Credit scores can be complicated as they include many factors such as your credit history, utilization, bank account balances, how often you apply for credit, and more. Thankfully, credit score apps break this down in a way that’s easy to understand.
In addition to credit monitoring, the top credit apps will also provide tips on improving your credit score and help you identify any misuse of your personal information. This post will list the best credit monitoring apps you can download today. We have included some free and paid apps to give you a complete overview of what is available right now.
Best Credit Score Apps
Here are the top credit score monitoring apps available today. These apps won’t affect your credit score, allowing you to choose the one that works the best for you.
1. Credit Karma
- Monitors: Equifax and TransUnion
- Cost: $0
- Availability: Android and iOS
Credit Karma is a credit app that functions as a marketplace for several credit facilities, including credit cards, loans, and mortgages. The app also promises to provide you with your free credit score based on data it collects from Equifax and TransUnion.
The app is free, but you need to provide personal information. Credit Karma will use this information to send you targeted advertisements. Searches will not impact our credit score.
You can also use the app to open a dispute with the credit bureau if you notice a mistake. However, this is limited to Equifax and TransUnion. If you’re using this app and want to open a dispute with Experian, keep reading to find out how.
2. Credit Sesame
- Monitors: TransUnion
- Cost: $0
- Availability: Android and iOS
Credit Sesame is a financial app that includes an account with a pre-paid debit card designed to help you improve your credit score. The account provides cash back, rewards, and early deposits – making for one very attractive account that also helps you build credit.
The app also includes a free credit score report, which Credit Sesame works out based on data it collects from Equifax. The report consists of a breakdown of the score along with tips and steps you can take to improve it.
Credit Sesame includes extensive resources designed to help you understand how credit reporting and scoring work – excellent if you are trying to build, improve, or maintain your credit rating. The app also includes free credit monitoring, which alerts you to important changes to your TransUnion credit report.
3. CreditWise from Capital One
- Monitors: TransUnion
- Cost: $0
- Availability: Android and iOS
CreditWise is a credit app from Capital One. It’s wholly dedicated to helping you know and understand your credit score. It is open to everyone, so you do not need a Capital One account to use the app.
CreditWise uses data from TransUnion to work out your credit score based on VantageScore 3.0. The app also offers credit monitoring and alerts – helping you stay on top of any changes.
One cool feature of CreditWise is the Simulator. You can use the credit score simulator to see how certain financial decisions can impact your score before you take them – helping you understand the repercussions of decisions before it’s too late.
4. myFICO
- Monitors: FICO, Experian, TransUnion, Equifax
- Cost: $19.95 – $39.95 per month
- Availability: Android and iOS
MyFICO is the official consumer app of FICO – the company behind FICO scores. While this makes it ideal for getting your FICO score, since you’ll be getting it directly from the gatekeeper, it does come with a cost.
Pricing starts from $19.95 per month, getting you monthly updates and Experian coverage. Prices go up to $39.95 for the whole package, including coverage of all three credit bureaus.
MyFICO account features depend on the plan you subscribe for and may include monitoring, identity restoration, $1 million in identity theft insurance, and more.
5. Experian CreditWorks
- Monitors: FICO, Experian
- Cost: $0 – $24.99 per month
- Availability: Android and iOS
CreditWorks is an app from Experian that provides you with your Experian credit report and FICO Score. You can choose between the free account or the premium account.
The free account allows you to access your Experian credit report and your FICO score monthly. The Premium version, on the other hand, will enable you to access your Experian credit report and your FICO score daily while offering monthly reports from the other credit bureaus.
Other features available with both plans include credit report monitoring, score tracking, and alerts, among other things. The Premium plan adds a FICO Score Simulator, identity theft monitoring and protection, and Experian CreditLock.
6. AnnualCreditReport.com
- Monitors: Experian, TransUnion, Equifax
- Cost: $0
- Availability: Web, phone, mail
AnnualCreditReport.com is a federally-authorized website through which you can order your yearly credit report from the three major credit bureaus – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. You can request these three reports once a year only, so you need to be strategic about it.
Unfortunately, no app is available, so you will need to do this through the website or the old-fashioned way – by phone or snail mail.
The biggest benefit here is that you’ll be getting your credit report directly from the source. On the flip side, you won’t get your actual credit score. However, it’s a great opportunity to ensure that everything that makes up your credit score is correct – and open a dispute if it is not.
In addition, until December 2026, everyone in the US can get six extra Equifax credit reports per year.
Are Credit Apps Worth It?
A bad credit score can limit your access to credit-based products, which may influence your personal finance. Interest rates on credit card accounts can shoot up, and you may find difficulties opening a new account or getting loans such as auto loans.
