores for the latest ratings and user reviews to uncover any potential bugs or issues before you encounter them.

Experian customer support

Experian IdentityWorks’ customer service portal is packed with easy-to-follow online guides and resources that cover everything from the basics of identity theft protection to the nitty-gritty of using the platform's features.

As a whole, Experian rates 1.0 out of 5 stars on Consumer Affairs, and users of its services offer a mixed bag of reviews, with some reviewers noting they never got an option to speak to another person.^[1] This means your experience with Experian customer service could be good or bad.

If you aren’t satisfied with the help you receive, we recommend contacting them again at another time to get a different representative or asking if you can speak to someone else.

Top alternatives

IdentityWorks is an alright identity theft protection service from Experian, but we're concerned about its data security practices. That's why we've supplied several alternatives for your consideration:

Experian IdentityWorks FAQs

Bottom line: Is Experian IdentityWorks good?

Experian IdentityWorks is a decent choice for basic credit protection. The paid plans are more expensive than most services we've reviewed, include fewer features, and have less than great data security practices. 

We were also disappointed to see Experian shares data with third parties for the purpose of targeted ads, and its security measures (SSL) may be outdated.

If you do opt for a paid plan, the service covers monitoring with all three major credit bureaus, delivering comprehensive credit monitoring and regular credit reports and scores. You’ll also get up to $1 million in identity theft insurance, identity recovery help, dark web alerts, social media account alerts, and alerts for potential fraud linked to payday loans and court records.

If IdentityWorks doesn’t sound like a right fit in terms of budget, features, or security measures, you can review our list of the best identity theft protection. You can also review how our top alternatives compare to Experian:

• Experian IdentityWorks vs. LifeLock
• Experian IdentityWorks vs. Aura
• Experian IdentityWorks vs. IdentityIQ