Cybersecurity is more important than ever, as cybercrime losses reached $16.6 billion in 2024, according to the FBI, a staggering 33% uptick from 2023. Credit monitoring services protect your personal information from cybercriminals and raise an alert if your identity has been compromised.
CNBC Select has chosen the best credit monitoring plans on the market, based on affordability, security, identity recovery assistance and other factors.
All of our picks include dark web scanning, assistance and at least $1 million in identity theft insurance. (See our methodology for more on how we made our selections.)
What is credit monitoring?
Credit monitoring is an aspect of identity theft protection that focuses on your financial footprint, specifically your credit score and credit history.
If a scammer can open a credit card in your name or take out a loan with your Social Security number, it'll work its way into your credit score — especially if they don't make good on their obligations to that debt.
Credit monitoring services review your credit reports from one or more of the three major credit bureaus and alert you to changes or suspicious activity.
Credit monitoring can detect fraud early and notify you of mistakes on your credit report.
Best for security: IdentityForce
IdentityForce®
Cost
UltraSecure Individual: $19.90 per month or $199.90 per year; UltraSecure+Credit Individual: $34.90 per month or $349.90 per year; UltraSecure Family: $24.90 per month or $249.90 per year; UltraSecure+Credit Family: $39.90 per month or $399.90 per year
Credit bureaus monitored
3-bureau credit monitoring, alerts and reports: Experian, Equifax and TransUnion®, with UltraSecure+Credit Individual and UltraSecure+Credit Family plans only
Credit scoring model used
VantageScore® 3.0, with UltraSecure+Credit Individual and UltraSecure+Credit Family plans only
Dark web scan
Yes, with all plans
Identity theft insurance
Yes, at least $1 million with all plans
Terms apply.
Pros
- 3-bureau credit monitoring, alerts and reports
- Free VantageScore® 3.0
- Dark web scanning
- Minimum $1 million identity theft insurance coverage
- Offers family plan
Cons
- Plans start at about $20 per month
- Doesn't look at FICO® Score
Who's this for? IdentityForce offers the most security features of any program we reviewed, including monitoring user's information on the dark web and court records and checking activity on Facebook, Instagram, X and other social media sites that could be perceived as profanity or discriminatory.
Standout benefits: IdentityForce alerts users about financial fraud, as well as the illicit use of your medical ID or Social Security number. UltraSecure+Credit includes three-bureau credit monitoring and credit score updates.
Cost: Individual UltraSecure Individual: $19.90 per month or $199.90 per year; UltraSecure+Credit Individual: $34.90 per month or $349.90 per year; UltraSecure Family: $24.90 per month or $249.90 per year; UltraSecure+Credit Family: $39.90 per month or $399.90 per year. All plans come with a 30-day free trial.
Best for dark web monitoring: LifeLock by Norton
LifeLock™
Cost
$8.29 to $34.99 per month
Identity theft insurance
Up to $1 million for lawyers and experts; up to $25,000 to $1 million each for stolen funds reimbursement and personal expense compensation
Credit monitoring
The Ultimate Plus plan monitors your Experian, Equifax and TransUnion credit reports; The Standard and Advantage plans monitor Equifax or TransUnion.
Mobile app
Yes
Family plan
Yes
Terms apply.
Pros
- Choose between Standard, Advantage and Ultimate Plus plans
- All plans provide identity theft insurance
- Norton 360 software is integrated into some plans, offering protection against viruses, spyware, malware and other online threats for up to 5 PCs, Macs and Android devices
Cons
- You receive less identity theft insurance coverage with a Standard plan
- Standard plan lacks some alerts, like bank account and credit card activity
- Standard and Advantage plans only monitor one credit bureau
Who's this for? LifeLock plans automatically monitor the dark web for your email address, but you can add your bank account numbers, driver's license and other information, as well. If your details are found, LifeLock sends you a notification.
Standout benefits: The Ultimate Plus plan comes with up to $3 million identity theft insurance, including $1 million for attorneys and experts, $1 million in stolen funds reimbursement and $1 million in personal expense reimbursement.
Cost: Standard plan is $11.99 a month or $90 annually, Identity Advisor is $4.99 per month or $40 annually, Advantage is $22.99 a month or $180 annually, Ultimate Plus is $34.99 a month or $240 annually.
