Your credit score decides whether you get approved and what you pay for it. The same car loan, the same mortgage and the same credit card cost one person thousands more than another over their lifetime, and the score is usually the reason.
Americans were carrying $18.8 trillion in household debt as of the second quarter of 2026, including $1.26 trillion on credit cards alone, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Almost all of it is priced off a credit score. Knowing your number, and knowing what is dragging it down, is the difference between guessing and fixing.
A credit score app shows you where you stand, what changed since last month and what is sitting on your report that should not be. Here are the nine worth having on your phone, what each one actually costs, and the one thing none of them do for you.
Watching your score will not raise it
Not one app below reports a payment for you. Payment history is 35% of your FICO score, the single biggest piece of it. If you want the number to move, something has to be adding on-time payments to your file every month. These two do that, and both cost less than a streaming service.
Cheapest way to start building history.
- ✓Premium at $20/mo opens a $2,500 tradeline
- ✓Reports to all three bureaus
- ✓Credit line only works inside Kikoff, so you cannot overspend
- ✓45 day money back guarantee
Builds credit and hands the money back.
- ✓You get your payments back at the end, minus the finance charge
- ✓Plans from $25 a month, no lump sum needed
- ✓Secured Visa with no annual fee the first year
- ✓Nothing to pay upfront
Start sooner rather than later. These build history month by month, so the account you open today is worth more in six months than the one you open in March.
Own a business? Nav Prime builds business credit instead, and will not move your personal score.
9 Best Credit Score Apps
No matter what your credit score is or how good or bad your credit report looks, these 9 best credit score apps can help you keep an eye on your credit. If you haven’t looked at what your credit score is lately, download one of these apps to check it today.
1. WalletHub
WalletHub is the only app on this list that updates your credit score every single day. Everything else here refreshes weekly or monthly, which means you find out about a new account or a reporting error long after it happened. It pulls your report from TransUnion, re-scores you daily, and the account is free with no credit card required.
The free plan covers more than most paid apps do. You get the daily score and your full TransUnion credit report, 24/7 monitoring with an alert every time something changes, and a payoff planner that ranks which balance to clear first for the biggest gain. Checking your own score never affects it.
If you want identity protection on top of that, Premium adds credit lock, dark web monitoring and $1 million in identity theft insurance. It is running 50% off right now, billed annually with a 30 day money back guarantee. For most people the free plan is enough.
Get your free credit score with WalletHub here
2. myFICO
Download myFICO, the official credit-monitoring app from FICO, to check your credit score. While the app is free to download, you will have to choose a subscription to take advantage of all that it has to offer.
For example, you’ll pay $29.95 per month to receive quarterly credit reports from all three bureaus. If you want to up that frequency to monthly, it’s $10 per month.
You can also choose to receive a one-time monthly report from a single credit bureau for $19.95. This makes myFICO best for those who want to monitor their credit closely, perhaps in preparation for making a large purchase.
Though it’s pricier than other apps on our list and doesn’t come with a free plan, myFICO does offer $1 million in identity theft insurance. It also provides you with up to 28 FICO scores for mortgage and auto loans as well as credit cards.
3. CreditWise
CreditWise is technically a Capital One tool that allows you to monitor your credit report and score weekly (Vantage 3.0 powered by TransUnion). You can use CreditWise for free without having a Capital One account.
CreditWise features a credit score simulator and alerts you to changes in your credit score. It pulls your credit report from TransUnion and provides dark web alerts for your personal information via Experian. We did a full CreditWise review as well, if you wanted to learn more.
4. Credit Karma
Monitoring your credit score weekly is possible with Credit Karma as well. Credit Karma pulls from Experian and TransUnion to give you an estimate of your score, which many have reported as nearly accurate every time.
In addition to an overview of what’s in your credit report, Credit Karma also offers the chance to link your credit card accounts to track your spending in a single place. However, you can’t lock your credit card from this particular dashboard.
