Your credit score can either bring your life to a halt or help you progress.
It determines whether you can access a personal loan, mortgage, car loan, or job. Some employers uphold credit scores as a means of attesting to your goodwill.
So, it's important to understand what hurts your credit score and what tools can help you.
Before, you could only get your credit scores once a year through services like AnnualCreditReport.com. But with the introduction of credit score apps, you can now access your credit score regularly from your smartphone.
Most credit monitoring services offer free credit scores, which is great for checking fraud on your accounts. You can use the apps to fix your credit and learn unique hacks.
We've curated a list of the best credit score apps that can also help to monitor your credit card accounts.
What Are Credit Score Apps Used For?
Credit score apps are finance apps that help you check whether your credit score is improving or heading for the rocks.
Some of the best free credit score apps have a credit score simulator that allows you to determine your credit score if you take out a loan or pay a certain amount.
These innovative apps also help update records and repair credit, giving the perfect finance tool in the palm of your hand.
Also, these apps enable you to know whether your personal information is in the hands of scammers.
And you'll receive a real-time notification if there's any fraudulent activity on your account. The good thing is that some apps have insurance against identity theft.
Best Credit Score Apps To Use
1. Credit Karma
Best Free Vantage Credit Score App
Credit Karma gets information about your credit score from two major credit bureaus - Equifax and Transunion. It works out an estimate based on that information.
The credit reports you'll get from Credit Karma are helpful as they show the spending habits affecting your credit scores. You'll also get personalized tips for improvement, similar to personal finance apps.
Also, the app monitors your credit reports, and you'll receive a notification if there's a slight or significant change.
Improving your credit score can take time, and these changes include closed accounts, new credit lines, and credit inquiries.
Credit Karma has an identity monitor that uses your email address to check whether there's a breach in your bank accounts.
Credit Karma will let you know the next step to take if your personal information has been exposed on the dark web. For instance, you may be told the passwords that should be changed.
Credit Karma has an editorial podcast that publishes useful information on personal finance and all money-related topics.
Also, if you're looking for recommendations for credit cards, Credit Karma has a compilation of cards for bad credit, fair credit, 0% APR, and so on.
Key Features
- Free credit score
- Free credit reports
- Free credit monitoring services
- Identity monitoring
- Mobile app
- Financial podcast
Pricing
Credit Karma is a free service.
2. Credit Sesame
Best For Free Credit Information
Credit Sesame is a loan and credit company that offers free credit reports. It collects your financial information from Transunion, analyzes it, and then sends you monthly updates on your credit score.
However, if you sign up for its premium membership plan, you'll get your credit report from the three major credit bureaus:
Equifax, Experian, and Transunion. This will give you a comprehensive insight into your financial health.
The free credit report card analysis lets you track your debts, accounts, and other factors affecting your credit scores.
Also, Credit Sesame owns an analytic engine that checks your debt and credit positions daily. It also acts as a financial advisor on how you can save money on credit cards, loans, and mortgages and build credit.
Credit Sesame also utilizes your credit score and credit report to recommend suitable personal, car, and student loans.
The company also helps you to choose credit cards and shows you how to apply for them and get approval.
Credit Sesame will alert you if there are any changes to your credit score.
This feature allows you to monitor your credit for potentially fraudulent activities. You can also detect errors that may deny you credit in the future, lead to high interest rates, or even lose valuable points.
Key Features
- Real-time credit monitoring services
- Free credit score
- Free credit report card analysis
- Free credit builder
- High-tech data encryption
- Mobile app
Pricing
- The basic plan is 100% free. There's no trial period, and you don't have to input your credit card details.
- The premium plan costs $15.95 per month.
3. MyFico
Most Recommended Credit Monitoring Service
MyFico is the official credit monitoring app of FICO. Most lenders in the United States utilize FICO scores based on reports from Equifax, Experian, and Transunion.
As a result, the MyFico credit report allows you to compare your FICO credit score from all three credit bureaus.
The app monitors your credit file and informs you of vital changes like new inquiries, changes in address, new accounts, and late payments. It also monitors your FICO score and provides a graph of your previous scores to view your progress.
Based on this information, MyFico will help you understand what's increasing or decreasing your score. You'll also get regular updates on car loan and mortgage interest rates.
Furthermore, if someone tries to steal your identity, MyFico will quickly identify it with its advanced theft monitor.
It scans various online platforms that may have your personal information and alerts you if it's found. It also checks public records to determine whether any new addresses or names have been attached to your Social Security Number.
Unlike other credit score apps, MyFico has identity theft insurance that covers data breaches if you become a victim of stolen identity.
The app also has a credit simulator if you want to know your FICO score when you take a loan.
Key Features
- FICO scores
- Credit reports from three major credit bureaus
- Regular credit monitoring
- FICO score monitoring
- FICO score simulator
- Identity monitoring
- Identity theft insurance
Pricing
MyFico has three subscription plans:
- The basic plan costs $19.95 per month. This gives you only your Experian credit report, and there's no identity monitoring.
- The advanced plan costs $29.95 per month. It covers reports from the three credit bureaus, but you'll get updates every three months.
- The premier plan costs $39.95 per month. It covers the full features of the MyFico app.
MyFico also offers one-time reports.
- 1-bureau credit report costs $19.95. This allows you to get a credit report from one of the bureaus.
- 3-bureau credit report costs $59.85. This gives you access to credit reports from the three credit bureaus for 30 days.
