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Which Is Better, Aura or Cloaked?
Both Aura and Cloaked market their services as “all-in-one” online privacy and safety solutions, but they take fundamentally different approaches to keeping their customers safe.
This isn’t just a difference in feature sets. Cloaked’s premise is built around using “cloaked identities” to mask personal information, whereas Aura provides more extensive monitoring, faster fraud alerts, and robust device and online protection.
- Choose Aura for true all-in-one protection and digital security across your devices. Aura takes a holistic approach to online privacy protection and safety by providing the most comprehensive dark web monitoring, three-bureau credit monitoring with the industry’s fastest fraud alerts3, stronger data removal tools, a full suite of digital security tools, and up to $5 million in identity theft insurance coverage.
- Choose Cloaked for phone, email, and payment aliases. Cloaked’s main selling point is that it provides anonymity when you sign up for new services so that your true data stays safe in the event of a data breach. However, this largely ignores the fact that billions of pieces of personal data are leaked every year, meaning there’s a good chance that your data is already out there.
The choice between Aura and Cloaked ultimately comes down to which company’s vision for online safety and privacy aligns more closely with yours.
Aura vs. Cloaked at a Glance: Key Features, Plans, and Pricing
It’s hard to compare Aura directly to Cloaked because they offer very different feature sets (even though they both claim to solve similar issues). Because they also charge a similar monthly fee, your decision comes down to which features you value more, and which provider you trust with your safety.
Here’s how the two providers stack up head-to-head:
The bottom line: Cloaked hides your contact details, but charges a premium — without providing the same depth of monitoring and coverage as Aura.
Cloaked 2026 Review: Pros and Cons
Cloaked was launched in 2023 by brothers Arjun and Abhijay Bhatnagar. Originally, the product centered on one idea: create anonymized email addresses, phone numbers, credit cards, and passwords so that you never have to give out your real information and risk having it leaked in a data breach.
Since then, the team has added other features, including data broker removal, dark web monitoring, and more. Here’s what’s included in Cloaked’s plans:
- Cloaked Identities — unlimited anonymized emails, phone numbers, and passwords to use when signing up for online services
- Basic dark web monitoring of eight “types” of personal data
- Password manager for creating and storing login credentials
- Virtual Private Network (VPN) to hide your IP address
- Data removal from 120+ data broker sites
- Call Guard to help block spam calls and robocalls
- Cloaked Pay to generate virtual cards for online purchases
- Up to $1 million in identity theft insurance for some costs and fees associated with identity theft
Recently, Cloaked raised $375 million with plans to expand its privacy features for companies and their employees.
Who should choose Cloaked? Cloaked is a good option for anyone whose main concern is keeping their phone number, email, and credit card details anonymous. However, for all-in-one online safety, you’ll want to complement Cloaked with a trusted tool for credit and identity monitoring.
How much does Cloaked cost?
Cloaked offers one core plan with discounts for protecting multiple people at once. There are also discounts for paying for a full year upfront.
Cloaked offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, but it is voided for anyone that “extensively utilizes the services.”
Here’s a rundown of Cloaked’s plans and pricing as of May 2026:
Note: Cloaked has a free “Data Safety Scan” but doesn’t offer a free trial. You can cancel or change your plan at any time.
What are the downsides of using Cloaked?
Cloaked’s main downside is its narrower, specific focus on masking personal information. While this may help you from having your true data leaked in the future, it won’t protect you from how hackers and scammers can use the data about you that’s already out there.
For example, Cloaked won’t alert you to changes to your credit file, high-risk or suspicious transactions in your bank account, or drops in your credit score.
Here are some additional downsides that you should consider before signing up for Cloaked:
- No financial account monitoring or alerts. Cloaked doesn’t connect to your bank account and won’t monitor your credit files for changes — one of the earliest signs of identity fraud.
- Limited dark web monitoring. Data breaches can leak all sorts of information — but Cloaked only monitors “eight types of personal data.”
- Small number of data brokers covered. Cloaked will automatically send data removal requests to just 120+ data broker sites, significantly less than competitors such as Aura (200+), DeleteMe (850+), Incogni (420+), and OneRep (230+).
- Limits to identity theft coverage. While plans include the industry-standard $1 million insurance coverage, there are policy limitations that prospective customers should be aware of. For example, lost wages reimbursement is capped at $2,000 per week for a maximum of five weeks, and CPA costs are capped at $1,000 per policy period.
- No money-back guarantee for “heavy” users. Under Cloaked’s Terms of Use and Prohibited Use Policy, you cannot qualify for a refund if you create more than 50 Cloaked identities during your first month.
