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Alternatives

Credit Karma alternatives in 2026: 8 sites and apps like it

Eight places to see a credit score for free, read from their own pages: which bureau, which score model, whether they send alerts, and which also track your spending. Credit Karma is the starting point.

Written by Wyatt, founder of Wonderful

From each company's own pages, the FTC, the app stores and their reviews.

Updated October 27, 2026 · 13 min read

We make Wonderful, and it's on this list. Everything said about the other apps comes from their own pricing and help pages, the app stores and what their users say in public, each linked in the sources. Nobody paid to be listed, and we don't earn anything if you pick one of them.

On this page
  1. The short version
  2. What Credit Karma does
  3. Sites like Credit Karma, side by side
  4. Experian
  5. myFICO
  6. Capital One CreditWise
  7. Equifax
  8. Chase Credit Journey
  9. Apps with a score and spending
  10. NerdWallet
  11. Rocket Money
  12. Empower
  13. Rocket Money vs Credit Karma
  14. Does Credit Karma budget?
  15. Free reports
  16. How to choose
  17. Where Wonderful fits
  18. Questions people ask
  19. Sources

The short version

For a free score from a different bureau, Experian, myFICO's Free plan, Capital One CreditWise, Equifax and Chase Credit Journey each show one on their own pages, and the models differ: FICO Score 8 or VantageScore 3.0. For a score plus spending, NerdWallet, Rocket Money and Empower are apps that track both. Credit Karma itself shows VantageScore 3.0 from Equifax and TransUnion.

  1. 1

    NerdWallet: A free app with credit monitoring, net worth and spending

  2. 2

    Rocket Money: A credit score on the free plan, with subscriptions

  3. 3

    Empower Personal Dashboard: A free net worth and retirement view

  4. 4

    Credit Karma: The starting point: free scores from two bureaus

What Credit Karma does

Free credit score, credit report and credit monitoring.[8] Its How it works page says it provides your reports and scores from two of the three major bureaus, Equifax and TransUnion, as a VantageScore 3.0, checks both reports daily, and is free for members.[1] It gets paid by the banks and lenders it works with.[1] It also tracks spending: Tracks monthly spending and automatically categorizes transactions.[9] Mint users were sent here (see Mint alternatives).

People look elsewhere for these reasons:

  • Ads and credit card offers: reviewers say they got heavier and push them out to a web browser.[10]
  • Categories reverting: reviewers say the nightly sync resets categories they chose.[10]
  • Scores differ from lenders': one reviewer says the app's score is less accurate than the one lenders show.[10]

Sites like Credit Karma, side by side

SitePriceBureauScore modelAlerts
Credit KarmaFree for membersEquifax and TransUnionVantageScore 3.0Not covered here; it checks reports daily
Experian[2]Free, no credit card requiredExperianFICO Score 8Real-time alerts about changes to your credit
myFICO Free[3]$0, no credit card requiredEquifaxFICO Score 8, monthlyNotice when the score goes up or down; limited monitoring
CreditWise[4]Free, anyone can use itTransUnion (alerts on TransUnion and Experian)FICO Score 8Yes, plus dark web alerts
Equifax Core Credit[5]Free, no credit card requiredEquifaxVantageScore 3.0, updated dailyNot stated for the free product
Chase Credit Journey[6]Free, no Chase account requiredExperianVantageScore 3.0Hard checks and dark web or data breach alerts
From each company's own pages, October 27, 2026. Terms change; check the site before you sign up.

Experian

Experian's page says you can join for free with no credit card required, and that the score is calculated on the FICO Score 8 model, though a lender or insurer may use a different one. The free membership includes your Experian credit report and FICO Score, credit monitoring with real-time alerts about changes to your credit, and Experian Boost. Three-bureau reports, enhanced identity theft protection and bill negotiation need a paid upgrade. A free Experian app is on the App Store and Google Play.[2]

myFICO

myFICO lists three plans. Free is $0 with no credit card required, covers Equifax only and updates monthly, and includes a FICO Score 8 based on your Equifax data, your Equifax report and alerts when the score goes up or down. Its page says monitoring is limited because not all report data or transactions are monitored. Advanced is $29.95 a month (three bureaus, every 3 months) and Premier $39.95 a month (three bureaus, monthly).[3]

Capital One CreditWise

CreditWise says you can check your FICO Score 8 and TransUnion credit report for free, and that anyone can use it, not only Capital One customers. You must be over 18 and have a Social Security number that matches a TransUnion credit profile. Alerts cover changes to your TransUnion and Experian reports, and dark web monitoring alerts you if your Social Security number or email address turns up there. You get the app by scanning a QR code on its page.[4]

Equifax

Equifax's free product is called Core Credit and needs no credit card. The score is a VantageScore 3.0 based on Equifax data, and its page says to log into your myEquifax account every day to see your latest score and report. The page does not say whether alerts come with the free product.[5]

Chase Credit Journey

Chase says no Chase account is required. The score is a VantageScore 3.0 provided exclusively by Experian, and Chase notes that lenders, including Chase, may use a different model. It tells you about hard credit checks, and identity alerts notify you if your personal information is found on the dark web or in a data breach.[6]

Apps with a score and spending

If you used Credit Karma partly for its spending view, these apps track both. Their score details differ, so check the bureau and model in each app.

