11 Best Credit Apps of 2024 (Ranked & Reviewed)
If you're looking for the best credit apps on the market, you've come to the right place. This blog post will rank and review the 10 best credit-building apps of 2024. We'll provide an overview of each app and a breakdown of its features, benefits, and price.
So whether you're looking to build your credit score from scratch or want to start repairing your credit history, we've got you covered!
Read Review →
Read Review →
Read Review →
Are you looking to improve your credit score or start building it from scratch?
If so, you're not alone. In fact, according to a recent report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), nearly one in five consumers have “subprime” credit scores.
This means that lenders consider them high-risk borrowers and will likely have a harder time qualifying for loans and credit cards.
Fortunately, there are clear steps you can take to improve your credit score. One of the most effective ways is to use a credit-building app.
Credit-building apps are designed to help users improve their credit scores by providing tools and resources to track their progress and provide actionable goals to help users grow their credit scores.
What Is The Best Credit App?
Here are the best credit apps on the market.
Credit Nerd
Best Overall Option
If you're looking for an all-in-one credit app, look no further than Credit Nerd. This app provides users with everything they need to track and improve their credit score, including a credit score tracker, score monitoring, and personalized tips on improving their credit score.
Credit Scores | Transunion, Equifax, Experian |
Price | $19/mo |
Promotion | 7 Days For $1.00 |
Credit Nerd is our top pick for the best credit-building app because it offers everything you need to track and improve your credit score. This app provides users with a credit score tracker, credit score monitoring, and personalized tips on improving their credit scores.
In addition, Credit Nerd offers a $19/mo subscription that includes a credit report from the 3 major credit bureaus and a credit score simulator.
Features
- Unlimited Access To Reports: Get unlimited access to your credit scores from all three major credit bureaus.
- Free Credit Score Simulator: Test different scenarios to see how your credit score would be impacted.
- Credit Monitoring Alerts: Stay up-to-date on your credit score with alerts whenever a change occurs.
- Fraud Monitoring: Protect your identity with fraud monitoring that alerts you of any suspicious activity on your credit report.
- Credit Freeze: Freeze your credit report with the click of a button to prevent new accounts from being opened in your name.User Experience
Pricing
Credit Nerd offers a $1 seven-day trial and a $19/mo subscription, including a credit score from the three major credit bureaus.
- Trial: $1 for 7 days
- Plan: $19/mo for all 3 scores
Pros And Cons Of Credit Nerd
- Access to 3 credit bureaus all in one place, so you don't have to switch between platforms
- $1 seven-day trial to help you see what your scores are without spending a lot
- Score simulator to help you see what can affect your credit score
- It is not completely free like some of the other options on our list
- Scores do not update daily like some of the other credit monitoring apps
Overall Thoughts
If you're looking for an all-in-one credit app, look no further than Credit Nerd. This app provides users everything they need to track and improve their credit scores.
SoFi
Best Free Credit Building App
Best For Daily Free Credit Updates
Credit insights by SoFi are one of the many products the company offers. The feature is free to use and pairs perfectly with its other banking, loan, and credit card products. With SoFi Credit, you can simulate credit scenarios, have weekly updates, and get financial advice from a SoFi specialist, all free of charge.
Credit Scores | TransUnion |
Price | Free |
Promotion | Earn $10 in cash rewards (1,000 points) |
SoFi Credit is our top pick for the best free credit-building app because it offers users everything they need to track and improve their credit scores without any cost. This feature within the SoFi suite provides users with a credit score tracker, credit report monitoring, and personalized tips on improving their credit scores.
Features
- Simulate Credit Scenarios: Assess the potential effect of financial decisions on your credit score.
- Weekly Score Updates: Monitor your credit score for free with weekly updates to keep track of any modifications.
- Get Actionable Credit Insights: Get personalized recommendations to help you improve your credit score.
- Get Financial Advice: Take advantage of SoFi Member perks, including free personalized advice from a qualified financial advisor, at no extra charge.
Pricing
SoFi Credit is free to use. However, you must create a SoFi account to access this free product.