4. SmartCredit
Best For Credit Alerts And White-Labeling
SmartCredit is one of the top credit monitoring apps that helps you manage your credit scores, finances, and notifications in one place.
It extracts your information from the three major credit bureaus for easy comparison. The app also offers simple charts that enable you to see your progress.
If you're serious about building your credit score, use the 120-day plan. This will help you identify habits that are affecting your credit score. Also, the plan contains clear actions for improvement.
SmartCredit owns a patented tool, ScoreBoost, that helps you attain a high credit score. This tool lets you know the best time to apply for credit, whether for a mortgage, car loan, or credit card.
Also, it shows how your payments can raise your credit score and how your spending can reduce it. This way, you can balance your spending and know the right time and the amount to repay.
SmartCredit monitors your credit report and credit cards to determine whether any changes or fraudulent activities are occurring with your accounts.
It also offers identity theft insurance and stops people from selling your data on the dark web.
Because a late payment history may hurt your credit scores, SmartCredit tracks your online accounts and provides daily updates on due transactions and payments.
The transaction alerts contain action buttons to verify whether you initiated the transaction.
Key Features
- Credit score tracker
- Credit score builder
- ScoreBoost
- Privacy and fraud insurance
- Money manager
- Alerts with action buttons
Pricing
SmartCredit offers two pricing plans:
- The basic plan costs $19.95 per month
- The premium plan costs $27.95 per month
5. Experian
Get Free Fico Credit Score Info
Experian is a credit-rating company and one of the three credit bureaus.
Its credit score app offers free monthly Experian credit reports and FICO scores. It monitors your credit report and alerts you when changes occur, including hard inquiries, new accounts, and fraud alerts.
Also, the Experian credit score app displays a summary of your debt and credit. This enables you to see how much you're spending and how it's impacting your credit scores.
If your FICO credit score is poor, you can increase it for free with the Experian boost feature on the app.
It utilizes your online payments, such as rent, utility bills, and video streaming service bills, to give you a good credit score.
Experian boost is a helpful feature for people who don't have a credit history. Instead of adding your name as an authorized user on someone else's credit card, you can safely build credit in your name.
Although Experian shows you your Experian credit report, you can access reports from all three credit bureaus at a cost. This version features your debt summary and overall credit health.
Also, it displays the factors affecting your FICO score across the three bureaus, including your payment history, recent card use, account types, and derogatory items. And if you want more insight into your credit report, Experian offers live customer support.
Key Features
- Monthly credit reports
- Free credit monitoring
- Alerts on key changes
- Credit summary
- Experian boost
- Free mobile app with fingerprint security.
Pricing
Experian is free to use. However, you can pay a one-time fee of $39.99 to access your Experian, Transunion, and Equifax credit reports and FICO scores.
6. Mint
Mint is a personal finance app from Intuit, the makers of QuickBooks and TurboTax. It offers free credit score monitoring services and budgeting and goal setting.
After verifying your identity, you can get your free credit report within minutes; no credit card is required. Mint utilizes your Transunion credit report and alerts you when there's a new inquiry on your report.
The app shows your credit utilization history to understand what's impacting your credit score. A bill and subscription tracker also notifies you when payments are due so you don't run late and hurt your credit scores.
As with most free credit score apps, Mint showcases offers from credit card companies. You can also shop for a personal loan based on your credit score, including student loans, auto loans, and insurance.
Key Features
- Free credit scores
- Free credit report
- Credit monitoring services
- Credit utilization history
- Loan offers
- Due payments notification
Pricing
Mint is completely free.
7. Credit.com
Credit.com pulls your credit file from Experian and offers a simple dashboard for viewing your credit scorecard and Experian credit report.
You can see the key factors impacting your credit scores - credit usage, inquiries, payment history, credit history, and account types.
Each factor is graded from A to F so you can understand your credit profile. You'll also get personalized advice for improved credit management.
More importantly, you can compare your credit scores to know whether you're moving forward or backward.
You can access your Experian credit score every 14 days for free and get instant notifications of changes to check whether they're fraudulent moves.
Credit.com offers a paid tool, ExtraCredit, that tracks up to 28 FICO scores from all three bureaus.
It helps you to build a credit history, restore a bad credit score, and get personalized offers. Also, ExtraCredit offers dark web monitoring and identity theft insurance.
Key Features
- Free credit scores
- Free credit report
- Credit monitoring
- Graded profile
Pricing
Credit.com doesn't charge for its services. However, its complete credit coverage tool, ExtraCredit, costs $24.99 monthly. There's a 7-day free trial, and you can cancel anytime.
Can I Dispute Negative Items Through A Credit Score App?
While credit score programs are available, it's important to remember that you can get better results by disputing via mail. You'll have a better chance through mailing for many reasons.
That's where credit repair software comes into play.
Credit repair software makes tracking and disputed negative items on your credit report easier.
With the help of Credit Repair Software instead, you can easily identify any inaccurate information that may negatively affect your scores, ultimately increasing the chances that your disputes will go through.
FAQ
The FICO scoring model is considered the most accurate because of its track record. It was first used in 1989 and has been revised many times to accommodate changes in the lending world.
Most lenders prefer to use the FICO score. So, you may watch out for your FICO score if you seek a new line of credit.
When you check your credit score, it's referred to as a soft inquiry and doesn't hurt your credit score. Instead, it helps you to ensure that your information is correct, up-to-date, and free of fraud. But if a lender checks it, it's called a hard inquiry, which will hurt your credit score.
Final Thoughts
Now it's your turn to pick the right credit monitoring app that will help me stay on track.