- Difficult cancellation process. Users on third-party review site Trustpilot and on Reddit have complained about the reliance on AI chatbots for customer service — especially when customers try to cancel and get a refund. As one user on Reddit explained: “I asked an AI chatbot for a refund, which informed me I had to speak with a human in chat. Nobody was available at 5:50 a.m. PDT.”
- Missing device security features. Cloaked plans include an encrypted virtual private network (VPN), but reviewers have noted that it only works on mobile (not desktop) devices. Cloaked also lacks antivirus software, Safe Browsing, ad blockers, and other tools that protect against malware, hackers, and online threats.
- You waive your right to sue over data misuse. Cloaked’s Terms of Service state that you “waive and release any claims you may have against Cloaked for any damages, costs or liabilities you incur from Cloaked's use of Your Information.”
Aura Pros and Cons: Who Should Choose Aura?
Founded in 2014, Aura has become one of the most awarded and recommended identity theft protection providers.
In 2026, Aura has been rated the #1 identity theft protection provider by CNET, TechRadar, Security.org, and others.
Unlike Cloaked’s more narrow focus, Aura casts a wide net — protecting users from identity misuse, credit fraud, online privacy concerns, hacking, and more. Every Aura plan includes:
- The most extensive dark web monitoring, when compared to leading identity theft protection providers (including Cloaked and Norton LifeLock)
- Three-bureau credit monitoring with the industry’s fastest fraud alerts3
- AI-powered cybersecurity and scam protection features, including antivirus, a virtual private network (VPN), password manager, scam website blocker, and more
- In-depth financial account monitoring and alerts for your banking, retirement, and investment accounts
- 24/7 U.S.-based customer support via phone, email, and chat
- Automatic data removal service from 200+ data broker sites, plus Google search results cleanup
- Up to $5,000,000 in identity theft insurance, plus optional $50,000 in scam recovery insurance
Aura excels in family safety: For families, Aura goes even further by extending protection for up to five adults and an unlimited number of children — all on a single plan. Family plans also include child identity theft protection, parental controls, child wellbeing features, AI spam call and message protection, and more.
Who should choose Aura? Aura is a top choice for individuals and families looking for true all-in-one protection against online threats and scams.
How much does Aura cost?
Aura has four main identity theft protection plans, plus a dedicated Kids plan for families who just want parental controls and other child online safety tools. The plan you choose will depend on how many people you need to protect.
Similar to Cloaked, Aura offers discounts on annual plans — however, Aura also offers a 14-day free trial and a 60-day money-back guarantee on all annual plans.
The following table shows a breakdown of Aura's plans and pricing as of May 2026 using this special discount link:
What are the downsides of using Aura?
The main concerns when considering Aura are its potentially higher plan prices and its availability to residents of the United States only. Aura also doesn’t offer the same level of anonymized identities as Cloaked — providing email aliases only (no phone aliases or masked credit card details).
For most people, these features aren’t deal breakers. But if anonymized identities are central to how you manage your online accounts, you’ll need to pair Aura with another app.
Feature Comparison: How Does Aura Compare To Cloaked?
On paper, both Aura and Cloaked offer similar types of protection — but the details matter when it comes to online safety and privacy.
Here’s a head-to-head comparison of critical safety features offered by both services:
Dark web and identity monitoring
Dark web monitoring scans breach databases, and dark web forums and marketplaces for your leaked personally identifiable information (PII). Identity monitoring takes this a step further by checking databases to see if your information has been used to take out loans, open new accounts, or commit fraud.
- Cloaked scans for eight types of personal data, including a Social Security number (SSN), phone number, email, and home address across breach sites and dark web forums, Discord servers, and Telegram channels.
- Aura provides the most extensive dark web monitoring — over 260 pieces of PII. Aura monitors a much wider range of information than Cloaked, including your credit and debit card numbers, old passwords, your passport number, crypto wallet address, and home and auto titles. Aura also sends notifications when your identity and SSN are used in any high-risk transactions, like payday loans.
Verdict: Aura monitors more types of data across more places, while Cloaked covers the basics. As one Google Play reviewer put it: “There isn’t anything I can think of that isn’t covered by this company [Aura]. They’ll even monitor your Xbox gamertags.”
Credit and financial account monitoring
Credit monitoring tracks your credit file with one or all three of the major credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) for signs of fraud — such as newly opened accounts, hard inquiries, and public records including bankruptcies. Financial account monitoring tracks your bank, investment, and credit card accounts for unusual activity, such as large or unexpected withdrawals.
- Cloaked does not offer credit or financial account monitoring, so suspicious activity can go unnoticed for weeks.
