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Personal Finance · head to head

Cash App vs Credit Karma

Cash App logo

Cash App

Personal Finance

Money sent in seconds

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Credit Karma logo

Credit Karma

Personal Finance

Free credit scores, reports, and more

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Cash App the App Store listing states free ATM withdrawals and up to 200 dollars in free overdraft coverage on the Cash App Card are only available once a user qualifies for Green status, not to all users by default.; Credit Karma state tax filing costs 15 USD even though federal filing is 0 USD
  • They diverge on capability: Cash App covers Money transfers, Credit Karma covers Free credit score.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cash App and Credit Karma actually diverge.

Attributes where Cash App and Credit Karma differ
AttributeCash AppCredit Karma
Pricing modelfreefreemium
PlatformsIOS, AndroidWeb, IOS, Android
Founded20132007

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Personal Finance).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Cash App

  • Money transfers
  • Direct deposit
  • Bitcoin trading
  • Stock investing
  • Bank accounts
  • Cash Card

Only in Credit Karma

  • Free credit score
  • Credit report monitoring
  • Credit card recommendations
  • Tax filing
  • Credit bureaus
  • Financial institutions
  • Web support

Both cover

  • IOS support
  • Android support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Cash App

  • Budget Managementnot Credit Karma
  • Expense Trackingnot Credit Karma
  • Investment Trackingnot Credit Karma

Credit Karma

  • Monitoring a credit score and the factors affecting it for freenot Cash App
  • Comparing credit card and loan offers with Approval Oddsnot Cash App
  • Filing federal tax returns at no chargenot Cash App

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Cash App

  • The App Store listing states free ATM withdrawals and up to 200 dollars in free overdraft coverage on the Cash App Card are only available once a user qualifies for Green status, not to all users by default.

Credit Karma

  • State tax filing costs 15 USD even though federal filing is 0 USD
  • Credit Spark builds score history against TransUnion, and the site states that not all lenders use TransUnion credit reports or scores
  • Card and loan listings are advertising placements, disclosed on the site as compensation from third party advertisers
  • Send and score update frequency limits are not published on the site

Pricing, plan by plan

Cash App

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Money transfers
    • Direct deposit
    • Mobile app
  • Cash App Investing$undefined/month
    • Stock trading
    • Bitcoin trading

Credit Karma

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Credit score monitoring
    • Credit reports
    • Personalized recommendations

Which should you pick?

Choose Cash App if

  • You need money transfers.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on IOS, Android.
  • You also want direct deposit.
Cash App review

Choose Credit Karma if

  • You need free credit score.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want credit report monitoring.
Credit Karma review

Questions people ask

Is Cash App or Credit Karma better?
Neither clearly leads. Cash App starts at Free and Credit Karma at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cash App or Credit Karma?
Cash App starts at Free and Credit Karma at Free.
Does Cash App or Credit Karma run on more platforms?
Cash App runs on IOS, Android. Credit Karma runs on Web, IOS, Android.
Can I use Cash App for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Cash App best used for?
Cash App is most often used for budget management, expense tracking, investment tracking. Of those, budget management and expense tracking are not what Credit Karma is typically brought in for.
What can Cash App do that Credit Karma cannot?
Cash App covers Money transfers, Direct deposit, Bitcoin trading, Stock investing. Credit Karma covers Free credit score, Credit report monitoring, Credit card recommendations, Tax filing. Both handle IOS support, Android support.
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