8 Best Credit Score Apps

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By Jacob Maslow

Your credit score is hugely influential in many important decisions in your life, whether it is buying a car, a home, or applying for a new credit card; you will need a good credit score to get the best rates possible. So for many, the question is, how can you check and track your credit score?

Credit Score tracking apps are the answer! They enable you to check and monitor your credit score. Several sites can check your credit score; some offer free trials, and others have monthly subscriptions.

Before these apps were made available, US citizens could only check their credit score once a year through Federal programs. Then, if you wanted an additional report, you had to pay. Credit score apps give you access to these reports at any time.

Here we look at the eight best credit score apps so that you can start tracking your credit rating and start bettering it for future life events.

How Do Credit Score Apps Work

Before we look at the best credit score apps, let’s first look at how they work. Regardless of the name, all credit score apps meet the same criteria.

Credit score apps pull credit information directly from one or several of the three major credit bureaus in the states. Once the app has access to that information, it formats it, making it easy to understand.

Let’s take a look at Credit Karma, which we discuss below, in more detail to explain further how these types of apps operate. Credit Karma gives users their Equifax and TransUnion credit scores. Therefore the credit scores you see on Credit Karma are actual credit scores secured from a credit bureau rather than an estimate.

Credit score apps can link up your credit file by asking users for their Social Security number and other personal data, which explains why you must give such information when signing up for an app.

The credit scores you get from different credit score apps will vary as some apps may only offer your Equifax score, FICO score, or TransUnion score, and others may provide you with all three or two out of three.

8 Best Credit Score Apps

1. Best Overall: Credit Karma

Credit Scores: TransUnion & Equifax

Cost: Free

Overview

Credit Karma is our top pick as it has an incredibly easy-to-use interface and great features that beat any competitor websites out there. Another reason to love this site is that it is 100% free, and they never ask you for your credit card number, so there are no sneaky hidden charges.

Everything about this platform is excellent, from the mobile app to the features; there is much to like about Credit Karma.

Credit scores are updated weekly, and you can access Equifax and TransUnion credit scores. There are also significant security features within this free platform.

Pros

  • Free
  • Weekly updated credit scores
  • Personalized tips for improving your score
  • Free credit monitoring
  • Easy-to-use mobile app

Cons

  • Offers recommendations for loans and credit cards which can be a point of temptation

2. Credit.com

Credit Scores: Experian

Cost: Free

Overview

Credit.com allows you to check your credit score online using their official website, or you can download their easy-to-use mobile app onto your smartphone and check your credit score from anywhere.

This site gives you an Experian credit score, which is a fantastic feature from a free platform. Through Credit.com, you can also get a personalized action plan to track your debt and any payments that have impacted your score.

The features offered with this site are weak, but it is perfect for anyone who solely wants to check their credit score once a month.

Pros

  • Free
  • Gives Experian credit score
  • Useful mobile app can be used from anywhere

Cons

  • It takes longer than competitors to update scores, every 14 days

3. myFICO

Credit Scores: FICO, Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax

Cost: $19.95 per month

Overview

myFICO is a great place to start for anyone new to monitoring a credit score. This app makes credit scores easy to understand and offers a range of whopping features for a great value.

With myFICO, you can access three credit scores from FICO, Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. Having access to FICO credit scores will put you in a fantastic position as they are the only type of credit scores used by almost 90% of lenders in the US.

If you want a free plan, this isn’t the site for you, but the $19.95 monthly subscription fee is worth it for anyone who wants to get serious about their credit score. With this plan, you can access identity theft insurance with coverage of up to $ 1 million.

Pros

  • Access to credit scores from all major credit bureaus in the US
  • Credit monitoring and alerts
  • Identity theft insurance
  • Access to 28 FICO scores

Cons

  • No free subscription plans are available

4. WalletHub

Credit Scores: TransUnion

Cost: Free

Overview

WalletHub is another brilliant free website that enables users to monitor their credit scores. This site stands out from the crowd as it is one of the only sites that provide daily free credit reports. Most other platforms offer reports either weekly or monthly.

No premium upgrades are available with this site, as all premium features are accessible when you set up a free WalletHub account. For example, use features such as the 24/7 detailed credit monitoring or access unique personalized guides to improve your credit score using advanced algorithms.

Pros

  • Free
  • TransUnion credit score report daily
  • Mobile app available for Apple and Android
  • 24/7 credit monitoring

Cons

  • Users can only access one credit score

5. TransUnion

Credit Scores: TransUnion

Cost: $24.95 per month

Overview

While TransUnion does not offer any free services, they should not be overlooked. The premium subscriptions offered by TransUnion come with access to excellent features, such as theft alerts, credit monitoring, and identity theft insurance.

Credit scores and reports are updated daily, and you can choose to lock and unlock your TransUnion and Equifax credit reports. One of the most impressive features offered by TransUnion is identity theft insurance that covers an individual up to $ 1 million.

