With cyber threats on the rise, choosing the right identity theft protection service is paramount for safeguarding your personal information. Two prominent contenders in this domain, Aura and Identity Guard, stand ready to defend your sensitive data.

To help you decide between Aura vs. Identity Guard, we’ll go into detail about their services and pricing, assisting you in making an informed decision in your search for the best identity protection service to fortify your identity security.

Identity Guard vs. Aura—Overview

Both services fall under the umbrella of Aura Sub, LLC, but although they share a common parent company, their individual offerings tell a distinct story. Despite being the younger sibling in this identity protection family, Aura has risen to prominence by introducing an array of advanced features that outshine the capabilities of Identity Guard.

Aura has gained a reputation for its user-friendly approach and modern features, and although it’s a newcomer, the service has managed to secure a customer base.

Identity Guard has a longer history, having been in operation for many years. It has built a reputation for providing comprehensive identity theft protection solutions and is known for its reliability.

Features and Services

Both services aim to help you monitor and protect your identity and personal information, but they achieve that goal through different features. Here are the key differences between Identity Guard and Aura:

1. Monitoring and alerts
2. Identity restoration
3. Identity theft insurance
4. Additional security features
5. Pricing and plans

Monitoring and Alerts

Identity Guard provides comprehensive monitoring of your personal information, including credit monitoring, dark web monitoring, and social media monitoring. Its vigilant system scans for suspicious activities related to your identity and sends you real-time alerts, ensuring you’re promptly informed about potential threats. However, unlike Aura, some services are only available in the higher-cost plans. These include:

• Monthly credit reports 
• Bank account and transaction monitoring
• Dark web monitoring
• Social media monitoring 

One of the key aspects setting Aura apart is its commitment to comprehensive monitoring and alerts available as a standard feature across all its plans. This approach is a testament to Aura’s dedication to providing top-notch protection to all its users, regardless of their chosen subscription level. It not only offers credit and dark web monitoring but also provides financial fraud monitoring and alerts. Aura’s proactive approach to monitoring ensures that you stay ahead of identity theft threats, with timely notifications of any suspicious activities involving your personal data.

Identity Restoration

In the unfortunate event of identity theft, Identity Guard offers identity restoration services. A team of experts will work diligently to help you recover your identity and rectify any damage caused, sparing you the often daunting and time-consuming process of resolving identity theft issues on your own.

Identity Guard’s customer support hours are limited compared to Aura, though, as it’s only available as follows:

• 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. (EST) on weekdays 
• 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays 

If anything happens on a Sunday, you’ll struggle to get help. Identity Guard’s plans don’t cover lost wallet protection, and concierge resolution is only available for the Ultra plan users.

Aura also offers identity restoration services, ensuring that a dedicated team of specialists will guide you through the challenging process of recovering your identity in the event of theft. It offers 24/7 throughout the year support, so you can reach out for help at any time should anything happen.

Identity Theft Insurance

Identity theft insurance is a critical component of identity theft protection services, providing financial security and peace of mind in case the unexpected occurs. Aura and Identity Guard offer similar identity theft insurance coverage for their individual plans, each extending up to $1 million in insurance protection. However, the distinction arises when it comes to family plans.

Aura stands out by offering identity theft insurance on its family plan. With the Aura family plan, which accommodates up to five adults, users collectively enjoy up to $5 million in theft insurance. This means that each adult covered under the family plan is entitled to up to $1 million in insurance coverage.

Additional Security Features

When it comes to enhancing your digital security beyond identity theft protection, Aura offers a comprehensive suite of advanced features. In addition to identity theft protection services, Aura provides users with the following:

1. A virtual private network (VPN) to encrypt internet connections
2. Parental controls for safeguarding family members online
3. A password manager to enhance password security
4. Antivirus software for added defense against malware and cyber threats

Identity Guard primarily focuses on identity theft protection and provides a password manager as a supplementary security feature. Aura’s commitment to providing a multifaceted approach to security ensures that users can not only safeguard their identities but also fortify their overall digital safety.

