It may start innocently, say, with a small credit card charge you don’t recognize. When that charge is processed, identity thieves intensify their attacks. Before you know it, they’ve taken over your accounts and locked you out. Yes, your identity has been stolen. You may have used a weak password, or the thieves may have relied on a data breach outside your control. Right now, before identity thieves strike, is the time to engage an identity theft service. We can’t steal identities to test these services, so we’ve chosen to focus on regular security suites that also include identity theft features. Combining award-winning security with comprehensive identity theft services, Bitdefender Ultimate Security and Norton 360 With LifeLock are our Editors’ Choice winners in this arena. Do keep reading to learn about our other top picks, followed by a detailed guide to choosing the best identity theft security suite for your needs.
Overview
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![Norton 360 With LifeLock]()
Best Identity Protection OverallNorton 360 With LifeLock
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![Bitdefender Ultimate Security]()
Best for Device-Level ProtectionBitdefender Ultimate Security
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![Avast One Platinum]()
Best for Large FamiliesAvast One Platinum
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![ESET Home Security Ultimate]()
Best for Tech ExpertsESET Home Security Ultimate
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![IDShield]()
Best for FamiliesIDShield
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![McAfee+]()
Best for Multi-Device HouseholdsMcAfee+
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![IDX Complete]()
Best for Protecting Your PrivacyIDX Complete
You Can Trust Our Reviews
Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
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![Norton 360 With LifeLock]()
Best Identity Protection OverallNorton 360 With LifeLock
Pros & Cons
LifeLock may well be the first identity theft protection service you've ever heard of. Combine that history with Norton’s longtime security success, and you’ve got Norton 360 With LifeLock, a winning combo. By itself, Norton 360 Deluxe is an Editors’ Choice suite, and your subscription also gets you full-scale licenses for Norton’s VPN, along with 100GB or more of online storage for your backups.
Norton offers a broader collection of identity protection features than many, though you’ll pay extra if you want every last feature or to protect more devices. Advanced-level protection costs $100 more per year and increases your device count to 10. At the Ultimate+ level, an additional $100 per year provides the maximum identity protection with no limits on the number of devices you can protect.
Why We Picked It
Pricing and pricing tiers: Norton 360 with LifeLock comes in three pricing tiers, Select, Advantage, and Ultimate Plus, priced at $149, $249, and $349 per year. The three tiers offer device-level protection for five, 10, and unlimited devices, and include hosted online storage for your backups at 100GB, 250GB, and 500GB, respectively. Each step up the pricing ladder also brings more and better identity theft features, with Ultimate Plus offering more than any competitor.
Family identity protection: You can protect yourself and your spouse or partner by choosing a Family subscription, or add up to five minors to your Family & Kids account. Upgrading to family protection significantly increases the price. For example, Select, Advantage, and Ultimate Plus at the Family level cost $274.99, $489.99, and $689.99, respectively. The pricing grid maxed out at Ultimate Plus for Family & Kids, which costs $819.99 per year.
Credit reports and monitoring: At the Select and Advantage levels, Norton monitors your credit score with one bureau (Experian); upgrading to Ultimate Plus extends that oversight to all three bureaus. It captures your full credit report once a year, files a credit score report monthly, and notifies you if its real-time scanning detects any credit score weirdness. Freezing your credit reports puts a roadblock in the way of potential identity thieves, so Norton offers links to the credit freeze pages for the bureaus. In addition, at the Advanced tier or higher, you can set up credit locks to prevent the creation of accounts in your name, including bank accounts and utility accounts.
Identity theft features: At its top subscription tier, Norton monitors more potential signs of identity theft than any competitor. It includes home title monitoring, criminal records checking, and detailed reporting of anomalous transactions on your financial accounts. You’ll get a warning if there’s abuse of your SSN, or if your personal data shows up in criminal proceedings. It also tracks suspicious activity involving: your home address, your bank and retirement accounts, new accounts, attempted phone takeover, and more. All this is on top of the expected lost wallet protection, dark web tracking, and scanning your social media for dangerous posts or changes to settings.
Insurance policy maximum: No software is perfect. Despite Norton’s best efforts, you might still have your identity stolen. In that case, you can get personalized remediation help from a dedicated Norton expert, along with a guarantee to spend what money is required for remediation. At the Select level, there’s a $1 million guarantee, plus $25,000 per claim for stolen funds and personal expenses. Advanced subscribers get a $2 million guarantee, plus $100,000 for stolen funds and for personal expenses. At the top-tier Ultimate Plus level, there’s a basic $1 million guarantee plus another $1 million for stolen funds and yet another for personal expenses. At any level, Norton doesn’t impose restrictions on specific payment types or reimbursements.
