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A comprehensive approach to identity theft prevention for a reasonable price
Editor's Note: Aura has some new and improved features that aim to keep their customers safe online including anti-tracking software, email masking, enhanced browser safety, and ad blocking functionality. All of these features were added to the Aura browser extension available to subscribers.
We install security cameras and security systems to protect ourselves and our families from physical danger – burglars, home invaders, and trespassers. But how do we protect something intangible, like our identities and personal information? That’s where identity monitoring services like Aura come in.
Aura scans the dark web to find your personally identifiable information. It checks your credit score to make sure no one is taking out loans in your name or using your ID to claim your tax refund. Plus, it gives you a million dollars worth of coverage in case your identity is stolen.
FYI: Aura recently added a VPN to their suite of services and Circle Parental Controls to their family plans.
We’ll get into all of this in just a bit, but suffice it to say this 360-degree, comprehensive protection helps Aura safeguard its customers from a diverse range of threats. Of course, Aura’s not perfect either. No company is. But we’ll get into that as well.
To give you a better idea of everything we’re talking about, let’s start by looking at some of Aura’s best features.
A pretty good list, right? You can dig into this list a little more deeply by checking out our full Aura review. In fact, the review covers more about Aura, including the setup process, the service’s various features, and the pros and cons that come with signing up for a plan. If you’re looking for information on Aura’s prices, though, you’ve come to the right place. Read on.
Aura makes it easy to choose a plan. There are no clever names that force you to review every feature. All you have to decide is how many people you want to cover, and the features for each plan are nearly identical.
Aura Plan | Individuals Covered | Devices Covered |
---|---|---|
Individual | 1 Adult | 10 Devices |
Couples | 2 Adults | 20 Devices |
Family | 5 Adults, Unlimited Children | 50 Devices |
The Family plan has a few additional features. The most important of these are child Social Security number monitoring and digital device parental controls. These days, such protections for children are a necessity. Child identities have clean credit backgrounds, making them a tempting target for identity thieves.
FYI: Aura recently added a VPN to their suite of services and Circle Parental Controls to their family plans.
Of course, your monthly cost depends on the payment plan you select. You can save money by purchasing a full year of coverage up-front. The downside in that case? We’re not all in a position to pay a lump sum up-front. While month-by-month plans cost a few dollars more per month, they allow you the flexibility to pay as you go.
Here’s the full breakdown:
Plan | Monthly Plan | Annual Plan |
---|---|---|
Individual | $15 per month | $144 ($12 per month) |
Couple | $29 per month | $264 ($22 per month) |
Family | $50 per month | $444 ($37 per month) |
To sweeten these deals, Aura tacks on a number of customer-friendly policies, like,
We especially like the 60-day money-back guarantee. It means that even if you sign up for an annual plan, you can cancel your protection if you find a better deal next month.
Features | Individual | Couple | Family |
---|---|---|---|
Account Monitoring | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Personal Information and SSN Monitoring | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Spam Call, Junk Mail, and Search Site Removal | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Identity Verification Monitoring | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Child SSN Monitoring | No | No | Yes |
Antivirus Software | 10 devices | 20 devices | 50 devices |
VPN | 10 devices | 20 devices | 50 devices |
Safe Browsing | 10 devices | 20 devices | 50 devices |
Password Manager | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Credit Monitoring | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Credit Lock | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Bank Account Monitoring | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Financial Transaction Monitoring | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Home Title Monitoring | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Criminal Record Monitoring | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Restoration Services | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Investment Account Monitoring | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Annual Credit Report | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Monthly Credit Scores | Yes | Yes | Yes |
As you can see, the main difference between the plans – besides the number of individuals they protect – is the inclusion of features designed to protect children in the family plan. If you don’t have kids, you’re not going to pay for anything you don’t need. Let’s take a closer look at each plan separately to see how they work.
As far as identity protection and credit monitoring. Aura’s Individual plan is about as comprehensive as we’ve seen. Here’s a quick list of the key protections:
To these core identity and credit monitoring features, Aura adds a collection of digital device protections. Ultimately, the company recognizes that most identity theft occurs online and a dose of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Individual plans come with:
Maybe our favorite of these bonus protections is something Aura calls Email Alias. In simple terms, it generates false email addresses when you sign up for new accounts with online sites. These mask your true identity so you get less spam while making you less vulnerable to data breaches.
Now, for its price, we think this is a solid identity protection plan for individuals. We’ve seen services charge upwards of $20 per month for the same protections, so $15 per month or $144 yearly is pretty reasonable.
