Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us and terms apply to offers listed (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate credit score services to help you make smart decisions with your money.
What Is Credit Monitoring?
Credit monitoring services notify you of changes in your credit report and may even show you your credit report regularly. Some monitoring services will provide additional services, including VPNs or identity theft insurance. Because of this, the best credit monitoring services somewhat overlap with the best identity theft protection services.
The best services will also offer security and recovery tools to help you avoid trouble and real-time alerts so you can address it promptly when it arises.
Best Credit Monitoring Services of November 2024
- Capital One CreditWise: Best for light monitoring
- IdentityForce UltraSecure+Credit: Best for cybersecurity
- Aura – All-In-One ID Theft Protection: Best for families
- PrivacyGuard Credit Protection: Best for building credit
- Credit Karma Free Credit Report + Experian Free Credit Report: Best for free credit monitoring
Compare the Top Credit Monitoring Services
Here is our selection of the credit monitoring companies and what you can expect from each. The prices listed are the standard rates advertised when writing, but you can likely find discounts through referrals or other promotional codes where applicable. Most monitoring services also offer a free trial, so you can test them before buying.
Read more about the best credit monitoring services as picked by Business Insider editors in 2024.
Capital One CreditWise: Best for Light Monitoring
Cost: $0
CreditWise is a free credit monitoring service from Capital One. You don't have to be a Capital One account holder to use it, but you can access CreditWise from within the Capital One app, so it's convenient if you already have a Capital One account or a Capital One credit card. Here's our guide to the best Capital One credit cards.
Like Credit Karma, CreditWise monitors data from two of the three major credit reporting agencies (TransUnion and Experian, in this case). While you'll get alerts about changes to both files, you'll only be able to access data from TransUnion. CreditWise won't show you details of your Experian file. That makes CreditWise less attractive if keeping an eye on all your credit reports is a priority.
On the positive side, CreditWise is slightly easier to use than Credit Karma, as it presents the most vital data concisely and upfront without subjecting users to ads. It's a great tool if you'd prefer to use a single service and don't have a pressing need for more thorough credit monitoring or identity theft protection services.
Read our CreditWise review.
IdentityForce UltraSecure+Credit: Best for Cybersecurity
Cost: $29.95 monthly or $299.50 annually
IdentityForce UltraSecure+Credit is a product of TransUnion, but the +Credit plan also monitors Experian and Equifax reports. On top of credit monitoring, Ultra Secure+Credit offers broader protection of social media accounts, banking and investment accounts, mobile device scanning, and dark web data analysis. That additional scrutiny increases the odds of detecting suspicious activity and credit-related fraud, making it a good fit for anyone whose personal information has already been compromised.
Ultra Secure+Credit goes beyond detection by offering a variety of security tools to help prevent identity theft from occurring in the first place. It provides cybersecurity tools, including anti-virus and malware protection, a virtual private network (VPN) for safe browsing, password management software, and an online vault for storing sensitive digital documents.
IdentityForce also offers a 30-day free trial, annual discounts, and family plans. If you're dissatisfied with IdentityForce, you can cancel and receive a prorated refund for unused services.
Read our IdentityForce review.
Aura – All-In-One ID Theft Protection: Best for Families
Cost: $15 monthly or $144 annually
Aura All-In-One provides fewer monitoring services than IdentityForce. It doesn't include social media, for one, but it offers well-rounded protection with monitoring and real-time alerts for all three credit bureaus. You'll also get a similar array of security tools, as well as email aliases, to reduce spam and exposure to data breaches.
Aura All-In-One shines brightest with its couple and family plans, which provide the same protections for additional members at a heavily discounted cost per person. Aura All-In-One family plan also offers parental controls for mobile and other devices.
Read our Aura review.
PrivacyGuard Credit Protection: Best for Building Credit
Cost: $19.99 per month
Most of the services included on this list will give you some form of identity theft protection in addition to credit monitoring. PrivacyGuard separates its credit monitoring and identity theft protection services (included on our list of the best identity theft protection services) into two different plans, merging both services in its PrivacyGuard Total Protection.
While no identity theft protection is a major loss, especially at its relatively high price tag, PrivacyGuard still offers fraud resolution for its credit monitoring customers. However, the reason we've included PrivacyGuard Credit Protection is for its credit-building resources.
Credit monitoring is useful for detecting identity theft, but it's also a great tool to use when you're trying to improve your credit scores. This is where PrivacyGuard shines. In addition to a credit information hotline, PrivacyGuard also has a credit score simulator, which will give you a rough estimate of how new lines of credit will affect your credit score.
Read our PrivacyGuard review.
Credit Karma + Experian: Best for Free Credit Monitoring
Cost: $0
Credit Karma and Experian are separate services, both available for free. Neither one reports from all three major credit bureaus — Credit Karma monitors TransUnion and Equifax, while Experian naturally offers data from its own reports — but together, they cover all the bases.
Unfortunately, when something is free, you're the product. These credit monitoring services are no exception. You'll have to sift through marketing material for credit cards, loans, or insurance offers, along with invitations to upgrade to a paid service (in the case of Experian).
Once you look past the ads, you'll see a detailed look at all the factors that go into your credit score calculation, including account balances, credit utilization, payment histories, average age of credit accounts, recent hard inquiries, and records of any derogatory marks. Experian also lets you add rent payments and utilities to your credit report through Experian Boost.
These services allow you to dispute any inaccurate information directly through the platform. While you get to dispute errors directly with Experian through their service, Credit Karma offers very basic credit repair services, disputing your credit report on your behalf.
Both services offer email and push notifications for various events, including data breaches or potential identity theft, changes to your credit report, and even reminders to pay bills. Both services also have highly rated mobile apps, which sets them apart from most apps offered by specialized identity theft protection services. That's a big plus if you prefer to monitor your credit on a mobile device.