Antivirus scores: Some security apps score high with the independent labs, while others do better in my hands-on tests. Norton is at the top either way. Tested by all five labs, it earned all perfect scores, for a lab aggregate score of 10 points, the maximum. It detected 99% of my real-world phishing frauds and 99% of the malware-hosting URLs in a separate test. Challenged with my current malware collection, dozens of real-world attackers that I gathered and analyzed myself, Norton scored 9.7 of 10 possible points, which is quite good.
Device-level security: Depending on the pricing tier you choose, you can install the Editors’ Choice winner Norton 360 Deluxe on five, 10, or unlimited devices. Also, depending on your tier, you get 100GB, 250GB, or 500GB of hosted online storage for backups. You get a high-scoring antivirus, an intelligent firewall, a password manager, and parental controls, as well as a privacy-focused safe browser, an active Do Not Track system, and protection against webcam and mic misuse. The Privacy Monitor checks dozens of data brokers and reports where it finds your personal data, though even top-tier Ultimate Plus subscribers must pay extra to have Norton automate the removal of their personal data. Other security components include a privacy-centric secure browser, a software updater, and a system cleanup utility.
Who It’s For
Score trackers: Before you select a security product, you want to see some data showing that it actually works. And you’ll get plenty of data from Norton. It earned perfect scores on tests conducted by five independent labs worldwide and performed excellently in my hands-on tests.
Old-school enthusiasts: If a security company just came into existence last year, will it even be around when you need help next year? You figure your chances are better with a venerable company that’s been around the block. Norton started offering antivirus and security almost as soon as the IBM PC was introduced. It’s a true OG, both the security suite and the LifeLock-based identity protection system.
Multi-device protectors: Between yourself, your partner, and your live-in family, you have a lot of devices that need security protection. Yes, Norton offers subscriptions for five and 10 devices, but if you upgrade to the Ultimate Plus tier, you can install Norton 360 on all those devices, with no limits. As a bonus, subscribing at the top level gets you every single identity protection feature that Norton offers.
Specs & Configurations
$1 Million Insurance Antivirus Backup Behavior-Based Detection Dark Web Monitoring Data Broker Opt-Out Firewall Flag Anomalous Transactions Identity Monitoring Identity Theft Remediation Monthly Credit Score On-Access Malware Scan On-Demand Malware Scan Parental Control Password Manager Protection Type Identity Protection Ransomware Protection Social Media Tracking Tune-Up VPN Full Webcam Protection Learn More Norton 360 With LifeLock Review -
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![Bitdefender Ultimate Security]()
Best for Device-Level ProtectionBitdefender Ultimate Security
Pros & Cons
Bitdefender Total Security is our Editors’ Choice winner for entry-level security suite; Bitdefender Ultimate Security, discussed here, adds comprehensive identity theft protection as well as Bitdefender’s password manager and a no-limits edition of Bitdefender’s VPN. Once all its components are installed, it provides effective protection for your devices running Windows, macOS, Android, or iOS. The independent labs agree—they’ve tested Bitdefender on Windows, macOS, and Android, and given it top marks across the board.
As for identity theft protection, Bitdefender has partnered with TransUnion to monitor the dark web for your personal data and manage credit-related activities, such as checking your credit score and applying a credit freeze. Its Credit Simulator gives you an idea of what effect various actions would have on your credit score, such as paying off all your cards, opening a new auto loan, or declaring bankruptcy. If the monitoring system reveals misuse of your personal data for identity theft, you can quickly connect with a dedicated resolution specialist who will help you through recovery.
Why We Picked It
Pricing and pricing tiers: Bitdefender’s lowest pricing tier doesn’t include identity protection. That starts with the Plus tier, which costs $189.99 per year to protect one identity and five devices. The Plus Extended tier, which offers the most identity features, costs $249.99 per year.
Family identity protection: As with other Bitdefender suites, the family edition lets you install protection on 25 devices. It also extends identity protection to five adults. At the Plus pricing tier, you pay $269.99 per year, while Plus Extended costs $349.99 per year.
Credit reports and monitoring: At the Plus tier, Bitdefender tracks one credit bureau (TransUnion). If you upgrade to Plus Extended, it covers all three. As expected, it grabs a full report once a year, reports on your current score each month, and flags any odd score changes for your attention. Like Avast and ESET, it provides links to the credit freeze pages for each bureau.
Identity theft features: Once you’ve recorded the contents of your wallet, Bitdefender makes it easy to recover it if it is lost or stolen. On the digital side, it monitors the dark web and warns if it finds your data exposed. If you give it access to your social media, it can warn you about any posts (yours or others') that seem inappropriate or risky. It monitors your bank, credit card, and retirement accounts and watches for unauthorized new accounts. At the Plus level, it also watches for illicit access to your home title, change of address requests you didn’t make, criminal records involving your personal data, and sex offender alerts in your area. At this level, it can also notify you of any anomalous financial transactions.