Best for affordability: Experian IdentityWorks
Experian IdentityWorks℠
Cost
Basic: Free, Premium: $24.99 per month, Family: $34.99 per month (7-day free trial with paid plans)
Credit bureaus monitored
Basic plan monitors Experian and FICO score and scans dark web. Premium plan comes with three-bureau (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion) credit monitoring and alerts and social media reports. Family plan adds two adults and up to 10 children.
Credit scoring model used
FICO® Score 8 with all plans
Dark web scan
With all plans
Identity theft insurance
Up to $1 million with paid plans
Terms apply.
Pros
- Free version available and free trial with paid plans
- 3-bureau credit monitoring, alerts and reports
- Free FICO® Score 8
- Dark web scanning
- Up to $1 million identity theft insurance coverage
Cons
- Advanced features cost extra
- Free version is very basic
*Identity Theft Insurance underwritten by insurance company subsidiaries or affiliates of American International Group, Inc. (AIG). The description herein is a summary and intended for informational purposes only and does not include all terms, conditions and exclusions of the policies described. Please refer to the actual policies for terms, conditions, and exclusions of coverage. Coverage may not be available in all jurisdictions.
Who's this for? Experian IdentityWorks has a free tier with useful features like FICO score tracking, Experian credit report monitoring, and dark web scanning. Its paid tiers are affordable and come with three-bureau credit monitoring, lost wallet assistance, privacy scans and social media and financial account alerts.
Standout benefits: Even the free IdentityWorks Basic option comes with up to $1 million in Identity theft insurance
Cost: Basic plan is free, Premium is $24.99 monthly and Family is $34.99 monthly. Paid plans come with a seven-day free trial.
Best for families: Aura
Aura
Cost
Plans from $10 to $32 per month, billed annually
Standout features
Protects against identity theft, financial fraud, spam calls, online theft, scam websites, viruses and malware. Offers VPN, 3-credit bureau monitoring, password manager and instant credit lock.
Terms apply.
Pros
- Family plan available for up to five adults and an unlimited number of kids
- 14-day free trial
- Discount if you buy an annual plan
- Offers couple and family plans
Cons
- Doesn't monitor social media accounts.
- Annual plans can only be cancelled in the first 60 days
Who's this for? Aura's family plan can be shared by five adults and an unlimited number of children and devices. Protections include Child three-bureau credit freeze, parental content filtering, site blocking, screen-time limits, internet pausing and alerts about predators and cyberbullies
Standout benefits: Safe gaming protections include in-game voice and text monitoring
Cost: $9 to $25 per month when billed annually, $12 to $30 per month when billed monthly
Best for identity protection: PrivacyGuard
PrivacyGuard®
Cost
$9.99 to $24.99 per month
Identity theft insurance
Up to $1 million for Identity Protection and Total Protection plans; none for Credit Protection plan
Credit monitoring
Total Protection and Credit Protection plans both monitor your Experian, Equifax and TransUnion credit reports; Identity Protection doesn't offer credit monitoring.
Mobile app
Yes
Family plan
No
Terms apply.
Pros
- Option to choose the plan that suits you: Credit Protection, Identity Protection or Total Protection
- New users can try any plan for $1 for the first 14 days
Cons
- No family plan
- No identity theft insurance with Credit Protection plan
- Identity Protection plan doesn't offer triple-bureau credit monitoring
Who's this for? PrivacyGuard's top-tier plan, Total Protection, combines the best of credit monitoring and identity theft protection, including daily three-bureau monitoring, monthly credit score tracking, dark web scanning and identity theft insurance.
Standout benefits: PrivacyGuard provides dedicated identity fraud resolution agents, neighborhood reports, emergency travel assistance and medical records reimbursement.
Cost: $9.99 to $24.99 per month
Best for identity recovery assistance: ID Shield
ID Shield
Cost
Individual plan: 1-credit-bureau monitoring starting at $14.95, 3-credit-bureau monitoring starting at $19.95. Family plan: 1-credit-bureau monitoring starting at $29.95, 3-credit-bureau monitoring starting at $34.95
Standout features
Identity theft monitoring and remediation, password manager, VPN, Social Security number monitoring, dark web surveillance, financial account monitoring; sex offender alerts, social media reputation management sites, consultations with an identity theft consultant.