Pros and Cons of SoFi Credit
- Earn $10 in cash rewards (1,000 points)
- Free credit score monitoring with actionable insights
- All finance needs in one platform
- Earn cash rewards when your score increases
- Only provides TransUnion score
- Score only updates once per week
- Requires a SoFi Login regardless if you use the other products
Overall Thoughts
SoFi's credit monitoring product offers valuable features such as weekly updates and personalized advice from a credentialed financial planner, making it a great option for anyone looking to track their credit score for free. Its user-friendly interface and convenient access to relevant information make it easy to stay on top of credit changes and make informed financial decisions.
TransUnion
Best For Businesses
TransUnion is one of the three major credit bureaus and is a popular choice for businesses that want to monitor their business credit scores. Get access to your business credit report, alerts when there are changes to your score, and customized tips on improving.
Credit Scores | TransUnion |
Price | $29/mo+ |
Promotion | Get Started For $29 |
TransUnion is an excellent choice for small and medium businesses that want to monitor their business credit scores. You'll get access to your business credit report, alerts when there are changes to your score, and customized tips on improving.
Unlike some other business credit monitoring services, TransUnion offers a monthly subscription with no long-term commitment, and you can cancel at any time with no penalties.
Features
- Credit Monitoring: Get real-time alerts when there are changes to your business credit report.
- Credit Protection: Protect your business from identity theft with TransUnion's fraud monitoring and alerts.
- Customer Credit Check: Check your customers' credit with TransUnion's customer credit check service.
- Debt Recovery: Get help recovering debt from customers with TransUnion's debt recovery service.
- Resident Quality Management: Improve your resident screening with TransUnion's resident quality management service.
Pricing
The TransUnion credit report starts at $29/mo for the Business Credit Essentials plan, which includes credit monitoring and alerts, fraud monitoring, and customer credit checks.
- Personal Plan: $29.95/mo
- Business Plan: Varies on business size
Pros And Cons Of TransUnion
- Best business credit monitoring service with no long-term commitments, fees, or obligations
- It offers personal and business credit monitoring, unlike most options on this list
- One of the cheapest business credit monitoring services on the market
- No free option for business credit monitoring
- Your score only applies to your TransUnion report, so your Experian, FICO, and Equifax scores could be different
Overall Thoughts
TransUnion is the best business credit monitoring service for businesses that want to monitor their business credit scores. You'll get access to your business credit report, alerts when there are changes to your score, and customized tips on improving.
Credit Karma
Best For Daily Scores
Credit Karma is one of the most popular credit-building apps on the market, and for a good reason. This app is free to use and provides users with a credit score tracker, credit report monitoring, and personalized tips on improving their credit scores.
Credit Scores | TransUnion, Equifax |
Price | Free |
Promotion | Get Started For Free |
- Free Credit Reports: Check your credit score for free with Credit Karma. Get a free score report from TransUnion and Equifax, two major bureaus.
- Online Checking: Credit Karma also provides its users with a free checking account and debit card, which can reimburse charges up to $5,000 at random.
- Credit Builder: The Credit Builder tool helps you build credit by making on-time payments to a loan with Credit Karma.
- Tax: Get free help with your taxes and get your maximum refund with Credit Karma Tax
- Loans: Get personalized loan offers from pre-qualified lenders with Credit Karma Loans
Pricing
Credit Karma is a free app with no hidden fees or costs for all its products, including its credit monitoring service.
- Plan: Free to sign up & get score
Pros And Cons Of Credit Karma
- Free credit monitoring service that provides reports from Equifax and TransUnion
- A competitive checking account that can reimburse you up to $5,000
- Free daily score updates from Equifax and TransUnion
- You get a VantageScore instead of a FICO score, which is less popular for lenders
- No access to your Experian credit report
Overall Thoughts
Credit Karma is our top pick for the best free credit-building app because it offers users everything they need to track and improve their credit scores without cost.
Credit Sesame
Best For Credit Card Matches
Credit Sesame is a free personal financial management tool that specializes in tracking and monitoring users' financial obligations, providing credit score monitoring, credit reports, and identity protection tools, as well as personalized recommendations for loans and credit cards.
Credit Scores | TransUnion |
Price | Free & $9.99/mo |
Promotion | Get Started For Free |
- Free Credit Score Monitoring: Credit Sesame provides users with free access to their credit score, which is updated on a monthly basis, helping them understand and manage their credit situation.
- Personalized Suggestions: The platform offers personalized suggestions for improving users' credit scores, helping them identify areas where they can make improvements and take action to raise their scores.
