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Is Aura Worth the Cost?
Since launching in 2014, Aura has become a leader in identity theft protection, family online safety, and data privacy. Recently, Aura has received CNET’s Editor’s Choice and TechRadar’s top rating for best identity theft protection service, among other accolades.
Aura has been rated #1 — above competitors like LifeLock and NordProtect — by tech reviewers a Security.org, Money.com, and others.
But reviews are only one factor. Signing up for any identity theft protection service means trusting it with your most sensitive information.
If you’re on the fence about whether or not Aura is worth it for you, here’s what you need to know:
- What people like about Aura: Users and reviewers praise Aura’s affordable and robust all-in-one plans, effective identity and credit monitoring, fast alerts, and knowledgeable U.S.-based support teams. Many users also appreciate Aura’s family plans which offer parental controls, child online well-being reports, and family identity theft protection.
- What people question about Aura: Some users looking to solve specific issues feel that Aura’s all-in-one approach can be seem like a lot when compared to point services (such as stand-alone antivirus protection, password managers, or VPNs) — even if Aura is ultimately more affordable than paying for multiple digital security tools.
The best identity theft protection service for you depends on your individual needs and risk level. No matter what option you choose, make sure you know exactly what you're signing up for.
What Does Aura Do? Features, Plans, and Pricing
Aura was one of the first companies to offer an all-in-one solution that protects your identity, finances, devices, and family from online threats.
Unlike many competitors that charge extra for critical safety features, every Aura plan includes the same award-winning identity theft protection, three-bureau credit monitoring, financial account monitoring, digital security tools for all of your devices, online privacy protection, and data broker removal.
All Aura members also get access to 24/7 U.S.-based support specialists and at least $1 million in identity theft insurance.
💡 See what security experts have to say about Aura: Here’s an in-depth video review of Aura from the online safety experts at SecurityHero:
Aura offers plans for individuals and couples, but Aura’s family plans especially stand out from the competition.
Family protection includes up to five adults, unlimited children, and unlimited devices on a single plan. All adults receive the same coverage, while children are protected by parental controls with safe gaming and cyberbullying alerts, child SSN monitoring and three-bureau credit freeze support, and device security tools.
Aura’s online wellbeing tools also help warn parents if their children are engaging in risky online behavior, using dangerous AI chatbots, or developing an unhealthy relationship with technology.
Here’s a breakdown of Aura’s main plans and pricing (using this exclusive discount offer):
Aura offers a free 14-day trial, while all annual plans include a 60-day money-back guarantee, so you can try Aura risk-free.
What Are Aura’s Standout Features?
- Award-winning identity theft monitoring and protection
- Three-bureau credit monitoring with the industry's fastest fraud alerts
- Financial account monitoring and fraud protection for up to 20 accounts
- AI-powered digital security for all of your devices
- Online privacy protection and data removal services
- Full-family safety with advanced child online wellbeing alerts
- 24/7 U.S.-based support with expert fraud remediation
- Up to $5 million in identity theft insurance
While Aura offers many of the same features provided by competitors like LifeLock and IdentityForce, there are specific differences and standout features that could make Aura a better choice for you.
Award-winning identity theft monitoring and protection
Aura’s award-winning identity theft protection service monitors over 130 pieces of personally identifiable information (PII) per adult user — more than double what LifeLock monitors.
Aura monitors Social Security numbers (SSNs), phone numbers, bank account details, passwords, and more — across the Dark Web, data breaches, public and court records, and other sources — to warn you if your identity is at risk of being stolen.
Every Aura account also includes home and auto title monitoring — features that LifeLock either doesn’t provide or only includes on its most expensive Ultimate Plus plan.
Here are a few excerpts from recent Aura reviews by top tech reviewers:
- Security.org: “We’ve tested over 20 leading identity theft protection services, diving deep into their features, scrutinizing company policies, and analyzing pricing models. In the end, we decided to give Aura the top spot.”
- Tom's Guide: "Aura not only has one of the best interfaces but it also provides you with the most important and most used features to protect your identity online at a reasonable price."
- TechRadar: "Aura may not be the cheapest option out there, but the level of features and protection available make it one of the most attractive propositions in our view."
Three-bureau credit monitoring with the industry’s fastest fraud alerts
Most people who sign up for identity theft protection services are worried that hackers or scammers may access their bank accounts or take out loans in their name.
Aura monitors your credit files through direct access to each of the three major credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) and sends you notifications of new credit applications, changes to personal information, and more.
A 2025 mystery shopper survey found that Aura provided the most reliable and fastest financial fraud alerts, compared to competitors.3
Aura alerted customers of changes to their credit files in three minutes, compared to over nine hours from Norton and over 33 hours from IdentityForce.
Aura also provides monthly credit score updates (using the VantageScore 3.0 model), annual three-bureau credit reports, and a one-click CreditLock to protect your Experian credit file.
Financial account monitoring and fraud protection for up to 20 accounts
Aura monitors up to 20 linked financial accounts for unusual and suspicious activity. This can include your:
- Bank accounts
- Business bank accounts
- Credit card accounts
- 401(k) accounts
- Investment accounts
Aura stands out from other services by using machine learning to analyze your typical spending behavior and warn you of unusual transactions that could reflect early warning signs of fraud.
