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Best for comprehensive online and identity protection
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#1 rated ID theft protection service with a full suite of monitoring tools
Includes up to $1 million in ID theft insurance per person for up to five adults
Protect your children with robust parental controls and gaming alerts
Best for browser safety
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Easy-to-use online security tool that cleans up your browser, removes malicious extensions, and checks for privacy violations
Blocks harmful emails, texts, and webpages
Stops invasive notifications and monitors data breaches for your information
Aura is a better choice for people who are looking for a full suite of identity theft protection, monitoring, and online security tools. Guardio is a lightweight browsing protection tool. It does have some basic identity monitoring, but it's not a replacement for traditional antivirus software.
The upside to Guardio is that there won't be a steep renewal fee. But overall, we think Aura offers the better long-term value for the price. Here's why.
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Our Pick |
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| Price | $9.00–$32.00/mo | $9.99-$34.99/mo |
| Protection approach | App/device-based + browser extension | Browser extension (Chrome, Edge) + mobile app |
| Phishing & scam protection | ||
| Malicious site blocking | ||
| Email threat protection | Yes (AI spam call & message protection) | Yes (Gmail security) |
| Dark web monitoring | ||
| Identity theft insurance | Up to $1 million per adult | Up to $1 million per adult |
| Credit monitoring | Yes — Experian, Equifax, TransUnion | |
| Identity restoration services | Yes — white glove fraud resolution | Yes — 24/7 identity theft resolution |
| VPN included | ||
| Antivirus included | Yes (manual scans, Windows real-time) | No (browser-based only, no file scans) |
| 24/7 customer support | Yes (email; phone for ID theft resolution only) | |
| Compatibility | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | Chrome, Edge, Android, iOS |
| Learn more | Get Aura | Get Guardio |
To review identity theft protection services, we sign up for the service several days prior to our review. This allows the service time to begin populating our dashboard with identity and credit monitoring information and send us real-time alerts. During this time, we also evaluate the service's ease of use, contact customer support, and play around with the extra features.
After spending some time with the service, we use our proprietary grading rubric which calculates a star rating based on prices, identity monitoring features, credit features, and other criteria.
To learn more about how we test, check out our full ID theft testing methodology here.
Aura offers a broad range of features to monitor your identity and financial accounts, including up to $1 million in identity theft insurance for every adult.
What sets Aura apart is its complete suite of online privacy and security tools, including data removal, antivirus, VPN, ad blocker, password manager, and AI-powered spam call & message protection. The Family plan bundles top-rated parental controls.
The downside is that some standalone software has more dedicated features and better performance. For example, Aura Antivirus didn't detect phishing pages during our in-house testing, whereas a dedicated antivirus solution like Bitdefender did.
Guardio is designed to protect you from browser threats like fake sites and scam messages. It's simple to use. We just installed the browser extension and mobile app, and were covered. It's a good option for protection against browser-related and messaging threats.
However, Guardio isn't a full-fledged antivirus program. It doesn't scan your devices for malware, and our testing shows it's inconsistent when detecting threats. There are also no additional security tools, such as identity theft monitoring or a password manager.
Aura offers better value with a comprehensive bundle of identity theft protection, financial alerts, security tools, and online child protection.
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Our Pick |
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| Price range | $9.00–$32.00/mo | $9.99-$34.99/mo |
| Best value plan | Individual — $9.00/mo covering 10 devices | Premium Individual — $9.99/mo |
| Family plan | Yes — from $20.00/mo (5 adults + unlimited kids) | Yes — from $23.33/mo (up to 5 people) |
| Free plan | No, but has a 14-day free trial | Yes (basic browser protection) |
| Money-back guarantee | Yes — 60 days | |
| Learn more | Get Aura | Get Guardio |
Aura offers broad protection against identity theft and financial fraud. It monitors your online accounts and tracks your identity information for data leaks. Aura also offers several digital security tools, such as data removal, a password manager, a VPN, and more. Child online protection is available only in the Family plan.
Aura offers a 14-day free trial and a generous 60-day money-back guarantee.
Guardio offers mobile- and browser-based security to protect you from threats like scam messages, fake sites, and phishing. It also provides alerts if your data is leaked.
Guardio doesn't offer a free trial or a money-back guarantee. However, it does have a free plan. While it's limited to basic browser protection, the free plan can give you insights into whether this is the right service for you.
Aura offers better online protection services, including malware scans and additional security tools.
