2023’s Best Credit Score Site

Fee Details

• Free membership includes all features

Score Type

• TransUnion VantageScore 3.0
• Equifax VantageScore 3.0

Features

• Ongoing credit monitoring
• Full credit reports
• Educational tools
• Simulation tools

Editor’s Notes

Credit Karma is one of the most popular sites in the free credit score market. Users get two free scores and reports, and the site offers additional calculators and educational tools. Credit Karma also offers daily score updates.

Fee Details

• Free trial includes all features
• Membership includes full credit reports and enhanced monitoring

Score Type

• 28 FICO scores

Features

• Ongoing credit monitoring
• Cash rewards
• Educational tools
• Full credit reports
• Personalized offers

Editor’s Notes

Credit.com offers a unique set of features and is one of the most user-friendly sites. The paid membership includes a robust variety of FICO scores used by home and auto loan lenders, as well as credit reports from all three major bureaus. Given that this is one of the most comprehensive packages, it is a strong option for monitoring.

Fee Details

• Basic free membership includes credit score and ongoing monitoring
• Upgraded membership adds full credit reports, enhanced monitoring, and ID protection services

Score Type

• TransUnion VantageScore 3.0

Features

• Ongoing credit monitoring
• Identity protection
• Specialized tools:
  market assessment, personalized credit improvement tips, custom credit card and loan offers
• Full credit reports

Editor’s Notes

Credit Sesame offers one of the stronger dashboards, including credit score tracking and grades on the factors that go into determining credits scores. The free membership lacks full reports, but users with paid subscriptions can get all 3 reports as well as identity protection.

Fee Details

• Free membership includes credit score

Score Type

• Experian FICO Score 8

Features

• Ongoing credit monitoring
• Identity protection
• Experian Boost

Editor’s Notes

Free Credit Score gives users access to one of their scores, direct from Experian, for free. However, it lacks additional resources. Users can find better free options.

Fee Details

• Free membership includes all features

Score Type

• TransUnion VantageScore 3.0

Features

• Ongoing credit monitoring

Editor’s Notes

LendingTree features one of the strongest and most user-friendly dashboards, as well as the ability to make very personalized recommendations based on a user's specific scenario. While a report is not included, and there are minimal resources as far as education, the simple interface conveys all the basic information about a user's credit score. The site also has the ability to give a user offers based on inputs specific to the user, creating more personalized recommendations and savings.

Fee Details

• Free trial includes all features

Score Type

• TransUnion VantageScore 3.0
• Experian VantageScore 3.0
• Equifax VantageScore 3.0

Features

• Ongoing credit monitoring
• Simulation tools
• Educational tools

Editor’s Notes

Powered by ScoreSense, Wise Piggy offers credit scores and reports from the three credit bureaus, as well as some nice extras for a fee. The service also includes $1 million in identity theft insurance, daily alerts, simulation tools, and educational resources. This makes Wise Piggy a very strong option for ongoing monitoring.

Fee Details

• Free membership includes credit score and ongoing monitoring

Score Type

• TransUnion VantageScore 3.0

Features

• Ongoing credit monitoring
• Goal setting

Editor’s Notes

While Mint does not focus on credit scores, it does have a strong offering in this space. Users get access to their scores and basic analysis, but the real strength is the rest of the Mint tools that come with the free membership. A variety of educational resources and goal setting tools prove very helpful, and may compensate for the lack of a full report. Mint is one of the better sites in this space, even though it does not focus on credit scores.

Fee Details

• Discounted service offered via Norton to AARP members

Score Type

• Equifax VantageScore 3.0

Features

• Ongoing credit monitoring
• Full credit reports
• Identity protection

Editor’s Notes

AARP offers its members access to their credit scores and reports from Equifax through its identity protection plans powered by Norton. This is a strong option for AARP members interested in identity protection, but a much weaker option for longer-term monitoring given the monthly fee and lack of additional tools.

Fee Details

• Trial includes all features

Score Type

• Equifax VantageScore 3.0
• TransUnion VantageScore 3.0
• Experian
  VantageScore 3.0

Features

• Ongoing credit monitoring
• Full credit reports
• Identity protection
• Educational resources

Editor’s Notes

Equifax, one of the three credit bureaus, is one of the strongest sites overall, despite the monthly fee. It offers credit scores and reports from all three bureaus, educational resources, and identity protection. Overall, it provides a significant amount of information and does so in a way that is easy to understand. The only drawback of Equifax is the monthly fee required for ongoing monitoring. Despite this, it is a strong option and should definitely be considered for those interested in a one-time check.

Fee Details

• Free basic membership includes Experian score, report, and ongoing credit monitoring
• Upgraded membership includes scores and reports from all three bureaus and three-bureau monitoring

Score Type

• Experian FICO Score 8
• TransUnion FICO Score 8
• Equifax FICO Score 8

Features

• Ongoing credit monitoring
• Full credit reports
• Identity protection
• Educational tools

Editor’s Notes

Experian, one of the three credit bureaus, operates a wide network of credit report and score sites, and its namesake option is the culmination of all of its offerings. Users get access to their Experian credit score and report direct from the source. The site also offers tools to help users improve their score including ExperianBoost and ExperianGo. While the monthly fee is a deterrent for upgraded membership, the free offering makes Experian a strong option.