If you’ve never read a credit report before, Credit Karma explains which factors affect your score, from payment history to credit utilization. It also alerts you of data breaches when it comes to your personal information.
5. SoFi Relay
We’ve talked about quite a few SoFi products on our site, from SoFi Invest to loans and promotions. SoFi Relay is yet another service you can use to keep track of your finances when it comes to your credit score.
With SoFi Relay, you get weekly credit score updates powered by TransUnion at no cost. New members earn $10 in rewards points just for activating credit score monitoring. You can also simulate how financial decisions might impact your score before you make them, which is a handy feature if you’re planning a big purchase down the road.
Beyond credit, SoFi Relay lets you link your bank accounts, credit cards, investment accounts, and even your home and car to get a full picture of your net worth in a single dashboard. And as a SoFi member, you get access to a complimentary 30-minute session with a financial planner, a nice bonus if you want real guidance alongside your credit data.
6. CreditWorks by Experian
With CreditWorks by Experian, you can see your FICO and Experian credit scores for free once a month. Each month, you’ll also get a one-time dark web scan and credit monitoring.
CreditWorks also provides the ability to submit and track any Experian credit report disputes as well. You’ll need to pay $24.99 per month for the premium plan, but the free version works plenty well.
7. Credit.com
Though it’s advertised as a website, you can also download the Credit.com app to view your credit reports from a single simple dashboard. The reports and scores update every two weeks and Credit.com even grades your credit score factors from A to F based on how you’re doing.
Credit.com works solely with your Experian credit score unless you pay for the ExtraCredit feature which costs $24.99 per month after the seven-day free trial. However, both paid and free versions give you a personalized plan you can enact to improve your score over time.
If you pay for ExtraCredit, you’ll have the chance to check your FICO scores from all three bureaus. Credit.com also offers to help you restore your bad score, monitor the dark web, provide identity theft insurance, and build positive credit history as you go.
8. TransUnion
Checking your credit score isn’t free with TransUnion. Instead, you’ll pay a monthly fee based on what you want from the service.
With a Premium subscription, you’ll have access to credit monitoring and identity theft alerts, your TransUnion credit score and credit report, and the ability to lock and unlock your TransUnion and Equifax credit reports. Credit scores and reports are updated daily to provide the most up-to-date information.
Should you encounter identity theft, TransUnion offers $1 million identity theft insurance to help cover costs. While that might seem like a whole lot of money, it’s good to have a large pot to draw from should something like that happen.
9. Credit Sesame
Checking your credit score with Credit Sesame is easy. Just choose the free version or one of three available paid versions:
- Advanced Credit Plan: Pay $9.95 per month to access daily credit score updates from a single credit bureau or monthly updates from all three bureaus.
- Pro Credit Plan: For $15.95 per month, you’ll have access to credit monitoring with alerts from Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian. You’ll also get 24/7 support from Credit Sesame experts should you find any inaccuracies.
- Platinum Protection Plan: Coming in at just under $20, this $19.95 per month plan includes identity monitoring and theft protection services. Credit Sesame will cover up to $50,000 in identity theft insurance.
When you pay for an entire year in advance with Credit Sesame, you’ll get a discount on the monthly cost. In most cases, it’s a $2-$4 per month difference.
Credit Sesame also includes informational content on personal finance, including credit which we cover in our Credit Sesame review. The credit scores update monthly and come only from TransUnion.
In addition to personalized recommendations on loans and credit cards, Credit Sesame lets you see all your debt in one place. While that can be a scary sight, it’s good to know Credit Sesame helps you set financial goals as well.
What is a Credit Score App
A credit score app and a credit monitoring app are two different things, but a singular app can do both. If that’s not confusing enough, there are times when you might need to go beyond monitoring to dispute false information that contributes to your credit score, which can be found on your credit report.
Credit reports detail every instance of credit you’ve had for a specific amount of time. The credit score associated with those accounts demonstrates how you handle credit, specifically paying back things like personal loans and short-term loans.
Monitoring your credit is a passive act. It’s more about making sure your score doesn’t change (for the worse) and responding appropriately if and when it does.
