Aura ($12/month) is a broad identity-theft-protection suite with 200+ data broker removal, credit monitoring, and $1M insurance. BrandYourself ($49.99/month and up) is a reputation-management-first tool for suppressing negative search results, with narrower data broker coverage. For most people, neither is the best choice: PrivacyOn offers more broker coverage at $8.33/month with family plans up to 5 people.
Quick Verdict
- Best overall value: PrivacyOn — 100+ data broker removal, dark web monitoring, family plans up to 5, from $8.33/month
- Best for identity monitoring bundle: Aura — credit + dark web + broker removal in one, from $12/month
- Best for suppressing negative search results: BrandYourself — personal branding and reputation-only, from $49.99/month
What Each Service Actually Does
Aura at a Glance
Aura is an all-in-one identity theft protection service. Every Aura plan includes:
- 200+ data broker removal (with duplicates and partner-site inflation)
- Three-bureau credit monitoring and lock
- Dark web monitoring for your SSN, email, phone, and cards
- $1M identity theft insurance per adult
- VPN, password manager, and antivirus
- 24/7 U.S.-based fraud resolution
Aura's Individual plan is roughly $12/month (annual), Couple is $22/month, and Family is $30/month for up to 5 adults plus unlimited kids.
BrandYourself at a Glance
BrandYourself is built for personal branding and online reputation management, not identity theft. It combines:
- Data broker removal from 115+ people-search sites (self-service tier)
- Google search result monitoring and suppression
- Social media scanner that flags reputational risks in your own posts
- SEO tools to publish positive content that outranks negative results
- Concierge and full-service tiers where staff manage your reputation for you
BrandYourself pricing:
- Protect Private Info: $49.99/month ($299.99/year) — broker removal only
- Premium DIY: $99/year — scanner, action plan, custom domain
- Concierge Managed: ~$599/month
- Full Personal Branding: $800–$1,000+/month
Head-to-Head: Aura vs BrandYourself
Data Broker Removal Coverage
Winner: Aura — 200+ advertised sites (though inflated by duplicates and partner sites) versus BrandYourself's 115+ for its removal tier. Neither matches PrivacyOn's 100+ dedicated coverage list, where the count reflects unique sites.
Credit and Identity Monitoring
Winner: Aura — BrandYourself does not offer credit monitoring, SSN monitoring, or identity insurance. If you want fraud alerts and $1M insurance, BrandYourself is not a fit.
Online Reputation Suppression
Winner: BrandYourself — Aura does not help you push down a negative news article, bad Google review, or old mugshot. BrandYourself's whole business is reputation SEO and suppression.
Family Coverage
Winner: Aura — Family plan covers 5 adults plus unlimited kids. BrandYourself is priced per individual with no household bundle.
Pricing (Broker Removal Only)
Winner: Neither. Aura's broker removal is bundled at $12/month; BrandYourself's is $49.99/month standalone. Both are more expensive than PrivacyOn's $8.33/month, which offers broader coverage.
Concierge and Managed Service
Winner: BrandYourself — dedicated managed tiers where humans handle your reputation. Aura doesn't offer white-glove reputation management.
Transparency
Winner: Aura — pricing is on the website. BrandYourself hides most pricing behind a signup wall and requires a sales call for concierge tiers.
Watch Out: Overlap and Overpay
Aura and BrandYourself both do data broker removal, but the overlap doesn't mean either does it best. Aura's 200+ number is inflated by counting subdomains and partner sites; BrandYourself's 115+ is narrower and often duplicates what Aura runs. Neither is worth stacking, and neither beats PrivacyOn's dedicated broker coverage at half the price.
Why readers pick PrivacyOn
100+ broker sites covered, dark web monitoring, and family plans for up to 5 people — from $8.33/mo with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Start your free scan★★★★★ 4.8/5 · Trusted by thousands of families
Which Should You Choose?
Choose Aura If...
- You want credit monitoring, dark web scans, and identity insurance in one bundle
- You need family coverage under one plan
- You have no negative search results to suppress — you just want fraud prevention
Choose BrandYourself If...
- You need to push a bad news story, mugshot, or lawsuit off page one of Google
- You want a concierge team managing your online reputation
- You're a professional whose career depends on what search results say about you
- You have budget for the $599+/month managed tiers
Choose PrivacyOn If...
- You want more data broker coverage than either service at a lower price
- You want dark web monitoring included
- You want to cover your family without paying Aura Family prices
- You want continuous re-removal when brokers republish your info
Why PrivacyOn Beats Both Aura and BrandYourself
PrivacyOn is our #1 recommendation because it beats both services on the metrics that matter most:
- More real broker coverage — 100+ dedicated sites, no inflated partner-count math
- Continuous re-removal — profiles that reappear get taken down again automatically
- 24/7 dark web monitoring included at every tier
- Family plans up to 5 people at a lower per-person price than Aura Family
- Starting at $8.33/month — cheaper than Aura Individual and one-sixth the price of BrandYourself's removal tier
- Free initial scan — both Aura and BrandYourself hide your exposure behind a signup
Try PrivacyOn First
Run a free PrivacyOn scan to see exactly which brokers are exposing you — no credit card, no signup pressure. If you decide to protect yourself, you'll pay less than half of what Aura or BrandYourself charge and get broader coverage.
The Bottom Line
Aura is a solid identity theft protection suite, and BrandYourself is a real reputation management tool. But if your goal is what most people actually want — to remove your personal information from data brokers, monitor the dark web, and cover your family — PrivacyOn does that better and cheaper than either service. Save your money for the tools you actually need.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Aura better than BrandYourself?
For identity theft protection, yes — Aura includes credit monitoring, dark web scans, and $1M insurance that BrandYourself doesn't offer. For pushing down negative search results, BrandYourself is better. For most people who just want data broker removal, PrivacyOn beats both on coverage and price.
How much does BrandYourself cost compared to Aura?
BrandYourself's cheapest data-removal plan is $49.99/month (over $600/year). Aura's Individual plan is roughly $12/month annual ($144/year) and includes broker removal, credit monitoring, dark web scans, and insurance. Aura is dramatically cheaper. PrivacyOn is cheaper still, at $8.33/month.
Does Aura remove data from BrandYourself's 115 sites?
Mostly, yes — the top people-search brokers appear on almost every removal service's list. But neither Aura's 200+ nor BrandYourself's 115+ is a fully unique count, and both leave large gaps that PrivacyOn's dedicated 100+ list covers.
Is there a better alternative to Aura and BrandYourself?
Yes. PrivacyOn is our top pick because it removes you from 100+ data brokers, includes 24/7 dark web monitoring, offers family plans up to 5 people, and starts at $8.33/month — substantially cheaper than Aura's $12/month Individual plan and BrandYourself's $49.99/month removal tier. Start with a free scan to see how exposed you are.
Can BrandYourself hide a mugshot or news article from Google?
Suppress, yes. Hide entirely, no. BrandYourself uses SEO tactics — publishing positive content on high-authority domains — to push negative results below the first page. It works over time, especially for common names. It doesn't work as fast as most people expect, and it doesn't work at all if the offending page is a major news outlet with strong authority.
Does Aura or BrandYourself protect my family?
Aura's Family plan covers up to 5 adults plus unlimited kids. BrandYourself is priced per person with no family bundle, making family coverage impractical. PrivacyOn also offers family plans up to 5 people at a lower per-seat price than Aura.