Pricing and Plans

Both Aura and Identity Guard offer options to suit various budgets. Their family plans cover five adults and unlimited children. However, there’s a notable difference in the value proposition each service provides. Here’s a side-by-side comparison of their pricing:

Type of Plan	Identity Guard	Aura
Individual Plan	$8.99/month Value Plan $19.99/month Total Plan $29.99/month Ultra Plan	$12/month
Couple Plan	No couple plan	$22/month
Family Plan	$14.99/month Value Plan $29.99/month Total Plan $39.99/month Ultra Plan	$32/month

Identity Guard’s pricing may seem attractive at first glance, with plans starting at a low rate, but the trade-off becomes apparent when you dig into the details. For example, to access essential services like credit monitoring and identity restoration, you’ll need to opt for the top-tier plan. Meanwhile, the basic plans may offer little in terms of value, and you’ll need to upgrade significantly to access comprehensive protection.

Aura takes a different approach by offering consistent benefits across all its plans. Whether you choose the basic or premium plan, you’ll have access to the same essential services like credit monitoring and identity restoration. This straightforward pricing model simplifies the decision-making process and provides more value for your investment.

Which Identity Protection Service Should You Choose?

When choosing an identity protection service, your decision should be based on your specific needs and priorities. Identity Guard, while offering lower-priced tiers, comes with limited features for its budget-friendly options, requiring you to opt for the top-tier plan to access essential services like credit monitoring and identity restoration.

Aura, on the other hand, despite its robust feature set, has an interface that some users might find cluttered. Additionally, its couple and family plans can be on the pricier side. Considering these factors, it’s worth exploring alternatives that strike a balance between affordability and comprehensive protection.

FreeKick is one such alternative that offers competitive pricing while delivering a wide range of identity protection services. It not only provides affordable pricing but also introduces unique features like credit building for children. This innovative approach protects your identity while setting the stage for your child’s financial future.

FreeKick—A Two-In-One Identity Protection and Credit Building Platform

FreeKick by Austin Capital Bank is an FDIC-insured deposit account that helps you protect your family’s identities while building credit for your children. Child identity theft occurs every 30 seconds, which is why investing in identity protection services like FreeKick is more important than ever.

Use FreeKick for Identity Protection

FreeKick’s identity protection service is for the entire family. For adult children and parents, FreeKick offers:

• Credit profile monitoring
• SSN monitoring
• Dark web monitoring for personal information
• Up to $1 million identity theft insurance
• Full-service white-glove concierge credit restoration
• Lost wallet protection
• Court records monitoring
• Change of address monitoring
• Non-credit (Payday) loan monitoring
• Free FICO® Score monthly
• FICO® Score factors
• Experian credit report monthly

For minors, FreeKick offers:

• Credit profile monitoring
• Social Security number (SSN) monitoring
• Dark web monitoring for children’s personal information
• Up to $1 million identity theft insurance
• Full-service white-glove concierge credit restoration
• Sex offender monitoring—based on sponsor parent’s address

Use FreeKick for Building Credit

FreeKick also offers a credit building service for children aged 13 to 25. All you have to do is take three steps:

1. Create an Account—Navigate to FreeKick.bank, create an account, and choose a deposit that suits your budget
2. Set It and Forget It—FreeKick will start building 12 months’ worth of credit history for your children
3. Keep Growing—After 12 months, you can close the account without any fees or continue building credit for your family for another year

As a result of this minor effort, your children will have up to five years of credit activity when they turn 18. In turn, this head start will help them save $200,000 during their lifetimes by letting them secure loans on more favorable terms.

FreeKick Pricing

FreeKick has two pricing plans:

FDIC-Insured Deposit	Annual Fee
$3,000	$0 (Free)
No deposit	$149

Each plan offers:

1. Credit building for six children aged 13 to 25
2. Identity protection for two parents and six children aged 0 to 25

Save your family from identity theft and give them a bright financial future—sign up for FreeKick today.