ExpressVPN Identity Defender Review: Great VPN, Basic ID Theft Protection

ExpressVPN

Buy at ExpressVPN

Like

• CNET's choice for best overall VPN
• Heavily discounted annual and two-year plans available
• Very useful credit scanner tool

Don't like

• Monthly plan doesn't offer identity theft insurance
• No three-credit bureau monitoring
• No family plan available
• You must enroll in $1 million identity theft insurance after signup

ExpressVPN

Buy at ExpressVPN

Pros

• CNET's choice for best overall VPN
• Heavily discounted annual and two-year plans available
• Very useful credit scanner tool

Cons

• Monthly plan doesn't offer identity theft insurance
• No three-credit bureau monitoring
• No family plan available
• You must enroll in $1 million identity theft insurance after signup

ExpressVPN is CNET's top VPN of 2025 and is well-known for its robust virtual private network. But you may not know this service now includes identity theft protection. It's an added bonus if you already love this company's VPN service -- but it lacks some of the protections other identity theft protection services offer.

Named Identity Defender, ExpressVPN's ID theft protection features make plans considerably more useful for keeping your personal information safe. 

For example, monthly VPN subscriptions now include ID alerts that notify you if your personal information is found on the dark web. Some plans also include identity theft insurance and data removal services. ExpressVPN also features its own password manager to help keep all your passwords secure and organized in one place.

ExpressVPN's Identity Defender benefits offer similar coverage to top ID theft companies like LifeLock and Aura. However, there are some areas where ExpressVPN's identity theft protection plans fall short compared with industry leaders.

Who should use ExpressVPN's identity theft protection services?

Identity Defender works best for anyone who primarily wants to protect their online browsing activity with a VPN and password manager and views identity theft protection as an added perk. 

ExpressVPN's Identity Defender plans offer data removal services, dark web monitoring and Experian credit bureau monitoring. 

But ExpressVPN doesn't provide many benefits you'd normally get with identity theft protection companies. The service doesn't monitor your home title, social media accounts, or banking and investment accounts. It also doesn't offer identity theft insurance for all three tiers. If you're in a tier that offers insurance, you also have to enroll in the service yourself, compared with other ID theft services that automatically cover you once you create an account. 

Another drawback is ExpressVPN's Identity Defender plans don't offer three-bureau credit monitoring with any tier, which in our opinion, is a must-have. Meanwhile, industry leaders like Aura -- CNET's top identity theft protection service -- offer a longer list of features, as well as VPN access.

ExpressVPN's identity theft plans

ExpressVPN offers three plans that come with identity theft protection and access to its top VPN service. Each tier also comes with a 30-day money back guarantee.

The company's pricing model rewards you with more ID protection benefits the longer you commit to being a customer. The price per month also drops substantially the longer you commit.

Monthly

ExpressVPN's basic month-to-month plan costs $13 and includes VPN access, ad blockers and access to the brand's password manager. This tier also includes ID alerts and unauthorized USPS address changes, among other features.

An eSIM card even helps users when traveling abroad, letting you use your cell phone by connecting to a local carrier without having to use a roaming plan. A tracker blocker additionally prevents third-parties from tracking your online search activity. 

12 months (plus three months free)

The 12-month plan includes everything that comes with the basic plan, plus $1 million in identity theft insurance,a credit score tracker and a Credit Scanner tool that keeps tabs on your Experian credit report. It costs $100 for 15 months and renews at $117 annually.

24 months (plus four months free)

If you want the most possible benefits from ExpressVPN, you'll want to go with the longest plan that lasts for two years. This plan comes with all the protective features of the 12-month plan but unlocks access to additional perks like a monthly credit report and data removal services. This plan costs $150 per year, but with the current deal, it's $140 for 28 months before the standard pricing kicks in.

What’s it like to use ExpressVPN's ID theft coverage?

When you sign up for ExpressVPN, the first thing you'll do is download the VPN to the devices you want to use it with. For me, that's a laptop and a smartphone. However, this VPN can be set up on nearly any type of device that connects to the internet, including gaming consoles and tablets.

Once you download the VPN, you get access to a dashboard that lets you set up the additional features on your account:

For the purposes of this review, I tested the two-year plan option from ExpressVPN, which includes all of the service's features.

