Top 5 Ways to Check Your Credit Score for Free (Without Hurting It)
Staying on top of your credit score in 2025 isn’t just a nice-to-have it’s essential. Whether you’re applying for a mortgage, refinancing student loans, or just trying to lower your insurance premiums, your credit score is at the center of it all. The good news? You don’t need to pay a cent to keep tabs on it and checking your score won’t hurt it, either.
Many people still worry that checking their own score will lower it, but that’s a myth. When you pull your own credit information using the right tools, it’s considered a soft inquiry, which has zero impact on your score. Let’s break that down quickly before diving into the best free services available today.
Soft Pull vs. Hard Pull: What’s the Difference?
Before you check your score, it’s important to understand the two types of credit checks:
- Soft Inquiry (Soft Pull): This happens when you check your credit score, or when a company pre-approves you for a loan or credit card. Soft pulls are not visible to lenders and do not affect your credit score.
- Hard Inquiry (Hard Pull): This occurs when a lender checks your credit report as part of a loan or credit card application. Hard pulls can slightly lower your score (usually by a few points) and are visible to other lenders for up to two years.
So if you’re simply monitoring your credit or planning for a big financial move, soft inquiries are your best friend. And thankfully, there are plenty of free tools to help you do just that.
Here are the top five trusted ways to check your credit score for free in 2025 without hurting it.
1. Credit Karma: Full Visibility with VantageScore
Best for: People who want a complete credit dashboard with frequent updates.
Credit Karma is one of the most popular credit monitoring platforms in the U.S., and for good reason. It gives you access to your VantageScore 3.0 from TransUnion and Equifax, two of the three major credit bureaus.
Key Features:
- Updated weekly
- Free credit monitoring and alerts
- Credit score simulator to test how financial decisions might affect your score
- Offers personalized credit card and loan recommendations
What to Know:
Credit Karma doesn’t provide your FICO score, which is still the score used by most lenders. But it’s incredibly helpful for tracking trends, catching errors, and managing your credit health over time.
2. Experian: Access Your FICO Score and More
Best for: Getting your actual FICO score without paying.
Experian is one of the big three credit bureaus, and their free platform gives you access to your FICO Score 8 which is used in over 90% of lending decisions. That alone makes it a standout.
Key Features:
- Updated monthly
- Free FICO score (from Experian only)
- Dark web and identity theft monitoring
- Option to boost your score using Experian Boost (adds utility and streaming payments to your credit file)
What to Know:
You only get your Experian FICO score for free, not TransUnion or Equifax. But the access to a real FICO score and the ability to improve it with Boost make this a must-have.
3. Chase Credit Journey: Bank-Level Tools for Everyone
Best for: Non-Chase users who still want solid tools and insights.
You don’t need to be a Chase customer to use Chase Credit Journey. It’s free for anyone and gives you your VantageScore 3.0 from Experian, along with a slick dashboard.
Key Features:
- Updated weekly
- Credit insights and monitoring
- Identity theft protection and alerts
- Credit planning tools
What to Know:
It’s similar to Credit Karma but only uses Experian data. The platform is simple, clean, and good for those who prefer a no-fuss approach to checking their score.
4. Discover Credit Scorecard: FICO Score Without the Catch
Best for: Getting a standalone FICO score no account needed.
Discover offers a free FICO Score 8 from Experian, and you don’t need to be a Discover cardholder to use it. It’s a solid way to see what lenders are seeing, especially if you’re preparing to apply for credit.
Key Features:
- Updated monthly
- No impact on your credit
- Easy signup—no credit card required
- Includes detailed breakdown of score factors
What to Know:
There are no frills or extras, but that’s the point. If you just want to quickly check your score and understand what’s behind it, Discover delivers.
5. Your Credit Card Issuer: Real-Time FICO Access
Best for: Cardholders who want on-demand access to their FICO score.
Many credit card issuers offer free FICO scores right on their online dashboards or apps. Here are a few examples in 2025:
- American Express: FICO Score 8 from Experian
- Citi: FICO Score 8 from Equifax
- Capital One: VantageScore 3.0 from TransUnion (via CreditWise)
- Bank of America: FICO Score 8 from TransUnion
Key Features:
- Real-time access (often updated monthly)
- Usually tied to your actual credit card behavior
- No extra signup or tools needed
What to Know:
Check your card’s website or app—chances are, your score is already available. It’s an easy way to stay informed with minimal effort.
Bonus Tip: AnnualCreditReport.com for Full Reports (Not Scores)
While this site doesn’t show your credit score, it’s the official source to get your full credit reports from all three bureaus—for free. Since the pandemic, they’ve allowed weekly access, though that may change based on regulation.
Reviewing your reports helps you spot errors, identity theft, or outdated accounts that may be dragging down your score. You can then dispute those directly with the bureau.
Final Thoughts: Choose the Right Tool and Check Often
In 2025, there’s no excuse not to know your credit score. With tools like Credit Karma, Experian, and Chase Credit Journey, you can monitor your credit health for free, spot problems early, and take action with confidence—all without causing harm to your score.
Each platform has its own strengths. Some provide actual FICO scores, while others use VantageScore for trend tracking. The best approach? Use more than one. That gives you a broader view of your credit and helps you catch discrepancies across bureaus.
If you’re aiming to qualify for a major loan or just want to understand what lenders see, the next step is knowing what counts as a good credit score in 2025.
Check out our guide: What’s a Good Credit Score Range for Mortgages, Loans & Cards in 2025? to learn where you stand and what kind of rates you can expect based on your score.