- Aura plans come standard with three-bureau credit monitoring and instant credit lock through Experian. Aura also sends alerts when it detects unusual transactions on credit and debit cards, changes to your credit score, and unauthorized activity in your 401(k) and investment accounts.
Verdict: One of the major reasons why customers choose Aura is because of its robust credit and financial monitoring features. Cloaked does not offer services in this space at all.
Device and online scam protection
Device protection shields your computer, phone, and browser from malicious sites, viruses, ransomware, spyware, and network tracking. Scam protection screens incoming emails, calls, and texts for spam and robocalls. Both are critical because most identity theft and online fraud schemes start with a spoofed number, infected attachments, or phishing links.
- Cloaked users get an encrypted VPN (mobile only) and AI-powered call screening. However, users have reported inconsistencies with spam call protection, such as legitimate calls being screened and blocked, and actual spam callers still getting through.
- Aura includes a full suite of digital security and optional scam protection features. All Aura plans include a military-grade VPN, secure password manager, antivirus software, Safe Browsing, and ad blocker. Aura also offers an AI-powered spam call and text blocker and Email Protection against phishing attacks. Plus, you can add scam insurance coverage for up to $50,000 in losses suffered from online scams and threats.
Verdict: Aura’s security toolkit is wider and works across more devices than Cloaked’s.
Identity theft insurance coverage
Identity theft insurance reimburses you for costs associated with identity theft. It may cover stolen funds, legal fees, lost wages for time taken off from work, and other administrative expenses.
- Cloaked plans include up to $1 million in identity theft insurance. However, there are some strict sub-limits, such as a maximum of $2,000 per week for five weeks in lost wages.
- Aura plans include $1 million in identity theft insurance per member (up to $5 million total). Aura’s coverage doesn’t include sub-limits, but rather $1 million in total coverage for both expense reimbursement and stolen cash recovery. Aura also offers an optional $5 million per member insurance policy.
Verdict: Both offer comparable coverage on individual plans, but families can benefit more from Aura's $5 million in total coverage.
Child and family safety
Children and elderly family members are especially vulnerable to online threats. By some estimates, 61% of adults say a child or family member’s child has been victimized — a substantial increase from just 23% in 2024.
- Cloaked does not offer child or family data protection. (According to its website, those features are “coming soon.”)
- Aura excels at family online safety with parental controls, child identity theft protection, and more. Family and Kids plans include child SSN monitoring, three-bureau child credit freezes, and geo-alerts for known sex offenders within a one-mile radius of your home. Parents can also manage their children’s screen time on apps like YouTube, Roblox, and Snapchat, set custom bedtimes and schedules, and Pause the Internet® on their kids’ devices.
Verdict: Aura is one of the few identity theft protection services that meaningfully extends financial, physical, and online safety coverage to kids.
Support and remediation services
Solid customer support is useful for billing questions, bugs, and onboarding. It’s even more critical when you’re dealing with the aftermath of identity theft or fraud. You want to talk to a real person who can walk you through the difficult process of clearing your name from accounts and charges that were never yours, and restoring your credit.
- Cloaked offers support via AI chat, human chat, and email, with a 24/7 restoration team that contacts banks, freezes credit reports, and corrects records on your behalf. As one recent Cloaked user wrote on Trustpilot, “They haven't gotten back to me in weeks after multiple follow-ups.”
- Aura provides 24/7 U.S.-based support via phone, email, and chat. In a 2025 study, 96% of mystery shoppers rated Aura’s customer support “helpful” to “very helpful”3. For victims of identity fraud, customers are assigned a case manager from Aura's team of Certified Identity Protection Advisors (CIPAs) to provide remediation services.
Verdict: A dedicated case manager and 24/7 phone access give Aura a meaningful edge over Cloaked when it comes to support and identity remediation.
The Bottom Line: Aura Monitors More and Alerts You Faster
Cloaked’s unique online identities make it harder for scammers to connect compromised data back to you. But Aura protects you from hackers exploiting your data that’s already exposed, which, for most people, is the bigger risk.
Nearly 80 billion records were leaked last year. In all likelihood, your name, address, phone number, and financial details are already circulating on the dark web and data broker sites. Cloaked’s limited broker coverage and lack of identity monitoring mean that most of what’s already out there stays out there.
Aura protects your data from every angle — from unused digital account cleanup and dark web monitoring to identity theft protection, instant credit lock, Safe Browsing tools, and lost wallet remediation. With up to $5 million in identity theft insurance coverage and 24/7 U.S.-based support on standby, Aura gives you and your family true peace of mind.
