Best credit monitoring services for 2024

Experian is best known as one of the three major credit bureaus (Equifax and TransUnion are the other two), but it also provides credit monitoring services. For no charge, you can get access to Experian’s FICO score tracker, which lets you see how your score changes over time. You can also get alerts from Experian when your score changes so you can make adjustments to your financial behavior as needed.

Although Experian’s free service is fairly bare-bones compared to paid credit monitoring services, it’s ideal for those who just want a way to keep tabs on their credit score. However, you also have the option to upgrade to Premium or Family plans, which cost Free to $24.99 per month. The paid plans include monitoring from all three credit bureaus, subscription cancellation, bill negotiation, identity protection, and more. Experian offers a seven-day free trial of this service so you can check it out before committing to the monthly payment (and you can cancel before the trial period ends to avoid being charged if it’s not the right fit).

MyFICO has four subscription options—one free and three paid. The range of plans gives you more options, so you can find the one that best suits your needs and your budget. With the free subscription, you’ll get basic credit monitoring services, including monthly updates on your FICO score. This plan will likely be sufficient for those who simply want to keep an eye on their credit score and identify any issues so they can address them quickly.

If you want more from your credit monitoring service, you can opt for one of the three paid subscriptions (Basic, Advanced, and Premier). All include $1 million in identity theft coverage, as well as 24/7 identity restoration. The Advanced and Premier plans monitor all three credit bureaus, while the Basic plan only monitors Experian. The two higher plans also offer identity monitoring. The paid plans cost between Free to $39.95 per month, depending on which one you choose.

IdentityGuard’s main goal is to provide customers with identity protection, but it also offers credit monitoring services with some of its plans. Getting an IdentityGuard subscription means you can keep tabs on your credit score, as well as your bank accounts and personal information, to identify potential fraud early on and address it before it gets out of hand.

IdentityGuard has a total of six plans (three individual plans and three family plans), and all include $1 million in identity theft insurance. This insurance can help cover legal fees and stolen funds if you’re a victim of identity theft. If you want credit protection, however, you’ll need to opt for either the Total or Ultra plans (the Value plan includes identity protection but not credit protection). Prices range from $6.67 to $19.99.

In addition to credit monitoring, Albert has a wide variety of features to help improve your financial health. The app’s basic features are free to use and include a view of your bank details and upcoming bills so you can work on a manageable budget. However, credit monitoring is only available with a paid subscription. For $9.99 per month, you’ll get access to a savings account, investment account, budget and spending tracking, and identity protection—and that’s in addition to credit score monitoring. Albert only monitors VantageScore, so if you need to keep tabs on your FICO score, you’ll need to use a different service. You can also view your credit report, which shows your payment history, credit card usage, credit age, and number of total accounts.

For $14.99 per month, you can upgrade to an Albert Genius account. In addition to the features mentioned above, this subscription will give you access to Albert Cash (a cash advance of up to $250), instant overdraft coverage, cash-back rewards on your debit card, and early access to your paycheck.

PrivacyGuard has three plans, two of which—Credit Protection and Total Protection—include credit monitoring. All three plans offer a dedicated ID fraud resolution agent, who can help you through the process of restoring your identity. This can be a valuable service, since dealing with identity theft is stressful, and being bounced among several different representatives can add to that stress. The agent will walk you through the process step by step and be on hand to answer any questions you have along the way.

Additionally, PrivacyGuard monitors all three credit bureaus on a daily basis and provides monthly credit score tracking so you can see your score in real time. All plans include access to the PrivacyGuard app, which allows you to keep tabs on your credit score and other financial information on the go. Costs range from $19.99 to $19.99 per month for the plans that include credit monitoring.

Aura’s credit monitoring plans come with a 14-day trial and a generous 60-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to test out the service risk free. There is one caveat, though; the money-back guarantee only applies if you purchase a plan through the Aura website (third-party purchases, such as from Amazon, are not eligible).

There are three plans to choose from: Individual, Couple, and Family. All plans include three-bureau credit monitoring, the ability to instantly lock your Experian credit file, monthly credit score updates, and fraud monitoring. The Family plan offers the most features, but it’s designed for five adults and unlimited children, so it’s not a great fit for smaller families. However, the offerings in the Individual and Couple plans will likely be sufficient for most people. The cost of a plan depends on whether you choose to pay monthly or annually, with a discount for paying annually. You can expect to pay between $12 to $32 per month (billed annually); $15 to $45 per month (billed monthly) if you pay annually, or between $15 and $45 if you pay monthly.