Credit score apps make it easy to keep track of your credit from your smartphone or tablet. In addition to regular credit reporting, many credit score apps come with added features, like budgeting and credit-building tools, identity theft protection, and more.
But not all credit score apps were created equally. Some apps allow you to check your credit score for free, while others charge a fee, and that’s an important distinction.
How do you know which credit score app is right for you, and is it worth paying every month to get your credit score?
Below is a list of best credit score apps available today. I will cover their key features and let you know what we like about them and where each app could be improved.
Table of Contents
10 Best Credit Score Apps
The credit score apps featured here have different features and benefits to help you monitor and improve your credit. As you look through the list, keep your budget in mind.
Remember, you can (and should) always check your credit reports for free by going to AnnualCreditReport.com. It is free, and you get instant access to your reports from Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.
1. Cleo
Cost: $5.99 per month
What we like: Fun, interactive AI language that talks to you like a friend
What could be improved: Credit building fees are a bit on the higher side
Cleo touts itself as a budgeting app that “doesn’t suck.” The AI budgeting tool helps you create a budget and track your spending while monitoring your credit score.
There is a free version, but to access the credit score tracking, you’ll need to get Cleo Plus at $5.99 per month.
Cleo Plus will also give you access to your full credit report each month. If you want to build a good credit score, you can sign up for Cleo Credit Builder.
Cleo Credit Builder costs $14.99 per month ($9.99 per month for students) and includes a secured credit card to build your credit score.
You determine the amount of credit you’d like, based on how much you deposit into the secured account. The minimum deposit is just $1. See our Cleo review for more information.
2. Mint
Cost: Free
What we like: Free, up-to-date financial reports all in one place
What could be improved: Ads on the free version can get annoying
If you have experience with budgeting and personal finance apps, chances are you’ve heard of Mint.
Mint is a free money management tool and app that helps you organize your financial information in one place.
You can see account balances and activity for every account you have. You can create a customized budget. And you can get personalized tips to help you save money, pay down debt, etc.
You don’t have to get a paid subscription to Mint to view your credit score and to get a credit report summary. All of this is free with Mint.
However, you will have to put up with display ads unless you shell out $4.99 per month for Mint Premium. See our Mint review for more information.
3. myFICO
Cost: $19.95 per month to $39.95 per month
What we like: Theft insurance included
What could be improved: We’d like a free plan that includes only FICO scores and reports.
The myFICO credit score app comes from the folks at Fair Isaac Corporation, which is the company responsible for creating the FICO credit score.
FICO is the number one credit score used by lenders in the United States, so it makes sense that the company would create an app to help you monitor your credit and credit score.
myFICO offers three different plans: Basic, Advanced, and Premier. The Basic plan is $19.95 per month and gives you your FICO score and all three credit reports: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.
You’ll also get credit monitoring and $1 million in identity theft insurance that covers your Experian credit bureau. The Advanced plan is $29.95 per month and has the added benefit of identity monitoring and insurance that covers all three credit bureaus.
Choose the Premier plan for $39.95 per month if you want updates monthly instead of quarterly.
4. CreditWise
Cost: Free
What we like: Credit score simulator
What could be improved: CreditWise uses VantageScore 3.0, which is less widely recognized than FICO.
Capital One’s CreditWise is a free credit score and credit monitoring app that is available to everyone, regardless of whether or not you’re a Capital One customer.
With this app, you can access your VantageScore 3.0 credit score and your report anytime. And you’ll get alerts to changes on your TransUnion and Experian reports.
The app’s credit score simulator is possibly its most attractive feature. Use the simulator to discover the potential impact of financial moves on your credit score.
For example, you can see how paying down debt, opening a new credit card, or making payments on time could affect your credit score. Bank-level encryption keeps your information secure.
✨ Related: How to Freeze and Unfreeze Your Credit
5. Credit Sesame
Cost: $0 to $14.95 per month
What we like: The Sesame Cash spending account
What could be improved: More access to premium plan details for non-members
Credit Sesame is a free app that allows you to check your credit score daily. You’ll also get credit monitoring alerts and a free credit report card from Credit Sesame.
You can even access free tools to help you restore credit breaches. $50,000 in identity theft insurance is included; however, that money can only be used for documents and legal fees and is not eligible to restore financial fraud losses.
Choose from the two advanced plans ($9.95 per month or $14.95 per month, depending on the plan) to get additional protections. Note that you must sign up with Credit Sesame to get the details on the service’s premium plans.