It’s also important to note that your score changes over time as you make or miss payments, apply for new credit facilities, and time passes. Regular access to your credit profile can help ensure you stay on the right track to a good credit score.
Furthermore, fraud and identity theft may also negatively impact your credit file. Regularly monitoring your credit score can help you identify suspicious activity early and nip it in the bud.
It’s worth keeping track of two main credit scores – your FICO Score and your Credit Score. While Credit Score is often used collectively, FICO is a different system with a different number. Distinguishing the two is very important.
FICO Score
FICO stands for Fair Isaac Corporation – an analytics software company. FICO scores came about in the 80s, with scores ranging from 300 up to 850. FICO scores are generated by taking several factors into account, including:
- Your payment history
- Your credit utilization
- Your credit age
- Your credit mix
- Your credit inquiries
All these factors carry a different weight, so some are more important than others.
Credit Score
What we tend to refer to as Credit Score is called VantageScore – a scoring system developed by the three major credit reporting bureaus:
- Experian
- Transunion
- Equifax
VantageScore 3.0 is the third version of VantageScore, introduced in 2006. This third version was released in 2013 and is still widely used even though there is a newer, fourth version. Just like the FICO score, VantageScore takes several different factors into account, including:
- Your payment history
- Your type of credit and its age
- Your credit utilization
- Your balances
- Your recent credit
- Your available credit
You can request one credit report from each of the three major bureaus annually. Remember that you get a credit report, not your credit score. There are two distinct ways to check someone’s credit score – soft and hard credit inquiries. One of them affects your credit score while the other one doesn’t.
Soft inquiries are either run by someone checking their credit score or a lender checking eligibility. These inquiries do not affect your credit score. Hard inquiries happen when applying for credit products such as a loan or credit card.
How do credit score apps work?
Each mobile app will compile its score based on your data from a credit bureau. They use the scoring models discussed above to work out your credit score. Since the app is compiling the score, it may not be 100% precise, but it should be close enough to give you a good reflection of the actual score.
Credit score apps typically work with one or two credit bureaus, but rarely all of them. Some apps offer this, but it is typically against a monthly fee. While this may sound like a waste of money, considering you can get the score for free elsewhere, many apps come bundled with extras such as identity theft insurance.
Make sure you understand what you are paying for before signing up to get the most out of your money.
Do credit apps improve your credit score?
Once you access your free credit reports and scores, you can start adjusting to improve your score. Notice whether some areas lag behind others and look for quick wins to boost your score (and morale) as soon as possible.
Apps like Experian Boost also promise to boost your score instantly. When using Experian Boost, you can connect your bank account to your app and add on-time payments you want to add to your credit file. These can include bill payments for your phone service, utilities, and other payments, including Netflix and other on-demand video services.
The app is completely free and 100% legitimate – it’s offered by one of the major credit bureaus. One thing to note is that the credit score boost only works on your FICO score.
Some reviewed apps also offer accounts and cards to help you build your credit score. These are not the only ones; many other banks and financial institutions offer such accounts. While this might not seem ideal at the moment, your future self will thank you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most accurate credit app?
Credit apps use a soft pull credit inquiry to pull your data directly from the credit bureaus and then use the appropriate formula to work out your credit score. Not all apps cover all credit bureaus. Most apps cover one or two.
Unless you know which credit bureau your financial institution will use, you might want to consider using multiple apps to get better coverage. Since the apps work out the credit score themselves, installing multiple apps will also help you get an accurate picture of your credit score.
What apps help your credit?
Several apps can help you build a better score. Apps like Experian Boost allow you to include certain service payments, like your Netflix subscription, in your credit file. Doing this can help you increase your FICO score. Apps like Credit Sesame include accounts designed to help you improve your credit score, while Credit Karma will find you the best credit deal for you, which can also help you improve your credit score.
It is important to note that most of the work involved in improving your credit score must be done by yourself. Refer to your credit report to identify areas that require work, and make sure you work on those areas. These may include making payments on time and limiting the use of credit.
What is the best free credit check app?
Like many other kinds of apps, credit check apps come in different shapes and sizes. It’s not easy to find two that are the same. Most apps include other services such as marketplaces, accounts, budgeting software, etc.
Several apps let you check your credit score and not much else. Even so, most apps do not cover all three credit bureaus, so you might want to consider getting more than one to cover all bases.
What app shows your real credit score?
Apps work out the score based on your credit information, using a model (FICO or VantageScore) to give you a good approximation of your actual credit score. While the system is identical to the one used by credit bureaus, there can be some slight discrepancies.
Your best bet is to compare the credit score provided by different apps, keeping in mind which credit bureau they use to pull your data. If the numbers are different, the most likely scenario is that the real credit score lies somewhere in between.
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