Best UK Free Credit Monitoring Tools: What Each One Shows

In the UK, three Credit Reference Agencies (CRAs) — Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion — collect and maintain credit information on individuals. Lenders use this information when making credit decisions. Because not all lenders report to all three CRAs, and because each CRA holds different data, checking only one source may not give a complete picture.

Fortunately, UK consumers can now access their credit data from all three agencies for free, thanks to statutory rights and a range of third-party services that partner with the CRAs. This guide explains what each major free credit monitoring service in the UK provides, which CRA it draws from, and how they compare.

There is no single free service that shows data from all three agencies. Each tool pulls its report from one specific CRA. To see the full picture of your credit health, you should use a combination of apps.

• To check Equifax data: Use ClearScore or Finder.
• To check TransUnion data: Use Credit Karma, TotallyMoney, or MoneySavingExpert (MSE) Credit Club.
• To check Experian data: Use Experian's Free Account (limited) or MoneySavingExpert (MSE) Credit Club (Note: MSE has recently switched providers, verify current source). Correction: MSE Credit Club historically used Experian, but moved to TransUnion. Experian data is best accessed directly via Experian free account.

1. ClearScore (Uses Equifax Data)

Overview: One of the most popular apps in the UK. ClearScore partners with Equifax.

• What you get: Full Equifax credit report, Equifax credit score (out of 1000), "Timeline" of your finances.
• Pros: Very user-friendly app. Detailed "offers" section (loans/cards) with eligibility checks.
• Cons: Only shows Equifax data.

2. Credit Karma (Uses TransUnion Data)

Overview: Formerly Noddle, acquired by Credit Karma. Partners with TransUnion.

• What you get: Full TransUnion credit report, TransUnion credit score (out of 710).
• Pros: Updates weekly, which is faster than most others. Good alerts for changes on your file.
• Cons: The score range (710) often confuses people used to the 999 scale.

3. TotallyMoney (Uses TransUnion Data)

Overview: Focuses on "credit improvement" and eligibility. Partners with TransUnion.

• What you get: Live TransUnion score.
• Pros: Claims to offer Live Credit Score updates (updating each time you log in, rather than monthly). Very strong on explaining why you are rejected.
• Cons: Another TransUnion source—if you already have Credit Karma, this overlaps.

4. Experian Free Account (Uses Experian Data)

Overview: The direct consumer offering from the UK's biggest CRA.

• What you get: Your Experian Credit Score (0-999).
• Pros: It's the agency most lenders use. Knowing this number is useful.
• Cons: The Free account is limited. It gives you the Score but not the full Report (the detailed list of accounts). To see the full report, they push you towards the paid "CreditExpert" subscription (£14.99/mo). Tip: You can get the full Statutory Report for free from them, but it's a separate process.

5. MoneySavingExpert (MSE) Credit Club

Overview: Originally partnered with Experian, MSE Credit Club switched to TransUnion in late 2023.

• What you get: TransUnion Report and Score.
• Pros: Includes Martin Lewis's "Affordability Score," which mimics how lenders actually look at your income vs. expenditure. Very educational.
• Cons: Updates are monthly. Login process can be clunkier than the apps.

• Statutory Right: Under GDPR, you have the right to access your full credit report from ANY agency for free. This is called a "Statutory Credit Report". It is less "pretty" than the apps (often a PDF or simple web page) but contains the raw legal data.
• Data Lag: Remember that these apps are "windows" into the CRA databases. If you pay off a card today, the bank tells the CRA next month, and the App updates a few days after that. Don't panic if changes take 4-6 weeks to show.

To have a "complete" view of your financial reputation in the UK, you simply need to cover the three main bases:

1. Get ClearScore (for Equifax).
2. Get Credit Karma (for TransUnion).
3. Get the Experian Free Account (for Experian Score) OR request your Statutory Experian Report once a year to check the details.

Using these three free tools gives you 100% coverage of the data lenders can see, without paying a penny in subscription fees.

• Use Multiple Apps: Don't rely on just one. Different lenders check different agencies.
• Cover the Big Three: Equifax (ClearScore), TransUnion (Credit Karma), Experian (Direct).
• Ignore the "Offers": Unless you actually need credit.
• It's Free: Never pay for a credit score unless you have a specific, complex need.