The left side of your dashboard is where you set up all the plan features that help you protect your identity, including ID alerts, data removal services and credit monitoring. You can also set up a dedicated IP address, apply parental controls for covered devices, use an ad blocker and access a password manager. 

Your IP address identifies your PC on the internet or local network, so having a dedicated IP address helps to hide your activity by replacing your IP with one provided by ExpressVPN.

To receive this service's $1 million identity theft insurance, you must enroll in coverage through its online account or via the mobile app. Most other ID theft protection services will automatically enroll you in an insurance plan, but with ExpressVPN, you'll need to activate it yourself.

One of the first features I set up in my account was identity theft alerts. I added my sensitive personal information like my address, date of birth and Social Security number. This section was immediately flooded with all the different places my information has been stolen from and shared online.

This didn't surprise me. I already know my data has been stolen and shared on the dark web many times. 

I have had my information shared in several of the big data breaches during the past few years, including the AT&T data breach and the massive National Public Data breach last year. 

I ended up freezing my credit reports so I didn't have to worry about people trying to open new accounts in my name. I also ended up signing up for identity theft protection from Identity Guard. Still, it was nice that ExpressVPN located many of the places where my data has been shared on the dark web.

ExpressVPN also offers data removal as part of its Identity Defender services. According to the company, this process involves searching the internet for customer's personal information on data aggregation services, then sending opt-out or deletion requests to have the information removed.

Interestingly enough, ExpressVPN said I didn't have any records that needed to be removed from public websites. I was a little surprised by this since I know my data has been shared on the dark web and in various data breaches, multiple times. But I also know that just because my data was leaked on the dark web, doesn't mean it'll also show up on data aggregator sites.

ExpressVPN offers identity theft restoration services, dark web monitoring, SSN monitoring and change of address monitoring through USPS. These benefits can be easily activated from your ExpressVPN dashboard.

I found the credit scanner feature in my plan incredibly useful. Essentially, this part of the dashboard shows you your credit score and recent alerts on your Experian credit report. You can also use the ExpressVPN website to freeze your credit reports with all three of the credit bureaus.

My personal account didn't show any credit alerts, which made sense since my credit reports have been frozen for more than a year. However, the credit reports section is very useful, as it lists my full Experian credit report. 

ExpressVPN offers only Experian credit tracking, scores and reports, whereas many ID theft companies provide all of the above for all three credit bureaus with their top plans.

Other notable features

ExpressVPN offers a ton of built-in features you can use to protect your sensitive information and your identity:

• Dedicated IP: ExpressVPN plans can come with a dedicated IP address that only you know. This address helps shield your identity when you're using the internet and your VPN.
• Parental controls: Parental controls let you block certain websites for your children on covered devices.
• Password manager: A password manager helps you create complex and secure passwords for all your accounts and protects them with a master password only you know.
• Refer friends: ExpressVPN offers a referral link you can share with family and friends. You and the person you referred gets 30 days of free service for each completed referral.

How do ExpressVPN's identity restoration services work?   

The 12- and 24-month plans from ExpressVPN include identity restoration services, which can help you recover if you're a victim of identity theft.

This service is offered in addition to the $1 million in ID theft insurance, and is a white glove service, according to a company spokesperson. This means that much of the work needed to restore your identity, such as disputing credit reports and contacting financial institutions, is done on your behalf.

If your identity is stolen or you're a victim of fraud, ExpressVPN will assign an insurance specialist to your case and walk you through a step-by-step process so that you can repair and restore your credit. To use this service, you have to be an ExpressVPN customer with ID theft protection when your identity is stolen. Call ExpressVPN's US-based customer service line at 1-833-568-6249 to use this feature.

Is ExpressVPN's identity theft coverage right for me?

If you want a top VPN, password manager and identity theft protection all in one nice package, ExpressVPN could work well for you. You'll get the best offer if you can take advantage of the discounted price tag for its 24-month plan, which comes with all of ExpressVPN's Identity Defender features.

That said, ExpressVPN is missing some of the key perks offered by traditional identity theft protection services. Notably, the service offers identity theft insurance only with its top-tier plans, which is uncommon in the industry. You'll also need to activate the coverage yourself.

We like that you have some credit reporting access, but don't like that it's limited to Experian. Most other ID theft services offer three-bureau monitoring for at least one of their tiers.