- Identity Monitoring and Protection: Credit Sesame includes identity monitoring services and offers up to $50,000 in identity theft insurance, providing users with a layer of protection against identity theft and fraud.
- Sesame Cash: This feature allows users to build credit history with debit purchases using a Sesame Cash pre-paid debit card, which can help users quickly build their credit history without the need for a traditional credit card.
Pricing
Credit Sesame is a personal financial management tool that offers free credit score monitoring and personalized suggestions for improving users' credit scores.
- Free Plan: Provides access to credit score monitoring, personalized suggestions, and other resources.
- Paid Plans: Premium plans cost $9.57 per month and Extra premium membership is priced at $9.99 per month. Sesame Cash feature has a $9.99 monthly fee, which can be waived under certain conditions
Pros And Cons Of Credit Karma
- Free credit score monitoring
- Personalized credit suggestions
- Identity protection
- Limited access in the free version
- Lacks additional financial tools
Overall Thoughts
Credit Sesame is a useful tool for monitoring and improving credit scores. It offers free credit score monitoring, personalized suggestions, and identity protection. Some drawbacks include limited access in the free version, lack of extra financial tools, and privacy concerns. Despite these issues, Credit Sesame remains a helpful resource for managing credit.
Simplifi By Quickin
Best For Budgeting
Simplifi by Quicken is a highly customizable personal finance app that helps users manage their finances by connecting various accounts, such as banks, credit cards, loans, and investments, in one place. The app offers an adjustable spending plan, watchlists, savings goals, and financial insights to help users make smart financial choices.
Credit Scores | N/A |
Price | $5.99/mo or $47.99/yr |
Promotion | 30-Day Free Trial & 50% off |
- Customizable Spending Plan: Simplifi allows users to create a personalized spending plan that adjusts automatically based on their income and expenses. This helps users track their spending habits and make informed decisions about their finances.
- Account Aggregation: The app connects various financial accounts, such as banks, credit cards, loans, and investments, in one place. This provides users with a comprehensive view of their financial situation and makes it easier to manage their money.
- Savings Goals and Watchlists: Simplifi enables users to set savings goals and create watchlists to monitor specific expenses or categories. This feature helps users stay focused on their financial objectives and track their progress towards achieving them.
Pricing
Simplifi by Quicken costs $5.99 per month if billed monthly, or $3.99 per month if billed annually, which amounts to $47.99 per year. The company also offers a 30-day free trial for new users. Currently, there is a promotion for a 50% off annual subscription along with the free 30-day trial.
- Monthly Plan: $5.99/mo
- Yearly Plan: $3.99/mo (Promo: 50% off & 30-day free trial)
Pros And Cons Of Simplifi
- Comprehensive account aggregation
- Customizable spending plan
- Savings goals and watchlists
- Subscription cost
- Limited investment tracking
Overall Thoughts
Simplifi by Quicken is a powerful personal finance app that offers comprehensive account aggregation, customizable spending plans, and goal-setting features. However, its subscription cost and limited investment tracking may not suit everyone's needs.
myFICO
Best For Identity Theft
myFICO is the consumer division of FICO, which is the company that created the FICO score. myFICO offers a variety of products to help consumers monitor and improve their credit scores, including credit monitoring, identity theft insurance, and more.
Credit Scores | FICO, Experian, Equifax, TransUnion |
Price | $19/mo+ |
Promotion | Get Started For $19 |
myFICO is great for those looking for amazing identity theft protection. With myFICO, you'll get access to your FICO score, credit monitoring from all three major credit bureaus, and identity theft insurance for up to $1 million. myFICO also offers a variety of other products to help you improve your credit score, including a credit scorecard and credit simulator.
Features
- FICO Credit Score: This score is used by most lenders to make credit decisions and is the score you are most likely to see on your credit report when applying for loans.
- 24/7 Identity Monitoring: Get real-time alerts and proactive help if there is suspicious activity on your account with insurance up to $1 million.
- Complete 3-Bureau Coverage: In addition to your FICO score, you'll get credit monitoring from Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.
- US-Based Customer Support: Get help from myFICO's US-based customer support team 24/seven.
Pricing
myFICO starts at $19/mo for the basic, which includes your FICO score, credit monitoring from Experian, 24/7 identity restoration services, and more.
