[Last updated: June 27, 2016]
Best Overall: Identity Guard
Overview: Multiple plans that provide a great range of protection to fit different budgets. Great features and bonuses to their customers make Identity Guard our top choice.
Summary: We recommend Identity Guard as our preferred protection service and it’s easy to see why. The service has a range of pricing to allow you to choose the level of protection that fits the budget. Amazing protection for busy individuals and heavy travelers due to the feature-rich mobile application. Basic protection is one of the lowest cost options on our list, and the platinum level service is still a value and Costco members even get a discount to make their plans even more affordable. You’ll get wholistic care from monitoring your financial well being, protecting your personal data, and (in the event of breach) Identity Guard will help you recover. Unfortunately, this service doesn’t include medical identity or help getting off of those pesky mailing lists. If you want great identity theft coverage for the best price, this option is worth a good look.
Read our full Identity Guard review here.
Best for Business: Identity Force
Overview: Not only is our second choice great for individuals, but Identity Force covers business identity protection options as well. It’s also packed with features.
Summary: Businesses need to be alerted of several situations when it comes to the identity of your brand. Identity Force has geared their service to be ideal for small companies and great for individual users as well. The company will help you remove sensitive or harmful information that has been published about you, or your business online. If you have sensitive data that is “hacked” such as customer records, Identity Force has a RapidResponse feature for data breaches. You’ll also be alerted to any unusual or unsanctioned financial transactions. Credit monitoring does cost extra and if you’re looking for that as your primary service, you may want to look elsewhere. Business owners who want to protect their reputation will definitely want to take notice.
Read our full Identity Force review here.
Number 3: LifeLock
Overview: One of the better known options, LifeLock is great for heavy internet users as well as parents of an online generation looking to keep their kids safe.
Summary: Most people recognize the name of our number three spot. One of the first in the identity theft protection space, LifeLock is still one of the best companies in the industry. The three plans offered come with a great amount of security, and the premium plans offer deep level protection of your bank account information in places you don’t want to know about. File sharing sites are also monitored for your information, which is a unique feature among competitors. Their system is one of the best at detection and lives up to the name. This type of coverage keeps them at the top, but their feature loaded plan is a bit higher than others. But if you want a trusted name and a great service, LifeLock may be right for you.
Read our full LifeLock review here.
Number 4: FICO Ultimate 3B protection
Overview: Simple coverage with one plan and all available features included. Immediate alerts help you respond to incidents quickly and ID Freeze helps you get back on track.
Summary: The FICO Ultimate 3B protection is a solid and trusted option. Their name may sound confusing, but their plan is incredibly simple. There are a few other plans, but this is the only one that comes with everything they offer for a single reasonable price. Given that this is FICO identity theft protection, your FICO will be monitored. You will also find resources and suggestions to help you improve your credit scores over time, and added features that others typically lack. Immediate alerts will help you move quickly and hopefully stop the full extent of damage that can occur from a theft. While everything is included, the feature selection isn’t as good as other options and some may take it out of the running for your protection. That said, if you need protection and don’t want to choose between the features and plans, FICO Ultimate 3B is worth a look.
Read our full FICO Ultimate 3B review here.
Number 5: TrustedID
Overview: Next level monitoring including social media accounts and features for both families and small business owners put TrustedID firmly on our top list.
Summary: No matter how well you try to protect yourself and not put private matters on social media, the ever-changing privacy policies of many networks (like Facebook) make it difficult to keep sensitive data safe. TrustedID monitors Facebook to keep your identity safe even on social. A unique family pricing option is also available which covers all members of a household. Businesses can also benefit from their extensive features. Your company can even offer identity theft protection as a company benefit, securing the data of the people you pay. There is no loan monitoring service to check up on those details and the family plan only includes two adults, so no extended family options are available. If you’re active on social and have a family that needs protection, you should definitely research TrustedID.
Read our full TrustedID review here.
Number 6: Equifax ID Patrol
Overview: Highly customizable experience and excellent customer support. Equifax ID Patrol can keep you as involved and up-to-date as you like.
Summary: You know your money and accounts better than anyone else. If you like a “hands-on” approach to your identity theft protection, Equifax ID Patrol is perfect for you. You can customize all of the alerts you will get. If you don’t want to be notified of lower dollar amounts, you can raise them higher. There are many customizations that will have you getting the right information specifically tailored to your needs and desires. Another feature for the proactive is the 24/7 customer support team. You can access someone anytime day or night to discuss any issues or problems with service. If you want to learn more about the service or general information on ID theft, the site doesn’t have an extensive knowledge center.
Read our full Equifax ID Patrol review here.
Number 7: ID Watchdog
Overview: Great for individuals on a tight budget that need identity theft protection. User-friendly design make it easy to use and an overall great bang for your buck.
Summary: While most services have a basic subscription that seems like a low cost option, the features and level of protection is often not what you’d expect. To get a full set of goodies, you have to pay a higher price. ID Watchdog is attempting to change that with lower cost options that include more coverage for your money. The interface is easy to use and read to keep you up in the know on your financial issues. There are two plans, both inexpensive and ready to give you some great value and security coverage. If you want access to the reports detailing your security and monitoring on all three credit agencies, you’ll have to go with the premium plan (still a good value).
Read our full ID Watchdog review here.
Number 8: Privacy Guard
Overview: Powerful credit monitoring for early warning signs of identity theft. Excellent for heavy internet users and includes antivirus software for your computing needs.
Summary: Privacy Guard comes with some great features and very strong monitoring of all three credit reports. One low-priced plan gets you everything that this provider has to offer, not typical in this industry. They’ll even throw in some free anti-virus software to keep your laptops and pc’s safe. If you are looking for a ton of options to go along with your identity theft protection, you may want something else. Privacy Guard lacks many of the more popular features like child, fraud alerts, and bank account monitoring. The lack of these features may make it too unappealing for some. However, if you want to make sure your credit stays in tact while having a solid, affordable ID theft provider, take an in-depth look.
Read our full Privacy Guard review here.
Number 9: MetLife Defender
Overview: Easy to follow identity theft coverage and options that fit both individuals and families. Excellent choice for the less than tech-savvy and elderly to keep you safe and understand how it’s being done.
Summary: The primary reason identity theft is scary is the lack of understanding around it. Coverage can be beneficial, but many people don’t even understand what they are being protected from and how it works. MetLife is a trusted name in another confusing industry, insurance. That same ability to explain the complex travels over to their Defender brand. All of the coverage options and plans are well presented, and clearly stated. There are highly advanced child monitoring features that allow for great protection of your kids in their family plan. There are only two plans available for individuals and families, but both are reasonably priced. If you lack understanding about the world of identity theft, but feel like you need protection, MetLife Defender is possibly the best option to provide everything you need and explain why you need it.
Read our full MetLife Defender review here.
Number 10: Intelius
Overview: Basic credit monitoring and alert system that provides all you need to keep your identity safe. Not a lot of extras involved, including some that are usually standard with other services.
Summary: Definitely not our fanciest option on the list, but Intelius gets the job done by keeping your credit reports under surveillance. When you sign up, you’ll also receive your credit score (a handy feature that most others don’t provide). The service also monitors your health insurance number, helping identity medical scams. Unfortunately, that’s where they stop setting themselves apart. There are not account freeze options, or extensive financial account monitoring available with any of Intelius’s plans. Most looking for extensive identity theft protection will want to take a pass. This service is great for anyone who wants to know when their credit has been messed with and those who could be prone to medical fraud.
Read our full Inteius review here.
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