IDShield Identity Theft Protection Review

Our experts choose the best products and services to help make smart decisions with your money (here's how). In some cases, we receive a commission from our partners; however, our opinions are our own. Terms apply to offers listed on this page.

Guarding yourself against identity theft is an ongoing battle, but you don't have to wage it yourself. Signing up for an identity theft protection service can go a long way toward preventing identity theft with services like credit monitoring, password protection, and dark web monitoring. 

IDShield Overview

With restoration, consultation, and monitoring services, it's clear why we named IDShield the best well-rounded protection plan in our guide for best identity theft protection services. IDShield gives you all the essentials at a relatively low price compared to the other services.

The one drawback that IDShield does not include a free trial or annual discounts usually seen with other identity theft services. It also do not offer a refund for canceled services.

While most identity theft services offer roughly the same services, IDShield's in-house private investigator service caught our eye. If your identity is stolen, a dedicated investigator is assigned to you and works with you to restore your identity to its pre-theft state. IDShield also has a very well-reviewed mobile app available for both iOS and Android devices. To top it off, LegalShield, IDShield's parent company, is Better Business Bureau-accredited with an A+ in customer responsiveness.

IDShield Identity Theft Plans

IDShield Features

While some of these features, like credit and debit card monitoring, are easier to understand, some are less obvious. Let's break down a few of IDShield's offerings. 

Child Identity Monitoring

Exclusive to the family plan, child monitoring services encompass several services that give parents control over how their children interact with the internet. For one, parents can limit the timeframes their children can be on the internet. They can also set content filters and block certain web pages.

Social Media Monitoring

IDShield will notify you if someone is impersonating you on social media or if your social media presence poses a "reputational risk" through discriminatory language, drug references, or foul language. It will also track your accounts to ensure you don't inadvertently expose your personal information in your posts.

Parents can also monitor their dependent children's social media as long as they're under 18.

Private Investigators

If you're the victim of identity theft while under any of IDShield's plans, you're provided a licensed private investigator who walks you through the steps of identity restoration tailored to your specific situation. This service includes consultation support on safeguards, data exposure, and educational support.

Dark Web and Court Records Monitoring

We pay particular attention to dark web and court record monitoring when we evaluate an identity theft protection service. That's because these services are hard to replicate on your own. Dark web monitoring scans the dark web for private information to see if it's for sale. This includes your social security number, driver's license number, credit card information, and other protected personal information.

Court records monitoring goes through the same process but targets court and public records. If your name is included in these records, that could be a sign you've been the victim of criminal identity theft, in which someone gave the police your name and information instead of theirs.

Credit monitoring and credit reports

If you sign up for IDShield's three-bureau plan, you'll get notifications when anything changes on your credit reports from the three major credit bureaus — Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. If you sign up for one-bureau plan, you'll just see updates from TransUnion. 

It's worth noting that until the end of 2023, you're entitled to a free weekly credit report. You can effectively monitor your own credit, so it may be best to hold off on tri-bureau monitoring until the end of this year.

How Much Does IDShield Cost?

IDShield has individual and family plans, each with an option for one- or three-bureau monitoring. The family plan includes coverage for the primary user, their spouse/partner, and dependent children under 18. Dependent children of the primary user between the ages of 18-26 are eligible for consultation and restoration services but not monitoring.

The monthly subscription fees are as follows: 

Note: IDShield does not offer an annual subscription discount or free trials.

How to Buy IDShield

Buying IDShield comes down to choosing a plan that suits you and filling out the necessary information. While the choice between individual and family plan ultimately comes down to who you want to cover and if you have any dependents, choosing between the three-bureau and one-bureau plans is a little less clear-cut. Ultimately, it comes down to whether Equifax and Experian monitoring is worth the extra $5. Note that some of the best credit monitoring services are free of charge.

Once you make a decision, you need to create an account, which can be done over the phone or on IDShield's website. You'll need to input the last four digits of your social security number, your birth date, and your payment information for the first monthly fee. You will then receive a member ID and account number, and your plan will start instantly.

You can download the accompanying mobile app or use IDShield's browser interface. 

How IDShield Compares to Its Competition

IDShield's service is cheaper for tri-bureau protection services but offers comparable protection to some of the best identity theft protection services on the market.

How We Evaluate ID Theft Companies

Most identity theft services follow the same tiered pricing system, offering more features for more money. Because these companies also offer similar services for their premium service, we rate companies based on what they offer at what price point. Along the way, we note exceptional inclusions and exceptional exclusions.

IDShield stands above most other identity protection services given that, with the exception of three-bureau monitoring and family-related monitoring, all the plans offer the same level of protection. On the other hand, a service like IdentityForce reserves their VPN access for their most expensive service at $29.95.

While this is our primary consideration when we rate identity theft protection companies, we also look at a company's Better Business Bureau rating to see how responsive they are to their customers. We also consider other miscellaneous features like free trial periods, mobile apps, and refund policies. 

IDShield Frequently Asked Questions