IdentityIQ vs. Experian IdentityWorks 2024: A Close Race

We compared IdentityIQ vs. Experian IdentityWorks to see which ID theft protection plan is best and found Experian IdentityWorks superior.

While these two identity theft protection services are similar in many aspects, we like that Experian offers social media monitoring, credit freeze and a FICO score. Read on to learn more about how these two services compare.

IdentityIQ vs. Experian IdentityWorks review at a glance

Identity theft losses can be staggering and detrimental. Fortunately, identity theft protection services are a simple way to protect you and your loved ones from becoming victims of identity theft. IdentityIQ and Experian IdentityWorks have similar features and amenities, offering extensive monitoring and credit services.

In short, IdentityIQ may be a good choice for you if you’re looking for an inexpensive way to increase your identity theft coverage, or if you have children or young adults to protect. If you have a strong social media presence, Experian IdentityWorks might be a better choice, since it offers social media monitoring.

• IdentityIQ: Best for families
• Experian IdentityWorks: Best for social media monitoring

IdentityIQ vs. Experian IdentityWorks compared

Star rating	4.0 AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.	4.1 AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.
Price	$5.94–$29.99/mo	Free–$34.99/mo
Types of monitoring	SSN, fraud, dark web and internet, change of address	SSN, financial account takeover, social network, dark web, court records, and more
Credit monitoring
Identity theft insurance	Up to $1 million	Up to $1 million
Identity restoration services
24/7 customer support
Learn more	Get IdentityIQ Read IdentityIQ Review	Get Experian IdentityWorks Read Experian IdentityWorks Review

IdentityIQ pros and cons

Experian IdentityWorks pros and cons

Which identity theft protection is the better value?

Paid annually	$5.94–$29.99/mo	N/A
Paid monthly	$6.99–$29.99/mo	Free–$34.99/mo
Best value plan	IdentityIQ Secure Max for $25.50/mo (billed annually)	Experian IdentityWorks Premium for $24.99/mo
Identity theft insurance	Up to $1 million	Up to $1 million
Learn more	Get IdentityIQ Read IdentityIQ Review	Get Experian IdentityWorks Read Experian IdentityWorks Review

IdentityIQ plans

IdentityIQ offers four different plans, so you can determine how much identity and credit protection you and your family need. If you’re just looking for the basics, IdentityIQ’s Secure plan is a good option, offering daily one-bureau credit monitoring, dark web and internet monitoring, and coverage for lawyers and identity experts. While this basic plan doesn’t include any credit reports, the additional monitoring for a low monthly cost is a bonus.

IdentityIQ’s Secure Plus plan is one step above the Secure plan. In addition to the Secure plan’s amenities and features, the Secure Plus plan offers annual access to credit scores and credit reports from the three major credit bureaus.

For additional security and monitoring, IdentityIQ offers its Secure Pro plan. On top of the benefits of the aforementioned plans, Secure Pro offers biannual credit reports and scores from all three bureaus, enhanced credit monitoring, crime alerts for crimes committed in your name, and alerts on changes to your credit score.

IdentityIQ’s most premium plan, Secure Max, offers the highest level of identity protection monitoring. In addition to the features and amenities offered in their other plans, this plan also includes monthly three-bureau credit reports, credit scores and monitoring, a credit score simulator, and a tracker so that you can see more details about your credit score. 

This premium plan also offers unlimited coverage to protect your children.

IdentityIQ offers a 7-day trial for $1 so you can determine if IdentityIQ is suited to your needs. A credit card is required to enroll in the trial.

Experian IdentityWorks plans

Experian IdentityWorks offers three plans with various identity protection services — Basic, Premium, and Family.

IdentityWorks Basic plan offers essential identity protection, including a free Experian credit report, a FICO score, credit monitoring and alerts, a FICO score tracker and monitoring, a dark web surveillance report, and a personal privacy scan.

In addition to the features available in the Basic plan, IdentityWorks’ Premium also offers monthly scans, three-bureau credit monitoring and alerts, SSN alerts, dark web notifications, social media monitoring, up to $1 million in identity theft insurance, and dedicated fraud resolution support.

IdentityWorks also has a Family plan that includes all the amenities of the Premium plan. It covers one additional adult and identity monitoring for up to 10 children.

Experian IdentityWorks offers a 7-day free trial for all plans. While the trial is free, a credit card is required to begin your trial. And unlike IdentityIQ, Experian offers monthly payment plans.

Which identity theft protection has the better features?

Feature		Our Pick
Credit monitoring
Financial activity alerts
3-bureau credit reports	Yes — Experian, TransUnion, Equifax	Yes — Experian, TransUnion, Equifax
Credit score
FICO score
Credit lock and freeze
Identity recovery
Dark web alerts
Social media account alerts
Social Security number monitoring
Home title monitoring
Address change alerts
Learn more	Get IdentityIQ Read IdentityIQ Review	Get Experian IdentityWorks Read Experian IdentityWorks Review

IdentityIQ and Experian’s IdentityWorks are nearly identical in terms of monitoring. Both offer SSN notifications, address change alerts, dark web surveillance, three-bureau credit monitoring and alerts, and more. Both offer up to $1 million for identity recovery, which is extremely valuable in the case of identity theft.

Experian IdentityWorks offers two additional features we think are important for identity protection — social media monitoring and FICO information. 