>> Compare: Aura vs. Identity Guard
Now, take everything included in Aura’s individual plan, and hit “x 2” on your calculator — that’s the Couple plan. Pretty straightforward, right? We should point out that the plan is a bit misnamed. You don’t actually have to be romantic partners to purchase the Couple plan — you can be roommates, siblings living together, or just friends. You’re essentially getting two individual accounts which you will manage separately, so it’s safe to share a subscription.
Still, we like the simplicity of the plan. When it comes to features, you just double everything in the Individual plan. That includes device protections, so both you and your co-subscriber get access to the VPN, antivirus software, and safe browsing tool for 10 devices each. Similarly, the insurance coverage applies to each member. In case both you and your co-subscriber both fall victim to identity theft, you won’t have to share the $1,000,000 insurance limit.
You won’t save a ton of money over purchasing two separate individual plans. A year’s worth of Aura for couples is $264. By our calculations that’s a difference of $24 a year. Pay by the month and you get just a $1 per month savings. Still, money is money, and a couples plan is going to be more convenient at keeping coverage organized.
The best-value plan from Aura is the Family plan, that is, if you have a family to protect. The concept is almost the same as the Couple plan, only the Family plan provides protection to up to five adults. Each adult member still gets device protection for up to 10 devices, $1,000,000 in insurance coverage, and all the identity and credit monitoring features.
Pro Tip: Got kids? Worried about protecting their identities? Then you’re going to want to read our guide to keeping your children’s sensitive data off the dark web.
The only difference between the Family plan and the Couple and Individual plans has to do with child monitoring. As opposed to identity monitoring for adults, child monitoring only protects children’s Social Security Numbers, notifying you if your child’s SSN is used to take out loans or for other nefarious activities.
However, new to Aura’s Family plan are parental online controls powered by Circle. This feature allows parents to block and filter websites and apps, manage screen time limits, and track internet usage. It is a great addition for families. It costs $50 month to month or $37 per month when you sign up for a year.
Alerts from AuraOne thing to note here, is that you can add as many children as you want to your Family plan. That’s because the five-member limit applies only to adults. Children are covered, albeit limitedly as we mentioned above. Children will also have to share device protections with adult members. If your child has a smartphone, for example, and they use the VPN and antivirus on it, that will count against the device limit of one of the adult members. The same applies to the insurance coverage.
We think the Family plan is a great identity protection plan for families, especially compared to most services that cover only two adults and a certain number of children. With Aura, if you have grown-up kids living with you and your spouse, you can still add them to your family protection. And at $50 per month at most, this plan is much cheaper than getting five Individual plans. Not to mention, the Circle parental controls make it all the more worth it.
Pro Tip: If there are fewer than five adults in your household but you have kids, another alternative is to sign up for the Individual or Couple plan and then buy the Kids add-on for $10 per month. The add-on includes the same digital safety features as the Family plan, minus Social Security number monitoring. It’s great for single parents who might not need the five-adult coverage of the Family plan.
Aura hasn’t been around long, but their comprehensive, multifaceted approach to identity theft protection has made them a popular choice in the industry. They don’t settle for monitoring identity markers and credit scores. That kind of thinking inevitably means hackers find weak spots in your personal security. Aura’s preventative measures simply keep you safer.
FYI: Not convinced Aura is right for you? Not to worry because we’ve compiled a list of the 10 best identity theft protection services of the year. There you’ll find something for every need and every budget.
We’re also fans of Aura’s overall design. That may sound superficial, but Aura’s sleek, functional interface makes it easier to stay updated about your identity. When you’re well-informed, you’re less likely to fall prey to hackers and scams. Plus, there’s something reassuring about a company with tools that feel modern.
That said, Aura isn’t just a sleek veneer. Their core protections and functions are rock-solid, and we feel comfortable recommending their protection to anyone. While they might be a little more expensive than their counterparts, we think the extra cost is well worth it.
Hacking is a broad term and can refer to any number of threatening activities, but Aura can prevent you from falling victim to many of these threats by providing you with malware protection and a virtual private network.
Yes, Aura keeps an eye on dark web marketplaces and forums for your personally identifying information and log-in credentials.
Yes, Aura looks for suspicious changes in your credit files at Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
Aura is one of the more expensive identity theft protection solutions on the market, but they are the only one we’ve found that also couples malware protection and a virtual private network.
While they are a little pricey, we think Aura’s bonus cybersecurity features make them well worth the cost.