- Basic: 19.95/mo
- Advanced: 29.95/mo
- Premiere: 39.95/mo
Pros And Cons Of myFICO
- Get $1 million in identity theft insurance to ensure your credit remains safe and secure
- FICO score is the most accurate and is used by most lenders
- Ability to get one-time reports without opting into a subscription plan
- Monthly credit scores are the fastest refresh option for myFICO, which is not great since some services offer daily updates
- MyFICO offers no free trial, so you'll have to pay to get access to any of its plans
Overall Thoughts
myFICO is a great choice for those seeking identity theft protection while still wanting to monitor their FICO score. With myFICO, you'll get credit monitoring from all three major credit bureaus, 24/seven US-based customer support, and identity theft insurance starting at $19/mo.
IdentityIQ
Best For Criminal Record Reports
IdentityIQ is a credit monitoring service that offers a variety of features to help you monitor and improve your credit score. In addition to credit monitoring, IdentityIQ also offers criminal record reports, public record reports, and more.
Credit Scores | Experian, Equifax, TransUnion |
Price | $35/mo+ |
Promotion | Get Started For $35 |
IdentityIQ is an excellent tool for those who want to monitor their credit score and improve their credit standing while still being able to see any criminal records that might be associated with their name. With IdentityIQ, you'll get access to your FICO score and credit scores from all three major credit bureaus. You'll also get a monthly credit score, simulations, SSN tracing, and more.
Features
- Criminal Record Reports: With IdentityIQ, you can see if there are any criminal records associated with your name.
- SSN Trace: This feature allows you to see if your Social Security number has been used by anyone else without your permission.
- Dark Web Monitoring: This feature will notify you if your personal information is found on the dark web.
- 3 Bureau Credit Score: You'll get your Experian credit report, TransUnion credit report, and Equifax credit report.
- Credit ScoreSimulations: With this feature, you can see how your credit score would be impacted if you made specific changes to your credit habits.
Pricing:
IdentityIQ starts at $34/mo, which includes scores from the three credit bureaus, SSN tracing, dark web monitoring, and more.
- Credit Essentials: 34.99/mo
Pros And Cons Of IdentityIQ
- Comprehensive criminal reports that top all the other's on the list
- Get instant access to your credit file at the top 3 credit bureaus
- Short-term & long-term action recommendations
- Cancel anytime with no penalties or fees
- Highest cost out of all the options on this list
- Does not provide access to your FICO score
Overall Thoughts
If you're looking for a comprehensive credit monitoring service that also offers criminal record reports, then IdentityIQ is the best choice for you. With IdentityIQ, you'll get access to your Experian credit report, TransUnion credit report, and Equifax credit report. You'll also get a monthly credit score, simulations, SSN tracing, and more. IdentityIQ starts at $35/mo.
Mint
Best For Visualizing Credit Growth
Mint is a personal finance app that helps track your spending, budget, and more. Mint also offers a credit monitoring service that includes your credit score and report, credit history, and more.
Credit Scores | TransUnion |
Price | Free |
Promotion | $10 Sign-Up Bonus |
Mint is an excellent choice for those who want to monitor their credit score and track their spending and budget. Mint offers a free credit score; you can also see your credit report, credit history, and more. Mint also offers a variety of other features, such as the ability to track your spending, budget, access loans, and investment opportunities.
Features
- Credit Visualization: Mint offers a great way to visualize your credit growth with different graphs, charts, and data to show your change over time.
- Free Credit Reports: Get free monthly credit reports from TransUnion with Mint.
- Bill Negotiation: Mint will negotiate with creditors to lower interest rates and fees.
- Accounts In Once Place: You can see all your accounts in one place with Mint, so it's easy to stay on top of your finances and spending habits.
- Subscription Management: With Mint, you can see all your subscription services in one place and cancel any that you don't want with one tap.
Pricing
Mint is a free credit score app, and there is no cost for the credit monitoring service or any other features provided.
- Plan: Free to sign up & get score
Pros And Cons Of Mint
- Visualize your credit journey with a simple-to-understand graph backed by real-time data
- Free credit monitoring from TransUnion that is updated once a month
- Ability to link your bank account and automatically categorize all your transactions
- No Free FICO score
- No reports from all three credit bureaus
Overall Thoughts
Mint is a great choice for those who want to monitor their credit score and track their spending and budget. Mint offers a free credit score and a variety of other features, all free of charge.