Lastly, these services will also show you credit products you are likely to qualify for with your credit profile, which may be helpful if you're in the market for a new credit card. You can find our guide to the best credit cards here.
Key Features of Top Credit Monitoring Services
A credit monitoring service by itself is a car's dashboard indicator: It can detect and warn you about potential problems, but it won't solve them. The onus is still on you to respond, and much like a flat tire or low oil pressure, ignoring the warning will likely make things worse.
These varying levels of protection come at similarly varying prices. Free services typically offer limited monitoring capability from only one or two of the three major credit bureaus, while high-end services package credit monitoring with identity theft protection and data security tools for a monthly premium. Prices for high-end credit monitoring and identity protection can range from $20-$35.
Choosing the Right Credit Monitoring Service
The best credit monitoring solution is the one that meets your needs at a price you can afford. The free options listed will suffice if you only want an extra eye on your credit report and score while you build credit. The paid options offer additional services for people who are concerned about identity theft. Monitoring one or two bureaus is better than no monitoring, so the option you choose doesn't have to be absolutely perfect.
For thorough credit monitoring, look for services that offer reporting from all three major credit bureaus. Many basic plans only monitor a single bureau, leaving room for inaccuracies to slip through unnoticed on your other credit reports.
Depending on where you are in your credit journey, it may also be helpful to look for a credit monitoring service that provides educational resources on where to improve your credit profile and factors that are dragging down your credit score calculations.
Finally, look for a service you'll actually use. Maybe a service you already use offers credit monitoring, so you'll be more likely to glance at your credit reports. If a service inspires you to be more proactive about monitoring your credit, that's a strong selling point. Your decision can even come down to something as simple as how the dashboard looks or how well the app works.
Should You Pay for Credit Monitoring Services?
Monitoring your credit is a solid financial practice akin to balancing your checkbook and examining credit card statements. As shown with some of our top choices above, you can do it effectively at no cost. Free services like Credit Karma and CreditWise provide the information you need to detect something amiss on your credit file, so long as you're paying attention.
You may also be able to pick up credit monitoring features with other credit-related subscriptions. Some of the best rent reporting services and the best credit builder loans offer credit monitoring as a side feature, so you can track your progress. Regardless of where you get free credit monitoring, it should suffice if you have no acute concerns about the security of your personal information.
Paying for credit monitoring (along with additional monitoring and identity theft protection) is an easier sell if your data has been compromised before. The odds of illicit activity on your credit file are higher in that case, so the cost of more comprehensive protection is easier to justify.
A paid credit monitoring service may be worth it if you want protection and monitoring for your entire family, including children. Digging into an adult's credit report can be annoying, but monitoring your child's credit is even more so. However, the process is necessary to catch child identity theft early.
Parents or guardians must submit a request over mail with documents proving their child's identity, their identity, and their relation to the child. If this isn't something you're willing to do regularly, signing up for a credit monitoring service with a family plan can cut the amount of work you have to do.
If you're unsure what level of protection you want, start with a free service to get acquainted with your credit report and see whether it suits your monitoring needs. If you find the free services lacking, you can always upgrade. You can also check to see if a credit monitoring service offers a refund.
Enhancing your Credit Protection
Best Practices for Using Credit Monitoring Services
Credit monitoring involves regularly checking your credit files for changes, inaccuracies, or suspicious activity. While you can do this yourself, credit monitoring services can automate this process. They alert you of changes on your credit profile, such as new credit inquiries, open or closed accounts, increasing or decreasing balances, and potential identity theft.
Credit monitoring services also give you access to information on your credit accounts, allowing you to check your credit score over time and view your credit utilization ratio. These can be helpful if you're building credit and need to keep track of your progress.
The Critical Role of Credit Monitoring in Financial Health
Your credit score is a prominent factor in your financial profile. Good credit makes it easier to qualify for loans and secure low interest rates, so it pays to improve your score. Keeping tabs on your credit reports will help you track your progress and protect you from bad actors looking to steal your identity and use your credit.
Frequently Asked Questions About Credit Monitoring Services
Yes, it is safe to use credit monitoring services. Reputable services use encryption and follow strict privacy standards to protect your personal information, but always research and select a service with a strong track record of security and customer satisfaction.
Credit monitoring services can help improve your credit score by offering insights into factors affecting your credit score, alerting you to potential inaccuracies on your report, and providing tools and advice for improving your credit.
Whether you need credit monitoring if you regularly check your report depends on how careful you want to be. Regular credit report checks are important, but credit monitoring services offer real-time alerts and additional protection against identity theft for a more comprehensive security approach.
No, credit monitoring services cannot prevent identity theft entirely, but they can alert you to potential fraud more quickly, allowing for a faster response to protect your identity and financial information.
Why You Should Trust Us: How We Chose the Best Credit Monitoring Services
Choosing the best credit monitoring services comes down to what you get for the money you're paying. A paid service at its highest tier needs to monitor your reports from all three of the major credit bureaus — Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.
On the other hand, while free credit monitoring services offer less than paid services, it is very hard to argue with free. In the worst-case scenario, these services fill your inbox with excessive emails. This cost is a small one to pay for free credit monitoring. However, you should be aware of the limitations and blind spots of monitoring one bureau instead of all three.
The best credit monitoring services also have aspects of identity theft protection included in their features, like public records or dark web monitoring. These two services are hard to replicate on your own. They should also provide some identity theft recovery assistance. Ideally, this means an in-house expert dedicated to your specific case to help you recover from identity theft. However, at the very least, a service should provide stolen wallet protection or identity theft insurance.
Read our full explanation of how we rate credit monitoring services.