At a glance

AppPriceWorks onApp Store
Credit KarmaFreeiPhone, Android, Web4.8
NerdWalletFreeiPhone, Android4.8
Rocket MoneyFree, or $15/moiPhone, Android, Web4.5
Empower Personal DashboardFreeiPhone, Android, Web4.8
From each app's own pages and the app stores, October 27, 2026.

6. A free app with credit monitoring, net worth and spending

NerdWallet

Free· iPhone, Android· App Store 4.8 (125K)[13]· Google Play 4.3 (31,200+)[12]· Trustpilot 3.4 (3,603)[15]

What it is

A free app from NerdWallet that tracks net worth and cash flow, sorts spending, and offers a cash account and automated investing.

Why it's on this list

NerdWallet's app puts net worth, credit monitoring and a cash account in one app and is listed as free. Its own page doesn't mention budgeting for the app, while the App Store listing does, and the pages we read describe no category budgets.

What it does

  • A net worth tracker that shows your finances in one view.[12]
  • On the App Store: automatically sorts spending into needs, wants and savings.[13]
  • Credit monitoring with alerts and an explanation of what affects your score.[13]
  • Links accounts to show spending and transactions.[13]
  • Finds forgotten subscriptions and bank or savings options.[13]

Good

  • Free to download.[13]
  • 4.8 stars on the App Store from about 125K ratings.[13]
  • Spending is sorted into needs, wants and savings without setup, per the listing.[13]
  • Net worth, credit monitoring and a cash account in one app.[12][13]

Not so good

  • nerdwallet.com/app describes the app as a way to track wealth and invest, and does not mention budgeting features for it.[12]
  • No category budgets or limits are described on the pages opened.[12][13]
  • The listing says privacy practices include tracking identifiers across other companies' apps and websites.[13]
  • App Store reviewers in 2026 report lost data after accounts unlink, and a removed net worth graph.[14]

Pricing

  • App[12][13]FreeListed as Free on the App Store. nerdwallet.com/app states no price.
  • The App Store lists the app as Free with no in-app purchases shown.[13]
App Store review· October 2026
“...now that I can't see a net worth graph it's not as useful.”
Read it where it was said ↗

7. A credit score on the free plan, with subscriptions

Rocket Money

Free, or $15/mo· iPhone, Android, Web· App Store 4.5 (403K)[19]· Google Play 4.5 (141K)[20]· Trustpilot 3.9 (4,226)[22]

What it is

An app that finds your subscriptions, can cancel them and negotiate bills for you, and tracks spending and budgets, with a free plan and two paid ones.

Why it's on this list

Rocket Money lists credit score viewing on its free plan and full credit report monitoring on Premium. It is mainly built around subscriptions. Its Premium price varies by source and it is a paid tier for the rest of the budget tools.

What it does

  • Finds recurring subscriptions in one place. On Premium, a team cancels them for you; its cost article says this usually takes 2 to 10 days. On Free you cancel them yourself.[16]
  • Negotiates cable, phone and insurance bills for a success fee of 35% to 60% of the first year's savings.[16][17][18]
  • Tracks upcoming bills, net income and spending, with automatic categories.[16]
  • Custom budgets: two custom category budgets on Free, unlimited custom budgets and categories on Premium.[16]
  • Premium adds transaction rules, splits, notes, tags, manual transactions and CSV export.[16]

Good

  • A free plan exists and covers subscription tracking, bills and basic budgets.[16]
  • Cancels subscriptions for you on Premium and negotiates bills.[16]
  • Large installed base: 403K ratings on the App Store at 4.5 stars and 141K on Google Play at 4.5.[19][20]
  • Premium is a sliding scale you pick yourself, with a 7-day trial.[16][17]

Not so good

  • The price is not fixed: the learn article says $7 to $14 a month, the help center gives no numbers, and the App Store lists purchases from $2.99 to $9.99.[16][17][19]
  • Bill negotiation costs 35% to 60% of the first year's savings for Free and Premium members.[16][17]
  • On Free you cancel subscriptions yourself. Hands-off cancelling is Premium.[16][18]
  • The free plan allows two custom category budgets, so a full budget needs Premium.[16]