Experian
Best For Instantly Boosting Credit
Experian is one of the three major credit bureaus, offering various services to help you monitor your credit. Experian also provides a service that can help you instantly boost your credit score.
Credit Scores | Experian |
Price | Free |
Promotion | Experian Boost |
Experian Boost is a free service that can help you improve your Experian credit score instantly by adding utility and cell phone payments to your credit file. On average, Boost users have seen an instant 13-point credit score increase just by adding these transactions to their reports.
Features
- Experian Boost: With Experian Boost, you can add your utility and cell phone payments to your credit file to instantly improve your credit score.
- Marketplace: Experian Marketplace offers a variety of products and services to help you improve your credit, including tailored loans, credit cards, and auto insurance recommendations.
- Education: Experian offers a variety of educational resources to help you understand your credit, including articles, videos, reviews, and more.
- Free Dark Web Scan: Experian's Dark Web Scan will search the internet for your personal information and alert you if it finds anything.
Pricing
- Experian Boost – Free to use
- 7-Day Trial – $1.00
- Monthly Fee – $25/mo
Pros And Cons Of Experian
- Experian Boost can help you instantly improve your credit score
- The free plan allows you to see your Experian credit score for free
- Experian CreditLock enables you to lock and unlock your Experian credit report instantly with one tap
- The free plan only gives you access to one score out of the 3 bureaus
- The small business plans are more expensive than some competitors
Overall Thoughts
If you're looking for a way to boost your credit score instantly, then Experian Boost is your best choice. They also offer business credit monitoring services and fraud protection at similar rates to TransUnion.
Identity Guard
Best For Identity Fraud Insurance
Identity Guard is a credit monitoring service that offers a variety of features to help you protect your identity and credit. With Identity Guard, you can get up to $1,000,000 in identity fraud insurance, and they will even reimburse you for any out-of-pocket expenses related to identity fraud.
Credit Scores | Experian, Equifax, Transunion |
Price | $6.67/mo – $19.99/mo |
Promotion | 33% Off Your Monthly/Yearly Plan |
Features
- $1 Million Identity Theft Insurance
- US-based customer support
- 3-Bureau Credit Monitoring
- Data breach notifications
- Safe browsing tools
Pricing
- Value – $6.67/mo
- Total – $13.33/mo
- Ultra: $19.99/mo
Pros And Cons Of Identity Guard
- $1,000,000 in identity theft insurance, which is the highest on our list
- 100% US-based customer support
- Bank account monitoring
- More expensive than other solutions
- Family plan costs more than an individual plan
Overall Thoughts
Identity Guard is a great choice for those looking for comprehensive identity protection while still seeing all 3 credit bureaus in one place. If you don't mind the higher fees, this service is definitely one of the most comprehensive and all-inclusive choices currently available.
What Are Credit Apps?
Credit monitoring apps help you track your credit score and report any changes to your credit file. These apps can also help you monitor your credit utilization and payment history.
With a credit monitoring app, you can see your progress over time and ensure that your credit file is accurate. You can also set up alerts to notify you of any unauthorized activity on your account.
Credit monitoring apps are a great way to stay on top of your credit score and ensure that you take the necessary steps to improve your credit standing.
FAQ
-
What Is The Most Accurate Credit Score App?
The most accurate credit score app is the one that uses data from all three major credit bureaus. This way, you can be sure you're getting the most accurate picture of your credit file.
-
Are Credit Score Apps Safe?
Yes, credit score apps are safe. Your personal information will be secure if you use a reputable app from a trusted source.
-
Is The Experian App Free?
Yes, the Experian app is free, and you can enroll in its program Experian Boost to help increase your credit score. However, you can get a free trial of the app to see if it's right for you.
-
Does Equifax Have An App?
Yes, Equifax has an app called Lock & Alert that can monitor, freeze, and boost your credit score.
Bottom Line
A credit monitoring app is an excellent option if you're looking for a way to monitor your credit score and report any changes. These apps are safe and secure and can provide the information you need to stay on top of your credit file.
If you’re looking for a suitable credit app, then take a pick from the list below:
- Credit Nerd: Best Overall Credit App
- Credit Karma: Best Free Option
- TransUnion: Best For Businesses