Insurance policy maximum: Of course, you hope never to use it, but Bitdefender offers white-glove personalized recovery help if you fall victim to identity theft. It backs this help with a $1 million guarantee—$2 million if you subscribed at the Plus Extended tier. Note that there are caps on specific types of expenditures such as childcare, elder care, and lost wages.
Antivirus scores: Four of the five independent antivirus testing labs that I follow include Bitdefender in their latest reports, and merging those results yields an aggregate lab score of 9.6 points. In a hands-on test using very fresh real-world phishing frauds, Bitdefender scored 99% detection, and in a similar test using malware-hosting URLs, it reached 92%. Bitdefender’s basic malware-blocking score of 9.0 points is on the low side, but its impressive lab scores outweigh that one low spot.
Device-level security: Security for your PCs and other devices is provided by Editors’ Choice suite Bitdefender Total Security, with either five or 25 licenses available depending on the subscription you chose. This suite includes essentials like high-scoring antivirus, a no-limits VPN, and a smart firewall, along with bonuses such as password management, parental control, and spam filtering. Bitdefender’s multi-layered ransomware protection proved effective in testing. Other suite-level components include: the Safepay system to protect sensitive online transactions; protection against misuse of your webcam or mic for snooping; an unusual anti-theft system for Windows laptops; a vulnerability scan to find and fix missing security patches; and a collection of performance optimization tools.
Who It’s For
Laid-back users: Security isn’t your hobby. You just want to get it set up and then forget it, and Bitdefender is ready. Just follow the AutoPilot system's recommendations, then sit back. AutoPilot handles your security on its own, interacting with you only when it’s really necessary.
Thrifty users: If you subscribe to Bitdefender at the family level, you get protection for 25 devices, which boils down to $10.80 per device. Avast is slightly less, at $10 per device, but all the others range from $20 to well over $100. Bitdefender is a good deal.
Specs & Configurations
$1 Million Insurance Antispam Antivirus Dark Web Monitoring Data Broker Opt-Out Firewall Flag Anomalous Transactions Identity Theft Remediation Monthly Credit Score Parental Control Password Manager Social Media Tracking Tune-Up VPN Full Learn More Bitdefender Ultimate Security Review -
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![Avast One Platinum]()
Best for Large FamiliesAvast One Platinum
Pros & Cons
Avast One Platinum splits neatly into three parts. The Avast One cross-platform suite protects up to 30 devices. A 24/7 premium tech support service deals with all your tech problems, from installing new hardware to mastering your favorite apps. As for identity theft protection, it relies on the same partner as Bitdefender Ultimate Security, but doesn't limit its protection to you, the account holder. You can invite up to five family members, and each gets their own dashboard for monitoring credit reports and scores, checking for exposure of private data, and flagging events that could lead to identity theft.
Why We Picked It
Pricing and pricing tiers: The base price for Avast One Platinum is $299.99 per year. That’s quite a bit higher than the entry-level price for most competitors. However, at Avast’s entry level, you get protection for 30 devices and six identities. Most competitors start you with one identity and three to five devices.
Family identity protection: Most identity theft services start with a basic subscription that covers a single identity. With Avast, your basic subscription manages six identities, so there’s no need for a separate family plan.
Credit reports and monitoring: Avast constantly monitors the three big credit bureaus and reports any suspicious changes. It pulls in your credit reports every year and reports on your credit score every month. If you need to freeze your credit, Avast provides links to each bureau's online freeze page.
Identity theft features: Avast monitors the dark web and warns you if it finds your data exposed. It also tracks your social media activity for dangerous or inappropriate posts. And if your wallet is lost or stolen, Avast can help. It monitors a wide variety of online activities that might indicate identity theft. Among these are abuse of your SSN, spurious address change requests, and unusual activity in your bank and credit card accounts.
Insurance policy maximum: All the services discussed here offer personalized support if identity theft remediation is needed, and they all back this service with a minimum $1 million guarantee. Avast guarantees to pay up to $2 million if needed, though this cap applies to all identities involved. There are some restrictions. For example, it covers lost wages, but only up to a predefined amount and only for a limited time.
Antivirus scores: In my hands-on testing, Avast scored 99% detection of phishing frauds but only blocked 75% of malware-hosting URLs. Against my standard malware collection, it scored 9.7 of 10 possible points. Results from the independent testing labs proved impressive. Based on tests from all five of the labs I follow, Avast earned a near-perfect 9.8-point aggregate lab score.
Device-level security: Your Avast subscription lets you install Avast’s security suite on up to 30 devices. At the heart of this coverage are a simple firewall, an effective antivirus, and a full-featured VPN. The network security inspector lists all the devices on your network and flags any security problems, and the Email Guardian feature can reach into your webmail and eliminate fake or dangerous emails before they even hit your inbox. At the Platinum level discussed here, you get 24/7 tech support for any tech problem on any device. Other device-level security components include a set of scans for smooth performance, protection against webcam misuse and browser fingerprinting, permission-based ransomware protection, and a secure browser similar to what’s offered by AVG, Avira, and Norton.