Pricing

  • Free[16]FreeMobile only. Tracks subscriptions and upcoming bills, with two custom category budgets.
  • Premium[16][17][19]Pay what you think is fair, "typically $7 to $14 per month, subject to change," per the learn article. The help center says the price varies by platform and gives no numbers. The App Store lists Premium purchases from $2.99 to $9.99 without billing periods.
  • Premium+[16][17][19]$15 a monthA fixed $15 a month plus tax. Adds Rowan, an AI assistant that works through text messages, and no fee on bill negotiation.
  • The help center says new Premium members get a 7-day free trial, then the subscription continues at the price chosen at sign-up. The learn article states no trial.[16][17]
  • A free plan exists. It links accounts (not in real time), tracks subscriptions but you cancel them yourself, tracks upcoming bills, and shows spending breakdowns.[16]
App Store review (1 star)· October 2026
“I selected 7 dollars per month and it still charged me for 15”
Read it where it was said ↗

8. A free net worth and retirement view

Empower Personal Dashboard

Free· iPhone, Android, Web· App Store 4.8 (421,639)[27]

What it is

A free dashboard and app that links your bank, card, loan and investment accounts to show net worth, spending and retirement scenarios, paid for by Empower's advisory services.

Why it's on this list

Empower's dashboard is free and links bank, card, loan and investment accounts. Its pages we read mention no credit score. It is here for the net worth and spending half of what Credit Karma shows, and its free tools sit beside paid advisory services.

What it does

  • Net worth: total holdings minus total debts, across accounts in one place, with the effect of paying down debt or saving more.[25]
  • Retirement planner: compare retirement ages, see what goals such as college or travel need, and set up withdrawals.[26]
  • Budgeting and cash flow: tracks daily spending and expenses; transactions are categorized automatically.[24]
  • Portfolio analysis: performance, risk level and where your money is invested.[24]
  • Fee Analyzer, to find hidden fees in investment accounts.[29]

Good

  • The dashboard and its tools are free.[24]
  • Covers retirement and investment accounts, not just bank and card spending.[24][26]
  • 4.8 stars on the App Store from 421,639 ratings, for the app that also serves retirement-plan users.[27]
  • Includes a Fee Analyzer and a retirement planner that tests different retirement ages.[26][29]

Not so good

  • Advisory services are paid for with a fee based on assets under management; the free tools are offered next to them.[23][24]
  • The pages describe budgeting only as tracking daily spending; no envelope, zero-based or per-category plan is described.[24]
  • Nothing on the pages opened describes a spouse, partner or joint view.[23][24][25][26]
  • Its own pages give two different advisory minimums: $100,000 and more than $250,000.[23][24][26]

Pricing

  • Personal Dashboard[24]Free"Nothing! The dashboard experience and financial tools are completely free."
  • The dashboard and its financial tools are free. The high-yield cash account is described as having "no account fees, no minimums".[24]
App Store review· October 2026
“I have used this through my current employer for a few years and it’s steadily become a lot more functional and less buggy”
Read it where it was said ↗

Rocket Money vs Credit Karma

Credit Karma is mainly credit scores and reports, with spending tracking added. Rocket Money starts from subscriptions: Credit score viewing on Free and full credit report monitoring on Premium.[16] Credit Karma is listed as free on the App Store; The price is not fixed: the learn article says $7 to $14 a month, the help center gives no numbers, and the App Store lists purchases from $2.99 to $9.99.[16][17][19] Pick Credit Karma for the score, Rocket Money for subscriptions. See Rocket Money alternatives.

Does Credit Karma budget?

No budgeting tool is named on the home page; it lists only Cash Flow and a net worth view.[8] It describes insights into where your money goes, not limits you set per category. For a budget, pair a score site with a budgeting app. See best budgeting apps.

Free reports are not scores

The FTC says all three bureaus let you check your report from each once a week for free at AnnualCreditReport.com, and that federal law requires each to give you a free copy once every 12 months. It says that is the only website authorized to fill orders for your free annual reports, and warns that imposter sites claim to offer free reports, scores or monitoring. The article does not say the free reports include scores, so a score from the sites above is a separate thing.[7]

How to choose

Choose Credit Karma if you:

  • Want free scores from two bureaus in one place
  • Are fine seeing product offers beside them

Choose NerdWallet if you:

  • Want a free app with credit monitoring and net worth
  • Don't need category budgets

Choose Rocket Money if you:

  • Want a free credit score and subscription tracking
  • Are willing to pay for the rest

Choose Empower Personal Dashboard if you:

  • Want net worth and retirement scenarios for free
  • Are open to advisor offers

If you want a particular score model, the table decides it: FICO Score 8 is on Experian, myFICO and CreditWise, VantageScore 3.0 on Credit Karma, Equifax and Chase.