Aura also monitors to see if identity thieves are trying to use your name or SSN for high-risk transactions, like payday loans.
Here's what SafeHome.org had to say about Aura’s financial and credit protection features:
"They monitor nearly everything, from your bank, 401k, and investment accounts to financial transactions made with your credit cards and bank accounts. On top of all that, Aura provides real-time alerts of inquiries into your credit file across the three major credit bureaus — Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion."
AI-powered digital security for all of your devices
Traditional identity monitoring tools only warn you after your identity has been stolen. Aura aims to lower the risk of your data being misused in the first place.
Many of Aura's digital security tools use artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze patterns and behaviors that help detect and learn from emerging threats. Each Aura account includes cybersecurity tools such as:
- Antivirus and malware protection: Available on Android, PC, and Mac devices, Aura’s antivirus software identifies and helps remove different types of malware — including spyware, adware, and rootkits.
- Military-grade virtual private network (VPN): Aura’s VPN hides your browsing history when you’re using potentially unsafe Wi-Fi networks, and allows you to access the internet from over 100 virtual locations, including more than 20 in the United States.
- Safe Browsing tools to protect against phishing attacks: Aura automatically blocks malicious websites and can stop you from clicking on dangerous links in phishing emails and scam texts.
- Anti-track and online privacy tools: Aura stops website trackers from collecting personal data that can be used to target you.
- Secure password manager and vault: Aura’s password manager securely stores all of your passwords, credentials, and important documents in an encrypted vault. You’ll also receive alerts if your passwords were leaked in a data breach or are at risk of being hacked.
- AI-powered spam call and text protection: Aura’s call assistant automatically blocks known spam calls and texts and answers unknown callers on your behalf — only forwarding legitimate callers to you. (Note: Aura’s Call Assistant is an optional add-on to individual and couple plans, but comes standard on all family plans).
- Email phishing protection. Aura can warn you of phishing links and dangerous emails before you click on them.
📚 Related: 8 Reasons Why It's Important To Have Identity Theft Protection →
Online privacy protection and data removal services
Data brokers collect and sell your personal information to marketers, government agencies, and anyone else. While you can request that brokers remove your information from their databases, there are hundreds of these brokers in the United States alone, each with its own lengthy and annoying opt-out process.
Aura protects your personal information and privacy by automatically scanning over 200 data broker sites and people search databases and requesting that they remove your data.
Even if brokers re-add your information, Aura performs daily scans and will continue to submit additional opt-out requests as needed.
Here's what TechRadar had to say about Aura’s privacy tools:
"Aura is a fantastic set of privacy and security services that cover a massive range of functions…The data removal services are functional and work to remove your personal data from a range of data brokers and provide updates on the sanctity of your online data."
Full-family safety with advanced child online wellbeing alerts
Aura’s family plan provides identity theft protection and online safety tools for up to five adults and unlimited children, making it one of, if not the most comprehensive family safety plans available.
All adults on an Aura family plan receive full coverage, including identity theft protection, credit monitoring, digital security tools, data removal services, and up to $1 million in identity theft insurance. Adults can live in different households, which means you can protect elderly or other vulnerable family members with a single plan.
Where Aura truly stands out from the competition is in child online safety. Aura’s family plans include:
- Parental controls, content filtering, and device/app time limits
- Child identity monitoring and three-bureau credit freeze support
- Device security and Safe Browsing tools
- AI-powered alerts of risky AI chat app engagement and other potentially dangerous online behavior
- Safe Gaming tools to alert parents of cyberbullying and online predators in over 200 PC games
24/7 U.S.-based support with expert fraud remediation
One of the greatest selling points for Aura over competitors is its best-in-class customer support.
Every Aura customer has 24/7/365 access to U.S.-based support and fraud remediation specialists. Support is available via phone, live chat, and email.
Not only does Aura offer round-the-clock support to all of its customers — for victims of identity theft, Aura grants access to White Glove Fraud Resolution Specialists. These highly trained experts walk victims through the recovery process, helping them to navigate the claim-filing requirements with banks and government agencies, make formal disputes, and file claims with their identity theft insurance providers.
Here's what Business Insider had to say about Aura’s outstanding customer support:
"While we like Aura's three-bureau credit monitoring and antivirus security, what really stood out to us is Aura's White Glove fraud resolution. If your identity is stolen as an Aura customer, an Aura White Glove agent will help you create a plan to prevent additional damage and recuperate losses."
Up to $5 million in identity theft insurance
Every Aura plan comes with an identity theft insurance policy that includes $1 million in coverage for each adult member (up to $5 million total on family plans). You can also choose to upgrade to $5 million in insurance coverage for a small additional monthly fee.
Unlike many competitors that limit reimbursement for lost or stolen funds, Aura’s included insurance policies cover at least $1 million of total losses and eligible expenses resulting from identity theft, such as:
- Recovery-related expenses. Credit freeze/thaw costs, transcript costs, appeal bonds, court filing fees, and more resulting from any identity restoration efforts.