Fee Details

• Free trial includes all features

Score Type

• TransUnion VantageScore 3.0
• Equifax VantageScore 3.0
• Experian VantageScore 3.0

Features

• Ongoing credit monitoring
• Identity protection
• Educational tools

Editor’s Notes

Free Scores and More provides strong educational tools alongside access to credit scores from all three bureaus. This site looks like a strong option for a one-time check of scores, since users can see three scores and utilize the site's educational resources. Given the monthly fee, this is not a strong option for ongoing monitoring.

Fee Details

• Trial includes all features

Score Type

• TransUnion VantageScore 3.0
• Equifax VantageScore 3.0
• Experian VantageScore 3.0

Features

• Ongoing credit monitoring
• Full credit reports
• Credit Fraud Consultation Services
• Membership includes discounts for a variety of services and products such as roadside assistance, theme park and movie tickets, and magazine subscriptions

Editor’s Notes

My Score offers users access to credit scores, reports, and monitoring from all three bureaus, as well as basic Identity Protection. The major downside here is the monthly fee that kicks in after the trial period, and lack of additional tools or resources. A unique perk for My Score is a package of discounts at partner vendors that comes with the membership, and the ability to see three scores and reports provides strong benefits. However, the monthly fee is a big deterrent for long-term membership.

Fee Details

• Trial includes credit scores and reports
• Upgraded membership includes annual scores and reports from all three bureaus, monthly updated Equifax score and ongoing credit report monitoring

Score Type

• TransUnion VantageScore 3.0
• Equifax VantageScore 3.0
• Experian VantageScore 3.0

Features

• Ongoing credit monitoring
• Full credit reports
• Identity protection

Editor’s Notes

Identity Guard is one of the strongest identity Protection services that also happens to show users their credit scores and reports from all three credit bureaus. Identity Guard does not offer much in the way of additional credit resources or tools, but this is a strong option for a one-time check of all three bureaus, especially if you are interested in identity protection.

Score Type

• TransUnion VantageScore 3.0

Features

• Ongoing credit monitoring
• Full credit reports
• Identity protection
• Educational tools

Editor’s Notes

TransUnion, one of the three bureaus, offers users access to their credit score and report. Users get a few extras beyond score and report alone, but ongoing membership still requires a monthly fee. Aside from scores and reports directly from a credit bureau, TransUnion is not offering users anything they can't get from other sites for free.

Score Type

• TransUnion VantageScore 3.0
• Equifax VantageScore 3.0 (one-time access)
• Experian VantageScore 3.0 (one-time access)

Features

• Ongoing credit monitoring
• Full credit reports
• Identity protection
• Educational tools

Editor’s Notes

Truecredit offers access to TransUnion credit scores and reports, through a TransUnion connection. The main difference between the two sites is that the Truecredit site offers its services for a lower cost, making it a stronger option in comparison. However, given the monthly fee, this is not a good choice for ongoing monitoring.

Fee Details

• Trial includes all features

Score Type

• TransUnion VantageScore
• Equifax VantageScore
• Experian VantageScore

Features

• Ongoing credit monitoring
• Upgraded membership includes identity protection
• Educational tools

Editor’s Notes

Privacy Guard is one of the strongest identity protection services that also happens to show users their credit scores and reports from all three bureaus. Privacy Guard offers some additional resources, but the focus remains on identity protection. The free trial is a good option for a one-time check, and the site may be a good long-term option if you are interested in identity protection.

Fee Details

• Free membership includes all features

Score Type

• Experian FICO 8

Features

• Ongoing Experian credit monitoring
• Full Experian credit report
• Identity protection
• Experian Boost

Editor’s Notes

CreditReport.com offers users access to credit scores and reports from Experian only and also does not have much in the way of additional tools or resources. Given the basic features, this is not a great option for ongoing monitoring.

Fee Details

• Trial includes all features

Score Type

• TransUnion FICO Score 8
• Equifax FICO Score 8
• Experian FICO Score 8

Features

• Ongoing credit monitoring
• Full credit reports
• Identity protection

Editor’s Notes

Powered by Experian, Credit Check Total offers credit scores and reports from all three bureaus monthly, but ongoing membership involves a fee. The focus is definitely on offering access to all three credit bureaus, and not on additional services or resources. Not a strong option for ongoing monitoring, given the cost.

Fee Details

• Membership includes credit scores and reports
• Upgraded membership plans include a variety of scores, enhanced monitoring, and identity protection services.

Score Type

• TransUnion FICO Score 8
• Equifax FICO Score 8
• Experian FICO Score 8

Features

• Ongoing Experian credit monitoring included with free membership
• Upgraded membership includes three-bureau monitoring
• Full credit reports

Editor’s Notes

myFICO provides users with their FICO credit scores, including scores for mortgages and auto loans, directly. The site has variety of plans which all include your FICO 8 score. However, unless you feel like you need your score directly from FICO, consider other options given the fee for upgraded ongoing membership.