For example, you can monitor your credit and potentially find that your identity has been stolen. Most credit monitoring apps are free to use since you only need to access the information periodically.
Credit score apps require a social security number to verify your identity and pull your credit scores. Some apps may retrieve your credit report from one credit bureau, while others pull it from two or even all three credit bureaus.
Just as we discussed in our list of credit card safety tips, be sure you know to whom you’re giving your personal information before you enter it into an app. Sophisticated scams could trap you into providing your information so they can steal your identity.
How to Use Credit Score Apps
One of the biggest financial tips we have for millennials looking for a home is that they should monitor their credit and use free credit score apps to ensure they know what their score is. You can also use a credit score app at any age to check it before making any large financial decisions.
Credit scores are the reason why the best credit cards for 18-year-olds target those who have no concept of what their score really means. A lower credit score puts you at a disadvantage in qualifying for low interest rates.
In a time of rising interest rates, a higher credit score qualifies you for a lower lump sum of interest after the loan has been paid off. If you’re unsure of how to pay off credit card debt, the first step is negotiating a lower interest rate with a credit score higher than the one you had when you first applied for the card.
Many people also use credit score apps to monitor their credit and identify any threats. Some will even simulate what would happen should you open another credit card, pay off all your balances, or take out an auto loan.
If it’s your credit report you’re worried about, know that by law, you can request a free yearly report without fear of penalty. Simply visit AnnualCreditReport.com and enter your information to receive your free credit report from all three reporting bureaus.
What to Look For in a Credit Score App
The best credit score apps are those that help you learn how to improve your credit score. After all, who wouldn’t want to pay less on a loan if their past credit history proved they were a financially responsible individual?
As you look through the apps above one more time, consider those that have the following qualities:
- No-cost credit monitoring
- Suggestions for improving credit
- Real assistance from a real person
- Available on both Android and iOS devices
- Upgradeable subscription plans with a high-value (free) basic plan
- Identity monitoring
- Easy-to-use mobile app
Doing one thing (that is, monitoring your credit score) and doing it well is what many of these apps are known for. However, you can still find a few apps worth the download time investment that are versatile as well.
For example, if you choose to download Mint to help you monitor your credit score, you can potentially manage your finances from that app as well. Not only does this save you valuable space on your smartphone, but it can also boost your confidence to gain control of your finances.
Related: How Much Does Credit Repair Cost?
Meets every box aboveYou just read what separates a good credit score app from a useless one. A daily score, your full report, real alerts and no cost to check. WalletHub is the only app here that does all four, and it does not ask for a card.
Get My Free Score →Free account · no credit card · checking never affects your scoreCredit Score Apps FAQs
Checking your credit score often doesn’t hurt it unless you’re requesting your full credit report more than once per year. If you use any of the credit score apps above, you won’t be penalized for monitoring your score.
Most credit score apps will let you see your credit scores from one, two, or all three credit bureaus. Some offer this service for free, while others charge for all three credit score reports.
Yes, you can check your credit score for free with the best credit score apps. These apps can show you credit scores from one or more sources, depending on the app you select and the subscription plan you chose (if applicable).
Our #1 pickWhichever app you pick, check the number before you apply for anything, not after you get declined. WalletHub takes about two minutes, costs nothing, and tells you where you stand today rather than three weeks ago.
Check My Score →Free account · no credit card · checking never affects your scoreMonitor Your Credit with the Best Credit Score Apps
There are a lot of responsibilities when it comes to adult life, credit scores being one of them. We hope this article has helped you to figure out which of the best credit score apps can help you get a handle on your credit score to improve it for the future.
The best part is that many of these apps are not only free to download but also free to use. Monitoring your credit doesn’t have to be something you pay for.
At the same time, several of the apps above include subscription plans built to help you get back on your feet credit-wise. The resources are there for the taking, but it’s up to you to make the most of them.
How can you use credit score apps to improve your credit score? Find out with today’s best credit score apps you can download for free.
