- Up to $1 million identity theft insurance.
- Reports from all three credit bureaus.
- Detailed score reporting and analysis.
AP Buyline’s content is created independently of The Associated Press newsroom. Our evaluations and opinions are not influenced by our advertising relationships, but we might earn commissions from our partners’ links in this content. Learn more about our policies and terms here.
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Updated May 17, 2024
If you're afraid of your sensitive data being compromised, you have good reason. In 2023 alone, there were over 1 million reports of identity theft received by the FTC's website. Further, consumers lost more than $10 billion in fraud.
To keep yourself safe and avoid incurring a costly loss, you might want to consider a credit monitoring service. They can alert you of notable changes in your credit reports, shifts in your credit score and also provide identity theft protection and other features to safeguard your personal and financial data.
| Brand name | Best for | Monthly fee | Credit bureaus monitored |
|---|---|---|---|
myFICO | Rebuilding credit | $0 to $29.95 per month | Experian, Equifax and TransUnion (bureaus covered vary depending on plan) |
Experian | Families | $0 to $34.99 per month | Experian, Equifax and TransUnion (bureaus covered vary depending on plan) |
Identity Guard | Paid credit monitoring service | $7.50 to $25.00 per month | Experian, Equifax and TransUnion (bureaus covered vary depending on plan) |
Privacy Guard | Comprehensive credit and identity monitoring | $9.99 to $24.99 per month | Experian, Equifax and TransUnion (bureaus covered vary depending on plan) |
Credit Karma | Free credit monitoring | Free | Free credit monitoring |
Our top recommendations for credit monitoring services this month
FICO® Advanced: Best for rebuilding credit
Rebuilding credit
FICO® Advanced
Rebuilding credit
FICO® Advanced
Monthly fee
$0 to $29.95 per month
Min. credit score
Experian, Equifax and TransUnion (bureaus covered vary depending on plan)
Pros:
Cons:
- On the pricey side.
Besides the basic credit monitoring services, such as alerts of key changes on credit reports, FICO® Advanced's sophisticated score reporting and analysis tools can help you figure out moves to make to improve your credit. Further, FICO informs you of the potential impact of credit decisions before you make them. That way, you can see how it could influence your score before you pull the trigger.
Experian IdentityWorks: Best for families
Families
Experian IdentityWorks
Families
Experian IdentityWorks
Monthly fee
$0 to $34.99 per month
Min. credit score
Experian, Equifax and TransUnion (bureaus covered vary depending on plan)
Pros:
- Free version comes with dark web tracking.
- Paid plans come with identity theft protection and lost wallet services.
Cons:
- On the pricey side.
- Experian-only reports with free version.
Experian's credit monitoring services goes beyond the basics and offers more comprehensive identity protection features. You can also get lost wallet assistance and fraud resolution support.
What's particularly notable is its Family plan features credit monitoring for two adults and up to 10 children, so your entire household is covered.
Identity Guard Best for: Paid credit monitoring service
Paid credit monitoring service
Identity Guard
Paid credit monitoring service
Identity Guard
Monthly fee
$7.50 to $25.00 per month
Min. credit score
Experian, Equifax and TransUnion (bureaus covered vary depending on plan)
Pros:
- Variety of plans.
- Higher-tier plans are comprehensive.
Cons:
- More expensive than other options.
- Value tier doesn't include credit monitoring.
Identity Guard is our top choice for paid credit monitoring services. While not the cheapest, its Ultra tier includes 5 adults, unlimited kids and also social media and home title monitoring, which isn't commonly found with its competitors.
PrivacyGuard Best for: Comprehensive credit and identity monitoring
Comprehensive credit and identity monitoring
Privacy Guard
Comprehensive credit and identity monitoring
Privacy Guard
Monthly fee
$9.99 to $24.99 per month
Min. credit score
Experian, Equifax and TransUnion (bureaus covered vary depending on plan)
Pros:
- Robust features such as fraud assistance.
- Emergency travel assistance and medical records reimbursement.
Cons:
- Basic tier doesn't include credit monitoring.
- More expensive than other options.
- Does not include a family plan.
As far as paid credit monitoring services go, invest in PrivacyGuard for A-to-Z features. You can use robust services like emergency travel assistance and medical records reimbursement. If you're looking for a paid service, PrivacyGuard is the most comprehensive.
Credit Karma Best for: Free credit monitoring
Free credit monitoring
Credit Karma
Free credit monitoring
Credit Karma
Monthly fee
Free
Min. credit score
Free credit monitoring
Pros:
- Free of charge.
- Provides explanations of credit changes.
Cons:
- Reports from only two credit bureaus.
- Includes a few crucial features.
- Interface includes a lot of product marketing.
Credit Karma has long offered a strong free credit monitoring service. Account holders can receive notable changes to their accounts. Plus, you'll get an explanation of why your credit score might have changed. While CK's credit monitoring plan isn't as comprehensive as others, it's a solid choice if you don't want to shell out any bucks.
How to find the best credit monitoring services
To begin your search, decide whether you want to start with a free credit monitoring service or if you prefer to go with a paid one. A credit monitoring service that's free will alert you of any important changes to your credit report including late payments, new accounts, changes in credit score and changes to your personal information.
If you prefer more extensive services to safeguard you against identity theft and fraud, such as dark web scanning, changes from more than one credit bureau and identity theft insurance, you might want to hop onto a paid plan. Some services offer different plans with different features. You can also get a slight discount for paying an annual fee versus a monthly fee.
Once you've decided whether you want to go with a free credit monitoring service or a paid one, the next step is to do your homework, compare pricing, services and features, and read up on customer reviews online.
Decide on what's most important to do. Do you prefer a service that offers credit reports from all three bureaus? Or do you want one that can also go beyond the standard services and offer subscription cancellation and bill negotiation?
How to choose a credit monitoring service
The good news is there's no shortage of credit monitoring services to choose from. If one credit monitoring service stands out more than the rest, see if they offer a free trial or money-back guarantee. From there, you can test out the waters and see if you like it.
As mentioned, choosing the credit monitoring service that's best for you depends on your budget, and your preferences. The best credit monitoring service is the one that you feel comfortable using and checks off the majority of boxes of what you're looking for.
If you're unsure which plan to sign up for, consider the free version if it's available. Then, you can consider opting for a paid plan if it might be helpful.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Do I need a credit monitoring service?
A credit monitoring service tracks your credit report — or several credit reports — and alerts you to changes. It can also track changes in your credit score. Whether you choose a free or paid service, it can keep you in the know of potentially fishy activity so you can take action against identity theft.
What does a credit monitoring service do?
A credit monitoring service keeps an eye on your credit reports and notifies you of any critical changes. Depending on the plan, it can also offer identity theft protection, access to your credit reports, and dark web monitoring.
Are credit monitoring services safe?
Credit monitoring services typically have protective measures to safeguard your personal and sensitive data, such as multi-factor authentication and 256-bit encryption. However, these services don't offer identity theft protection. What they do is signal anything that might be suspicious activity so you can be proactive and take measures to prevent yourself from falling victim to identity theft.
Should you pay for credit monitoring?
If you are fine with credit monitoring that offers you the basics, such as changes in your credit score, new accounts, late payments and adjustments to your credit usage, a free credit monitoring service might do the trick. If you would like more robust or extensive services, which include credit reports from all three bureaus, dark web scanning and identity protection, then it might be worth it to pay for credit monitoring.
AP Buyline’s content is created independently of The Associated Press newsroom. Our evaluations and opinions are not influenced by our advertising relationships, but we might earn commissions from our partners’ links in this content. Learn more about our policies and terms here.