Who It’s For
Score trackers: You don’t buy an appliance without checking its scores from independent testers, and likewise, you won’t just trust a security product that claims to be a winner. You want to see the numbers. Avast’s independent lab scores are fantastic, as are most of its scores in my hands-on tests.
Thrifty users: At just $299.99 for 30 licenses, Avast costs $10 per device. Bitdefender’s family plan comes close, at $10.80 per device, but all the others cost more, from twice Avast’s per-device price to five times or more.
Families: It’s a short step from realizing you need identity theft protection for yourself to understanding you should really get it for your whole family. With Avast, you don’t have to pay extra for family protection. The entry-level subscription gets you identity theft remediation for six adults, as well as 30 licenses to install Avast’s security suite.
Specs & Configurations
$1 Million Insurance Antivirus Application Privacy Scan Behavior-Based Detection Dark Web Monitoring Firewall Flag Anomalous Transactions Identity Theft Remediation Malicious URL Blocking Monthly Credit Score On-Access Malware Scan On-Demand Malware Scan Phishing Protection Social Media Tracking Tune-Up VPN Full Vulnerability Scan Warns of Insecure Wi-Fi Learn More Avast One Platinum Review -
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![ESET Home Security Ultimate]()
Best for Tech ExpertsESET Home Security Ultimate
Pros & Cons
Most security suites focus on integrating several components and features to support your security and privacy. With its latest offerings, ESET instead creates bundles of separate apps and services. ESET Home Security Ultimate, the best of the bunch, includes a security suite, a password manager, a VPN, and a full identity protection system powered by partner TransUnion. Most competitors protect just one identity or charge extra for family protection. ESET's base subscription covers you, your partner, and any number of children, making it a great family solution.
Avast and Bitdefender use the same partner as ESET for identity protection, but they offer additional identity features. Avast's basic protection and Bitdefender's extra-cost Plus level track your financial accounts and alert you of anomalous transactions. Neither this feature nor other enhancements, such as criminal records tracking, come with ESET's identity system.
Why We Picked It
Pricing and pricing tiers: When it comes to device-level protection, ESET’s pricing system is more flexible than many. A $ 179.99-per-year subscription covers five devices. Each additional device costs $5 more, up to $204.99 for 10 devices.
Family identity protection: Like Avast, ESET doesn’t need to offer a separate family subscription. Its basic subscription covers two adults and unlimited children.
Credit reports and monitoring: Do you really need to see your ongoing credit activity with all three bureaus? ESET figures one is enough. It provides monthly credit score reports and grabs your full credit report once a year. It also monitors your credit score in real time and pops up a warning of any unexpected changes. If you get the urge to freeze your credit, ESET provides links to the relevant pages.
Identity theft features: ESET offers the expected dark web monitoring, social media account monitoring, and wallet recovery assistance. Beyond that, it doesn’t keep track of as many potential identity theft red flags as some competitors. It warns you if it detects abuse of your SSN and monitors your bank accounts.
Insurance policy maximum: In the unfortunate event that you fall victim to identity theft, ESET’s dedicated remediation specialists work tirelessly to help you recover. Recovery can involve legal and other expenses, so ESET backs its recovery help with a $1 million guarantee. As with most competitors, there are some limits within that guaranteed amount. For example, it covers travel required for recovery, but only up to $1,000.
Antivirus scores: I test each antivirus using dozens of real malware samples that I gathered and analyzed myself. ESET came in with a dismal score in this test, 8.1 of 10 possible points, but it did much better in all other tests. It protected against 97% of malware-hosting URLs and detected 100% of real-world phishing frauds. Four independent testing labs reported on its capabilities, almost all giving it perfect scores. Its lab aggregate score of 9.8 points is quite impressive.
Device-level security: The ESET Home Security suite offers all the expected features, including antivirus, firewall, and VPN. It includes a spam filter for those who still need one, and a parental control system limited to content filtering. It's an unusual device control system that requires specialized tech expertise but gives you detailed control over external devices—for example, you could ban the use of USB drives while permitting access for specific devices or users. In this top-tier suite, device control expands to prevent unauthorized use of the webcam or mic. ESET offers an unusual anti-theft system for Windows devices, and its multi-layered ransomware protection system proved effective in testing. Other security components include the Secure Data file encryption system, a network inspector that lists all your devices and flags any security problems, a safe banking and browsing system, and the ability to install VPN protection directly on your router.
Who It’s For
Families: Once you’ve set up identity protection for yourself, you may decide you’d like to do the same for your spouse. Fortunately, a basic ESET subscription covers two adults, not just one. You can also set up a limited form of identity protection for all your kids.