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Our Pick |
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| Phishing protection | ||
| Scam & fraud site blocking | ||
| Malicious link blocking | ||
| Email threat protection | Yes — AI spam call & message protection | Yes — Gmail security integration |
| SMS/text scam protection | ||
| Browser extension | Yes — Chrome, Firefox, Edge | Yes — Chrome, Edge, Chromium-based browsers |
| Malware/virus scanning | Yes — manual scans (Quick, Full, Custom) | |
| Real-time protection | Yes — Windows only | Yes — browsers, Android, and iOS |
| Firewall | ||
| VPN | ||
| Password manager | ||
| Parental controls | Yes (family plans) | |
| Ad blocker | Yes (Safe Browsing extension) | |
| Learn more | Get Aura | Get Guardio |
Guardio focuses on browser-related threats, such as fake sites and phishing. However, the mobile app offers text message filtering. Guardio is best for people looking for browser and scam protection, with light identity theft tracking as a bonus feature.
Aura offers several additional features that help block threats, manage fraud, and protect your devices. It has almost everything you need to use the internet safely. The only note is that the antivirus program hasn't undergone third-party testing and didn't fully pass our in-house tests for 3 out of 3 detection. Aura can handle file-level scanning, but it failed to detect phishing during our testing.
Aura offers several monitoring features that cover personal information and financial accounts. Guardio offers only data breach alerts and not comprehensive identity monitoring.
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Our Pick |
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| Dark web monitoring | ||
| Data breach alerts | ||
| SSN monitoring | ||
| Financial account monitoring | Yes — bank, credit card, investment, retirement | |
| Credit monitoring | Yes — Experian, Equifax, TransUnion | |
| Credit reports | Yes — annually, all three bureaus | |
| Credit score | Yes — VantageScore, updated monthly | |
| Credit lock | ||
| Home and auto title monitoring | ||
| Criminal and court record alerts | ||
| Address change alerts | ||
| Identity theft insurance | Up to $1M per adult | Up to $1M per adult |
| Identity restoration services | Yes — U.S.-based white glove fraud resolution | Yes — 24/7 identity theft resolution |
| Lost wallet remediation | ||
| Learn more | Get Aura | Get Guardio |
Aura offers the full suite for traditional identity and financial theft protection. It monitors everything from address changes to your financial accounts. Aura also includes fraud resolution and up to $1 million in identity theft insurance for each adult.
Meanwhile, Guardio offers basic identity monitoring. It will look for your email address and phone number in data leaks. While it will send you an alert, Guardio doesn't offer much in identity restoration and protection services. However, it does offer up to $1 million in identity theft insurance per adult like Aura.
Overall, Aura performed better during our testing experiences. Guardio was more inconsistent with its results, while Aura proved more reliable in most fields.
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Our Pick |
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| Manually downloaded malware (AMTSO) | Pass — quarantined the file | Inconsistent — passed in 01/2025 and 05/2025, failed in 09/2025; Windows AV interfered with 02/2026 test |
| Drive-by malware download (AMTSO) | Pass — quarantined the file | Inconsistent — same pattern as above |
| Phishing page detection (AMTSO) | Fail — allowed page visit across all test rounds | Inconsistent — passed in 01/2025 and 05/2025; failed in 09/2025 and 02/2026 |
| EICAR file detection (manual scan) | Pass — detected files in Downloads, Desktop, Screenshots, and Recycle Bin | N/A — no file scanning capability |
| False positives noted | Occasional (e.g., flagged Turbo VPN and AVG in one test round; none in most rounds) | N/A |
| No. of scan types | Quick, Full, Custom (manual only; no scheduled scans) | No manual scans — runs in background only |
| Scan performance | Quick: 1–24 sec. Full: 45 sec–26 min depending on device. Low system impact in most rounds. | N/A |
| Learn more | Get Aura | Get Guardio |
Neither Aura nor Guardio has undergone third-party antivirus testing, so we conducted our own testing to assess performance and overall usability. With the EICAR test, we focused on their ability to detect phishing and block malware. We also tested their ability to send alerts accurately.
Throughout repeated testing, we found that Aura has a reliable handle on file-level threats, even though it failed to detect phishing pages in the latest testing sessions.
On the other hand, Guardio has repeatedly produced inconsistent results in repeated testing. Sometimes, it detected phishing or malware, and other times it didn't. Guardio doesn't offer malware scanning, so by default, Aura is the better choice.
