Textplug vs Identity Defender
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Textplug
Obtain virtual phone numbers from over 180 countries for app and social media verification. This platform offers a reliable way to get a second number without needing a physical SIM card.
- Virtual second numbers
- 180+ countries supported
- App verification
- Social media verification
- Telecommunications platform
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Textplug is a telecommunications platform that provides virtual second number of over 180+ countries for any app or social media verification.
Identity Defender
This app offers comprehensive identity protection by monitoring the dark web, credit activity, and public records for signs of theft. It helps reduce online exposure and provides alerts for suspicious activities, along with data removal tools and restoration support.
- Dark web monitoring
- Credit monitoring
- Data removal tools
- Identity alerts
- ID theft restoration support
- Neighborhood Watch alerts
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Identity Defender is an identity protection app from the makers of ExpressVPN. It helps you detect identity theft early with powerful identity monitoring, dark web monitoring, credit monitoring, and data removal tools designed to reduce exposure of your personal information online. Stay ahead of identity theft with real-time ID alerts, credit monitoring, and continuous monitoring of public records linked to your identity. Identity Defender helps you monitor your identity across the dark web, financial accounts, property records, court records, and more. With Identity Defender, you can: Receive identity alerts for suspicious activity linked to your personal details Monitor your credit score, activities, and access detailed credit reports Use dark web monitoring to check if your data appears on the dark web Find and remove personal information from data brokers Monitor home titles, vehicle titles, court records, and financial accounts for signs of fraud Get alerts for high-risk transactions and suspicious 401(k) activity Receive ID theft restoration support and insurance coverage up to $5M for eligible users Stay informed with Neighborhood Watch alerts for registered offenders nearby Identity Defender goes beyond basic identity monitoring. It helps you reduce your online exposure and protect what matters most. Previously available inside the ExpressVPN app, Identity Defender is now a dedicated app built specifically for identity protection, allowing faster improvements and expanded protection as threats evolve. Built by the ExpressVPN team, Identity Defender combines identity monitoring, credit monitoring, dark web monitoring, and data removal into one powerful identity protection app. Important information An ExpressVPN account with an active VPN plan is required to use Identity Defender. Identity Defender is currently available to U.S. subscribers only. Terms of Service https://www.expressvpn.com/tos Privacy Policy https://www.expressvpn.com/privacy-policy-identity-defender
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Textplug at 4.7 against Identity Defender's 2.8. Textplug also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (1.5K vs 13). Identity Defender's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Identity Defender sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $129.99 per year. Textplug asks for nothing beyond the download.
Textplug holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Textplug has 1.5K ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 21% of Textplug's written reviews are positive against 13% of Identity Defender's.
Textplug ships an update every 2 months, Identity Defender every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Textplug | Identity Defender |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (1.5K ratings) — better | 2.8 (13 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 20.9% of reviews — better | 12.5% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1.5K — better | 13 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 59 MB | 117 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | TEXTPLUG TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED | Express VPN |
Customer experience
Textplug
Identity Defender
Bugs and requests
Textplug
Reported bugs
3 issues- App not opening
- Purchased services not working as expected
- Verification codes not being delivered
Requested features
3 requests- Provide clear information about services
- Improve reliability of verification codes
- Allow users to easily withdraw their money
Identity Defender
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Textplug
No in-app purchases
Identity Defender
- 12-Month Subscription$129.991 Year