Specs & Configurations
$1 Million Insurance Antispam Antivirus Application Privacy Scan Blocks Unwanted Calls Dark Web Monitoring Firewall Hardened Browser Identity Monitoring Identity Theft Remediation Monthly Credit Score Network Security Scan Parental Control Protection Type Identity Protection Snaps Photo of Thief Social Media Tracking VPN Full Warns of Insecure Wi-Fi Webcam Protection Learn More ESET Home Security Ultimate Review -
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![IDShield]()
Best for FamiliesIDShield
Pros & Cons
Protecting your own identity against abuse is important, but you could face damaging fallout if your spouse or partner suffers identity theft. And don’t think your kids are immune. Many youths reach their majority only to discover they already have a credit history—a dismal and often fraudulent one. IDShield’s family plan costs just a trifle more than Norton’s top-tier plan for individual protection, but it covers you, your partner, and any number of minor children. Upgrading to a family plan also raises the number of devices you can protect from three to 15.
Spinning up a full-blown security suite from scratch would be tough. Instead, IDShield partners with Trend Micro for device-level protection. In the crowded security suite field, Trend Micro Maximum Security isn’t an Editors’ Choice winner, but it still provides effective security protection for your Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices. You also get licenses for Trend Micro’s VPN and password manager products.
Why We Picked It
Pricing and pricing tiers: You can start your IDShield journey for $179.40 per year, which covers one identity and tracks one credit bureau. Upping your subscription to $239.40 per year sets IDShield to track all three credit bureaus, not just one. Either way, you can install protection on up to three devices.
Family identity protection: A family IDShield subscription covers two adults and unlimited children. Here, too, your cost depends on the number of credit bureaus tracked. For one bureau, you pay $359.40 per year; for all three, it runs $419.40.
Credit reports and monitoring: By default, IDShield tracks one credit bureau, posts a score report each month, and alerts you to any unusual changes. Paying $60 more extends that protection to all three major credit bureaus. One way to head off any meddling with your credit is to put a freeze on new credit accounts. Where many competitors just provide links to the freeze page for each bureau, IDShield encourages you to just ask one of its support agents for help with the process.
Identity theft features: All the services listed here can monitor your social media for risky or inappropriate posts, but IDShield goes further with an active online reputation score. Unlike most of the rest, its lost wallet protection doesn’t require that you record every finicky detail of your wallet contents. As expected, it also keeps an eye on the dark web, in case your personal information turns up for sale. Among the many other areas it tracks are: abuse of your SSN; unauthorized address change requests; criminal records associated with your personal data; and new accounts opened in your name. It also watches for signs of phone takeover, reports any sex offender activity in your area, and alerts you to anomalous bank account and credit card transactions.
Insurance policy maximum: Unlike many competing services, IDShield encourages subscribers to make use of the 24/7 help team for needs beyond identity theft recovery. For example, if you need a credit freeze or if you lost your wallet, you can get help right away. If you do need help with recovery, IDShield guarantees to spend up to $3 million, including hiring licensed private investigators.
Antivirus scores: IDShield relies on Trend Micro for its antivirus and device-level protection, but none of the testing labs I follow directly include IDShield in their reporting. It doesn’t attempt to detect phishing, and in a test using very fresh malware-hosting URLs, it prevented only 84% of the dangerous downloads. As for simple malware blocking, IDShield’s score of 7.6 (out of 10) is among the lowest.
Device-level security: With IDShield, your device-level protection comes from a licensed subscription to Trend Micro Maximum Security, available for 3 or 15 devices, depending on your subscription level. The Trend Micro suite includes antivirus, as expected, but relies on Windows for firewall protection. It offers a no-limits VPN, an aging antispam component, and parental controls that aren't very effective. The Pay Guard component adds an extra layer of security to protect your sensitive online transactions, and the ad blocker blocks ads. Among other things, the suite also includes a PCHealth checkup, a secure deletion utility, and a social media privacy scanner.
Who It’s For
Guarantee seekers: If you’re going to pay hundreds per year for identity theft protection, you want to be sure it will work if recovery becomes necessary. While all the services evaluated here back their recovery teams with at least a $1 million guarantee, IDShield ups the ante to $3 million, and specifically mentions hiring private investigators if needed. Norton also offers a $3 million guarantee, but only at its most expensive tier, Ultimate Plus.
Specs & Configurations
$1 Million Insurance Antivirus Dark Web Monitoring Data Broker Opt-Out Flag Anomalous Transactions Identity Theft Remediation Monthly Credit Score Password Manager Social Media Tracking VPN Full Learn More IDShield Review -
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![McAfee+]()
Best for Multi-Device HouseholdsMcAfee+
Pros & Cons
Just how many desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones do you own? What about the other members of your household? With McAfee+, you can install security protection on all those devices, whether they run Windows, macOS, Android, or iOS. It even protects your Chromebooks and ARM-based laptops. You also get a VPN with no limits on bandwidth or server choices, a simple password manager, and more.