Since Aura provides in-depth details about security measures, you should feel confident that your data is secure.
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Our Pick |
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| Collects data | ||
| Shares data with third parties | Yes — for co-branded partner promotions; does not sell personal data | Yes — for providers, analytics, and promotions; does not sell personal data |
| Encryption | AES-256 storage encryption; device encryption via Bitlocker/FileVault | 256-bit SSL encryption |
| Two-factor authentication | Yes — SMS, email, or authenticator app | |
| Learn more | Get Aura | Get Guardio |
Companies that handle identity theft protection services get direct access to your personal information. You need to share your private data so they can monitor for threats. Therefore, it's crucial that these companies offer strong security measures and a transparent privacy policy.
Both Aura and Guardio claim not to sell your data. While they both have privacy policies, we found that Aura was more transparent about data security and handling. We couldn't confirm that Guardio protects accounts with two-factor authentication.
Aura works on all devices and several major browsers. While customer support is slower, it does have a chat option, and you don't have to pay extra for phone support.
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Our Pick |
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| Windows | Yes (digital security features) | No (Chrome/Edge extension only) |
| macOS | Yes (digital security features) | No (Chrome/Edge extension only) |
| Android | ||
| iOS | ||
| Browser extension | Yes — Chrome, Firefox, Edge | Yes — Chrome, Edge, Chromium-based browsers only |
| Dedicated restoration specialists | Yes — U.S.-based, 24/7 | Yes — 24/7 identity theft resolution |
| Lost wallet remediation | ||
| 24/7 customer support | Yes (email only; phone via Guardio VIP add-on) | |
| Customer support options | Chat, phone, email, online guides | Email, online guides; phone for ID theft resolution or VIP subscribers only |
| Customer support response (testing) | Response within 2 hours | Response within same minute in testing |
| Learn more | Get Aura | Get Guardio |
Guardio is primarily meant for use with browsers, specifically Chrome and Edge. It does have a mobile app, so Guardio can work on your phones too. However, Aura also works with Windows and macOS and on the Firefox browser.
Aura's customer support is more accessible. The 24/7 chat, email, and phone options are available on all plans. Guardio doesn't offer chat support, just email. For phone support, you have to pay a premium price.
Aura has comprehensive identity theft and financial protection. It also includes several security tools, but it lacks a strong antivirus program. If you're interested in an alternative option, Norton 360 fills the gap. It has robust identity theft protection along with strong security tools, including antivirus software — if you get the top-tier Norton 360 + LifeLock Select plan.
Backed by a 100% Virus Protection Promise
Tested protection against hackers, viruses, malware, and ransomware
Includes VPN, parental controls, and more
Learn more in our Norton 360 review.
Aura is the better choice, since it has stronger identity theft protection and security tools to protect devices and data. Its browser-level protections are also more effective than Guardio.
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Our Pick |
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| Value | ||
| Online threat protection | ||
| Identity protection | ||
| Test results | ||
| Privacy and security | ||
| Compatibility & customer support | ||
| Learn more | Get Aura | Get Guardio |
Aura is the best choice for people who need comprehensive theft protection and an all-in-one security solution. It's also a great choice for families who want to bundle top-rated parental controls and child SSN monitoring.
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#1 rated ID theft protection service with a full suite of monitoring tools
Includes up to $1 million in ID theft insurance per person for up to five adults
Protect your children with robust parental controls and gaming alerts
Guardio may be a good choice if you're only interested in protecting yourself from browser-related threats like fake sites and phishing scams.
Guardio isn't the same as Aura. While they are both security tools, they have different approaches. Guardio is a browser-focused program that blocks phishing, scams, and malicious sites. Meanwhile, Aura is a full-suite identity theft protection platform with financial monitoring and bundled security tools.
Guardio offers some protection against identity theft. It offers basic identity monitoring services that check for your email address and phone number. It also offers up to $1 million in identity theft insurance. Other services, like Aura, offer more in-depth credit and financial monitoring in addition to identity protection.
Aura is better for families. The Aura Family plan includes really good parental controls and a Windows-based Safe Gaming feature. The Family plan also includes identity theft monitoring for children.
Guardio can't replace antivirus software. It doesn't offer any malware scanning or virus removal services. Better antivirus options are available, such as Norton 360.
#1 rated ID theft protection service with a full suite of monitoring tools
Includes up to $1 million in ID theft insurance per person for up to five adults
Protect your children with robust parental controls and gaming alerts
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