Pros
- Three-bureau monitoring plan is competitively priced
- Family plan covers two adults and an unlimited number of kids under 18
- Identity recovery guarantee covers expenses if you become a victim of identity theft
Cons
- Basic plan only tracks TransUnion credit report
- No discount for enrolling in annual plan
Who's this for? If your identity is compromised, ID Shield's private investigators can help restore it to its pre-breach status so you're not on the hook for any financial damage caused by cybercriminals.
Standout benefits: Plans come with up to $3 million insurance against unrecovered costs.
Cost: One-credit-bureau monitoring starts at $14.95 per month, three-credit-bureau monitoring starts at $19.95 a month.
Does credit monitoring include identity theft protection?
While credit monitoring can alert you to fraud and help restore your credit, it doesn't automatically come with identity theft protection. It won't shield you from a data breach, correct errors on your credit report, or stop phishing attempts.
Some services combine credit monitoring and identity theft protection, safeguarding you further by monitoring the dark web, providing legal and administrative support to restore your identity and offering identity theft insurance to cover financial losses related to restoring your identity, including legal fees.
Offers in this section are from affiliate partners and selected based on a combination of engagement, product relevance, compensation, and consistent availability.
Plans from $9 to $25 per month, billed annually
Protects against identity theft, financial fraud, spam calls, online theft, scam websites, viruses and malware. Offers VPN, 3-credit bureau monitoring, password manager and instant credit lock.
On Aura's site
From $6.67 to $17.99 per month, billed annually on individual plans and $10.00 to $23.99 per month, billed annually on family plans
Up to $1 million in insurance for eligible losses from identity theft
On Identity Guard's site
What to look for in a credit monitoring service
There are features to look for when choosing a credit monitoring service:
- Reports to all three major credit bureaus, Experian, Equifax and TransUnion
- Offers fraud alerts in real time
- Information is sent to you directly as alerts
- Scans the dark web for any sensitive information
- Includes insurance to help you recoup losses
Some services may offer additional features, such as dark web surveillance and tools to safeguard children. You'll need to consider what fits your needs best. There are free credit monitoring services that come with more limited features.
The pros and cons of credit monitoring services
These programs have both benefits and drawbacks
Pros
- Can alert you about identity theft in real time
- Can notify parents about cyberbullying and other online threats to their children
- Most provide free access to credit scores
- Can help you dispute errors with credit bureaus
Cons
- Services can't prevent a cybercriminal from stealing your info
- Subscription fees can add up
- Constant alerts and false alarms can be frustrating
- Not many services review credit reports from all three credit bureaus
Credit monitoring FAQs
What is credit monitoring?
Credit monitoring is an aspect of identity theft protection that focuses on your credit score and credit history. Credit monitoring services regularly check your credit reports from one or more of the three major credit bureaus and alert you to changes or suspicious activity.
What is the best credit monitoring service?
The best service depends on your needs, budget, whether you have children and other criteria. We've named Experian IdentityWorks, IdentityForce, Aura, PrivacyGuard, LifeLock and ID Shield as the best options overall.
How much do credit monitoring services cost?
The cost of credit monitoring services varies by company and plan. While there are free options, the leading paid plans generally range between $9 and $40 per month.
Why trust CNBC Select?
At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every credit monitoring review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of credit monitoring products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics.
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Our methodology
To determine the best credit monitoring services, CNBC Select analyzed more than 20 free and paid platforms. We focused on:
Cost: Affordable services that offered more benefits ranked higher.
Credit bureaus monitored: Services that monitored reports from more than one credit bureau were ranked higher, and ones with three-bureau monitoring were given additional weight.
Credit scoring model: Services offering FICO scores were ranked higher than ones with VantageScore scores since FICO is used in 90% of lending decisions.
Dark web scanning: We only considered services that tracked personal information on the dark web,
Identity theft insurance: All of the services we've chosen offer at least $1 million for expenses associated with resolving and restoring your identity, with some offering as much as $3 million.
We also considered CNBC Select audience data when available, such as general demographics and engagement with our content and tools.
Based on that criteria, our choices for the best credit monitoring services are:
- Best for security: IdentityForce
- Best for dark web monitoring: LifeLock by Norton
- Best for affordability: Experian IdentityWorks
- Best for families: Aura
- Best for identity protection: PrivacyGuard
- Best for identity recovery assistance: ID Shield
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