Bonus: Check out Sesame Cash – a free spending account that includes a debit card, early Direct Deposit, and more.
Learn more about Credit Sesame
6. IdentityForce
Cost: $23.95 per month or $239.50 per year
What we like: The expansive list of identity-monitoring tools
What could be improved: It’s expensive
IdentityForce is a TransUnion product that gives you your credit score and monitors your identity and credit.
While you can get identity-only monitoring with the UltraSecure product, you will need UltraSecure+Credit to get your credit score and credit monitoring.
This service provides additional features, including:
- 3-bureau credit reports, monitoring, and scores
- A credit score simulator
- Lost wallet assistance
- Credit freeze
You’ll also get a full range of identity monitoring, protection, and remediation services.
While it’s one of the more expensive services on our list, IdentityForce provides nearly full-service protection from identity theft and gives you access to your credit score.
7. Credit Karma
Cost: Free
What we like: Free credit building
What could be improved: ID theft protection services
Credit Karma will give you your free VantageScore 3.0 credit score from TransUnion and Equifax.
You can also get free credit monitoring when you sign up for a free Credit Karma account. This service lets you know when changes show up on your credit report.
An example of changes you might get notifications for include:
- Hard inquiries
- New account openings
- Personal information changes
And more. With Credit Karma, you can also see your full TransUnion and Equifax credit reports anytime.
Credit Karma also offers free credit building services via the Credit Karma Credit Builder account.
The site’s educational articles are a bonus for helping users discover credit-building, repair, and management tips.
8. Credit.com
Cost: $24.99/mo.
What we like: Cash bonuses when you’re approved for offers through the site
What could be improved: More frequent credit score updating would be nice
Credit.com has a service called ExtraCredit that helps you track your FICO scores and credit reports.
You might not know that different businesses use different FICO scores to assess clients. There are currently 28 FICO scores in total, including:
- Mortgage FICO score
- Auto FICO score
- FICO scores 2, 4, 5, 8 and 9
- FICO scores for bank cards
ExtraCredit allows you to access all of these FICO scores and all three of the major credit bureaus.
You can also add your rent and utility bills to your credit report through ExtraCredit. This subscription includes a rewards program that pays you when you get approved for offers through the site and potential discounts to credit repair companies.
9. Aura
Cost: $12 to $37 per month
What we like: Comprehensive digital protection
What could be improved: The free trial could be lengthier
Aura was created to help people know that they can be safe online. The company offers all-in-one digital safety for individuals, couples, and families.
You’ll get credit score reports and monitoring with real-time alerts of inquiries on your Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian credit reports.
You can instantly lock your Experian file when you detect or suspect fraud via the app. Bank account and financial transaction monitoring are also included.
You also get the following benefits and features for up to five adult family members and unlimited child members.
- Identity theft insurance
- Parental controls
- Child SSN monitoring
- Antivirus for all devices
- Fraud resolution
Aura is the most feature-rich credit score app on our list.
10. CreditWorks by Experian
Cost: Up to $24.99 per month
What we like: Boost your credit score instantly with Experian Boost
What could be improved: Only one report/score with the free plan
CreditWorks is an Experian credit score and monitoring app that gives you free monthly access to your Experian credit report and FICO score.
You’ll also get notifications if there are new credit inquiries, new accounts, account balance changes, etc.
The basic account is free, but if you upgrade to a premium account for $24.99 per month, you’ll get these added benefits:
- Daily scores and reports for Experian
- Monthly reports and scores for TransUnion and Equifax
- Auto, home, and bank card FICO scores
- Score simulator
- Score tracking
You’ll also get access to Experian Boost, which can help you boost your credit score instantly. Experian Boost enables you to raise your credit score by adding on-time utility and rent payments to your credit report.
Other services available with the premium account include Experian credit file lock and unlock, dark web surveillance, lost wallet assistance, and more.
Which Credit Score App Should I Choose?
Here are some questions if you’re trying to decide on a credit score app.
What services am I looking for?
If your primary goal is to monitor your credit score and report each month, free services such as CreditWorks and Credit Karma are the way to go. Many of the added features that come with the paid app either aren’t very useful or not worth the money.
What is my budget?
Suppose you think you’ll benefit from one of the additional services, such as identity theft protection or Cleo’s credit building service. In that case, you may decide it’s worth paying the monthly fee to get a specific feature.
Whatever you decide, being able to monitor your credit score from your mobile device helps you automate your finances and makes life a lot easier.
