Best Credit Score Apps for iPhone and iPad in 2021

Usage of Credit Karma (CK) has really exploded after it entered the market many years ago. Users will receive credit reports from TransUnion and Equifax (2 of the major credit bureaus) completely free. CK will then use its data to make financial product offers to users, such as credit cards or personal loans. The financial institutions selling these financial products are the entities paying CK. Their app provides alerts for any sudden changes in your credit score, and you can even send a dispute to the credit bureau directly from the app.

Capital One developed this app for everyone, not just its own customers. The app will provide you a weekly report of your VantageScore 3.0 from TransUnion. VantageScore is different from the more familiar FICO score but takes very similar inputs, so your VantageScore should move in the same patterns as your FICO score. CreditWise also provides a simulator that shows you how certain actions like paying down debt could affect your credit score.

The FICO score has been generally known as the standard for consumer credit reports. However, while the app is free, you need a subscription to FICO, which starts at $29.95 per month. After a subscription, you'll see your FICO score from all three credit bureaus along with how it has changed over time. Push notifications will tell you if anything changes. Though there is a hefty price tag, the subscription and app will provide you all you need to know about your credit picture.

Experian is one of the larger international credit bureaus and will provide you a full picture of your credit score on a monthly basis if you subscribe to its service. Experian will also help you examine what may be hurting your credit score and how to take actions to recover. The downside is that you only receive the report from Experian, just one of the three major bureaus.

Credit Sesame provides, free of charge, a great visual layout with simple to read charts to understand your credit picture and how to improve it. Every month, you'll receive an updated VantageScore from TransUnion and tips on how to better manage your credit.

While it has been mostly known as a personal finance and budgeting tool, Mint also added a feature several years ago that allows you to get a credit score summary from Equifax. The app helps you understand your credit card usage, payment history, inquiries, and more so that you have a full picture of your credit finances.

Credit.com provides you an Experian score and a Vantagescore 3.0 at no cost. Neither of these are official FICO scores, but again they are close and move in the same direction. Additionally, you'll get graded (A-F) on several different aspects of your credit management: payment history, debt usage, inquiries, and more.

TransUnion, one of the three major bureaus, provides an app that provides users a proprietary score. Like the other bureaus, this score is not the same as a FICO score but is a good proxy.

Discover cardholders can log in through the app to view a free monthly FICO score. There are also educational tools to show you how various factors are affecting your score.

Chase customers will be able to access their Chase Credit Journey information via the mobile banking app. Chase Credit Journey will provide a free VantageScore, alerts, weekly updates, and a simulator to help you manage your credit.

Similar to Chase above, Wells Fargo will provide free access to a FICO score for customers. Customers can see this score along with all their other banking deals on the Wells Fargo Mobile app.