While neither of these components are deal breakers, social media surveillance is nice to have. Identity theft, phishing attacks, malware and impersonation scams are all cyberthreats found on social media. With Experian, you can receive alerts if your social accounts have been compromised.

When making a big financial decision, like applying for a loan or credit card, knowing your FICO score can be valuable. While FICO and Vantage scores are calculated similarly, 90% of lending decisions use the FICO score metric, which makes having this score ready very handy. Experian also offers a credit freeze feature. If your identity is stolen, this option makes for a quick freeze of all your accounts.

It’s worth noting that IdentityIQ does offer plans with a VPN and antivirus software. This is a valuable option if you’re looking for an economical way to bolster your online security efficiently.

Which identity theft protection is more secure?

To use an identity theft protection service, you must provide significant data for the service to operate as intended. Since you’re handing over such sensitive information — bank account information, SSN, and other private information — what these companies do with your data matters.

At a minimum, we look for two-factor authentication (like passcodes or an authenticator) or multi-factor authentication (like biometrics). IdentityIQ offers multi-factor authentication, which we appreciate. Experian IdentityWorks doesn’t offer either; however, it does require a security question and a 4-digit PIN as an added layer of security.

IdentityIQ vs. Experian IdentityWorks data security

Feature		Our Pick
Two-factor authentication
Multi-factor authentication
Collects data
Shares data with third parties
Learn more	Get IdentityIQ Read IdentityIQ Review	Get Experian IdentityWorks Read Experian IdentityWorks Review

It’s important to remember that monitoring for identity breaches requires a certain level of collected data. Experian IdentityWorks and IdentityIQ both collect a normal amount of data. As expected, they collect registration information like your name and email address. Once you register, they collect information for monitoring as well as payment information.

According to Experian's privacy policy, it shares some of your information with third parties, including cookies, advertising IDs, device information, and more. It’s worth noting, however, that sensitive information like SSNs, credit card information, and login credentials are encrypted with Secure Socket Layer technology.

IdentityWorks also partners with third-party affiliates, so your information could be shared. Its privacy policy states that information may be shared for marketing purposes like promotional offers or advertising, but it also has a guide to opting out of third-party marketing offers in its privacy policy.

Which identity theft protection has the better compatibility and customer support?

Windows app
macOS app
Android app
iOS app
24/7 customer support
Customer support options	Phone	Phone, email, forums, online guides
Learn more	Get IdentityIQ Read IdentityIQ Review	Get Experian IdentityWorks Read Experian IdentityWorks Review

As far as interface and usability go, starting our free trial and setting up our account with IdentityIQ was simple and straightforward, with an easy-to-navigate dashboard. From a single dashboard, you can easily see your entire report, and if you choose to add family members, you can easily see their reports as well.

Experian IdentityWorks’ usability and interface was equally straightforward and easy to navigate. The dashboard is clear and easy to read, and alerts come in a newsfeed format to keep you informed.

Experian IdentityWorks and IdentityIQ’s customer support both leave room for improvement. While both offer phone support for customers, they were hard to reach in our testing — and neither offers 24/7 customer support. Identity theft can occur any time, and we like the option of reaching a customer service representative whenever we need one. Additionally, we were disappointed that there was no chat support.

FAQs

IdentityIQ vs. Experian IdentityWorks: Which is better?

While these two identity theft protection services are similar, we think Experian IdentityWorks has a slight competitive edge. While the privacy policy does give us a slight pause, we think this identity theft protection plan is worth the investment.

Experian IdentityWorks offers many features to protect you from identity fraud. The paid plans cover all three credit bureaus and provide comprehensive credit monitoring, reports, and scores. An added benefit is its social media monitoring, which may be important for someone who frequents social media sites.

Experian IdentityWorks also provides a regular FICO score to ensure your credit health. It’s unfortunate that IdentityWorks doesn’t include two-factor authentication at this point, but we appreciate the additional security question and 4-digit PIN.

IdentityIQ offers a variety of plans with different options, allowing you to choose which plan is best for your needs. All IdentityIQ plans offer some form of identity monitoring and identity restoration services, which are key components of identity theft protection services. From dark web notifications to credit monitoring, credit reports, and credit scores, IdentityIQ is a good, cost-effective solution to protect your identity.

IdentityIQ vs. Experian IdentityWorks alternatives

Choosing an identity theft protection plan that is best for you may require more research. You’ll need to consider your needs, budget, priorities, and what type of coverage you’re looking for.

If you’d like to consider other services, look at our guide to find the best identity theft protection service for you.

• Aura: Aura offers easy-to-understand plans with security features like identity theft insurance, credit monitoring, reports and scores, fraud resolution, and dark web notifications. Aura also offers a password manager and VPN for added security.
  
  Get Aura | Read Our Aura Review
• LifeLock: LifeLock takes identity theft protection seriously, offering up to $3 million in identity theft insurance, as well as credit monitoring, reports and scores, identity recovery, dark web alerts, social media alerts, and home title monitoring.
  
  Get LifeLock | Read Our LifeLock Review
• Identity Guard: Identity Guard monitors financial accounts, Social Security number activity, and social media and searches for your information on the dark web. In addition to identity theft protection monitoring services, Identity Guard offers up to $1 million in insurance and remediation tools.
  
  Get Identity Guard | Read Our Identity Guard Review