Where Wonderful fits, and where it doesn't

We make Wonderful, and it is a weak fit for this search. It has no credit score, so none of the sites above is replaced by it. It is a budgeting app for one person or for two people who keep their own money: every paycheck gets a plan, charges are sorted, and shared bills are split with a running total of who owes whom. It is web only and has no free plan after its first week. If you used Credit Karma for its spending view, see the Mint alternatives and couples roundup.

Questions people ask

What are the best alternatives to Credit Karma?

It depends on the bureau and score model you want. Credit Karma shows VantageScore 3.0 from Equifax and TransUnion. Experian, myFICO and Capital One CreditWise show a FICO Score 8, from Experian, Equifax and TransUnion data in turn. Equifax and Chase Credit Journey show a VantageScore 3.0 from one bureau each.

What are sites like Credit Karma?

Experian, myFICO, Capital One CreditWise, Equifax and Chase Credit Journey each offer a free score on their own pages. NerdWallet, Rocket Money and Empower are apps that also track spending or net worth.

Is there a free alternative to Credit Karma?

Yes. Experian, myFICO's Free plan, CreditWise, Equifax's Core Credit and Chase Credit Journey are free on their own pages, and Chase's says no Chase account is required. NerdWallet's app is listed as free on the App Store.

Rocket Money vs Credit Karma: which should I use?

They do different jobs. Credit Karma is mainly credit scores and reports with spending tracking on top. Rocket Money is built around subscriptions, and its pages list credit score viewing on the free plan and full credit report monitoring on Premium. Rocket Money's Premium price varies by source; Credit Karma is listed as free.

Does Credit Karma have a budgeting tool?

Its home page names Cash Flow and a net worth view and describes insights into where your money goes. It names no budget builder. If you want a budget with limits, you need a budgeting app as well.

Is there an app like Credit Karma and Mint?

Credit Karma is where Mint users were sent. For a budget as well as a score, Rocket Money has a credit score on its free plan. See our Mint alternatives page for budgeting apps.

Why is my score different in each app?

Because the sites use different bureaus and models. Credit Karma shows VantageScore 3.0, Experian and CreditWise show FICO Score 8, and each page says a lender may use another model.

How often can I get a free credit report?

Weekly. The FTC says all three bureaus let you check your report from each once a week for free at AnnualCreditReport.com, and federal law requires each to give you a free copy once every 12 months.

How does Credit Karma make money?

Its How it works page says Credit Karma gets paid by the banks and lenders it works with, and that the lender typically pays a small commission when you are approved for a recommended product.

Read next

Sources

29 sources · read October 27, 2026

Every number on this page comes from creditkarma.com, experian.com, myfico.com and 13 more. If a source has changed since, the source is right.

  1. 1How does Credit Karma work? (Credit Karma)creditkarma.com
  2. 2Experian: free credit report and FICO Scoreexperian.com
  3. 3myFICOmyfico.com
  4. 4Capital One CreditWisecapitalone.com
  5. 5Equifax: free credit score and reportequifax.com
  6. 6Chase Credit Journeychase.com
  7. 7Free credit reports (FTC)consumer.ftc.gov
  8. 8Credit Karma homecreditkarma.com
  9. 9Intuit Credit Karma on the App Storeapps.apple.com
  10. 10App Store reviews feed for Intuit Credit Karma (most recent)itunes.apple.com
  11. 11Trustpilot, creditkarma.comtrustpilot.com
  12. 12NerdWallet app pagenerdwallet.com
  13. 13NerdWallet: Smart Money App on the App Storeapps.apple.com
  14. 14App Store reviews feed for NerdWallet (most recent)itunes.apple.com
  15. 15Trustpilot, nerdwallet.comtrustpilot.com
  16. 16Rocket Money: How much does Rocket Money costrocketmoney.com
  17. 17Rocket Money help center: How much does Rocket Money costhelp.rocketmoney.com
  18. 18Rocket Money FAQframer.rocketmoney.com
  19. 19Rocket Money on the App Storeapps.apple.com
  20. 20Rocket Money on Google Playplay.google.com
  21. 21Apple public review feed for Rocket Moneyitunes.apple.com
  22. 22Trustpilot, rocketmoney.comtrustpilot.com
  23. 23Empower home pageempower.com
  24. 24Empower tools pageempower.com
  25. 25Empower net worth toolempower.com
  26. 26Empower retirement plannerempower.com
  27. 27App Store listing, Empowerapps.apple.com
  28. 28App Store reviews, Empowerapps.apple.com
  29. 29Empower free tools pageempower.com

App names are trademarks of their owners; Wonderful isn't connected with them. Wonderful gives general information. It isn't a financial or tax advisor.

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