- Lost wages. Includes compensation for vacation days, discretionary days, floating holidays, and paid personal days, within 12 months of discovering the fraud.
- Verifying documents. Costs for notarizing affidavits or similar documents, long-distance phone calls, travel, and postage.
What Do Real Users Say About Using Aura?
While lists of security features and reviewer comments can give you an idea of what it’s like to be an Aura customer, real users tell the full story.
Here's what customers are saying about Aura on third-party review platform Trustpilot:
- I'm extremely relieved that I chose [Aura]: “Having been a part of the August SSN breach, Aura was proactive and incredibly supportive, guiding me step-by-step to secure and freeze my accounts. My White Glove agent was patient and kind, spending nearly two hours with me to ensure every detail was covered. I can't imagine how overwhelming it would have been to navigate this on my own.”
- Best customer service: “A company that values its customers. Just signed up and called twice with questions. Both times I got someone in the U.S. who didn't waste time like those overseas call centers, addressed the issue and found a solution. Wow. [It's] hard to find someone that good nowadays.”
- Aura is the best identity monitoring service out there: "Aura monitors everything. From your Social Security number and identification cards to internet safety and filtering phone calls, Aura truly does it all. They also provide parental controls and even a secure vault where you can safely store all of your passwords (they even monitor those for you too)."
- I got the white glove treatment: “An identity verification alert came through and Shanna provided exquisite service — she was thorough, patient and knowledgeable…I am so glad I have a membership with Aura and especially for representatives like Shanna! She prevented a potential identity theft and the major hardship that would have caused.”
How Does Aura Compare to LifeLock and Other Service Providers?
Aura is far from the only identity theft protection service available. You could choose a competitor like LifeLock, IdentityForce, Identity Guard, or IDShield — or even options run by banks, insurance companies, or one of the major credit bureaus.
While every provider has its strengths, few match Aura's breadth of coverage, acclaimed support, and forward-thinking approach to identity protection.
Here's a brief feature rundown of how Aura compares to its top competitors as of January 2026:
Note: Identity theft providers often change their pricing and features. Check each provider’s website for the most up-to-date information.
The bottom line: Many of the best identity theft protection services offer feature-heavy packages that help protect your personal data from identity theft. However, Aura is in a class of its own when it comes to providing all-in-one protection and support at a fair price.
📚 Related: Is LifeLock Worth It? What You Need To Know Before You Buy →
Who Should Choose Aura?
Aura's identity theft protection plans accommodate a diverse customer base, but there are certain types of people whose needs fit the service better than others.
- Families or adults with dependents (children or elderly family members). Aura excels when it comes to family protection — with parental controls and fraud monitoring for children as well as protection that extends to more vulnerable elderly loved ones. Family Plan members can reside in different households (such as grandparents, or adult children away at college). With up to $5 million in identity theft insurance included on Aura's family plans, everyone’s covered if the worst should happen.
- Victims of data breaches. Aura monitors the Dark Web, public records, and data broker sites, and notifies you if your data has been leaked. Aura's fraud specialists can also guide victims through the process of securing and freezing compromised or vulnerable accounts.
- People looking for all-in-one protection. Defending against identity theft and fraud requires a wealth of protective features and approaches. Aura complements its powerful identity and credit monitoring service with advanced antivirus software and online security tools.
- Anyone with financial assets to protect. Many companies monitor your credit file, but Aura includes bank account and investment account monitoring on its plans. If someone changes your information or makes a transaction in your financial accounts, you'll be alerted.
- Cautious spenders. While it may not be the cheapest service on the market, Aura's pricing comes in lower than most comparable all-in-one protection packages. With the added bonus of a 60-day money-back guarantee, even the most price-sensitive consumer can get peace of mind.
Why Aura Might Not Be Right For You
Even with thousands of five-star reviews, Aura isn’t right for everyone.
Here are a few reasons why Aura may not suit your needs:
- You’re looking for a dedicated password manager, VPN, or antivirus protection. Aura is an all-in-one solution that includes tools to safeguard you against online threats, such as hacking, malware, and phishing attacks. However, some dedicated tools may include deeper functionality.
- You want customizable packages. Aura users can opt for a comprehensive identity theft protection package for individuals or families — or pick a stand-alone antivirus product that focuses more exclusively on device security. While few companies offer true customization, some offer a large number of package options, which may help you find one suited to your unique needs.
- You want to see everything on your child’s phone. Some parental control apps give you full access to your children's texts, emails, and notes. Aura takes a different approach to helping your child have a healthy relationship with technology. Aura allows parents to filter harmful content, manage screen times, get warned of cyberbullying, and quickly spot meaningful or even dangerous changes to your child’s online behavior.
📚 Related: The 6 Best Aura Alternatives Right Now (Ranked and Rated) →
The Best Way To Decide If Aura Is Truly Worth It? Try It For Free.
With round-the-clock monitoring of your information and accounts, best-in-class fraud alerts, and 24/7 customer support, Aura is the best choice for most people.
But you need to be comfortable with your decision. So try it out for yourself. Sign up for Aura's 14-day free trial, and test out all of the features to see how they work and make sure that they meet your needs.