TransUnion users also have access to a free additional service called TrueIdentity, which can help to protect them from fraud.

Pros

  • Access to lots of features
  • Credit scores and reports are updated daily
  • Access to TransUnion credit scores
  • Email alerts if your name is used for credit by a fraud
  • Identity theft insurance

Cons

  • The monthly subscription cost is expensive

6. CreditWise

Credit Scores: TransUnion

Cost: Free

Overview

Credit Wise is so good you won’t believe that it is free. This app is backed by Capital One and offers many brilliant features, such as dark web scans and credit monitoring. You can even get access to automatic alerts from two credit bureaus in the United States for free.

This credit score app works with its users to help people improve their credit score by offering personalized suggestions on what a person should or could do to benefit their credit score.

Users can decide between the online website and the mobile app, which is available for Apple and Android phones when writing.

Pros

  • TransUnion credit score and report
  • Extra security features
  • Weekly credit score updates
  • Mobile app available for Apple and Android

Cons

  • Users can only access one credit score

7. Credit Sesame

Credit Scores: TransUnion

Cost: Free

Overview

Credit Sesame offers a range of subscription packages making it an excellent choice for many different budgets. Premium features are not only for premium customers, but free account users also have access to fantastic features.

The three paid plans are Advanced Credit, Pro Credit, and Platinum Protection, and prices start from nothing to a set charge per month. A great feature that users have access to is free credit monitoring.

Users also have extra peace of mind when using Credit Sesame, as the site offers up to $50,000 of identity theft protection and restoration.

Users can also access Sesame Cash, which is a digital bank account that gives you rewards when you improve your credit score.

Pros

  • Different subscription choices
  • Free credit monitoring
  • Identity theft protection and restoration
  • Gives TransUnion credit score

Cons

  • The user only has access to one credit score with a basic account.

8. CreditWorks by Experian

Credit Scores: FICO, Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax

Cost: Free

Overview

CreditWorks is a service offered by Experian and a brilliant service with a range of subscription packages available for users. The CreditWorks Basic package is free, and the CreditWorks Premium package is $24.99 per month.

The basic plan is perfect for most people, depending on what features you want access to and what you hope to achieve with your account. For example, with the basic plan, you can access your Experian credit score, and your monthly report will also have access to your FICO score. No other service gives you access to your FICO score outside of myFICO.

This service is excellent for anyone with a family as you can access a one-time identity scan for your child, helping keep your and your family’s identities safe from fraud.

Users can access many other top-quality features through the premium package, such as dark web scans, free credit monitoring, and more.

Pros

  • Free monthly Experian credit reports
  • Access to FICO credit score
  • Great security features
  • Experian credit report disputes can be submitted and tracked through the platform.

Cons

  • The premium plan is expensive

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Why You Should Use a Credit Score App

Choosing one of the many credit score apps featured on our list is a great way to gain control over your financial health. Maybe you are overcoming debt or looking to buy your first home; there are many reasons you should use a credit score app.

Credit Score Is Important

As we have said many times in this piece, your credit score is hugely important for many milestones in your life. But unfortunately, many people don’t seem to realize how detrimental a bad credit score can be.

Many employers will also run credit checks before deciding to hire you. It is seen as an excellent way to gauge a person. However, even something as simple as applying for a new credit card can become impossible if you do not have a good credit score which can be frustrating when you require one.

Take Power

By monitoring your credit score using an app, you take back power over your finances and focus on getting your financial health back in good shape or preparing it for buying a house, car, or applying for a loan.

By checking in on your credit score, you will begin to subconsciously hold yourself accountable and desire to improve it, which will have enormous benefits for you.

Security

You will also be able to notice any issues with your credit score before it is too late. Identity theft is a common issue in the United States, and many people don’t realize for years that something has happened until it is too late and their credit score has been negatively impacted.

Checking your credit score frequently means you are less likely to be left in a situation where someone attempts to steal your identity using your social security number.

Final Thoughts

We hope that this piece has given you all the information you need to take back control of your credit score and finances and that by using one of the apps featured on our list, you will be able to get your finances fit and healthy in no time.

Still, have questions? Check out our frequently asked questions sections for more information on this critical topic.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is credit monitoring?

Credit monitoring is a service that alerts or notifies you should there be any changes to your credit report. This service is primarily used to detect any suspicious activity to guard against identity theft, a common issue in the United States.

2. Why should I monitor my credit score?

Monitoring your credit score is a fantastic idea as it helps you protect yourself from fraud and allows you to check for any possible administrative errors made by credit bureaus that could impact your life financially.

By checking your score, you will notice errors or possible suspicious activity quicker and move forward quickly to resolve these issues before severe damage is done to your financial health.

3. Is your credit score affected by checking it?

Some people worry that checking your credit score can negatively impact your credit score, but this is not true. Only six main factors can influence your credit score, both positively and negatively, and they are the age of credit history, credit utilization, derogatory marks, hard inquiries, payment history, and total accounts.

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