McAfee+ comes in three flavors: Premium, Advanced, and Ultimate. You receive comprehensive dark web monitoring across all three levels, as well as a scan to identify your personal data profile on people search sites. When you choose Advanced or Ultimate, your protection expands to full-scale identity theft monitoring and remediation, including credit monitoring, credit score tracking, and the option to lock or freeze your credit. If you fall afoul of identity thieves, McAfee’s Licensed Restoration Experts will help you with recovery, backed by a million-dollar guarantee.
Why We Picked It
Pricing and pricing tiers: The entry-level McAfee+ tier doesn’t include identity theft protection. The first tier of interest, then, is Advanced, which costs $199.99 per year. To get the maximum level of identity protection, you want the Ultimate tier, which costs $279.99 annually. Either way, you get protection for one identity and for all the devices in your household, whether they run Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, or even ChromeOS.
Family identity protection: A family subscription for McAfee+ still covers every device in your household—you can’t improve on that coverage! The important difference is that a family subscription provides identity theft protection and mitigation for six adults. The Advanced and Ultimate tiers cost $269.99 and $424.99, respectively.
Credit reports and monitoring: McAfee+ subscribers at the Ultimate level receive credit scores and reports from all three bureaus, with daily score updates. Those at the Advanced level get monthly updates from just one bureau. To head off possible abuse of your credit, you can use McAfee’s DIY links to freeze your credit with each of the three bureaus. Ultimate users also get a one-click credit lock for TransUnion, as well as the option to lock down the creation of various new accounts in your name.
Identity theft features: While all the products discussed here offer help if your wallet is lost or stolen, almost all, except McAfee, require you to prep by filling in all the fiddly details from your various cards. With McAfee, lost wallet recovery doesn’t require that preparation step. Its social media monitoring also stands out from the pack. Rather than watching for risky posts from you or your friends, it analyzes each social account's security settings and makes recommendations. As expected, it reports any instances of your personal data appearing on the dark web. It monitors your bank accounts and warns you of new accounts opened in your name. In addition, it watches for abuse of your SSN or passport, warns of address change attempts, and flags any criminal proceedings that seem to implicate your identity.
Insurance policy maximum: With McAfee carefully watching for signs of incipient identity theft, you’re in good hands, but dedicated identity thieves might still get past its defenses. If that happens, you’ve got a help team in the form of McAfee’s Licensed Restoration Experts. They’ll do everything it takes to get you back on an even keel, including spending money as needed. At the Advanced pricing tier, McAfee offers a $1 million guarantee; Ultimate users are backed by a $2 million guarantee. That guarantee includes up to $25,000 in coverage for ransomware losses but also comes with some limitations. For example, it covers lost wages, but only up to a predefined total, and only for a limited time.
Antivirus scores: Based on my hands-on tests, McAfee+ is a total winner. It scored 10 of 10 possible points in my standard malware-blocking test and achieved a perfect 100% against real-world phishing attacks. Challenged with 100 malware-hosting URLs, it prevented 97% of the dangerous downloads. Three of the test labs I follow include McAfee in their latest reports, most of them reporting perfect scores. A few bad scores dragged its lab aggregate score down to 8.9.
Device-level security: Your McAfee+ subscription lets you install protection on every device in your household. On Windows, McAfee fits the security suite profile, with effective antivirus, a full-featured VPN, and a simple firewall at its core. It also includes a complete password manager, and subscribers at the top-tier pricing get parental control. Many bonus features have fallen by the wayside, but McAfee still includes a file shredder to ensure nobody can recover sensitive files you’ve chosen to delete. Finally, the Personal Data Cleanup system searches for your private data across numerous data broker sites and automatically sends opt-out requests.
Who It’s For
Score trackers: If you’re going to pay good money for a service that includes device-level antivirus and security, you want to be sure it's effective. McAfee aced two of my hands-on tests and came close with the third. Likewise, it earned perfect scores in two lab tests.
Old-school enthusiasts: You don’t necessarily trust a brand-new, possibly fly-by-night company. Will they still be around when you need them? You get a warm feeling from a name like McAfee, which has been around for nearly 40 years.
Multi-device protectors: Installing antivirus software on your main PC just isn’t enough. What about your tablets, Macs, and phones? What about all the devices owned by members of your household? A few competing services offer pricing tiers that cover 25 or 30 devices, but with McAfee, your entry-level subscription lets you install protection on every device in your household.
