So you’re wondering where you can get your free credit score? In the last few years, it has become easier to get access to free credit scores. In fact today, many banks and credit unions, credit card companies, and financial services apps offer users access to free credit scores.
Here is my list of the best free credit score apps. You can use these apps without impact to your credit score and they are free–meaning you’re not going to be required to input a credit card. All these apps require you to verify your identity.
Additionally, these apps do more than just offer free credit scores. These apps offer a wide range of free services such as credit report analysis, monitoring, and identity theft insurance.
Which one should you use? You can use them all, if you so desire, and check how your scores differ. But, I do recommend you access your credit reports through the federally mandated website, AnnualCreditReport.com.
Credit Karma: Best 2 Bureau Free Scores
Credit Karma is a free and legitimate service providing you a credit score and a user-friendly way to view information on your credit report.
What you get:
- Free credit scores anytime and anywhere.
- Credit monitoring alerts you when there’s an important change in your reports.
- With Insights that teach you what affects your credit scores and what you can do to improve them.
- See personalized recommendations for ways to use your credit more wisely.
- Compare personalized offers for credit cards, loans, and more without hurting your scores.
>> Get started with Credit Karma.
Credit Sesame: Best Free Score with Identity Theft Insurance
Credit Sesame monitors your credit report and gives you a free credit score. When they say free, they absolutely mean it. There is no free trial period with a membership fee afterward, and there’s no need to enter a credit card; the app is 100% free.
What you get:
- Access a free credit score, free credit report card, and free credit monitoring
- Find out what affects your credit and how to better it
- Personalized and easy to get products based on your credit
- Safeguard your credit with our free credit monitoring and ID protection
- Get started in a few minutes and monthly updates of your credit score
Experian: Best Free FICO Score
Experian, one of the three major credit bureaus, offer their own free credit monitoring and access to a FICO score once a month.
What you get:
- Monthly access to Experian credit report with FICO® Score
- See the factors influencing your credit score
- Access score tracker and visualize your progress over time
- Get credit for your phone and utility bills by adding positive payments to your Experian credit file.
- See your Experian credit report every month with no fees or credit card required
>> Get started with Experian.
Creditwise: Best Free VantageScore
Creditwise was built by Capital One but you don’t need to be a customer to use the free app.
What you get:
- Free weekly or monthly credit score updates with TransUnion VantageScore 3.0
- Score simulator, tips, and suggestions to improve credit
- Access to a summary of TransUnion credit report
- Monitors and alerts you of changes to your TransUnion and Experian credit reports
- Includes Dark Web scans and Social Security Number tracking
>> Get started with Creditwise.
Are these free credit scores legit? Well, for the most part, they are legitimate scores. The truth is that you have many credit scores. And regardless of the algorithm used to generate your credit score the information used is from your credit report. Have negative or inaccurate information on your credit report? Chances are your scores, regardless of who created them, will be in the low or poor range.
Find more free credit score apps on the financial marketplace and learn more about controlling credit through our resource guide.
