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Best for Bundled Services
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Full identity protection features included on all plans
Comes with bonus VPN and password manager
Affordable pricing compared to other options
Best for Unique Features
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Lots of unique features like medical ID fraud protection, court record monitoring, and deceased family member fraud remediation
Easy-to-use dashboard
Identity theft protection is one of those services that you may not think about until you need it, but when you need it, you really need it. IDShield is the kind of product that helps you condense your security into one service, providing a virtual private network (VPN) and malware protection in addition to identity theft protection. But if you like your current services and are looking for ID theft protection with more unique features, then IdentityForce might fit the bill.
To help you decide, we’ve compared IDShield and IdentityForce, with consideration of pricing, features, compatibility, customer support, and more.
Identity theft losses can be devastating.
If you’re looking to protect your identity and monitor your credit, then you need an identity theft protection plan. IDShield offers 1-bureau monitoring for less than a streaming subscription, which means you can have protection at an affordable monthly price. IdentityForce offers a variety of unique features like junk mail opt-out, which we don’t see on its competitors’ products. You need to determine which service fits your needs best by looking at a side-by-side comparison below.
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| Identity theft insurance | Up to $3 million | Up to $1 million |
| Credit monitoring | ||
| 3-bureau credit reports | ||
| Credit score | ||
| Identity recovery | ||
| Dark web alerts | ||
| Social media account alerts | ||
| Learn more | Get IDShield | Get IdentityForce |
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Best Value | |
| Paid annually | n/a | $179.50/yr–$239.50/yr |
| Paid monthly | $14.95–$34.95/mo | $17.95–$23.95/mo |
| Best value plan | Individual 1-bureau for $14.95/mo | UltraSecure+Credit for $23.95/mo |
| Identity theft insurance | Up to $3 million | Up to $1 million |
| Learn more | Get IDShield | Get IdentityForce |
IDShield doesn’t advertise any free trials or money-back guarantees on its product pages, but in the FAQ, it mentions that the service can only be canceled by providing IDShield with a written notice. When we tested the product, we found this to be inconvenient. Otherwise, the service offers a variety of useful features, including dark web monitoring and social media account monitoring.
IdentityForce offers a 30-day trial on its UltraSecure plan, which has more features than we typically see in identity theft protection. (Note that you must input your credit card information upfront.) One of the most notable and unique features is deceased relative fraud remediation. That’s not commonly offered, but if you have to deal with this, it can be extremely frustrating (we speak from personal experience), especially when you’re grieving. The list of what’s covered is truly impressive, making IdentityForce quite a robust and well-rounded service.
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Best Features
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| Credit monitoring | ||
| Financial activity alerts | ||
| 3-bureau credit reports | Yes — Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion | Yes — Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion |
| 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 IDShield | Get IdentityForce |
In a side-by-side comparison, these two services look really similar. In some respects, they are. Both comprehensively protect your personally identifiable information, but they do have two different feels to them. IDShield approaches security from a whole-device perspective. That’s why a VPN and malware protection are included in every tier. IdentityForce, on the other hand, looks at its security from a whole-person perspective. That’s why there are unique features like deceased family member fraud remediation and medical ID fraud protection.
Since identity theft protection is personal, it’s up to you to decide which approach is right for you and your family. If you’re already happy with your antivirus and VPN choices, however, then IdentityForce does offer more identity protection features.
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You’re giving a lot of information to identity theft protection services, so you want to make sure it’s being handled correctly. Two-factor authentication (2FA) and data-sharing practices are especially important. The ideal situation would be no data sharing, but that’s usually not the case (except here with IDShield, which really impressed us). For us, the sale of data is a deal-breaker.
Best Security
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| Two-factor authentication | ||
| Multi-factor authentication | ||
| Collects data | ||
| Shares data with third parties | ||
| Learn more | Get IDShield | Get IdentityForce |
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) hasn’t been widely adopted yet. It usually involves more than two forms of authentication. Two-factor authentication is becoming more common, and you’ve likely encountered it on a variety of services. We love a mixture of biometric authentication, like FaceID or a fingerprint, mixed with a passwordless entry, like a code texted or emailed to your device. Some day, maybe we’ll all be using eye scanners and fingerprints instead of passwords. Until then, 2FA and MFA are tough to crack.
Our Pick
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| Windows | ||
| macOS | ||
| Android | ||
| iOS | ||
| 24/7 customer support | ||
| Customer support options | Phone, email, live chat, FAQs | Phone, email, message, support page |
| Learn more | Get IDShield | Get IdentityForce |
Honestly, we weren’t in love with the support options offered by either of these services. We did find IDShield’s live chat to be helpful, though. We’re pretty sure it was manned by a real person as well because when we asked a less-than-typical question, we received a decently human response. IDShield’s self-help resources were almost nonexistent.
IdentityForce had a robust self-help section but lacked a chat option. You can call, email, or message. If you’re down to search the help section yourself, you have more options with IdentityForce.
IDShield Credit and Dark Web Monitoring dashboard /images/2024/02/14/idshield_credit_and_dark_web_monitoring.jpg)
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IDShield’s parent company is Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. (PPLSI) which also owns LegalShield, a pre-paid legal service. IDShield was created by the PPLSI company, which leveraged its legal knowledge and contacts to create an identity theft protection company. Today, IDShield boasts the ability to help customers regain their pre-theft identity status by aggressively working to restore their identity.
Yes, IdentityForce is a Sontiq company that is owned by TransUnion. Since TransUnion is one of the three major credit reporting agencies, IdentityForce can be seen as a legit company.
No, while IDShield and LegalShield are owned by the same company, PPLSI, they are separate entities. IDShield guards your identity, while LegalShield provides pre-paid legal services. IDShield offers credit score tracking, comprehensive monitoring, alerts on financial accounts, and PC protection tools. Identity restoration services like IDShield check the three major credit bureaus in addition to offering identity protection services, providing insurance coverage, and overseeing bank account monitoring.
Dave Ramsey has certified Zander Insurance as RamseyTrusted and says it’s the only company the team recommends. We believe there are a variety of quality identity theft protection options available and would hesitate to endorse only one source. Identity theft protection features differ from product to product, and no one product offers a one-size-fits-all kind of protection.
In our breakdown of the two services, they are tied based on features, compatibility, security, and price, but we feel IdentityForce has a sight edge because of the unique features offered, like online PC protection that can protect against phishing and keyloggers. IDShield is a reliable product and can be valuable for bundling three services — antivirus, a VPN, and identity theft protection — into one. It offers a lot of valuable features, but IdentityForce has more.
Ultimately, however, the most important thing is protecting yourself against identity theft. An identity theft and credit protection guide can help you narrow down what you need, but taking action is important. As cybercrime continues to rise, ID theft services become increasingly more important.
If you’re looking for the best identity theft protection service and neither IDShield nor IdentityForce fits your needs, try one of these below. We’ve tested them individually and are excited about the variety of features offered, like parental controls or coverage for an unlimited number of children. Plus, all of these providers boast a 60-day money-back guarantee on annual subscription purchases.
Full identity protection features included on all plans
Comes with bonus VPN and password manager
Affordable pricing compared to other options
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