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Credit Karma vs E*TRADE

Credit Karma logo

Credit Karma

Software

Free credit scores, reports, and more

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
E*TRADE logo

E*TRADE

Software

Express your investing style

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Credit Karma has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Credit Karma state tax filing costs 15 USD even though federal filing is 0 USD; E*TRADE stock and ETF trades were $0 commission but options carried a $0.65 per-contract fee, broker-assisted trades added a $25 surcharge, and margin interest rates ranged from 12.70% to 13.20% depending on balance tier (Internet Archive capture, 3 January 2023)
  • They diverge on capability: Credit Karma covers Free credit score, E*TRADE covers Advanced trading tools.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Credit Karma and E*TRADE actually diverge.

Attributes where Credit Karma and E*TRADE differ
AttributeCredit KarmaE*TRADE
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumtransaction
Free tierYesNo
Founded20071956

Identical on both: platforms (Web, IOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Credit Karma

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

Only in E*TRADE

  • Advanced trading tools
  • Options and futures
  • Research tools
  • Mobile trading
  • Bank accounts
  • Wire transfers

Both cover

  • Web support
  • IOS support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Credit Karma

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

E*TRADE

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

Where each one falls short

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

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

E*TRADE

  • Stock and ETF trades were $0 commission but options carried a $0.65 per-contract fee, broker-assisted trades added a $25 surcharge, and margin interest rates ranged from 12.70% to 13.20% depending on balance tier (Internet Archive capture, 3 January 2023)

Pricing, plan by plan

Credit Karma

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

E*TRADE

On request
  • Stock & ETF TradingFree
    • Commission-free trades
    • Real-time quotes
  • Advanced Trading$undefined/month
    • All Stock & ETF features
    • Options, futures
    • Advanced tools

Which should you pick?

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

Choose E*TRADE if

  • You need advanced trading tools.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want options and futures.
E*TRADE review

Questions people ask

Is Credit Karma or E*TRADE better?
Neither clearly leads. Credit Karma starts at Free and E*TRADE at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Credit Karma or E*TRADE?
Credit Karma has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Credit Karma and On request for E*TRADE.
Does Credit Karma or E*TRADE run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, IOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Credit Karma for free?
Yes. Credit Karma has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. E*TRADE starts at On request.
What is Credit Karma best used for?
Credit Karma is most often used for monitoring a credit score and the factors affecting it for free, comparing credit card and loan offers with approval odds, filing federal tax returns at no charge. Of those, monitoring a credit score and the factors affecting it for free and comparing credit card and loan offers with approval odds are not what E*TRADE is typically brought in for.
What can Credit Karma do that E*TRADE cannot?
Credit Karma covers Free credit score, Credit report monitoring, Credit card recommendations, Tax filing. E*TRADE covers Advanced trading tools, Options and futures, Research tools, Mobile trading. Both handle Web support, IOS support, Android support.
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