Specs & Configurations
$1 Million Insurance Antivirus Behavior-Based Detection Dark Web Monitoring Data Broker Opt-Out Firewall Flag Anomalous Transactions Identity Theft Remediation Malicious URL Blocking Monthly Credit Score On-Access Malware Scan On-Demand Malware Scan Password Manager Phishing Protection Protection Type Cross-Platform Suite Ransomware Protection Social Media Tracking VPN Full Website Rating Learn More McAfee+ Review -
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![IDX Complete]()
Best for Protecting Your PrivacyIDX Complete
Pros & Cons
IDX Complete prioritizes your privacy over security concerns. It doesn’t attempt antivirus protection, but it will remove your personal data from data broker websites. Its active Do Not Track system prevents advertisers and others from tracking your online activities. The SocialSentry feature watches for fraud and problematic content on your social media accounts. A VPN component ensures the privacy of your online connections, and a password manager lets you protect all your accounts with strong, unique passwords.
IDX Complete's identity monitoring covers a lot of ground. Naturally, it scrutinizes the dark web for traces of your personal info, but it also watches for things like misuse of your Social Security Number and unauthorized change-of-address requests. It also monitors your credit with all three bureaus. And if the worst happens, you get unlimited identity theft recovery help backed by the standard $1 million insurance.
Why We Picked It
Pricing and pricing tiers: IDX Complete is priced at $29.61 per month, billed annually at $355.32. That gets you protection for just three devices, and for one identity.
Family identity protection: Subscribing to IDX Complete at the family level costs $701.88 per year, or $58.49 per month. This pricing tier ups the number of devices from a measly three to a still-low six. As for identity protection, it covers two adults and five minors.
Credit reports and monitoring: IDX Complete displays your TransUnion credit score prominently and alerts you whenever it changes. You can also apply a TransUnion credit lock at the press of a button. Note that this isn’t the same as a credit freeze. Each of the three major credit bureaus lets you freeze your credit at no charge. A credit lock is provided by a third party (in this case, IDX Complete).
Identity theft features: IDX Complete helps you recover if your actual wallet is lost or stolen. It warns if it finds your personal data on the dark web. And you can configure it to alert you whenever a post or comment on your social media seems risky or inappropriate. It looks out for suspicious changes to your SSN, passport account, or snail-mail address. It flags new accounts opened in your name and criminal records that seem to point to your personal data.
Insurance policy maximum: Even though IDX Complete monitors many areas that could provide early warning of attempted identity theft, dedicated thieves might still gain access to your identity and accounts. If that happens, you just click the big Request Help button to connect with a remediation expert and start the recovery process. IDX Complete promises to restore your identity to its pre-breach status, and backs up that promise with a $1 million guarantee. This covers lost wages, stolen funds, legal expenses, and more.
Antivirus scores: While IDX Complete supplements its substantial identity protection system with many device-level security features, antivirus software isn’t among them. IDX Complete simply doesn’t have any scores in this arena.
Device-level security: Most of the services listed here include a full security suite for device-level protection, along with identity theft protection. With no antivirus or firewall built in, IDX Complete is an exception. It includes a full-featured password manager, a no-limits VPN, and a feature to block ads and other trackers in your browser. Perhaps its most unusual security bonus is the ForgetMe personal data cleanup utility.
Who It’s For
Traditional antivirus fans: You chose your favorite security suite years ago, and you’re sticking with it. You have no desire to switch suites just to add identity protection. Since IDX Complete doesn’t attempt antivirus or firewall protection, it shouldn’t cause compatibility troubles when you use it alongside your old favorite.
Specs & Configurations
$1 Million Insurance Antivirus Dark Web Monitoring Data Broker Opt-Out Identity Monitoring Identity Theft Remediation Monthly Credit Score Multi-Factor Authentication Password Manager Social Media Tracking VPN Full Learn More IDX Complete Review -
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Best For | Best Identity Protection Overall | Best for Device-Level Protection | Best for Large Families | Best for Tech Experts | Best for Families | Best for Multi-Device Households | Best for Protecting Your Privacy | Best Identity Protection Overall | Best for Device-Level Protection | Best for Large Families |
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Buying Guide: The Best Identity Theft Protection Software for 2026
Is It Worth Paying for Identity Theft Protection?
You don't need a security suite if you can guarantee you’ll never encounter a virus or other malware. And if you can guarantee nobody will ever steal your identity, you don’t need an ID theft protection service. But you can’t. The question is, what level of risk are you comfortable with?
Subscribing to a standalone identity theft protection service is like buying insurance. You put money into it every year, but hope you never have to use it. You might start to think those payments are a waste. However, when you combine such protection with security software for your devices, the financial picture looks decidedly better.
For example, LifeLock offers three different monitoring tiers, each paired with three levels of family protection. At each of the nine possible combinations, adding Norton 360 adds only $10 or $30 to the price. It’s like you’re getting the security suite for a Crazy Eddie-style bargain. Bitdefender Identity Theft Protection Standard costs $129.99 per year, but for $60 more, you get the award-winning Bitdefender Total Security, which includes a VPN and password manager. If you want something tangible for your money, opt for identity protection combined with standard device security.
What Are the Best Identity Theft Protection Apps for Families?
Monitoring and protecting your own identity is smart, but if your spouse or partner has their identity stolen, you’ll suffer, too. Identity protection services address the need for family protection in various ways. As with other Bitdefender suites, an individual plan protects up to five devices, while the family plan extends that protection to 25 devices. The family plan also protects five identities.
McAfee+ originally protected just individuals, but in January 2023, the company added a family option, providing full protection for two adults and limited credit monitoring for up to four children. Adding family protection raises the subscription cost by $80 at the Advanced level and almost twice that at the Ultimate tier.
Norton 360 With LifeLock and IDX Complete both offer a family plan that covers you, your partner, and up to five children. Norton also offers a plan for just you and your partner. There’s not much volume discount in either. Norton's two-adult plan costs twice as much, while IDX Complete’s family plan pricing is just a few dollars short of double the individual price. Norton is the most expensive option. If you opt for the partner plus kids plan at the top Ultimate Plus tier, you’ll pay $819.99 per year.
IDShield emerges as a leader in family protection. A family license costs twice as much as an individual license but offers identity protection for you, your partner, and all your minor children. Do you think your kids don't need identity protection? Wait until they turn 18 and discover someone, somewhere, has utterly ruined their credit.
Avast One Platinum relies on the same third-party partner as Bitdefender. However, where a Bitdefender subscription protects just you, Avast lets you add up to five family members. Each member gets a personal dashboard to track their own credit and personal data. And with 30 licenses to install the security suite component, your family can protect all their devices.
The same third-party partner that backs Bitdefender and Avast also provides identity protection for ESET Home Security Ultimate. ESET's protection matches what you get at Bitdefender's entry-level tier, but it lacks some advanced features, such as tracking anomalous financial transactions. Like Avast, it protects family members, not just individuals, and its price is less than two-thirds of what you pay for Avast. ESET also specifically promises to continue its efforts even after a covered family member passes away.
The Best Overall Identity Monitoring Services
Some features are standard in all sensible identity theft protection services. They all monitor the dark web to ensure your data doesn't appear there. They also include a system to help you deal with the consequences of a lost or stolen wallet, and support experts standing by at all times, who will work with you as long as it takes to recover from identity theft. And they all back their remediation promises with at least $1 million of insurance.
Most of these services partner with a credit bureau to offer credit monitoring, a monthly credit score, and an easy way to freeze your credit. Some extend coverage to all three bureaus for an extra cost. A few offer an analysis of your score, highlighting the key positive and negative factors. The Credit Simulator in Bitdefender Ultimate Security, ESET Home Security Ultimate, and Avast One Platinum lets you see what would happen to your score if, say, you paid off a credit card or declared bankruptcy.
All these services, except ESET, will warn you of unauthorized change-of-address attempts. A few go further and track any attempts at illicit changes to your home title. You’ll get a warning from many if someone tries to open a new account in your name. Others watch your bank and credit accounts and flag anomalous transactions.
When selecting an identity theft protection service, read the details carefully. Some features may require a specific service tier. For example, change-of-address warnings and anomalous transaction alerts require Bitdefender’s Plus level. Home title monitoring and tracking of retirement accounts only kick in at Norton’s Ultimate Plus level.
How Does Identity Theft Insurance Work?
All the identity theft remediation services mentioned here back their programs with an insurance policy of at least $1 million. However, that doesn’t mean they’ll cut you a big check. Before signing up, read the fine print.
Some services reimburse you for funds directly stolen in an identity theft attack. McAfee used to put a $10,000 cap on such reimbursement, but now pledges up to a million if needed. With Norton, the cap depends on your service tier: $25,000 at the Select level, $100,000 at the Advantage level, and a full $1 million at the Ultimate Plus level. Bitdefender’s Plus level specifically offers up to $50,000 for ransomware recovery.
You’re also likely to find caps on reimbursement for specific losses due to identity theft. For example, if you lose your job due to identity theft, the insurance may cover lost wages, but only for a limited period, perhaps $1,500 per week for eight weeks or $2,000 per week for five weeks. Caps also apply to travel expenses, childcare and elder care expenses, and notary fees.
Note that Norton doesn't impose such caps or sub-limits. At its top tier, it promises $1 million each for remediation, reimbursement of stolen funds, and compensation for personal expenses, for a total of $3 million.
Don’t imagine identity theft insurance will cover money lost due to your own negligence. If you give your bank account details to your new bestie, who then turns around and robs you, that’s your own darn fault. You’re also likely to find requirements that you notify the service promptly, file any appropriate police reports, and provide the remediation experts with any necessary documents.
So, if that $1 million (or more) in insurance money mostly doesn’t go to you, where does it go? The service uses that fund to pay lawyers, investigators, and other experts to get your life back on track after an identity theft event.